Sažetak | The aim of this paper is to elaborate on the concept of Paganism and the pagan constituents of the Old English epic poem Beowulf. I have studied the impact and development of Paganism through the centuries from a variety of sources, books, and research papers, which will all be noted and analyzed later in this paper. In the first part of my study Paganism is defined and the properties
of the old pagan beliefs foregrounded. Further in the account of Paganism, I convey the importance of the relations between man, God(s), nature, animals, and things, showing that Paganism in its core is neither faith nor religion, but spirituality. This form of spirituality has been employed in manifold art forms, including poetic works such as Beowulf. Because of Beowulf merging varied
strands of knowledge, the poem’s central representational strategy of euphemerism is tackled. Beowulf, a masterly literary art form, can be analyzed in a countless number of ways, but as Paganism has remained a mystifying subject, I find it most compelling to delve deeper into the history of Beowulf as Pagan artistry. |