Beowulf

Anonymous · c. 1000 CE · Poem · Norse / Germanic · Medieval

A Geatish warrior crosses the sea to rid a Danish hall of the monster that has emptied it for twelve years. The killing brings a second creature up out of the mere, and decades later, ruling his own people, he faces a third. Three monsters, three ages of a hero; glory weighed against the certainty of death.

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Lineage

• ↓ The Lord of the Rings
  J.R.R. Tolkien · 1954 CE · Novel — influenced by this
• ↓ North
  Seamus Heaney · 1975 CE · Poem — influenced by this
• ↓ The Hobbit
  J.R.R. Tolkien · 1937 CE · Novel — influenced by this
• ↓ The Saga of Grettir the Strong
  Anonymous · c. 1320 CE · Novel — shares sources with this

Attributes

Closest analogues

• The Epic of King Gesar
  Tibetan oral epic · c. 1200 CE · Poem

  52% · 15 shared
  PoemEpicAdventureDuty & HonorGood vs EvilFame & GloryMedievalHeroRuler / KingOvercoming the MonsterHero's Journeyvs Supernaturalvs PersonEpicMythic
• The Iliad
  Homer · c. 750 BCE · Poem

  50% · 13 shared
  PoemEpicDuty & HonorDeath & MortalityAmbition & HubrisFame & GloryHeroGlory / FameThe BeastThe Feastvs PersonEpicMythic
• The Ramayana
  Valmiki · c. 400 BCE · Poem

  47% · 13 shared
  PoemEpicAdventureDuty & HonorGood vs EvilHeroRuler / KingHero's JourneyCall to AdventureThe Beastvs SupernaturalEpicMythic
• The Book of Dede Korkut
  Anonymous · c. 1400 CE · Poem

  46% · 14 shared
  PoemEpicAdventureDuty & HonorFame & GloryMedievalHeroRuler / KingOvercoming the MonsterThe Feastvs Supernaturalvs PersonEpicMythic
• Le Morte d'Arthur
  Thomas Malory · 1470 CE · Novel

  46% · 13 shared
  AdventureDuty & HonorGood vs EvilFame & GloryMedievalHeroRuler / KingRise–Fall (Icarus)Gold / Treasurevs Supernaturalvs PersonEpicMythic
• Jangar
  Oirat oral epic · c. 1600 CE · Poem

  45% · 13 shared
  PoemEpicAdventureDuty & HonorFame & GloryHeroRuler / KingOvercoming the MonsterThe Feastvs Supernaturalvs PersonEpicMythic