In the Anglo-Saxon culture epic poetry was important: it provided a clear idea of the structure and the organization of society.
At the beginning epic poetry was handed down orally from generation to generation. Beowulf is the first hero of such literary form. It was written in the 7th century and reflected the values of that ancient society, in which bravery, loyalty and generosity were fundamental values.
People considered heroes the men who possessed such values. Moreover a hero had to die in order to be remembered.
epic poetry tells about the men who lost their life to help other people. In addition, Beowulf was a hero that left his land (Denmark) to help king Hrothgar.
The narrator of the poem did not describe Beowulf's physical appearance but rather underlined his qualities.
Beowulf was a high-born man and was the most powerful man on Earth. He travelled to Geatland to find and kill Grendel, a monster attacking Hrothgar’s Kingdom. Reading the poem the reader can understand what the organization of society was like starting from the basic unit (family) to the kingdom .