Behold! the first episode of our read-through of R.M. Liuzza’s translation of Beowulf! In this gathering, we discuss pages 11 through 18 of the introduction, which provides us with the knowledge that we need to responsibly read this epic poem (and medieval literature as a whole). Along the way, we highlight the following questions: how did a burnt, genre-defiant manuscript barely live to see its explosive popularity in later periods? What made Beowulf so popular, anyway? What are its narrative roots? Is it historically accurate? How have scholars tackled this work? And how should we approach it for ourselves? Join us in the Hall to hear more!

📚 Digitally explore the entire manuscript containing Beowulf here.

🎵 Music Credits: “Celtic Impulse” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech)