Beowul Presentation Beowulf is the longest surviving poem in Old English that is the first form of the English language, which developed from the dialects of the different Germanic tribes that invaded England in the 5th century, mainly Angles, Saxons and Jutes. The poem is anonymous and unfinished it is, in fact, a long fragment of 3,182 lines. It has come to us in the form of a manuscript dating from the late 10th or early 11th century, but it was probably first written down in the 8th century. The manuscript is the only original copy of the poem and is kept in the British Library in London. It is known as the Cotton Vitellius AXV . Although it is written in Old English, the story tells about a hero, Beowulf, who was not an Englishman, but a Geat. The Geats were a seafaring1 tribe who lived in what is now southwest Sweden. All the events narrated take place in Denmark and Sweden, and go back to the period that preceded the invasions of Britain. The invaders were pagan and also took their legends and folklore to Britain. These were transmitted orally for centuries, until they were written down and given unity in the poem that we know. Beowulf is an epic poem, centred around the heroic deeds2 of the protagonist, who kills monsters and fights enemies of all sorts, including a dragon. The story glorifies all the values that are traditionally associated with epic: courage in battle, loyalty to one s chief and one s people, strength3, Beowulf manuscript. generosity and endurance4. 3. strength: the quality of being strong. 4. endurance: the ability to tolerate a difficult or unpleasant situation. 1. seafaring: travelling or working on the sea. 2. deed: an action done intentionally, especially a very good or a very bad one. 4