Beowulf

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Beowulf is an Old English heroic epic poem. It is not known who wrote it, but it was originally written down between the 8th and the 11th century. The only copy of Beowulf that still exists is from about 1010. Beowulf is 3183 lines long.

The protagonist of the poem is Beowulf. The poem is named after him. In the poem, Beowulf fights three monsters: Grendel and Grendel's mother, and later in his life an unnamed dragon.

[change] Story

Hrothgar, a Danish king, has built a big mead hall, which is called Heorot. Hrothgar and his people live a good life and celebrate in Heorot. But then they are attacked by Grendel, who comes to Heorot every night and kills some of Hrothgar's people.

Beowulf is a Geatic warrior from Geatland (modern southern Sweden). He hears of Hrothgar's troubles with Grendel. Beowulf and his men leave Geatland to help King Hrothgar.

Beowulf and his men stay the night in Heorot. When Grendel comes to kill them, Beowulf fights him. Beowulf tears Grendel's arm off from his body and sticks it on the wall as a trophy. Grendel runs to his home in the marshes, where he dies. Everyone is happy that Grendel is killed and celebrates. But the next night, Grendel's mother comes to Heorot and kills many people for revenge and grabs grendels arm. Beowulf then goes to the marshes where Grendel and his mother lived. Beowulf fights Grendel's mother and kills her.

Beowulf goes back home to Geatland, and sometime later becomes a king. Later in his life, he fights a dragon. Beowulf, helped by the young man Wiglaf, can kill the dragon. But Beowulf is wounded in the final battle and dies. After his death, Beowulf is buried in a barrow in Geatland.

[change] Adaptions

The story of Beowulf has often been told in many books, theater plays, and films. Sometimes the full story is told, sometimes just parts of the story. Sometimes the story is changed from the original story of Beowulf, and sometimes they just take ideas or themes from the story. Some of them are:

• Beowulf (1999 film)
• Beowulf and Grendel (2005 film)
• Grendel (2007 film)
• Beowulf (2007 animated film)

• Eaters of the Dead, a book by Michael Crichton (1976)
• Grendel, a book by John Gardner (1971)
• The Ring-givers, a book by W. H. Canaway (1958).

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