Feeling a little ...
... at sea?
Then join me as we check out the who, when, what, and where of this truly ancient poem.
Who: One of the first things you'll want to know about Beowulf is that it's not attributed
to any particular author.
It's a product of oral tradition—passed down through the centuries.
In fact, you know all that Christian stuff in the poem?
Most scholars think that was added to the poem later.
When: That would be the late fifth century when the poem is set, and between the seventh
and tenth centuries when it was composed.
Again, this helps explain the fact that both Christian and pagan beliefs are represented
in this poem.
It's set in a pagan time but it has the benefit of Christian narrators from a few centuries
later.
What: Yeah, yeah.
You know it's an epic poem, but did you know it's one of the foundational works of poetry
in English?
It's also partly imagined and partly historical.
Like, some of these characters actually existed.
Where: The poem was written in England, but it's set in Scandinavia.
For example, the land of the Geats is what is now southern Sweden.
Check out this map to get your geographical footing.