List of artistic depictions of Beowulf

"Beowulf" is an Old English heroic epic poem of anonymous authorship. Its creation dates to between the 8th cite book | last = Tolkien | first = J.R.R. | authorlink = J.R.R. Tolkien | title = Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics | location = London | publisher = Oxford University Press | page = 127 | year = 1958] and the 11th century, the only surviving manuscript dating to circa 1010.cite book |last=Kiernan |first=Kevin S. |title=Beowulf and the Beowulf Manuscript |url= http://www.press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do?id=8599 |publisher= University of Michigan Press |location = Ann Arbor, MI |year=1997 |id=ISBN 978-0-472-08412-8] At 3183 lines, it is notable for its length. It has risen to national epic status in England. [ [http://www.sras.org/news2.phtml?m=629&print=1 "The Question of genre in bylini and Beowulf" by Shannon Meyerhoff, 2006] .]

"Beowulf" has been adapted a number of times in cinema, on the stage, and in books.

Cinema and television adaptations and references

Adaptations

*Some critics have compared the "Alien" film series to "Beowulf". [ [http://web.nwe.ufl.edu/~jchapman/beowulf/beomain.html The Alien Trilogy: A New Beowulf] and also to the Predator series]
*1981: "Grendel Grendel Grendel"
*1995: "": In the episode "Heroes and Demons", Ensign Harry Kim runs a holographic version of the "Beowulf" poem in which he plays the central character. Most of the episode takes place inside this "Beowulf" .
*1998: "Animated Epics: Beowulf" [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0270854/ IMDB] ]
*1999: "Beowulf", a science-fiction/fantasy film starring Christopher Lambert.
*1999: "The 13th Warrior", action movie directed by John McTiernan mixing Beowulf with the travels of Ibn Fadlan; this is a film based on Critchton's "Eaters of the Dead" (see below).
*2005: "Beowulf & Grendel", starring Gerard Butler and directed by the Icelandic-Canadian Sturla Gunnarsson.
*2007: "Grendel", a made-for television movie on the Sci Fi Channel (United States).
*2007: "Beowulf", a computer animated film directed by Robert Zemeckis and created through motion capture, a technique similar to that used by Zemeckis in "The Polar Express". The manuscript was written by Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman. It deviates significantly from the original poem.cite news | author = Walter Quinn | title = Beowulf' movie takes poetic license -- and then some -- from the original text | publisher = Pittsburgh Tribune-Review | date = 2007-11-23 | url = http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/living/movies/s_539150.html| accessdate=2007-11-27] cite news | author = Duane Dudek| title = The Real Beowulf| publisher = Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | date = 2007-11-16 | url = http://blogs.jsonline.com/dudek/archive/2007/11/16/the-real-beowulf.aspx| accessdate=2007-11-27] cite news | author = John V. Fleming| title = Good Grief, Grendel| publisher = The New Republic | date = 2007-11-29 | url = http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=6abc1dba-db62-4239-9b31-63243d264783| accessdate=2007-11-29]
*2008:"" [ [http://www.princeofthegeats.com/ Official site] ]

References

*"Annie Hall": a 1977 film starring Woody Allen as Alvie and Diane Keaton as Annie. When Annie tells Alvie that she is thinking of taking an English literature course, Alvie responds, "Just don't take any course where they make you read "Beowulf"." [ [http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/a/annie-hall-script-screenplay-woody.html Annie Hall Script - Screenplay by Woody Allen ] ]
*"Gilmore Girls": In , Loreli tells Rory, "Oh, I started reading "Beowulf", that new translation you recommended," to which Rory responds, "The Seamus Heaney? Good for you." Loreli then tells her, "Yeah. And stopped reading "Beowulf"." [ [http://www.onlygilmoregirls.net/Resumes/saison6/transcripts/10.htm Gilmore Girls | Episode 6-10 Transcript | He's Slippin' 'Em Bread, Dig? ] ]
*"": Beowulf and Grendel appear in several episodes of "Xena" including "The Rheingold". [http://tv.yahoo.com/xena-warrior-princess/show/the-rheingold/episode/29563] Grendel is the son of the monster Grinhilda. Beowulf searches for Xena in order to stop Grendel and Grinhilda. [http://www.library.rochester.edu/camelot/BeowulfBooklet.htm#7.13]

