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Beowulf: The Anglo-Saxon World of Beowulf

A guide to information about the origins and composition of the epic poem Beowulf

Websites and Articles Online

Some great features that are available on the web:

Library Databases

** Day students!  Please note that all library databases require a login in order to access them off-campus.   Email us for a list of database usernames and passwords.

The Ancient Scandinavian World

This map shows the different peoples and territories of ancient Scandanavia.  The Geats, Beowulf's people, lived on what is now the tip of modern-day Sweden (designated by the dragon on this map). In the epic, our hero Beowulf journeys to the Danish King Hrothgar's palace (Heorot, shown within the circle on the map) to defeat the monster Grendel who has plagued the hall.


Blackmer, Kate. “Beowulf's World”. 2011. Web. 30 Nov 2012. http://www.blackmermaps.com/portfolio.htm

Treasures from the Staffordshire Hoard

Anglo-Saxon Migration

This map traces the migration of peoples to England from the Germanic regions and lower Scandinavia.  With the crumbling of the Roman Empire, its armies were withdrawn from England in the early 400s. This gave the Germanic tribes the opportunity to move into the British territory that they had deserted. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes settled there and were able to set up societies of their own, ruling themselves as they wished for about six hundred years. They brought with them their languages, social customs, and rich traditions of history and folklore--among which was the tale of Beowulf.


"Migration Routes and Raids, A.D. 400-600." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, Nov. 2011.
       Web. 25 Jan. 2013. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/11/gold-hoard/timeline.

Materials in our Library

Here are a few of the books we have on this topic in the library.  To find more, try a Power search in the library catalog.

Off campus?

For access to the databases from off campus, email the librarians for passwords.