Beowulf Facts for Kids

This page is about the epic story. For the character, see Beowulf (hero).

Quick facts for kids Beowulf
Bēowulf
First page of Beowulf in Cotton Vitellius A. xv
Author(s)	Unknown
Language	West Saxon dialect of Old English
Date	c. 700–1000 AD (date of story), c. 975–1010 AD (date of manuscript)
State of existence	Manuscript suffered damage from fire in 1731
Manuscript(s)	Cotton Vitellius A. xv
First printed edition	Thorkelin (1815)
Genre	Epic heroic writing
Verse form	Alliterative verse
Length	c. 3182 lines
Subject	The battles of Beowulf, the Geatish hero, in youth and old age
Personages	Beowulf, Hygelac, Hrothgar, Wealhþeow, Hrothulf, Æschere, Unferth, Grendel, Grendel's mother, Wiglaf, Hildeburh.

Beowulf is a very old and famous heroic poem from England. Nobody knows for sure who wrote it, or exactly when it was written. Experts think it was written sometime between the years 608 and 1000 AD. The only copy we have of the poem was written around 1010 AD. Beowulf is a long poem, with 3182 lines.

The main character of the poem is a brave warrior named Beowulf. In the story, Beowulf fights three scary monsters. First, he battles Grendel, then Grendel's mother. Much later in his life, he fights a powerful, unnamed dragon.

The Story of Beowulf
Beowulf in Books and Movies
Images for kids
See also

The Story of Beowulf

The poem begins in Denmark. A Danish king named Hrothgar built a huge and beautiful mead hall. It was called Heorot. King Hrothgar and his people lived happily there. They often celebrated with feasts and music.

Grendel Attacks Heorot

However, their happiness was shattered. A terrible monster named Grendel attacked Heorot. Grendel hated the sound of their joy. Every night, he would sneak into the hall. He would kill and carry off some of Hrothgar's people. This went on for many years. The Danes were filled with fear and sadness.

Beowulf Arrives to Help

News of King Hrothgar's troubles reached Geatland. This was a land in modern southern Sweden. A strong and brave warrior named Beowulf lived there. Beowulf heard about Grendel's attacks. He decided to help King Hrothgar. Beowulf and his best men sailed across the sea to Denmark.

Beowulf Fights Grendel

When Beowulf and his men arrived, they stayed the night in Heorot. They waited for Grendel. When Grendel came to attack, Beowulf fought him without weapons. Beowulf was incredibly strong. He tore Grendel's arm right off his body. Beowulf then hung the arm on the wall as a trophy. Grendel ran back to his home in the marshes. He was badly wounded and soon died there. Everyone in Heorot was overjoyed. They celebrated Grendel's defeat.

Beowulf Battles Grendel's Mother

But their joy did not last long. The next night, Grendel's mother came to Heorot. She was furious about her son's death. She killed many people for revenge. She also took back Grendel's arm. Beowulf then went to the dark marshes. This was where Grendel and his mother lived. Beowulf found Grendel's mother in her underwater lair. He fought her in a fierce battle and managed to kill her.

Beowulf Becomes King and Fights a Dragon

Later in his life, Beowulf became a king in Geatland. He ruled his people wisely for many years. But then, a dangerous dragon began to terrorize his kingdom. The dragon was living in a barrow (a burial mound). Beowulf, now an old man, went to fight the dragon. He was helped by a young warrior named Wiglaf. Together, they managed to kill the dragon. However, Beowulf was badly wounded in the fight. He died soon after. Before he passed away, Beowulf named Wiglaf as his successor.

Beowulf in Books and Movies

The story of Beowulf is very popular. It has been told many times in different ways. You can find it in books, plays, and films. Sometimes, the whole story is told. Other times, only parts of it are used. The plot might even be changed a little. Sometimes, only the ideas or themes from the story are used.

Here are some examples of how Beowulf has been adapted:

Beowulf (a film from 1999)
Beowulf and Grendel (a film from 2005)
Grendel' (a film from 2007)
Eaters of the Dead, a book by Michael Crichton (1976)
Grendel, a book by John Gardner (1971)
The Ring-givers, a book by W.H. Canaway (1958)

Images for kids

Finds from Gamla Uppsala's western mound, left, excavated in 1874, support Beowulf and the sagas.
Wiglaf is the single warrior to return and witness Beowulf's death. Illustration by J. R. Skelton, 1908
Remounted page, British Library Cotton Vitellius A.XV
The traditional view is that Beowulf was composed for performance, chanted by a scop (left) to string accompaniment, but modern scholars have suggested its origin as a piece of written literature borrowed from oral traditions. Illustration by J. R. Skelton, c. 1910