In eighth century Anglo-Saxon society, history was passed down as oral tales, as writing down historical events was too problematic as there were too many dialects. Furthermore, in the Anglo-Saxon society of the 8th century, an important transition occurred from the ancient pagan traditions to the new theology of Christianity. Therefore, as new stories were told, to make them applicable to the audience, Christianity had to be incorporated. Coming out of this transitional era, Beowulf features various Christian colors alongside ancient pagan traditions. As a result, it has been debated over the centuries whether the poem was entirely Christian or pagan. Then, in an anonymously written Beowulf, the poet mixed a number of Christian and pagan elements and traditions to demonstrate the blending of theologies in eighth-century Anglo-Saxon society. To understand why Beowulf contains undertones of Christian and pagan elements, one must first understand Anglo-Saxon society of the late 8th century. At the end of the 8th century, Christianity was just becoming the standard religion for the people. However, pagan traditions were still followed and respected, albeit to a lesser extent. Consequently these were interesting times to live in, where on one side of the city there was a hidden pagan community who worshiped at night or in hidden rooms. However, on the other side of the city there would be Christians proudly celebrating their new religion, tied to the ancient traditions. This juxtaposition led to the literature of the time being overtly Christian, but with just enough pagan undertones to not alienate a portion of the audience. Therefore the Beowulf poet of this period had the obligation to “deal with, present and interpret t...... half of the paper ...... complete arc. Network. February 29, 2012.Moorman, Charles. “The Essential Paganism of Beowulf.” Modern Language Quarterly 28.1 (1967): 3. Academic research completed. Network. February 29, 2012.Phillips, James. "In the company of the marauding Beowulf and the monstrous descendants of Cain." Angelaki: Journal Of The Theoretical Humanities 13.3 (2008): 41-52. Academic research completed. Network. 5 March 2012.RW, Chambers. BEOWULF INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF POETRY WITH DISCUSSION OF THE TALES OF OFFA AND FINN. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1967. 353. Print.Wentersdorf, Karl P. “Beowulf: The Paganism of Hrothgar’s Danes.” Studies In Philology78.5 (1981): 91. Academic research completed. Network. March 1, 2012. Wilson, Douglas. "The Anglo-Saxon Gospel". Touchstone: A Journal Of Mere Christianity20.6 (2007): 30-34. Academic research completed. Network. March 5. 2012.