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Where does the story of Beowulf take place?
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Beowulf
Beowulf preparing to cut off the head of the monster Grendel, illustration from Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race, 1910.
The epic poem Beowulf is set in early 6th-century Scandinavia, primarily within the regions known today as Denmark and Sweden.3
The narrative is divided into two main locations:
- Denmark: The first part of the poem takes place in Denmark, where King Hrothgar’s mead hall, Heorot, serves as the central setting for Beowulf's battles against the monster Grendel and Grendel's mother.1
- Geatland: The second part of the poem is set in Geatland (located in what is now southern Sweden), the homeland of Beowulf and his people, the Geats. It is here that the aging Beowulf faces his final challenge against a dragon.1