Old English

Beowulf is a centuries old epic poem which has no known author. The origins of the poem are pagan, but many Christian elements were added during the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. This intriguing tale of a hero and mysterious monsters is considered an important part of Anglo-Saxon history. Beowulf, the protagonist, is a fearless hero who risks his life to save others. Throughout the story, he battles many ferocious beasts and eventually becomes a highly respected king. Beowulf…

Beowulf, written by an anonymous author, is one of the most common epic British literature poems. This epic is a story about a young warrior, who defends against mythical monsters and dragons that represents other worldly beings. The unknown author uses several aids when creating the work and brave tales of Beowulf. With the use of these literary devices the author is able to clearly communicate the purpose of their writing. The main literary devices identified within Beowulf are hero, allegory…

One of the fascinating times in European history occurs during the age of the Vikings, which were between the 8th century and the 10th century. There are several different articles that possess different ideas on how the Vikings acted. For example, one article that views the Vikings as harsh and horrific human beings is titled Lindisfarne, which talks about how the Vikings raided a town in current-day England (Lindisfarne). Another example includes a NOVA interview with William Fitzhugh, an…

Beowulf is a literary work from the Anglo-Saxon time period in which the mythological and archetypal Hero Quest is portrayed. Like every literary work that includes a Hero’s Quest, the call, the obstacles, the climax, and the return are all crucial parts. The main character, Beowulf, depicts a hero in this time period. As a leader of the Geats, Beowulf is called to multiple challenges throughout his lifetime, such as killing Grendel, in order to help the Danes. Beowulf takes on multiple quests…

The cultural values of the Anglo-Saxon people reflected what might be considered a more simplistic mindset as opposed to those possessed by modern peoples, which tend to be more complex. Moreover, the cultural values of the Anglo-Saxon people can be represented through characters in the epic poem Beowulf (Heaney). The Anglo-Saxons believed that everything fell into the categories of either good or evil, with no room for anything in between. Today we like to believe that people act and think a…

Beowulf, written in c.700-750AD, is one example of an epic poem written with uncanny roots to the Anglo-Saxon faith. During the approximate era the story takes place, most soldiers were illiterate, and would enlist the help of bards, or poets, to tell their stories and uphold their legacies. Though most poems written by bards, upon translation, ended up with strong Christian influences, the most fundamental aspects of Anglo-Saxon life are still evident in the work. Some of the most unequivocal…

Beowulf is an epic poem by an unknown author, written in England between the eighth and eleventh centuries and whose deeds take place in the lands of Denmark and Sweden. His 3182 verses were found for the first time in Nowel codex, a manuscript of the eleventh century, but later the work was renamed as the main protagonist, Beowulf. The manuscript and the poem are considered national treasures British despite the fact that the story is about a Scandinavian hero who fights monsters in Denmark.…

the pagans (Christianity in Beowulf). The author of Beowulf referred Beowulf’s strength as a great gift from God (A Christian Apology for Beowulf and Treasure). Throughout the epic poem, there are several Biblical references that stick out. In the Old Testament, it states how God punished Cain for the murder of his brother Abel in the book of Genesis. He punishes him by cursing him to wonder, and just like in the epic poem, Grendel is punished by being cursed and to wonder. In the poem, Grendel…

Every piece of literature includes literary patterns whether noticeable or not. Most modern literature use aspects that derive from older literature pieces. The storyline of all literature show similar patterns even though they are vastly different. Even though Beowulf and Lilo and Stitch were written in completely different eras, they both show similar patterns of literature, such as quests, communion, monsters, and archetypal heroes. In Beowulf, Beowulf travels all the way from Geatland to…

Beowulf, is an epic poem written during the Anglo-Saxon time. It is about Beowulf, who is a warrior that is summoned to battle Grendel, a man eating demon. The tale is told with remnants and style of old Anglo-Saxon poetry writings. The Anglo-Saxons used a figure of speech known as kenning. A kenning substitutes a noun with two other words that, when compounded together, describe the substituted noun. In Beowulf the three words that are described by using kennings are Beowulf, Grendel, and the…