Beowulf

Mythical Figure

Born: ?
Birthplace: Scandinavia
Best known as: Star of the epic tale bearing his name
Beowulf is both the title and the main character of an ancient heroic epic, the oldest known epic narrative composed in English. Beowulf is the powerful warrior who comes to the aid of the Danish king Hrothgar, whose hall is raided each night by the hideous man-eating monster Grendel. The epic is probably a conglomeration of ancient Scandinavian folk tales, compiled by a single unknown author sometime around the eighth century AD.
Extra credit: A 2000 translation of Beowulf by author Seamus Heaney won the Whitbread Book of the Year award in the United Kingdom.

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