Literature

*"Eaters of the Dead": The "Beowulf" story, in combination with a fictionalized 10th century Arabic narrative of Ahmad ibn Fadlan created by the author Michael Crichton, was used as the basis for this novel. This story is portrayed in the movie "The 13th Warrior".
*"Grendel": The "Beowulf" story is retold from Grendel's point of view in this (1971) novel by John Champlin Gardner, Jr.
John Gardner.
*"The Ring-givers": a novel by W. H. Canaway (1958). It is historical novel based closely on the poem. [http://books.google.com/books?id=SaFdpGdjvtoC&pg=RA2-PA382&lpg=RA2-PA382&dq=%22the+ring+givers%22+canaway+beowulf&source=web&ots=Jkv6H5p6oR&sig=Am7AZMR17cJfNy0NG7_O7hoNpL8]
*"The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings": "Beowulf" exercised an important influence on J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote "" while a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University. Numerous parallels have been drawn between "Beowulf" and these works.
*"Whose Song is Sung": A 1996 novel by Frank Schaefer. The narrative is told from the point of view of a dwarf named Musuclus, who becomes an advisor to Emperor Heraclius in the last days of the Roman Empire. Eventually, he makes his way north and becomes a traveling companion to Beowulf. [http://home.tiac.net/~cri/2000/sung.html]
*Neil Gaiman: "The Monarch of the Glen": a novella published in his anthology "Fragile Things" involves "modernized "Beowulf" characters." [http://www.montrealmirror.com/2006/121406/books.html] ; "Bay Wolf": a poem which retells the "Beowulf" story and appears in "Smoke and Mirrors." [http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.asp?book=144]

Graphic novels

* "Beowulf" by Gareth Hinds, Published by TheComic.com (2000) and Candlewick Press (2007). A faithful adaptation with historically-detailed, fully painted illustrations. [http://www.garethhinds.com/beowulf.php]

* "Beowulf: The Graphic Novel" [http://www.beowulfcomic.com] by Stephen L. Stern and Christopher Steininger [http://www.christophersteininger.com] will be released by AAM/Markosia in October, 2007. [http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=11733]

* "Beowulf Cartoon": Bookwork by Michael J. Weller with introduction by Bill Griffiths. [http://www.comix.org.uk/visualassociations/]

* "Kid Beowulf" (Spring 2008) by Alexis E. Fajardo. A series of eight graphic novels, that depict the characters of Beowulf in the years leading up to the epic poem. [http://www.kidbeowulf.com] Published by Bowler Hat Comics [http://www.bowlerhatcomics.com]

* "Biowulf" by David Hutchinson. "A cyberpunk adaptation of the classic tale of Beowulf." Published by Antarctic Press in 2007. [http://www.antarctic-press.com/html/version_01/viewitem.php?id=5030&bk=store.php?id=Beowulf]

References

*" The Heorot series": science-fiction novels, by Steven Barnes, Jerry Pournelle, and Larry Niven, is named after the stronghold of King Hrothgar and partly parallels "Beowulf".

Music

*"Grendel": A song by Marillion is the B side to their first single, "Market Square Heroes" (1982). The recorded version of the song is 17:40 long, while the live versions regularly ran to over 20 minutes. [http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/marillion/grendel.html]
*"The Lament for Beowulf": (1925), op. 25, by American composer Howard Hanson (1896-1981). Large-scale work for chorus and orchestra. Translation by W. Morris and A. Wyatt. [http://www.worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/top3mset/1188038]
*The Beatles 1968 album "Yellow Submarine" makes a comparison between the adventures of Beowulf and the adventures of the Beatles in the fictional Pepperland. [http://www.21stcenturyradio.com/YS/symbolmythointerp.html]

Opera & Theater

*2008: "Beowulf - A Thousand Years of Baggage": a SongPlay by Banana Bag & Bodice [http://www.bananabagandbodice.org] . Text by Jason Craig, Music by Dave Malloy [http://www.davemalloy.com/beowulf.html]
*2007: "Beowulf": "The Heart Off Guard Theatre Company" produced a musical adaptation for children of the "Beowulf" story at the Edinburgh Fringe [http://www.heartoffguard.co.uk/]
*2006: "Grendel": an opera composed by Elliot Goldenthal and directed by Julie Taymor. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5542123]
*1984: "Beowulf": adapted for live performance by the founding members of" Theatre in the Ground". [http://www.moremud.com]
*1977: "Beowulf: A Musical Epic": a rock opera by Victor Davies (music) and Betty Jane Wylie (libretto). [http://www.victordavies.com/beowulf.htm]

