Beowulf

Beowulf is the earliest Anglo-Saxon epic poem to survive in its entirety. It was written in Old English (a language developed from the Germanic languages brought to England by Scandinavian invaders).

It is made up of 3,182 lines. It makes strong use of alliteration.

It is likely that Beowulf dates from between the 8th and early 11th centuries because it appears to have been written from a Christian perspective, in spite of its pagan subject matter. The manuscript we have of it today was produced between 975 AD and 1025 AD. We do not know who wrote it and so the writer is referred to as the "Beowulf poet".

The story is set in Scandinavia in the 6th century and it includes several historical figures. In it, Beowulf, a Geatish warrior comes to the aid of Hrothgar, king of the Danes, to rid the land of the monster Grendel and then Grendel’s mother. His final battle is to save his own people from a dragon which he defeats, however he is mortally wounded in the battle. The poem deals with themes of loyalty and brotherly love, the short quality of life, and the danger of pride and arrogance in the face of humankind’s inevitable death. JRR Tolkien argued that Beowulf called us to seriously reflect on our struggles against fate.