Heroic and Religious Truths of "Beowulf"

William Butler Yeats stated that "Supreme art is a traditional statement of certain heroic and religious truths, passed on from age to age..." which definitely refers to Anglo-Saxon literature. Stories that have been handed down through the generations were written down and reworked by monks adding religious beliefs. These stories of the Anglo-Saxon literature contain heroic ideals and the traditions of the older Anglo-Saxon religion. "Beowulf", the first great work of a national literature, tells …

…that God can help the weakest warrior defeat the strongest monster. He knows that God will help him in his battles as well as in his journey through life, and Beowulf believes that God will protect his kingdom and his people if he is killed. Monks mix the traits of a warrior and religious man by showing that a hero wins battles with his strength as well as the faith that he holds in God.