About

ISBN: Unknown
Page count: 144
Published: 1892
Publisher: Boston, MA: D.C. Heath & Company
Author: Anonymous Anglo-Saxon Scribe
Translator: John Lesslie Hall
format_quote Cite this work

Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem from ca. 1000 C.E. It details the story of Beowulf, the hero who would kill the Grendel, the monster who terrorized the local people. Beowulf is considered one of the oldest examples of epic poetry in the Old English dialect. Its contents come from one remaining manuscript known as the Nowell Codex, or Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV. The 3,812 line poem, translated by J.L. Hall in 1892, is a popular version and includes a glossary, descriptions, as well as helpful footnotes for readers unfamiliar with the myth.

Source: OMNIKA

  • King Hrothgar, the ruler of the Danes, is troubled by the rampages of a demon named Grendel. Every night, Grendel attacks King Hrothgar's wealthy mead-hall, Heorot, killing Danish warriors and sometimes even eating them. Hrothgar was a great warrior in his time, but now he's an old king and can't seem to protect his people. Fortunately, a young Geat warrior named Beowulf travels to Heorot Hall from his own lands overseas to lend a helping hand – literally.

    Source: Author or Publisher

    expand_more Read more Read less

Access

Read for free

External sources

Primary

Beowulf Epic

Myth

Myth icon

Beowulf, the hero, helps the Danes by killing the man-eating monster named Grendel, and his mother. Afterwards, Beowulf returns home and becomes the king of the Geats, ruling until his heroic death over fifty years later. In his final battle, he slays a dragon. The poem ends by honoring the greatness of Beowulf.

Type: Prestige, Hero
Created: Unknown
Belief system: Norse Paganism
Main deity: Beowulf
Other deities: Grendel
Origin: Europe › Northern Europe › Sweden
Norse Paganism

Belief system

Belief system icon

Norse Paganism refers to the beliefs and traditions of people from Scandinavia: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Beowulf

Deity

Deity icon

While Beowulf was not a formal deity in the Norse pantheon, he was a mythical hero who had unusual skills and abilities.

Myths cited

It looks like only the main myth was referenced in this work.

Belief systems cited

It looks like only the main belief system was referenced in this work.

Artifacts cited

Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV

Parchment Manuscript

Artifact icon

Contributor

Contributor image

John Lesslie Hall

Translator · Main contributor

John Lesslie Hall was an American literary scholar and poet.
Author image

Anonymous Anglo-Saxon Scribe

Author

The Nowell Codex, featuring the Beowulf epic, was written by an unknown Anglo-Saxon scribe.
Contents
Front cover 1
fullscreen
chevron_left
chevron_right
arrow_forward

Cite this work

Chicago

Hall, John L. Beowulf: An Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem, Translated From the Heyne-Socin Text by J.L. Hall. Boston, MA: D.C. Heath & Co, 1892.

Close

Share

https://omnika.org/stable/437

content_copy COPY
Close

Report

Thanks for helping OMNIKA become a better website. Report a problem if you see something wrong on this page. All fields are required.

Please keep it short and sweet.

Heads up. By submitting the form, you are also sending information related to your device, such as your browser, screen resolution, and IP address. For more information, please read the privacy policy. Unless you indicate otherwise, we may attempt to contact you using the email address you provided.

Close Submit form