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Beowulf is the first surviving epic written in the English language, though its author remains mysterious. The circumstances of the poem’s creation are hotly debated by scholars. Many also believe the story was conveyed orally before it took the form of a manuscript, since the only existing copy dates back to the late tenth century.

Originally composed in Old English, the epic draws from early Germanic legend and is set in pagan Scandinavia. It recounts the saga of Beowulf, a Geat warrior who defends the Danish kingdom, and then his own, from various bloodthirsty monsters.

The poem opens on Hrothgar, the King of the Danes, who plans to celebrate his reign by building a grand hall called Heorot. When the hall is finished, Hrothgar holds a large feast that attracts the attention of Grendel, a monster descended from the biblical Cain. Grendel attacks during the night, leaving Hrothgar and his thanes to discover the bloodshed the next morning. This marks the beginning of Grendel’s reign of terror.

Twelve years pass, and news of Grendel’s campaign against the Danes spreads to another tribe, the Geats. Beowulf, a Geat thane, decides to help the Danes, sailing to Denmark with his best warriors. King Hrothgar gladly accepts Beowulf’s help.

To honor Beowulf’s arrival, Hrothgar holds another feast at Heorot. During the celebration, a thane named Unferth engages Beowulf in a boasting match, accusing him of losing a swimming contest. But Beowulf corrects him with a story of his heroic victory in the contest, prompting the Danish queen, Wealhtheow, to award him the ceremonial mead cup. Beowulf tells the queen he will either kill Grendel or be killed. Hrothgar is moved and promises Beowulf all of his gold if Beowulf should defeat the monster.

Beowulf and his warriors spend the night in Heorot. Sure enough, Grendel arrives, gobbling up one of Beowulf’s men. Beowulf fights Grendel unarmed, managing to catch the monster’s arm in a death grip. Writhing in pain, the monster tears away, leaving his arm in Beowulf’s grasp. Grendel slinks off to his lair, where he dies.

Overjoyed at the defeat of Grendel, the Danes nail the creature’s arm to the walls of Heorot as a trophy, bathing Beowulf and his men in riches. They hold another feast for Beowulf, where Hrothgar’s minstrel composes songs honoring Beowulf as the greatest hero in Danish history. However, once the revelers are asleep, Grendel’s mother arrives, seeking revenge. She manages to snatch one of Hrothgar’s counselors and retreats to her lair.

Hrothgar points Beowulf in the direction of the monsters’ lair, and Beowulf persuades the king to accompany him there. Upon arriving, Beowulf takes a sword from Unferth and dives into a deep lake. When he reaches the bottom, Beowulf finds Grendel’s mother, waiting to attack. He uses Unferth’s sword but finds it useless against the creature and wrestles with the monster until he spots another sword, which he uses to slice off Grendel’s mother’s head. Before leaving, he notices Grendel’s dead body and cuts off his head too.

Meanwhile, the Danes have given up all hope of Beowulf’s safe return. But to their shock, Beowulf surfaces carrying Grendel’s head and the hilt of his sword, which melted in the heat of Grendel’s blood. The men bring Beowulf back to Heorot, where yet another celebration takes place. Before returning home to Geatland, Beowulf promises an alliance with Hrothgar forever, which the king gratefully reciprocates.

Beowulf and his men return home, regaling the Geat king and queen, Hygelac and Hygd, with tales of their victory. Impressed with Beowulf’s bravery, Hygelac gives him half the kingdom. When Hygelac is killed in battle, Beowulf becomes king of the Geats.

In the fiftieth year of Beowulf’s reign, a new monster begins to terrorize his kingdom: a fire-breathing dragon seeking revenge on a Geat servant who stole a golden cup from its lair, which houses an ancient treasure trove. Finding the cup missing, the dragon goes on a fiery rampage, destroying Beowulf’s great hall.

With a heavy heart, Beowulf decides to face the dragon alone, knowing this battle may be his last. The servant who stole the cup leads him to the dragon’s lair, where Beowulf attempts to defeat the beast but is outmatched. All of his warriors flee except one, Wiglaf, who vows to stay by Beowulf’s side. Together, they face the dragon. But just as Beowulf manages to behead the monster, the dragon bites him, sending a lethal poison through his body.

With his dying breath, Beowulf tells Wiglaf that he should inherit the dragon’s treasure. Wiglaf returns to the Geats with the news of their king’s death, declaring that no one should inherit the treasure and scolding the warriors who fled for their cowardice.

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