Web Directory

» Anthropological and Cultural Approaches to Beowulf
   Collection of articles from the online journal "The Heroic Age." These articles treat the poem from the standpoint of anthropology and culture studies.
   http://www.mun.ca/mst/heroicage/issues/5/toc.html

» Beowulf: a National Poem
   Provides a literary history of the poem. Covers Scandinavian traditions, the personality of the hero, the origin and antiquity of the poem, and the religious element. Also provides a section-by-section summary of the poem.
   http://www.bartleby.com/211/0303.html

» Christianity in Beowulf
   Explains the Christian element in the poem and shows how the Beowulf poet interprets pagan concepts in Christian terms. By Rich Lawson.
   http://www.shadowedrealm.com/articles/exclusive/article.php?id=4

» Indogermanic Shruti and Christian Smriti in Beowulf
   Argues that Beowulf is not in essence a Christian poem, but rather a reflection of the values of a Germanic heroic society. By Benjamin Slade
   http://www.heorot.dk/beowulf-indogermanic.html

» Seamus Heaney on Beowulf
   An introduction to and interpretation of the Beowulf poem by Seamus Heaney, together with a description of the principles underlying his famous translation of the poem.
   http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/beowulf/introbeowulf.htm

» Some Thoughts on Reading Beowulf
   This interpretation by Lynn Harry Nelson argues that the poem can be read profitably on three different levels: the heroic character of Beowulf, the nature of leadership and politics, and the forces that human beings are subject to.
   http://www.the-orb.net/textbooks/nelson/reading_beowulf.html

» Thinking About Beowulf: Ten Years Later
   Offers a psychological interpretation of the poem. Expands on the ideas in James W. Earl's book "Thinking about Beowulf." By Eileen A. Joy.
   http://www.mun.ca/mst/heroicage/issues/8/forum.html

» Warriors, Wyrms, and Wyrd: The Paradoxical Fate of the Germanic Hero/King in Beowulf
   Interprets the Beowulf poem in mythological terms. By Kevin J. Wanner.
   http://www.illinoismedieval.org/ems/VOL16/wanner.html