> In the epic story Beowulf, what's the name of the monster that's slain by thehero?And the answer: Grendel.Photo credit: Thoughtco.comBelieved to have been composed in the 10th or 11thcentury, Beowulf is the earliest European epic poem, and the longest one writtenin Old English. It tells the story of a kingdom terrorized by a monster namedGrendel, who the hero Beowulf volunteers to destroy.Impressively, the story of Beowulf survives by a single manuscript. The storyhas persevered throughout a thousand years of history and relocation, evenremaining intact after a fire in its Westminster home. Due to the fact that thestory was primarily passed down orally, historians struggle to place a date onthe origins of this tale. Beowulf has inspired countless authors and artists. Famed J.R.R. Tolkien fell inlove with the story at a young age, and was said to quote the epic poem in itsOld English during his literary club meetings. Irish poet Seamus Heaney was soinspired by the narrative that he wrote a translation for modern audiences,winning him a best-seller. Author Micheal Crichton of the Jurassic Park serieswrote a novel wholly inspired by Beowulf. Did you know?The language used in Beowulf is a mash-up of dialects from four different areasof medieval Britain: Kent, Mercia, Northumbria, and Wessex. The result showsjust how developed and complex a language Old English was at the time the poemwas written. For example, the poem uses a total of 36 different words for"hero." "Hæle" and "eorl" are just two of the Old English words that can betranslated to "hero"in Modern English.