Beowulf

E21035

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem that recounts the heroic deeds of its eponymous warrior as he battles monsters and a dragon, and is considered one of the most important works of early English literature.

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All labels observed (10)

Statements (63)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Old English epic poem
heroic poem
literary work
adaptedAs films
graphic novels
novels
operas
approximateCompositionCentury 10th century
8th century
9th century
early 11th century
approximateLineCount 3182 lines
associatedTribe Scandinavians
surface form: Danes

Geats
Swedes
author unknown
authorship anonymous
centralConflict Beowulf vs Grendel
Beowulf vs Grendel's mother
Beowulf vs the dragon
compositionDate between 8th and early 11th century
containsEpisode battle with Grendel in Heorot
battle with Grendel's mother in her mere
final battle with the dragon
countryOfOrigin England
culturalSignificance earliest surviving epic poem in English
one of the most important works of early English literature
featuresCharacter Grendel
Grendel's mother
Hrothgar
the dragon
featuresGroup Scandinavians
surface form: the Danes

the Geats
genre epic poetry
heroic epic
historicalElements references to Scandinavian kings and tribes
influenced J. R. R. Tolkien
modern fantasy literature
language Old English
length over 3000 lines
literaryPeriod Old English literature
literaryTradition Anglo-Saxon literature
mainCharacter Beowulf self-link
manuscript Nowell Codex
manuscriptLocation British Library
manuscriptShelfmark Cotton Vitellius A XV
meter Old English alliterative meter
narrativeStructure three main battles
primaryLocation Denmark
Geatland
protagonist Beowulf self-link
religiousContext Christian narrator with pagan setting
setting Scandinavia
theme fate
generosity and gift-giving
good vs evil
heroism
kinship
loyalty
mortality
reputation
the heroic code
verseForm alliterative verse

Referenced by (53)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Old English hasLiteraryWork Beowulf
Robert Zemeckis notableWork Beowulf
Robert Zemeckis directed Beowulf
British Library hasCollection Beowulf
this entity surface form: Beowulf manuscript
Beowulf mainCharacter Beowulf self-link
Beowulf protagonist Beowulf self-link
Seamus Heaney notableWork Beowulf
this entity surface form: Beowulf: A New Translation
Beowulf (2007 film score) basedOn Beowulf
this entity surface form: Old English epic poem "Beowulf"
Hrothgar appearsIn Beowulf
Hrothgar seeksHelpFrom Beowulf
Hrothgar alliedWith Beowulf
Hrothgar praises Beowulf
Hrothgar rewards Beowulf
Hrothgar firstAppearance Beowulf
Grendel appearsIn Beowulf
Grendel enemyOf Beowulf
Grendel killedBy Beowulf
Grendel firstAppearance Beowulf
this entity surface form: Beowulf (manuscript commonly dated around 1000 CE)
the Geats mentionedIn Beowulf
subject surface form: Geats
the Geats heroAssociated Beowulf
subject surface form: Geats
Nowell Codex alsoKnownAs Beowulf
this entity surface form: Beowulf Manuscript
Nowell Codex containsWork Beowulf
Cotton Vitellius A XV alsoKnownAs Beowulf
this entity surface form: Beowulf manuscript
Cotton Vitellius A XV holds Beowulf
Cotton Vitellius A XV hasPart Beowulf
this entity surface form: Beowulf section
Grendel's mother appearsIn Beowulf
Grendel's mother enemy Beowulf
Grendel's mother killedBy Beowulf
Grendel's mother workTitleInOldEnglish Beowulf
this entity surface form: Bēowulf
Geats mentionedIn Beowulf
Geats associatedWithRuler Beowulf
Geatland describedIn Beowulf
Geatland nativeHero Beowulf
Geatland governedByInBeowulf Beowulf
Geatland primarySourceTitle Beowulf
Ray Winstone notableWork Beowulf
ImageMovers produced Beowulf
Steve Starkey notableWork Beowulf
John Gardner basedOn Beowulf
this entity surface form: Beowulf (for the novel "Grendel")
Jack Rapke notableWork Beowulf
Alison Lohman notableWork Beowulf
Roger Avary notableWork Beowulf
The 13th Warrior inspiredBy Beowulf