《贝奥武甫》Beowulf

Warriors, let us gather in the longhouse of the Yanxia tribe, raise our drinking horns and drink our fill! I shall tell the tale of Beowulf, king of the Geats, and take you back to that dark and fantastical age. Fifteen hundred years ago, a monster from the fens burst into the mead hall in a rage and killed thirty warriors. Twelve years later, the sails of the Geats appeared on the horizon, and so the legend of Beowulf began. Ah, Beowulf! National symbol of the Germans, great hero of the Danes. Warrior king of the Geats, the bards of England still sing of you! Did Beowulf really exist? Was he German, Swedish, Danish or English? Where is Beowulf's treasure now? Where is the fire dragon that guarded it today? When was the epic discovered? And why has it influenced British politics today? Victory does not come from praying to the gods; only strong arms can drive away monsters and demons. Warriors, let us lay down our swords and hear the legend of Beowulf! Reading: Beowulf (translated by Feng Xiang) Epic Continent: Adventures in the Great Stories of Europe (Nicholas Jubber) The Oxford History of Britain (Kenneth O. Morgan) History of Britain and Ireland: The Definitive Visual Guide (DK)