Beowulf Free PDF and EPUB

Quick overview

Old English epic, manuscript c. 1000
Author unknown
Translated by John Lesslie Hall in 1892

What is Beowulf about?

Beowulf is the longest surviving poem in Old English. The only manuscript dates from around the year 1000, and the author is unknown. The poem is set in Scandinavia, and its hero is Beowulf, a warrior of the Geats.

He sails to Denmark to help King Hrothgar, whose great hall is attacked by the monster Grendel, then faces Grendel's mother. Years later he must defend his own people against a dragon. This edition is John Lesslie Hall's 1892 verse translation.

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Preface The Story I: The Life and Death of Scyld II: Scyld’s Successors—Hrothgar’s Great Mead-Hall III: Grendel the Murderer IV: Beowulf Goes to Hrothgar’s Assistance V: The Geats Reach Heorot VI: Beowulf Introduces Himself at the Palace VII: Hrothgar and Beowulf VIII: Hrothgar and Beowulf—Continued IX: Unferth Taunts Beowulf X: Beowulf Silences Unferth—Glee Is High XI: All Sleep Save One XII: Grendel and Beowulf XIII: Grendel Is Vanquished XIV: Rejoicing of the Danes XV: Hrothgar’s Gratitude XVI: Hrothgar Lavishes Gifts Upon His Deliverer XVII: Banquet (Continued)—The Scop’s Song of Finn and Hnaef XVIII: The Finn Episode (Continued)—The Banquet Continues XIX: Beowulf Receives Further Honor XX: The Mother of Grendel XXI: Hrothgar’s Account of the Monsters XXII: Beowulf Seeks Grendel’s Mother XXIII: Beowulf’s Fight with Grendel’s Mother XXIV: Beowulf Is Double-Conqueror XXV: Beowulf Brings His Trophies—Hrothgar’s Gratitude XXVI: Hrothgar Moralizes—Rest After Labor XXVII: Sorrow at Parting XXVIII: The Homeward Journey—The Two Queens XXIX: Beowulf and Higelac XXX: Beowulf Narrates His Adventures to Higelac XXXI: Gift-Giving Is Mutual XXXII: The Hoard and the Dragon XXXIII: Brave Though Aged—Reminiscences XXXIV: Beowulf Seeks the Dragon—Beowulf’s Reminiscences XXXV: Reminiscences (Continued)—Beowulf’s Last Battle XXXVI: Wiglaf the Trusty—Beowulf Is Deserted by Friends and by Sword XXXVII: The Fatal Struggle—Beowulf’s Last Moments XXXVIII: Wiglaf Plunders the Dragon’s Den—Beowulf’s Death XXXIX: The Dead Foes—Wiglaf’s Bitter Taunts XL: The Messenger of Death XLI: The Messenger’s Retrospect XLII: Wiglaf’s Sad Story—The Hoard Carried Off XLIII: The Burning of Beowulf Endnotes

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Kindle: download the EPUB and send it with Amazon's Send to Kindle (web, app or email). Amazon converts it for your device. Kobo, Pocketbook, Apple Books and Google Play Books open the EPUB directly. The PDF keeps the page layout and suits printing or a large tablet.

Is Beowulf free to download?

Yes. Beowulf was first published c. 1000, so it is in the US public domain. The work is ancient and the translator died in 1928, so it is free in the EU as well. This edition comes from Standard Ebooks, which releases its texts under CC0.