Yet more readings of Tolkien's essays because they're like some kind of magical drug. This time it's his look at Beowulf, and why instead of being all about some big bloke who beats up monsters, it's actually a look at how early Christianity reinterpreted its cultural heritage. The monsters were just too much fun to do away with, so they became demonic forces instead, with the eponymous hero a Christian knight fighting against the forces of darkness. This, says Tolkien, is in marked contrast to the Greeks or even the pagans of northern Europe, who viewed their monsters completely differently. Far from being a mere simple story, it actually represents part of a radical shift in cosmological thinking. The monsters are no longer quite simple malevolent beasts, but something deeper and darker, something approaching evil.

#Fantasy
#SciFi
#Tolkien
#Religion

https://decoherency.blogspot.com/2023/09/bash-bewoulf-booo-bolster-beowulf.html