Beowulf

22 9.9

A famous hero in an Old English poem who kills Grendel, becomes king, and dies fighting a dragon

proper noun
/ˈbeɪəˌwʊlf/

Literature

: Beowulf

For a full discussion of the date, provenance, author, and audiences of Beowulf, see Bjork and Obermeier.
author of Beowulf
edition of Beowulf
the Beowulf poet

Examples

I know that Grendel gets slayed by Beowulf and he's the hero.
When I am gone, Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow, shall be king!

Beowulf (2007)
I looked at him and said, "I am Beowulf!"

Beowulf (2007)
And she was to name the child... Beowulf.

Beowulf (1999)
Peter says I may have a shot at the English prize... if I read Beowulf properly.

Tadpole (2002)
Returning to the hall triumphant, Beowulf was hailed as the greatest hero in generations.
Drawing significantly on Bremmer, Tom Shippey uses Beowulf to illustrate certain strategies.

Academic text (2016)
In the epic poem, Beowulf confronts the monster Grendel to protect the people of Heorot.
As a reward for his bravery, Beowulf is crowned king after defeating the dragon.
The legacy of Beowulf continues to inspire heroes in literature and beyond.

Surface Forms

Beowulf main

Etymology

The name Beowulf probably comes from old name parts Beo- ('bee') and -wulf ('wolf'). A 'bee-wolf' was a poetic name for a bear, a very strong animal that raids beehives, so the name gives the hero a fierce, powerful image that fits his monster-fighting story.