About this myth
Beowulf Epic is a
In a nutshell
Myth summary
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.
Belief system
Norse Paganism Religion
Polytheistic
Norse Paganism refers to the beliefs and traditions of people from Scandinavia: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
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Beowulf
Main deity
While Beowulf was not a formal deity in the Norse pantheon, he was a mythical hero who had unusual skills and abilities.
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Other deities mentioned
Artifact
Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV
British Library
The artifact named Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV has contents related to this mythological story.
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Background
Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic poem of Scandinavian origin, written in Old English. The events of the myth take place in Scandinavian countries like Finland, Denmark, and Sweden. The religious associated of Beowulf is a disputed topic as Christianity had been introduced into the area at the time of the myth's composition. Many scholars cite Beowulf's Christian symbolism; however, the cultural association is Norse according to contextual evidence in the poem.
There is only one surviving manuscript which contains the Beowulf myth: the Nowell Codex, or Cotton MS Vitellius 1515 A.XV. Beowulf's authorship is unclear, as well as its religious affiliation.
Artifacts related to this myth
Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV
Parchment
Cite this page
OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Beowulf Epic." OMNIKA – World Mythology Index, OMNIKA Foundation, 07 Aug. 2019, omnika.org/stable/240. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
OMNIKA (2019, August 07). Beowulf Epic. Retrieved from https://omnika.org/stable/240
OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Beowulf Epic." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation. Created August 07, 2019. Accessed July 4, 2024. https://omnika.org/stable/240.
