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Beowulf - Old English Epic Poem
Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem in the English language and the earliest piece of vernacular European literature. These resources and directories below will help you find out more about this significant piece of history from Britain's "Dark Ages."
Beowulf - What You Need to Know about the Epic Poem
Your Guide's basic introduction to the epic provides an overview of the history of the poem and the manuscript.
Modern English Translations of Beowulf
Versions of Beowulf in poetry and prose form that you can easily find today in most bookstores and on the web.
The Beowulf Story
A description of the events that transpire in the Old English Epic poem, Beowulf.
Primary Characters in Beowulf
Brief descriptions of the most significant figures of the Beowulf poem.
Additional Characters in Beowulf
The characters described here appear in Beowulf. Though not principal figures, it is nevertheless helpful to know who they are.
Terms Used in Beowulf
Some of the more important and unusual terms you will encounter when reading the epic poem Beowulf.
Beowulf Quiz
A challenging quiz to test your knowledge of the poem and its history.
First Page of the Beowulf Manuscript
A 363 x 576 pixel, 56 K graphic of the first page of the Beowulf manuscript, which you can download for free, here at the Medieval History site.
Beowulf
The epic of Beowulf, the most precious relic of Old English, and, indeed, of all early Germanic literature, has come down to us in a single MS. A seven-page article from the 1911 Encyclopedia.
Guide to the Electronic Beowulf
This online help guide to the CD includes articles, images, and background on the project to preserve the Beowulf manuscript in digital format. A joint effort between Kevin Kiernan, Paul Szarmach, and the British Library.
Readings from Beowulf
Listen to how the poem sounded when originally performed with these WAV and TrueSpeech audio files, prepared by Peter Baker at UVA.
Student Work
From Interdisciplinary Course: INT296 at Pace University, each semester offers a few webpages on Beowulf, some very well done with fun graphics and site design.