Knowra Beowulf Beowulf Beowulf is an Old English epic poem about a Geatish hero who fights Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. Its surviving manuscript combines heroic legend with Christian reflection on mortality and fame.
Grendel : A monster in Beowulf who attacks the hall of the Danish king Hrothgar. His attacks on Heorot begin Beowulf’s rise to fame.
Old English : The earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken and written roughly from the fifth to eleventh centuries. The poem’s language preserves a major work of early English literature.
Nowell Codex : The manuscript codex that preserves the only surviving copy of Beowulf. Its damaged pages are the physical source for the poem’s modern text.
Germanic heroic poetry : Poetry from Germanic-speaking cultures that celebrates warriors, leaders, loyalty, and fame. Beowulf adapts heroic ideals while exposing their costs.
Grendel’s mother : A monster in Beowulf who seeks revenge for Grendel’s death. Her underwater fight tests Beowulf beyond the victory over Grendel.
Alliterative verse : A poetic form that organizes lines through repeated initial consonant sounds. Its paired half-lines and stressed sounds structure Beowulf’s poetry.
Junius Manuscript : An Old English manuscript containing biblical poems, including Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, and Christ and Satan. Its religious verse offers a contrast to Beowulf’s blend of heroic legend and Christian reflection.
Heroic code : A social ideal that prizes courage, loyalty, generosity, and reputation among warriors. Beowulf’s choices embody its virtues and reveal their dangers.
Heorot : The great mead hall built by the Danish king Hrothgar in Beowulf. Grendel’s nightly attacks make this hall the poem’s first central battleground.
Kennings : Compound expressions that describe a person or thing indirectly, especially in Germanic poetry. The poem uses images such as “whale-road” for the sea.
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