Beowulf

Beowulf is a traditional heroic epic poem in Old English alliterative verse. At 3182 lines, it is far more substantial than any similar work in the language, representing about 10% of the extant corpus of Anglo-Saxon verse. The poem is untitled in the manuscript, but has been known as Beowulf since the early 19th century.

Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem in what is identifiable as a form of the English language. (The oldest surviving text in English is Caedmon's hymn of creation.) The precise date of the manuscript is debated, but most estimates place it close to AD 1000. The original composition of the poem, however, is under more debate. Some archaic forms of words that appear in the text suggest that the poem comes from the 8th century, probably the earlier half. The poem appears in what is today called the Beowulf manuscript, along with the shorter poem Judith. The text is the product of two different scribes, the second taking over roughly halfway through Beowulf.

The poem is a work of fiction, but it mentions in passing some people and events that were probably real, probably dating from between AD 450 to 600 in Denmark and southern Sweden (Geats and Swedes). It is a useful source for information not only about Anglo-Saxon traditions such as the fight at Finnsburg, but also about Scandinavian personalities, such as Eadgils and Hygelac, and about continental Germanic personalities such as Offa, king of the continental Angles. Many have pointed out that Beowulf relates similar events and personalities as the Hrólf Kraki tales (see Origins for Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki). The hero's name Beowulf means bee-wolf, a kenning for "bear" (due to their love of honey). Consequently, it has often been suggested that the name Beowulf was a kenning for Bödvar Bjarki (Battle Bear) who somewhat corresponds to Beowulf in Scandinavian sources.

The story came to England at a time when the Germanic peoples were still part of the same cultural sphere and spoke what really were just dialects of the same language. However, the arrival of this legend to England surprises modern Englishmen, who today are more isolated from the rest of the Germanic world.

Top of the page