Popular culture

Comics

*Antarctic Press: is currently running a manga adaptation of the "Beowulf" legend, written and drawn by David Hutchison. [http://www.wowio.com/users/product.asp?BookId=414]
* "Speakeasy Comics": this series debuted a "Beowulf" monthly title featuring the character having survived into the modern era and now working alongside law enforcement in New York to handle superpowered beings. [http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=5282]
*1999-2000:"The Collected Beowulf": by Gareth Hinds & Leslie Siddeley. [http://www.thecomic.com/thecomic/beowulf.htm]
*1975-1976: "Beowulf Dragon Slayer", published by DC comics and edited by Dennis O'Neil, written by Michael Uslan and primarily illustrated by Ricardo Villamonte. [ [http://doctor-k100.blogspot.com/2007/08/dr-ks-guide-to-british-literature.html "Dr. K's Guide to British Literature"] ] Later, Beowfulf appears in "Wonder Woman" #20 (2008).
*Issue #49 of the "Animaniacs" comic book featured a Pinky and the Brain story featuring Brain as Brainwulf, who, accompanied by Pinknarf (Pinky), attempts to defeat Grendel so that he can take over Denmark afterwards. [http://comics.toonzone.net/animish49.php]
*IDW Publishing is putting out a comic book adaptation of the 2007 "Beowulf movie". [http://www.idwpublishing.com/titles/beowulf.shtml]

Computer games

* "Beowulf" is the name of a character who can join the player's party in the video game "Final Fantasy Tactics". [cite web | url = http://www.kuponut.com/games/fft/secret_characters.html#beowulf | title = Final Fantasy Tactics Secret Characters ] [cite web | url = http://www.cavesofnarshe.com/fft/characters.php?character=Beowulf | title = Beowulf - Final Fantasy Tactics Characters - Caves of Narshe ] In the game, Beowulf is in love with a dragon (Reis). Another character depicted in this game, Weigraf, is a reference to the Beowulf character - Wiglaf. [ [http://www.aboutlanguageschools.com/language/slang/engrish-slang.asp Examples in the Final Fantasy series (section)] ]
* [http://www.jetdogs.com Adventure PC-game based on Beowulf's legend]
* "Beowulf:Viking Warrior" [http://uk.ps3.ign.com/objects/820/820309.html] : action adventure game based on the original story, developed by 4Head studios.
* "Beowulf: The Game" [http://www.beowulfgame.com] : action adventure game based on the 2007 film, developed by Ubisoft coming for PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and PSP.
* " [http://www.grendelscave.com Grendel's Cave] ": a MUD role playing fantasy game based on the original story.
*Beowulf (romanized on official sites as "Beowolf") is a character in "Fire Emblem:Seisen no Keifu", he is portrayed as a mercenary interested only in money. [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/fe/fe_museum/seisen/character/character06.html]
*"Devil May Cry 3" for the Playstation 2 (2005) includes a boss named Beowulf, though the physical manifestation can be tied closer to Grendel. [http://faqs.ign.com/articles/716/716541p1.html] Beowulf is also the name of Dante and Vergil's weapon composed of gauntlets and greaves.
*In "" for the Playstation 2, the protagonist Kyosuke Nanbu is touted as the "Steel Beowulf", also reflected in his theme song of the same name. Kyosuke's Shadow Mirror counterpart is known by the codename "Beowulf" as well. [http://srwog.velv.net/og_char/kyosuke.html]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.library.rochester.edu/camelot/BeowulfBooklet.htm BEOWULFIANA: MODERN ADAPTATIONS OF BEOWULF] - University of Rochester
* [http://uas.alaska.edu/pub/filmasart/beowulf.htm Beowulf: The Movie(s). A Comprehensive Look at the (Brief) List of Cinematic Adaptations of the English Language's Most Enduring Epic Poem] an article from [http://uas.alaska.edu/pub/filmasart/ Film as Art: Danél Griffin's Guide to Cinema]