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they deviated from the "righteous path". If they hadn't been so lazy perhaps holidays we have today, Christmas and Easter, would have been more thought out and had other days chosen instead of just putting them on days where other cultures had worshipped some other God upon just so it would be easier for everyone to remember.

One man feels that the vagueness within the works text is purposeful, much how certain parts of the bible are rather vague in what its describing, in certain translated versions anyway. "If Beowulf

is obscure, Huppe argues, it is so intended, for "the Bible was divinely ordained to be obscure, in order to prevent slackening of attention when the intellect was not strenuously engaged . . . gymnastique intellectuale, is, for Augustine, an essential part of the process of the mind moving toward divine truth" (9). The duty of

the reader is to distinguish between what is literal and what is figurative or allegorical," (Cain, page 6). However this way of writing often times confuses a reader. Mr. Cain pointed out that Bede in his book Historia says, "casual readers are misled by problems and ambiguities of many kinds, mistaking one thing for another. In some passages they find no meaning at all that they can grasp at, even falsely, so thick is the fog created by some obscure phrases," (Cain, page 6). This also times appears to be what people do with the bible when they claim that there are passages implying this and that that are simply not there.

I would assume that the Crusades were also part of the mindset of the Monks who rewrote this epic. The Crusades were about "upholding the faith" while fighting the hated Muslims. All that came out from the Crusades was mans attempt to gain honor and pass on his faith unto other peoples who didn't want it.

Beowulf in regards to studies showing it compared to certain bible translations is a purely Christian work, seeing how vague it is in its own ideas. As a Christian I find it rather annoying how vague the epic is and how it's supposed to be Christian when it's just glorifying the old pagan values of the war-tribes of ancient Europe. As a History geek I find the timeline of the passages "origin", which is still very much contested as to when it could have possibly happened, the way of life of Beowulf, and the way he goes about his life, paganism and all. I will admit that a truly Christian story would be rather "dull" while this work, while being pagan, was very exciting in its own way.

Bloom, Harold. (1) "Bloom on Beowulf.." In Bloom, Harold, ed. Beowulf, Bloom's Guide. Chelsea House Publishing: Publisher, 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Tarrant County Library, home. 11/25/08 <http://www.fofweb.com/activeli nk2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BLCE006&SingleRecord=True >.

Bloom, Harold. (2) "Bloom on Beowulf" In Bloom, Harold, ed. Beowulf, Bloom's Guide.: Chelsea
House Publishing, 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Tarrant County Library, home. 11/25/08 <http://www.fofweb.com/activeli nk2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BGB001&SingleRecord=True >.

Cain, Christopher M. " BEOWULF, THE OLD TESTAMENT, AND THE REGULA FIDEI."
Renascence. Summer97, Vol. 49 Issue 4, p226-240, 15p. Marquette University, Publication 1997. Literary Reference Center. EBSCO Industries, Inc. Tarrant County Library, home. 11/26/08 < http://ezp.tccd.edu:2358/login .aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=530129&site=lrc-live >.

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