Beowulf

Beowulf was known as an epic hero for experiencing various fights through his life and stepping up for his village and to make peace with several monsters that had terrorized his people. Beowulf is known as an Old English poem that the language spoken in Anglo-Saxon England before the Norman Conquest. The original story of Beowulf is up to more than 3,000 lines. “Beowulf survives in a single medieval manuscript, housed at the British Library in London. The manuscript bears no date, and so its age has to be calculated by analysing the scribe's handwriting. Some scholars have suggested that the manuscript was made at the end of the 10th century, others in the early decades of the 11th, perhaps as late as the reign of King Cnut, who ruled …show more content…
The first person recorded who owned Beowulf was Laurence Nowell who died in c.1570, Nowell was a pioneer of the study of Anglo-Saxon,who inscribed his name at the top of the manuscript’s first page. The poem was created in the oral formulaic mode, based on folk tales and tradition. Beowulf is about a hero who encounters several monsters like Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the Dragon. Beowulf was raised as foster son by King Hrethel, “Beowulf explains his relationship to King Hygelac as a straightforward exchange: Hygelac gives him land and wealth, and Beowulf gives Hygelac his loyalty and service in battle in return.” “ For 12 years, a huge manlike ogre named Grendel, a descendant of the biblical murderer Cain, has menaced the aging Hrothgar, raiding Heorot and killing the king's thanes (warriors). Grendel rules the mead-hall nightly.” Beowulf , a warrior …show more content…
As Beowulf was growing up an ogre named Grendel had raided Heorot and killed the king's warriors for over 12 years. The Scyldings’ had asked for help and Beowulf stepped up to left with some of his warrior to attempt to put an end to Grendel. Beowulf tears off his arm and ends up dying off of blood loss. Grendel’s mother that night decides to travel through the mountains of Heorot and discovers her son dead lying on the floor. She decides to get revenge against her son’s murders and starts killing some of the Scyldings. When Beowulf finds out he goes into the lake and tries to get revenge as well for his people. Several years after he kills Grendel’s mother and had been reigning the Geats for over 15 years, a new monster appears attacking his people for a gold cup that he had been missing. Beowulf realizes that he is not the same young warrior he was but decides to go in search for the dragon. As he enters the cave he and his men fight the dragon, most of his men die and as he is bitten he asks one of his warriors named Wiglaf to search the gold and to grab an armload of the treasure for his people. Beowulf's last words before he died were that Wiglaf must now look out for the