Genre: Heroic Epic Poem

Despite its obscurity till the 1900s, Beowulf is now considered a seminal work of English literature, and it has also significantly influenced English poetry. Since the 1900s, it has inspired many writers, including Tolkien, to take up the heroic epic. Notably, Beowulf was originally written in Old English, which was largely shaped by its Germanic influence. English, on the other hand, has etymological roots in Latin and French, and is more Romantic than Old English.

Beowulf, much like most ancient works, was built on a well-established oral tradition. In other words, the characters and the plot were not created by the author; they were adapted from the orally preserved versions.

Epic poems were composed as works of art meant for performance. A ‘scop’ would sing a poem before an audience, not just recite it. Typically, the story narrated in the poem would be a popular ancient tale. Beowulf portrays a scop in Hrothgar’s court. In fact, it discusses the role of a scop in the social setup of those times. It would not be wrong to surmise that the poet who is supposed to have composed Beowulf had heard the plot from scops, with the latter having obtained it through the oral tradition. Notably, no historical evidence is available to confirm if Beowulf was composed by a single poet, and if the poet was a scop.

Though it was composed in England, the events that comprise its storyline take place in Scandinavia. In particular, the poem describes a time when Anglo-Saxons were still adapting to life in England; in other words, they had not yet established themselves in Britain, and many of their customs still bore the mark of life in Scandinavia. Nonetheless, much of the story unfolds prior to the arrival of Anglo-Saxons in Great Britain and has references to real historical figures, such as members of the Swedish and Danish royal families. Beowulf thus features the type of narrative myth that characterizes oral histories across societies. It is also to be noted that the milieu in which the author lived might have been radically different from the people described in the poem.

Because of Beowulf’s many historic references, it is important for readers to get acquainted with the history of Great Britain. Many still believe that Anglo-Saxons were the original inhabitants of the British Isles. In truth, however, Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavians were only conquerors of the islands. Though they first conquered the islands in the fourth century A.D., they were driven back by the Romans who had settled in Great Britain before. The second conquest happened around 450 A.D. It was the Anglo-Saxons and the Scandinavians who brought the Germanic languages to England, which laid the basis for Old English.

An interesting aspect of Beowulf is that it is a Pagan story narrated by a Christian poet, though this is not uncommon for the time period. Beowulf’s narrative technique also makes this evident. The Anglo-Saxons and the Scandinavians who conquered Britain were Pagan, but Christianity had already struck roots in Great Britain during the Roman occupation. Also notable is the fact that Beowulf eschews the Judeo-Christian code of ethics and morals and instead imbues its characters with the heroic ethic that had prevailed prior to the advent of Christianity. Indeed, several parts of the poem bring out the contrast between the poet’s own ethical beliefs and the characters’ ethical outlook.