Anglo-Saxons and Beowulf

Anglo-Saxon Literature

Featuring Beowulf, King of the Geats

According to Wikipedia, "Beowulf is the conventional title of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.

"It survives in a single manuscript known as the Nowell Codex. Its composition by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet is dated between the 8th and the early 11th century. In 1731, the manuscript was badly damaged by a fire that swept through the building which housed a collection of medieval manuscripts that had been assembled by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton. It fell into obscurity for many decades, and its existence did not become widely known again until it was printed in 1815 in an edition prepared by the Icelandic scholar Grímur Jónsson Thorkelin.

"In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, battles three antagonists: Grendel, who has been attacking the resident warriors of the mead hall of Hrothgar (the king of the Danes), Grendel's mother, and an unnamed dragon. After the first two victories, Beowulf goes home to Geatland in Sweden and becomes king of the Geats. The last fight takes place fifty years later. In this final battle, Beowulf is fatally wounded. After his death, his servants bury him in a tumulus in Geatland."

To study the Anglo-Saxon background information for the quiz, click here to play the Kahoot! review.

To study for the Beowulf exam, click here to play the Kahoot! review for the test.

To open the link to the Beowulf webquest, please click here.

To learn more about Anglo-Saxons, click here!

To learn about the Ancient British history of the Anglo-Saxons, click here!

To read a copy of the introduction material for the Anglo-Saxons, please click here!

To read a copy of "The English Language" from the text, please click here!