Beowulf Epic

Prestige, Hero Myth

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About this myth

Beowulf Epic is a Prestige, Hero myth originating from the Norse Paganism belief system. The oldest attested artifact in our index that contains this myth was likely created around 975 CE. The main deity depicted in this myth is likely Beowulf. Others include and Grendel.

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.

Attested: 975—1015 CE
Created: Unknown
Myth type: Prestige, Hero
Main deity: Beowulf
Belief system: Norse Paganism
Origin: Europe › Northern Europe › Sweden

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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Belief system

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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Main deity

Other deities mentioned

Grendel

Artifact

Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV

British Library

The artifact named Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV has contents related to this mythological story.

Condition: Poor
Type: Manuscript
Material: Parchment
Date: c. 975 CE
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Main artifact
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More information

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.

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Artifacts related to this myth

Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV

Parchment Manuscript

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Texts related to this myth

See full texts of this myth via related artifacts. Where available, a translation is included.

All texts

Title
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"Beowulf" Website · Kevin Kiernan · 2015
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How did we get this date?

975—1015 CE

The attested date for the myth named 'Beowulf Epic' is derived from the oldest artifact we have: Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV. The creation date for this artifact is a range because the exact date is unknown. We derived this from the source(s) listed below:

Notes (see bottom of page for full bibliography)

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    How did we get this date?

    We're not quite sure about the creation date for this myth.

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    Cite this page

    MLA Modern Language Association (8th ed.)

    OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Beowulf Epic." OMNIKA – World Mythology Index, OMNIKA Foundation, 07 Aug. 2019, omnika.org/stable/240. Accessed 14 May. 2024.

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    APA American Psychological Association (6th ed.)

    OMNIKA (2019, August 07). Beowulf Epic. Retrieved from https://omnika.org/stable/240

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    CMS Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.)

    OMNIKA Foundation Contributors. "Beowulf Epic." Las Vegas, NV: OMNIKA Foundation. Created August 07, 2019. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://omnika.org/stable/240.

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    Bibliography

    British Library. Nowell Codex / Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV: Digital Facsimile. Accessed September 1, 2019. http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=cotton_ms_vitellius_a_xv.
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    British Library. Nowell Codex, ca. 975-1015 CE. Manuscript. Manuscript collections, Cotton MS Vitellius A.XV, British Library, London, United Kingdom.
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    Dedović, Boban. "When Art Betrays Mythology: Acquitting Cronus (Κρόνος) in Goya's Saturn." Paper presented at the 5th International Conference on Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, Paris, France, December 1–3, 2023. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/btwsk
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    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.
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    Kemble, John M. A Translation of the Anglo-Saxon Poem of Beowulf: With a Copious Glossary, Preface and Philological Notes. London, England: William Pickering, 1837.
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    Fast facts

    Myth
    Norse Paganism Belief system
    Beowulf Main deity
    Origin
    location_city Sweden Northern Europe
    event_note c. 975 CE Attested

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