A Close Look at Beowulf-Era Helmets & Swords, Courtesy of the British Museum

Even if a student assigned Beowulf is, at first, dismayed by its language, that same student may well be captivated by its setting. While that mythical but somehow both gloriously and dankly realistic realm of kings and dragons, mead halls and bog monsters may feel familiar to fantasy enthusiasts, it’s also strange on a deeper level; this story, any modern reader will feel, is in no sense a product of our own time. In order to concretely envision both the action of that epic and the culture that gave rise to it...