Long a mainstay of English Literature 101 courses at universities around the world, it is not only one of the oldest, but one of the most exciting English folktales ever invented. Every night, Grendel attacks King Hrothgar's wealthy mead-hall, Heorot, killing Danish warriors and sometimes even eating them. Beowulf, along with fourteen other Geats set sail to the Scylding shore. BBC School Radio. Beowulf - Beowulf (; Old English: Bēowulf [ˈbeːowulf]) is an Old English epic poem consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. He then returns to his own country and lives to old age before dying in a vivid fight against a dragon. The scene for a flying ... was thus very effectively set. The dragon bites Beowulf in the neck, and its fiery venom kills him moments after their encounter. It is available on MP3 Download. Free Beowulf Audio Book At this site, you can download an audio reading of the entire text of Beowulf in a contemporary English translation for free. Originally written in Old English, this translation by Francis Barton Gummere updates it to Modern English. Beowulf. Synopsis – Beowulf Summary. The Geats fear that their enemies will attack them now that Beowulf is dead. Francis Barton Gummere translates this beautiful poem. Check out this great listen on Audible.com. is one of the most important texts in Old English and is believed to date from somewhere between 975 and 1025 - around the time of Alfred the Great. When Grendel breaks in Beowulf seizes the monster by the arm and will not let it go. Ensure you watch the Beowulf episodes to assess their suitability before sharing with your group. Beowulf, King of the Geats. The poem begins with a history of the Danish kings, starting with Shild (whose funeral is described in the Prologue) and leading up to the reign of the current king Hrothgar, Shild’s great-grandson. This lesson will focus on the summary and analysis of Beowulf's last battle. It was composed and recorded in Britain between the 7th and 10th centuries by an unknown author. Beowulf is one of the most important texts in Old English and is believed to date from somewhere between 975 and 1025 - around the time of Alfred the Great. As a social document this great epic poem is invaluable—reflecting a feudal world of heroes and monsters, blood and victory, life and death. When Beow dies, his son Healfdane became king. Hrothgar was a great warrior in his time, but now he's an old king and can't seem to protect his people. (Summary by Tad E.) For further information, including links to online text, reader information, RSS feeds, CD cover or other formats (if available), please go to … Beowulf and his men spend the night in Heorot waiting for the inevitable attack. King Hrothgar, the ruler of the Danes, is troubled by the rampages of a demon named Grendel. King Hrothgar and his people are attacked by the monster, Grendel, Beowulf arrives in Denmark with his warriors to fight with Grendel, Beowulf has defeated Grendel but now he must battle Grendel's mother. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel’s mother attacks the hall and is then also defeated. A great story to be listened to, this audio book is well read by Tad E. at LibriVox. Hrothgar is … Scyld founds a dynasty, passing a stable throne to his son. Though the specific characters and plot are mostly fictional, the poem paints a historical picture of 6th-century Danish, Swedish, and Germanic peoples. Translated by A. Diedrich Wackerbarth. Eventually Grendel’s arm is severed and the monster limps away to die. LibriVox recordings are Public Domain in the USA. In the original poem Beowulf returns to Geatland and, fifty years later as king, must fight a dragon. Unferth spoke up, Ecglaf his son, / Who sat at the feet of the lord of the Scyldings, / Opened the jousting (the journey of Beowulf, / Sea-farer doughty, gave sorrow to Unferth UnknownTranslated by Francis Barton Gummere (1855 - 1919), This is a short but beautiful book, and the Gummere translation really captures the feel of the Old English. (Summary by Tad E.) (2 hr 45 min) Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hroðgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall in Heorot has been under attack by a monster known as Grendel. No ordinary mortal could lift the sword...but Beowulf can and he strikes at Grendel's mother. Read about our approach to external linking. The Anglo-Saxon story of Beowulf told in 3 short animated episodes for KS2 pupils. When Beowulf the Geat hears in Gautland of the raids of Grendel upon Hart, he commands his folk to make ready a boat that he may fare across the sea to the help of Hrothgar, because ‘he was lacking in warriors.’ Beowulf’s whole mission in Hart was the discharge of a solemn obligation of help from the strong to the weak. Synopsis. (Summary by Caeristhiona), Genre(s): Action & Adventure Fiction, Poetry. Heaney's performance reminds us that Beowulf, written near the turn of another millennium, was intended to be heard not read.. Composed toward the end of the first millennium of our era, Beowulf … The Anglo-Saxon story of Beowulf is told in three short animations, covering his battles with the monster Grendel and Grendel's mother. The author is unknown. He tells them that he’s the son of Ecgtheow, relative of Hrothgar, and that he’s here to kill Grendel. The Danes and Geats celebrate their victory not knowing that Grendel’s mother is also about to terrorise Heorot, seeking vengeance for the death of her son. but comes under attack from a monster called Grendel. He is told that he cannot land without permission. Heaney's performance reminds us that Beowulf, written near the turn of another millennium, was intended to be heard not read. See a complete list of the characters in Beowulf and in-depth analyses of Beowulf, Grendel, Hrothgar, Unferth, Wiglaf, Grendel’s Mother, and The Dragon. One of the great classics of English literature, it tells the story of a hero who wins glory and learns wisdom and is then called upon to face a final test. Ian Serraillier has retold in verse the story of the hero Beowulf and his three memorable exploits - first, his rescuing of Hrothgar the Dane from the ravages of monstrous Grendel; next, his victory over Grendel's strange and horrible mother; and finally, in Beowulf's old age, his saving of his own people, the … Beow rules the Spear-Danes prosperously and well for many years. Healfdane, in turn, is followed on the throne by Hrothgar, the second of Healfdane's four children. It has no title in the original document but has become known by the name of the story’s hero. Beowulf's