Beowulf is to England what Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji is to Japan, and

...around the world, Beowulf is considered the first great work of the English

...Beowulf is ~epic~ in every sense of the word because an epic is a long

the narrative poem that traces the adventures of a great hero—an EPIC hero.

...Imagine what your name might sound like if

...Despite the fact that the Anglo-Saxon period ended over 1,000 years ago,

many Old English names are still in use.

...(for example, Ælfrd is now Alfred), and the ancient names are still recognizable.

...and Mildred are some Anglo-Saxon names still used today.

...people by adding details to names such as location, occupation, or talent.

Anglo-Saxon names would have sounded like, Chad of Castleford, Wilfred the

...Conquest, 85 percent of names were Old English, with Godwin and Alwin

...However, just 5% of names were Old English 150 years

...The causes for the shift from Anglo-Saxon to Norman names are simple to

...Sources: “What’s in a name?

...Anglo-Saxons to today”, “What's In a Name?

...name Beowulf, use what you have

...Beowulf began in the oral epic tradition meaning that it was told verbally

through the generations of Anglo-Saxons until it was written down around the

...the epic, but scholars surmise that it was probably first recorded and

...the year 1,000 and is safeguarded in the British Museum of London.

The Anglo-Saxons were pagans who believed in many gods, so when this epic

the poem was first recited around the fire of the mead hall, it would have

...The Anglo-Saxons were superstitious and believed in the power of lucky

...The king of the Anglo-Saxon gods was Woden who had two pet wolves and a

...Interestingly, Frige gave her name to a day of the

...Do you love Frige day or what is now called Friday?

As you reread and discuss parts of Beowulf, note the unique mixture of pagan

...This is a section option for an activity if you don’t want to use the superstitious one.

...Let your mind soar and brainstorm as many superhero stories as possible in the

...action-packed and mission-driven, most superhero stories are male-centric.

Many heroic stories like Beowulf were recounted and recorded by men who

...that suggests ancient society wasn’t as male-dominated as stories like Beowulf

...In fact, the women of the Anglo-Saxon time period

...Æthelflæd, an influential Anglo-Saxon Queen, used her brain as well as her

...As you reread and discuss parts of Beowulf, consider the fierce female roles

and what they reveal about Anglo-Saxon values.

Sources: Stephanie Singh: “The Importance of Women in Anglo-Saxon Society as Portrayed through

...Beowulf is the oldest recorded epic story in the English language.

...you heard the original tale, it might not sound like English at all!

...because it was first transcribed in Old English, the ancestor of Modern English.

Old English was spoken and recorded in England before the year 1100.

...How could cultures from all over the world

...surviving epic poem in the English language.

...However, Beowulf is not the oldest epic of all time.

...This 2100 B.C. action-packed story revolves around Gilgamesh, a Sumerian king who is

...journey slaying dragon-like monsters, interacting with gods and searching for the key

...Beowulf is one of the most important relics in the English language, but it’s important

...There are hundreds of dragon stories from many different

...Vritra from India- Described as a dragon-like entity in the ancient Aryan Vedic

...Indra, the God of thunderstorms and rain, faces Vritra in an epic battle.

Mo’o from Hawaii- From indigenous Hawaii culture, Mo’o is a long black dragon-like

...Sources: Evan Andrews “What is the oldest known piece of literature?”