Nothing
is known of the author of Beowulf.
The poem itself was written in England, although it cannot be dated
exactly. Some scholars believe that it may have been composed in the
eighth century A.D., but others suggest an earlier time, as early as the
seventh century or as late as the tenth.
The events described in Beowulf are partly historical, and took place in
Scandinavia several centuries before the poem was written. The
historical King Hygelac of the Geats was killed in about A.D. 521.
Only one manuscript of the poem survived, which was discovered in the
sixteenth century. The manuscript was damaged by fire in 1731 and was
first printed in 1815.
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