Beowulf

‘Beowulf’ is one of the earliest existent poems in a modern European language, composed in England before the Norman Conquest. It is the conventional title of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature. It survives in a single manuscript known as the Nowell Codex. As a social document this great epic poem is indispensable—reflecting a feudal world of heroes and monsters, blood and victory, life and death. As a work of art, it is remarkable.
‘Beowulf’ rings with beauty, power, and artistry that have kept it alive for a thousand years. The noble simplicity of Beowulf's anonymous Anglo-Saxon singer is recaptured in this striking translation by Burton Raffel and is dated between the 8th and the early 11th century.