Beowulf

:This article describes Beowulf, the epic poem. For the character Beowulf, see Beowulf (hero). For other uses, see Beowulf (disambiguation).

Influence on modern works

• Beowulf was an important influence on J. R. R. Tolkien, who wrote the landmark essay ' while a professor at Oxford University and also translated the poem, although as of 2005, his translation has not been published.
• The Beowulf story was retold from the monster's point of view by John Gardner in his novel Grendel.
• The Beowulf story, in combination with the 10th century Arabic narrative of A?mad ibn Fa?l?n, was used as basis for Michael Crichton's novel Eaters of the Dead. The novel itself was adapted for the film The 13th Warrior, starring Antonio Banderas as Ibn Fa?l?n and Vladimir Kulich as Buliwyf (Beowulf).
• Besides The 13th Warrior, there have been six film adaptations of the poem: Grendel, Grendel, Grendel (1981), an animated film based on John Gardner's novel and starring Peter Ustinov; ' (1998), voiced by Joseph Fiennes; Beowolf (1999), a futuristic update starring Christopher Lambert; Beowulf & Grendel (2005), an independent feature starring Gerard Butler; ' (2006), a low-budget feature donating 100% of its sales and promotions to the American Cancer Society; and Beowulf (2007), a computer-animated feature directed by Robert Zemeckis.
• The first three films of the Alien series, starring Sigorney Weaver, follow the Beowulf cycle, battling first the monster in the wilderness, then the mother entity, and finally the dragon.
• The Heorot series of science-fiction novels, by Steven Barnes, Jerry Pournelle, and Larry Niven, is named after the stronghold of King Hrothgar, and partly parallels Beowulf.
• In the video game Final Fantasy Tactics, the main character's name is Ramza Beoulve, his last name possibly a mistranslation of Beowulf (in Japanese it would be the same katakana). The player also meets a knight named Beowulf who, ironically, is in love with a woman who is really a dragon. Beowulf and the player embark on a quest to restore her to her human form.
• In April 2005, Speakeasy Comics debuted a Beowulf monthly title featuring the character having survived into the modern era and now working alongside law enforcement in New York to handle superpowered beings.
• In the PlayStation 2 video game Devil May Cry 3, Beowulf appears as a large, one-eyed demon. There were also a pair of gauntlets and leg guards imbued with light powers that were named Beowulf.
• In the book The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield mentions Beowulf when explaining why English was the only subject he passed while attending Pencey Prep.
• The magical sword Hrunting, which Beowulf used to kill Grendel's mother, was featured in the GBA game .
• The King of the Dwarves in the Inheritance Trilogy by Christopher Paolini is named Hrothgar, the same as the King of the Danes in Beowulf.
• In the episode Heroes and Demons a holographic version of the Beowulf poem was implemented by Ensign Harry Kim for leisure purposes.