CHAPTER II. THE
ANGLO-SAXON OR
OLD-ENGLISH PERIOD
(450-1050)
OUR FIRST POETRY
BEOWULF.Here is the story of Beowulf, the earliest and the
greatest epic, or heroic poem, in our literature. It begins with
a prologue, which is not an essential part of the story, but
which we review gladly for the sake of the splendid poetical
conception that produced Scyld, king of the Spear Danes.^2
At a time when the Spear Danes were without a king, a ship
came sailing into their harbor. It was filled with treasures and
weapons of war; and in the midst of these warlike things was
a baby sleeping. No man sailed the ship; it came of itself,
bringing the child, whose name was Scyld.
Now Scyld grew and became a mighty warrior, and led the
Spear Danes for many years, and was their king. When his
(^2) There is a mystery about this old hero which stirs ourimagination, but
which is never explained It refers, probably, to somelegend of the Anglo-Saxons
which we have supplied from other sources, aidedby some vague suggestions
and glimpses of the past in the poem itself.