sword has no power against the monster but then he spots an enormous sword in a corner of the cave. The author is unknown. Like most epics, Beowulf focuses on the titular heros victories and adventures, particularly thr… Beowulf Summary. Summary: Beowulf hears about Grendel’s actions and decides to help out Hrothgar. Translated and read by Seamus Heaney. Beowulf the Warrior is an outstanding modern version of the oldest epic in the English language. Gredel terrorises the Danes for twelve long years. The events of the poem are set in Scandanavia. Hrothgar - King of the Danes - builds a mead hall called. Beowulf’s terrifying quest to destroy Grendel, the foul fiend, a hideous sea-hag and a monstrous fire-dragon is the oldest surviving epic in British literature. In the figure of Beowulf, the Scandinavian warrior, and his struggles against monsters, the unknown author depicts the life and outlook of a pagan age. The dragon is killed but Beowulf has received a mortal wound. The main character, Beowulf, proves himself a hero as he battles against supernatural demons and beasts. #Skip to Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 #Previous chapter #Next chapter Beowulf is one of the earliest extant poems in a modern European language, composed in England before the Norman Conquest. The Anglo-Saxon story of Beowulf is told in three short animations, covering his battles with the monster Grendel and Grendel's mother. Beowulf was composed by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet. Hrothgar - King of the Danes - builds a mead hall called Heorot but comes under attack from a monster called Grendel. If you are not in the USA, please verify the copyright status of these works in your own country before downloading, otherwise you may be violating copyright laws. The main character, Beowulf, proves himself a hero as he battles against supernatural demons and beasts. The poem consists of 3,182 lines and exists in a single copy, housed in the British Museum. Hrothgar is astonished at the little-known hero’s daring but welcomes him, and, after an evening of feasting, much courtesy, and some discourtesy, the king retires, leaving Beowulf in charge. The poem is known only from a single manuscript, […] Beowulf sails to Denmark to help Hrothgar and his people in their battle with the monster Grendel. Beowulf is an epic poem. He dies and is ritually burned on a great funeral pyre. At the banquet soon to be described, Hrothgar sat in the south or chief high-seat, and Beowulf oppo- site to him. BBC Teach > School Radio > English > KS2: Beowulf, Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Resources. Beowulf tells the story of a mysterious young warrior who saves the Spear-Danes from the terrible monster Grendel and his venomous mother. Gredel terrorises the Danes for twelve long years. Back to Top of Page. Beowulf (2007 film) - Beowulf is a 2007 British-American 3D adult motion capture computer-animated fantasy adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary and based on the Old En Listen to Beowulf by Seamus Heaney with a free trial.\nListen to unlimited* audiobooks on the web, iPad, iPhone and Android. Unexpectedly, young Beowulf, a prince of the Geats of southern Sweden, arrives with a small band of retainers and offers to cleanse Heorot of its monster. New York Times best seller and Whitebread Book of the Year, Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney's new translation of Beowulf comes to life in this gripping audio. The poem consists of 3,182 lines and exists in a single copy, housed in the, The events of the poem are set in Scandanavia. [Translated by Francis Barton Gummere].This is a short but beautiful book, and the Gummere translation really captures the feel of the Old English. Beowulf stands as one of the first and greatest works of English literature. Beowulf tells the story of a mysterious young warrior who saves the Spear-Danes from the terrible monster Grendel and his venomous mother. Beowulf tells the story of a mysterious young warrior who saves the Spear-Danes from the … Ensure you watch the Beowulf episodes to assess their suitability before sharing with your group. Sequence the events of the story in the correct order (pdf), Download / print the word search puzzle (pdf), Explore the Anglo-Saxons, including Beowulf, in our Music section. The Only Surviving Manuscript of Beowulf Beowulf is an Old English epic poem that survives in a single copy in the manuscript known as the Nowell Codex. Beowulf is an epic poem of more than 3,100 lines originally written in Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) about a Scandinavian prince of the same name. According to Beowulf’s wishes, they burn their departed king’s body on a huge funeral pyre and then bury him with a massive treasure in a barrow overlooking the sea. Beowulf, a prince of Geatland, hears of the Danes’ suffering and gains permission from his king to sail to their assistance. Transcripts and line drawings appear on each of the individual episode pages. Beowulf tracks Grendel's mother to her underwater cave and fights her. Beowulf, the epic tale of adventure that follows Beowulf as he battles Grendel, Grendel's Mother, and later becomes king.Beowulf was originally written in Old English by an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries.It is one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature. This translation, by Professor Francis Gummere, was first published in 1910. She enters Heorot, seizes Hrothgar's oldest friend and makes away with the severed arm of Grendel. It's been a long time since Beowulf and the Geats returned from Denmark fifty years earlier. First Page of the Beowulf Manuscript This scan of the first page of the only surviving manuscript of Beowulf shows what the work of Anglo-Saxon scribes actually looked like. New York Times best seller and Whitebread Book of the Year, Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney's new translation of Beowulf comes to life in this gripping audio. Composed toward the end of the first millennium of our era, Beowulf is the elegiac narrative of the adventures of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who saves the Danes from the seemingly invincible monster Grendel and, later, from Grendel’s mother. This is an early translation from the Anglo-Saxon seventh-century epic poem, which is based on Norse legends of wars and monsters and tells of the heroic deeds of the warrior Beowulf. The poem is a subtle blending of themes on the conflict between good and evil, and an examination of heroism. Images.