What is Beowulf? A Beginner’s Guide to the Iconic Dark Age Poem.
Journeying Into the World of Warriors, Dragons, and Ancient Storytelling
Hello there! I’m currently studying for a PhD in Archaeology at Oxford, researching the role of women in the social and political developments of 6th- and 7th-century England and France. With a worldwide readership of over 4,400 PLUS featuring regularly in Substack’s top 100 fastest-growing history publications, I share medieval history as you rarely hear it. I combine written and archaeological evidence to share the experiences of overshadowed individuals, ask challenging questions of dominant interpretations, and recommend books and writers doing a wonderful job of unearthing the past. My top 3 posts of all time have been a review of Rebecca Stott’s Dark Earth, biography of Æthelthryth of the Northumbrians (the queen who wouldn’t sleep with her husband), and my guide to Oxford’s top medieval moments.
What is Beowulf? A Beginner’s Guide to the Iconic Dark Age Poem.
Journeying Into the World of Warriors, Dragons, and Ancient Storytelling
There’s a certain irony to reading a Substack article subtitled ‘Five Poems to Read That Aren’t Beowulf’ the morning I saw down to write this piece.
In the article,
astutely writes:‘Most people who know anything at all about Old English poetry will be aware of the existence of Beowulf. Perhaps they will even have read it. But far fewer will be aware of the 90% of Old English poetry that is not Beowulf. It’s a shame, because the back catalogue of Old English poetry — the deep cuts — are well worth reading.’1
I couldn’t agree more with Gorrie’s sentiment here.
While I love the dramatic imagery cultural interplay of Beowulf, my favourite Old English poem is actually The Wife’s Lament, a deeply emotive exploration of love and grief during a period more usually associated (in popular culture at least) with tough masculinity and violence.
Beowulf is, however, iconic, and usually a reader’s entrypoint into Old English poetry and the world of the Dark Ages. There is something so magical about the story of its hero fighting monstrous foes; it speaks to that semi-mythical vibe we get about the earliest days of medieval England, appealing perhaps to that deeper part of our pysche that longs to believe in the existence of dragons.
‘Using highly-wrought aristocratic language with enviable flexibility, the poet is equally at home with dramatic speeches, battle action, atmospheric and elegaic evocation of place, set-piece description and aphoristic comment. He recreates for us a whole culture, the roots from which we ultimately derive.’
Kevin Crossley-Holland (1982: 73)
When I used the imagery of Beowulf to introduce my recent trip to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, several readers asked for a more detailed exploration of the poem. I was only too happy to oblige!
In this essay, we’ll explore the tragic story of the only surviving manuscript, key themes that emerge, and that age-old question of whether Beowulf can truly tell us anything about Dark Age England. This is intended as an introduction, so do make sure to leave a comment if you would like further discussion of any facet of the poem’s history!