Beowulf, the first hero in English literature.

Have you ever heard the name Beowulf ? Have you seen the film Beowulf ? This film is based on the old English poem Beowulf.
Beowulf is the first hero in English literature, the man who can win battles and give safety to his people over a long period of time.

Beowulf is a long anonymous poem which describes invasions and battles, some historic, some legendary.The poem is set around the sixth century. These are Anglo-Saxon times and are known as the early medieval period. It was a time of wars and invasions. Britain was invaded by many peoples from Europe: Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Vikings and finally Normans.
The first stories and poems were spoken; it took a long time before they were written down and they were first written down in the monasteries. Most of the texts of this period are religious or heroic ( of heroes who defended their lands against invaders).
The language of the first literature in English is known as Old English.