Beowulf

Beowulf is an Old English hero epic poem of anonymous authorship. This work of Anglo-Saxon literature dates to between the 8th and the 11th century, the only surviving European manuscript dating to the early 11th century. At 3183 lines, it is notable for its length. Beowulf is sometimes called the national epic of England, despite the inaccuracy of that label. The work was originally written in Anglo-Saxon and pertains to events in Scandinavia. In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geat, battles three antagonists: Grendel, who is attacking the Danish mead hall called Heorot and its inhabitants; Grendel's mother; and, later in life after returning to Geatland (modern southern Sweden) and becoming a king, he fights an unnamed dragon. He is fatally wounded in the final battle, and after his death he is buried in a barrow in Geatland by his retainers. The most common English pronunciation is , but the "ēo" in Bēowulf was a diphthong, and a more authentic pronunciation would be with two... full article at wikipedia