What if Wealhtheow, the gracious queen in Beowulf, wasn't just handing out mead cups to guests and giving politically savy speeches? What if she was harbouring vengeful feelings and set in motion a secret murder plot? In a recently published article, I have tried to unveil something of a Beowulf ‘conspiracy theory’. You can read … Continue reading Have we overlooked a secret murder plot in Beowulf? A Beowulf conspiracy theory
A Digital Beowulf Thesaurus! Exploring the Epic in Evoke
The Beowulf Thesaurus is freely available and can offer unique new insights into the vocabulary of early medieval England's best-known epic.
From Bede (731) to BONE (1991-2004): A sparrow’s flight through the ages
This blog post looks at how Bede's famous parable of the sparrow was reused in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
Beowulf: A Paper Doll Pirate History (1934)
A set of Beowulf paper dolls, published in Dutch newspapers in 1934, is now made available with a modern English translation!
Anglo-Saxon gift horses: Equine gifts in early medieval England
Whether as a royal present, a reward for heroism, a treasured heirloom or an impressive bride price, a horse was the perfect gift in early medieval England!
The history of Beowulf’s sandwich: A sketch about ‘fake news’ from 1909
Before 'fake news', there was 'Beowulf's sandwich'. A reconstruction of a comic sketch from 1909.
Grendel’s Mother: A Student Doodle Edition
For a bonus question on their exam, my students used their artistic talents to draw their own rendition of Grendel's mother from the Old English poem Beowulf.
Spoiling the Mystery: Grendel in Beowulf Movies
What is Grendel? Six movie adaptations of Beowulf each give their own twist to this early medieval nightmare being.
Heads on sticks: Decapitation and impalement in early medieval England
A good way to keep out unwanted visitors and an inspiration to authors and artists: decapitation and impalement in Anglo-Saxon England.
“A conspicuous specimen of Anglosaxon poetry”: A student summary of Beowulf from 1880
One of the earliest student summaries of Beowulf survives in the drafts of a work by Dutch schoolmaster G. J. P. J. Bolland (1852-1922).
Thijs Porck 