The Origins of Beowulf: From Vergil to Wiglaf

by Richard North

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 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 three 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Anglo Saxon

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jeremy]

"This book suggests that Beowulf was composed in the winter of 826–7 by Eanmund, abbot of the minster of Breedon on the Hill in north-west Leicestershire, not only as a requiem for King Beornwulf of Mercia who was killed in battle earlier that year, but also as a work of recommendation for Wiglaf, an alderman who was plotting to succeed him" (vii).

One of my friends (Perry Harrison) described this book as the kind of book that you can write at the end of your career when you're allowed to just speculate wildly. It may be the best evidence-less guess regarding the author of Beowulf.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book. Enjoyed the initial comparisons with Virgil and his advocacy that the study of Norse parallels to Beowulf should be given serious study again. Wasn't too convinced by his theories on the origin of the poem though, still it was an interesting book and worth a look.