Instant Expert: Arts and Literature: Beowulf

HISTORY introduces INSTANT EXPERT, an exciting new line of titles offering on-the-spot knowledge to students and lifelong learners on a wide variety of topics.

Myths are often the first stories we learn as children–iconic tales where good and evil clash, and humanity and fantasy collide. Thousands of years ago, myths were created to help frame the world of the ancients, and dictate the guidelines of their societies. But could these mythological warriors–and the tales they inspired–have been real? The legend of Beowulf, the Viking world’s most famous warrior, is the ultimate tale of courage. Pit against thirsty invaders, barbaric monsters, and a fire-breathing dragon, Beowulf emerged as Norse mythology’s greatest hero. HISTORY explores this epic legend, including unearthed burial mounds and ancient carvings that suggest the story of Beowulf could be more than myth.