Beowulf

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An Old English epic poem that recounts the adventures of a hero who fights monsters, dragons, and represents themes of bravery and loyalty
2. A narrative poem from medieval literature focusing on the exploits of a noble warrior who encounters various supernatural threats while embodying heroic ideals
3. A significant work of Anglo-Saxon literature detailing the journey of a legendary figure known for his battles against formidable creatures and his exploration of the human experience

Etymology: Beowulf is the name of a hero, and the poem named after him survives in a single Old English manuscript, but the name itself is a puzzle. Scholars usually read it as a compound of "bee" and "wolf," which would make the hero a "bee-wolf," meaning a honey-raider, a bear, or something similar. The first element is not certain, though, and that uncertainty is part of why the name has attracted so much debate. In English the word is a learned borrowing from Old English "Bēowulf," so it entered the language through scholarship rather than everyday speech. Its use as the title of the poem reflects the way the name has come to stand for the whole work, which is an Old English epic about a warrior who battles the monsters Grendel and Grendel's mother and later a dragon.

Synonyms: hero, legendary warrior, epic figure