References to the oldest surviving English language work of fiction other media, including references to it's many adaptations such as the film Beowulf (2007).
Adaptations
- Grendel (from the point of view of the monster Grendel)
- The 13th Warrior: The story is a reworking of the classical tale of Beowulf, with Norse chieftain Buliwyf as an Expy for the hero Beowulf.
- Outlander: The director, Howard McCain, originally conceived of the story as a sci-fi adaptation of Beowulf, then screenwriter Dirk Blackman reworked it into something that didn't wear its inspiration on its sleeves so. The resulting film could be considered a sci-fi version of the story behind the legend of Beowulf.
Shout Outs, Allusions and other References
Comic Books
- Death Vigil: In issue six, it's heavily hinted that Wulf is missing a Beo- in front of his name. Issue 8 confirms it.
Fan Works
- Boldores And Boomsticks has an enormous Beowolf (See the RWBY entry below) Alpha named Grendel who is missing a paw.
Film—Animated
- Fire & Ice: Roleil and her son are meant to bring to mind Grendel and his mother.
- How to Train Your Dragon: A double-Shout-Out to both the original book and Beowulf occurs when Tuffnut calls The Green Death "Bride of Grendel". The young Vikings had to read Beowulf in the original book series.
Film—Live-Action
- Annie Hall: Alvy warns Annie not to take any course where they'll make her read Beowulf.
- Cannibal! The Musical: From "Let's Build a Snowman!":Swan: We can name him Tom or we can name him George!...We can name him Bob or we can name him Beowulf!
Literature
- The Dresden Files:
- The short story "Heorot" arises from the fact that Beowulf isn't a fictional account in the Dresdenverse.
- Skin Game: It takes a few context clues to pick up but the Genowska is one of the Grendelkin, a descendant/follower of Grendel.
- In one of the short stories a Grendelkin displays and boasts of his knowledge of countering magic, making it so Harry's hardest hits just flow off it like water.
- Peace Talks reveals that Beowulf is one of the names of Vadderung, who fought one of the Forest People named Grendel. His employees view all of the Forest People as monsters because Grendel was one of the Forest People who took to war against them. River Shoulders at one point takes an Einherjar aside and tells him Grendel was an exiled extremist and that the rest of the Sasquatch bear the Norse pantheon no grudge over it.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Rohirrim are a nation of barbarian warriors in the mold of Migration-era Germanic tribesmen like the Geats in Beowulf.
Live Action TV
- Once Upon a Time in Wonderland'': Grendel based on a character of the same name from the Anglo-Saxon epic poem debuts in the episode "Forget Me Not".
- Star Trek: Voyager. In "Heroes and Demons", much of the action takes place in a holodeck program of Beowulf.
Video Games
- Borderlands 2: A mission in Wurmwood requires you to kill a monster named Grendel.
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night: In the Japanese version the poisonous executioner sword sword named Terminus Est in English language localizations was called Hrunting.
- Dawn of the Dragons: Lord Tyranthius combines elements of King Arthur and Beowulf.
- Almost everyone in Devil May Cry has a name that references Dante's The Divine Comedy. Those that do not usually reference something else in myth or legend — like Beowulf.
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim:
- Dragonsreach has a fair bit in common with Théoden's hall of Meduseld, and they both owe a fair bit to Heorot, featured in Beowulf, which is also a real place.
- The troll-slaying guide authored by the adventurer Finn may be a reference to the "Saga of Finn," a poem sung by a bard in Beowulf.
- English students may recognize High Hrothgar. However, it's technically not limited to Skyrim; it was introduced with Redguard back in 1998.
- Before this, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind included a questline directly referencing the story in the Bloodmoon expansion, which tasked you with slaying the Udyrfrykte, and then The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion tasked you with killing the creature's mother.
- In Fate/Grand Order, Beowulf manifests as a Berserker Servant.
- Final Fantasy Tactics features two characters named Wiegraf (Wiglaf) and Beowulf, obvious references to the poem Beowulf.
- Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War: Beowulf is named after the famed hero in the epic poem.
- Hades: While the lore focuses on Greek mythology, players can equip their weapons with aspects, and at least one aspect per weapon confirms the existence of people from different religions and mythologies from periods that are before or after the story takes place. Thus can Aegis be equipped with Aspect of Beowulf.
- Journey (2012): The One-Woman Wail credits song, "I Was Born For This"
, consists of lyrics not only from many different languages but derived from several classic sources:Stat sua cuique dies
To each his day is given (Latin, The Aeneid)Mæl is me to feran
Time is it for me to go (Old English, Beowulf)Aleto men moi nostos
Lost is my homecoming (Greek, The Iliad)C'est pour cela que je suis née
I was born for this (French, Joan of Arc)Kono michi ya, Yuku hito nashininote
Kono michi ya, Aki no kure
Along this road, goes no one
Along this road, this Autumn eve (Japanese, Matsuo Basho)C'est pour cela que je suis née, ne me plaignez pas
C'est pour cela que je suis née
I was born for this, do not pity me
I was born for this (French, Joan of Arc) - The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak: The protagonist Van Arkride can transform into an armored monster "clad in nightmares" called the Grendel, with the help of the Oct-Genesis and his Hollow Core AI Mare. It is greatly hinted that the Grendel is an otherworldly existence bound to the real world using Van as its vessel, and is deeply connected to the concept of sin.
- MapleStory: In The Afterlands' Land of Warriors, you encounter several characters that are all Expies named after figures of their class. The warrior is named Beodog, the magician is Vulcanelli, the archer is Reubenhood, the thief is Arsan Lupen, and the pirate is Edgar Tetch.
- Skullgirls: Contains a character named for Beowulf whose weapon is both a folding chair he dubs "The Hurting" as well as the arm of his former foe Grendel.
- Unreal: Two maps in Unreal Tournament 2004, one for Deathmatch and another for Capture The Flag, are given the name "Grendelkeep".
- We Happy Few: The plague victims quote Beowulf in the original Old English.
- The Wolf Among Us: A literal Mythology Gag arises in the Trip Trap where you have the chance to rip off Grendel's arm.
Webcomics
- Oglaf: The strip "Beot" parodies Beowulf with two warriors trying to one-up each other with claims that they'll fight the Grendel expy unarmed, blindfolded, self-mutilated, dead... By the time the monster arrives, everyone in the mead hall is already hacked to pieces.
Web Original
- Paranatural: Mr. Starchman's class has weird posters for Death of a Salesman and Beowulf.
- RWBY has a great deal of fairy tale Shout-Out Theme Naming. One species of the Creatures of Grimm are known as Beowolves (Beowulf).
Western Animation
- Pinky and the Brain: The story in Issue 49 is a Whole-Plot Reference parody of Beowulf.
- Recess: Ms. Grotke was reading Beowulf out loud and just happened to be reading the part where Beowulf rips Grendel's arm off and begins beating him with it.
- Young Justice: In "Secrets", the magical sword of Beowulf is sheathed in Grendel's arm, which Beowulf famously tore off.
Real Life
- The firearms company Alexander Arms has produced two unique assault rifle cartridges: .50 Beowulf and 6.5mm Grendel.
