Beowulf: An Introduction to the Study of the Poem with a Discussion of the Stories of Offa and Finn

The author offers a comprehensive introduction to the Old English epic, separating historical from legendary material, analyzing its dialect, metre and literary structure, and assessing theories of Scandinavian influence and Christian elements. He compares key episodes with Scandinavian sagas and folklore, traces genealogies and manuscript evidence, and reproduces translated documentary passages. A lengthy study reconstructs the Finnsburg episode and debates its interpretations. Appendices treat mythological motifs, linguistic and archaeological evidence, and related royal traditions, while collected documents, plates and a bibliography support the textual and comparative arguments presented for students and scholars.