Beowulf (/ ˈbeɪəwʊlf /; [1] Old English: Bēowulf [ˈbeːowuɫf]) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature.

Beowulf (/ ˈbeɪəwʊlf /; [1][2] Old English: Bēowulf [ˈbeːowuɫf]) is a legendary Geatish hero in the eponymous epic poem, one of the oldest surviving pieces of English literature. A number of origins have been proposed for the name Beowulf.

The protagonist of the epic, Beowulf is a Geatish hero who fights the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. Beowulf’s boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest, ablest warrior around. In his youth, he personifies all of the best values of the heroic culture. In his old age, he proves a wise and effective ruler.

Beowa, Beaw, Bēow [beːow], Beo or Bedwig is a figure in Anglo-Saxon traditional religion associated with barley and agriculture. The figure is attested in the Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies as they were extended in the age of Alfred, where Beowa is inserted as the son of Scyld and the grandson of Sceafa, in lineages carried back to Adam. [1] .

Mar 23, 2025 · Beowulf, heroic poem, the highest achievement of Old English literature and the earliest European vernacular epic. The work deals with events of the early 6th century, and, while the date of its composition is uncertain, some scholars believe that it …

King Hrothgar of Denmark, a descendant of the great king Shield Sheafson, enjoys a prosperous and successful reign. He builds a great mead-hall, called Heorot, where his warriors can gather to drink, receive gifts from their lord, and listen to stories sung by the scops, or bards.

Beow was famous—prosperity sprang widely— as Scyld’s son, throughout all the northern lands. (ll. 12-19) So ought a young man to make good his disposition, gracious payments from the start, even in the lap of his father, so that loyal companions should linger with him in old age, when war comes soon, the people should follow him.

At this time, Beowulf, nephew of the Geatish king Hygelac, is the greatest hero in the world. He lives in Geatland, a realm not far from Denmark, in what is now southern Sweden. When Beowulf hears tales of the destruction wrought by Grendel, he decides to travel to the land of the Danes and help Hrothgar defeat the demon.

Beowa, also spelled Bēow or Bēo, is a heretofore somewhat obscure figure in Anglo-Saxon Heathen mythology as a spirit of barley and the god of agricultural fertility. He is also known as the Barley spirit, and is associated with the growth and harvest of barley, which was a vital crop in ancient Anglo-Saxon culture.

beow. He is the second king listed of the Danish rulers when the poem begins. Beow is the son of Shield Sheafson and he is the father of Halfdane. The narrator loves Beow and makes him out to be a gift from God.