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Ever since Tolkien's famous lecture in 1936, it has been generally accepted that the poem Beowulf is a fantasy, and of no use as a witness to real history. This book challenges that view, and argues that the poem provides a plausible, detailed, and consistent vision of pre-Viking history which is most unlikely to have been the poet's invention, and which has moreover received strong corroboration from archaeology in recent years. Using the poem as a starting point, historical, archaeological, and legendary sources are combined to form a picture of events in the North in the fifth and sixth centuries: at once a Dark and a Heroic Age, and the time of the formation of nations. Among other things, this helps answer two long-unasked questions: why did the Vikings come as such a shock? And what caused the previous 250 years of security from raiders from the sea?

LITERARY CRITICISM / Medieval. --- The early North, Geatas, Tolkien, Scandinavia,. --- Beowulf. --- Scandinavia --- Civilization --- History. --- History --- Civilization. --- Barbarism --- Civilisation --- Auxiliary sciences of history --- Culture --- World Decade for Cultural Development, 1988-1997 --- Beowulf --- To 1397 --- Europe --- Europe, Northern --- Scandinavie --- Europe septentrionale --- Northern Europe --- Antiquities. --- Histoire --- Civilisation. --- Antiquités. --- Civilization, Viking. --- Mythology, Norse. --- Criticism and interpretation. --- Scandinavia.