Composed about 1000 CE, Beowulf is the longest known poem written in Old English. Considered one of the great epics, the Anglo-Saxon saga relates the heroic deeds of the warrior Beowulf, who kills the man-eating monster Grendel and the monster's mother. Replete with monsters, quests, and acts of bravery and containing touches of Christian and pagan symbolism, Beowulf stands as the precursor to …