While Beowulf takes place across multiple countries and references an even larger number of [[A List of Places|places]] tangentially, the [[Understanding Heorot|specific world focused on]] is [[Heorot]], [[Heorot as Place|the great mead hall]] and seat of rule of Hrothgar, king of the Danes. Furthermore, the [[Heorot Rules|12 years]] it was under siege is the timeframe of interest. The people who live here are the Danes. Beowulf, in contrast, is a prince of the Geats. ## Maps ### Macro [![[Macro Map.png]]](Macro%20Map) ### Micro [![[Micro Map.png]]](Micro%20Map) ## Guide Beowulf is a story that takes place in a world that has gone on long before its telling and continues long after it. Now, you'd be forgiven if you thought it was our world—certainly some places overlap, but I would hope the Grendels and a dragon would have cued you in on the difference. You see, while our world has wars, Beowulf’s has wars and monsters. The world of Beowulf is centered around where Zealand and Sweden are in our current world. For Beowulf, these were not just of political importance for the major kingdoms there, but are relevant to the story we know because of their monster inhabitants. While specifics are unknown, legends tell of a great war between men and monsters that resulted in monsters going [[Sketching|underground]] and the men occupying the overworld above. Within the story, this perhaps explains why, aside from the bold [[Grendel]], the monsters encountered typically remain underground. The place where the most time is spent is Heorot—the mead hall. This and the surrounding area are under the rule of Hrothgar, great king of the Danes. Yet Hrothgar has been unable to occupy Heorot, his seat of rule, past sunset for 12 years. And the nights are long, this far north. ## Expanded Narrative Forget the sureness of your life. Forget the very precision of the object you read this upon. Forget the rigidity and security of the modern world and technology. Forget the self-assured, know-it-all way you approach your world. Because [[Render Tests|giant monsters]] ravage our world. Sons of Cain, and if not them, other foul offspring haunt our lands. And if neither of those, it is our neighboring kingdoms who will inevitably destroy our way of life. Our capital is under siege, a siege that has lasted 12 years. During the day, you may not notice, besides the [[Local Economy|crown jewel]] of our kingdom’s [[Heorot Rebuilding|perpetual construction.]] But at night, we flee, our great hall, Heorot, left out bare. Step, step, step. Grendel comes. Step, step, step. But why, you may ask, seeing his shadow descend upon the hall. He mutilates men, making them his meal. He does not take [[Heorot Qualities|gold or ivory]] He does not sit on the throne, by all accounts. He does not kill those outside of the hall, so if the men are withdrawn, why will he not stop? Evil. Grendel is [[Qualities|a creature of evil]] who hates [[Christianity|our Lord]] and all that is good. That Lord cursed his kind, and now all that he can do in retaliation is look back upon the goodness of the One who took his future. Step, step, step. It will be a long night.  Step, step, step. But on this one, there will be a fight. And only in the morn will we know whether we’ve weathered long enough to celebrate or mourn.