The God of Beowulf

The God of Beowulf never speaks to anyone in the epic, never shows himself to anyone. Yet, they continue to believe in Him. The story speaks of horrible evil and the heroes who destroy them, all the while thanking God and attributing their success to him, even as they themselves die. How does the poet deal with religious question of how there can be a just god, and horrific evil?

The question is compounded when we find that Grendel's motivation for killing dozens of men is how much they praised God for creating heaven and earth:

Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark,

nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him

to hear the din of the loud banquet

every day in the hall, the harp being struck

and the clear song of a skilled poet

telling with mastery of man's beginnings,

how the Almighty had made the earth

a gleaming plain girdled with waters;

in His splendour He set the sun and the moon

to be earth's lamplight, lanterns for men,

and filled the broad lap of the world

with branches and leaves; and quickened life

in every other thing that moved. (86-98)

How can it be that the men in the hall are so terribly murdered because of their praise of God? How could a just god allow that?

In fact, we learn in lines 102-114 that God was directly responsible for the creation of beings like Grendel, offspring of the biblical Cain.

Hrothgar himself admits the inexplicable to Beowulf - that God could have stopped these horrible attacks, yet has not:

...My household-guard

are on the wane, fate sweeps the away

into Grendel's clutches-

but God can easily

halt these raids and harrowing attacks! (475-479)

When Beowulf finally defeats the beast, Hrothgar thanks God (929-955) for saving them, as does Beowulf (978).

We then find out soon enough that their thanks are in vain - Grendel's mother attacks in anger over the death of her son. Beowulf's action does not go unpunished. After another bout against a monster cursed by God, and success, Beowulf once again thanks God (1665-1677).

I believe at the end, when Beowulf lays dying at the hand of the dragon, and still thanks God for having successfully free the treasure laid there and defeated the dragon, we see a hidden critique of giving thanks to God every time something good happens. The only reason Beowulf lay dying was because of his pride - he thought he could do it alone. This harkens back to the warning Hrothgar gives him about choosing eternal reward and staying away from the pride that so many other rulers fall to. And he fell to it! He was only killed because of his arrogance. God did not step in, and he never seems to step in. There is no miraculous saving. His thanking of God is foolish.