Beowulf (original lang.)

In this collection, Fry compiles ten articles from various authors concerning the critical analysis, interpretation, and context of Beowulf. Among them is JRR Tolkien’s famous essay “Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics.”

Nibelungenlied is an epic poem written in the Germanic heroic tradition which dates back to the 13th century. Like Beowulf, it contains themes of heroism, revenge, and monster-slaying.

Among his many scholarships, JRR Tolkien was a faithful student of Beowulf. The influence the poem had on his own work is seen in The Hobbit and his The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

In this short video, Matthew Winkler discusses the pattern of hero stories and how it relates to everyday life based on Joseph Campbell’s work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

This traditional Hebrew text offers the detailed backstory of Grendel’s accursed ancestor Cain and his villainous murder of Abel.

In this interview with cartoonist Zach Weinersmith, Russ Robert and Weinersmith discuss Beowulf, morals in children tales, and the role of poetry in today’s culture.