"Proceed, and bring your weapons and armour! I shall direct you."
- a courageous coastguard Thane

BY:
Paul Kolecke & Arron Schifferer
2nd Hour - Mrs. Hood

Beowulf - son of Ecgtheow - is a Geat who came to Hrothgar - lord of the Danes - to come to grips with Grendel. Beowulf is as strong as 30 men, of noble birth, and defeats the horrid creature Grendel. He is confident in his ability to defeat Grendel and save the Danes.

Grendel is the horrible monster terrorizing Hrothgar and the Danes. Before Beowulf comes, Grendel eats Thanes while they sleep. Grendel is unable to be pierced bya sword because he has a magic spell on himself that protects him from harm of a sword. Grendel's arm is ripped off by Beowulf, and eventually, his head also. Grendel's Lair is under water.

Grendel's Dam - or Grendel's Mom - comes for revenge, and to re-take her son's arm from Beowulf. In the end, Beowulf slays her by cutting off her head.

Hrunting - the sword Beowulf uses - is a magic sword, given to him by Unferth. When Beowulf finishes using it, it melts in his hands.

The Anglo-Saxon Times

The Anglo-Saxons were in Briton after the Romans, and before the Vikings. Venerable Bede wrote an Ecclesiastical History called the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. In 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, (French vs. English) old England ceased to exist.
The Anglo-Saxons liked epics - a long narrative poem about the deeds of a hero - and liked them to contain blood and gore, a hero, the gods, and much more. Kennings were widely used ... such as Whale's Way for the Ocean, or Battle Dew for blood.

Copyright - Ero's Madhouse 11/97