The epic of Beowulf is considered by many to be the most important work of “Old English” literature, and it is, in my opinion, well deserved of the distinction. The epic tells the story of a hero, a Scandinavian prince named Beowulf, who rids the Danes of the monster Grendel, (supposedly a descendent of Cain, although it is unclear as to the authenticity of this.) It also tells of his exploits fighting Grendel's mother as …showed first 75 words of 1139 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1139 total…to see that like The Odyssey, and other such writings, that the storyteller’s tried to convey social values and ideals through their stories. The fact that an epic story is the result of these teachings is almost secondary. It is simply a means to an end, and that end being the passing of knowledge in a time when literacy was rare and storytelling was the method of relating information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography** Ahhh...DUH...Beowulf