of his mission. Another Biblical reference in Beowulf is
             shown in the tower of Herot which is very similar to the tower of
             Babel in the fact that it's built as a sign of superiority and
             accomplishment. Like Babel, though, Herot only serves as a symbol of
             downfall more than one of glory because it causes many deaths and the
             coming of Grendel. Though it is often viewed both as the archetypal Anglo-Saxon literary work and as a cornerstone of modern literature, Beowulf has a peculiar history that complicates both its historical and its canonical position in English literature. By the time the story of Beowulf was composed by an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet around 700 A.D., much of its material had been in circulation in oral narrative for many years. The Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian peoples had invaded the island of Britain and settled there several hundred years earlier, bringing with them several closely related Germanic languages that would evolve into Old English. Elements of the Beowulf story-including its setting and characters-date back to the period before the migration. The action of the poem takes place around 500 A.D. Many of the characters in the poem-the Swedish and Danish royal family members, for example-correspond to actual historical figures.Originally pagan warriors, the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian invaders experienced a large-scale conversion to Christianity at the end of the sixth century. Though still an old pagan story, Beowulf thus came to be told by a Christian poet. The Beowulf poet is often at pains to attribute Christian thoughts and motives to his characters, who frequently behave in distinctly un-Christian ways. The Beowulf that we read today is therefore probably quite unlike the Beowulf with which the first Anglo- Saxon audiences were familiar. The element of religious tension is quite common in Christian Anglo-Saxon writings (The Dream of the Rood, for example), but the combination of a pa...