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The Origins of Beowulf : From Vergil to Wiglaf by Richard North is a history book available to read on EtoBox.

What is The Origins of Beowulf : From Vergil to Wiglaf about?

This book suggests that the Old English epic Beowulf was composed in the winter of 826-7 as a requiem for King Beornwulf of Mercia on behalf of Wiglaf, the ealdorman who succeeded him. The place of composition is given as the minster of Breedon on the Hill in Leicestershire (now Derbyshire) and the poet is named as the abbot, Eanmund. As well as pinpointing the poem's place and date of composition, Richard North raises some old questions relating to the poet's influences from Vergil and from living Danes. Norse analogues are discussed in order to identify how the poet changed his heroic sources while four episodes from Beowulf are shown to be reworked from passages in Vergil's Aeneid. One chapter assesses how the poem's Latin sources might correspond with what is known of Breedon's now-lost library while another seeks to explain Danish mythology in Beowulf by arguing that Breedon hosted a meeting with Danish Vikings in 809. This fascinating and challenging new study combines careful detective work with meticulous literary analysis to form a case that no future investigation will be able to ignore.

Who reads The Origins of Beowulf : From Vergil to Wiglaf?

Author

Richard North

Publisher

Oxford University Press; OUP Oxford

Published

2006

Language

EN

ISBN

9781429490009

Category

history

Subjects

Literary Fiction, Literary Criticism, Fiction

Rating

3.86 / 5 (7 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-14