Hrothgar, king of the Danes, builds a great mead-hall called Heorot, in which he hopes to feast his liegemen and to give them presents. But the monster, Grendel, is seized with hateful jealousy and cannot brook the sounds of joy that reach him in his fen-dwelling. He comes, bent on direful mischief, and thane after thane is ruthlessly carried off and devoured.

Thus begins the greatest Anglo-Saxon epic poem. Beowulf the warrior-hero and aristocrat is the finest example of the Anglo-Saxon heroic spirit. Dating back to the end of the first millennium this poem's influence is still felt today.

Originally published in 1892, this classic verse translation has been freshly typeset, formatted and edited. It has updated footnotes for Old English or uncommon words, plus notes on the characters as they appear in the poem. These are derived from the fuller glossary of terms and names at the end of the book. In addition, there are side notes which follow and illuminate the text itself.