The dragon (Beowulf) His Lair in "Beowulf"" that the fight between Beowulf and the dragon tends to receive less critical attention than other portions of the poem, commenting that "Grendel and his dam have, as it were, become more beloved of the commentators". Conversely, Kemp Malone writes in "The Kenning in "Beowulf"" that Beowulf's fight with the dragon receives much critical attention, but that commentators fail to note that "the dragon was no fighter. Not that it refused to fight when challenged, but that it did not seek out Beowulf or anyone else. It left Beowulf to do the seeking out". In his
Beowulf (hero) Beowulf (hero) Beowulf (; Old English: "Bēoƿulf" ) is a legendary Geatish hero in the epic poem named after him, one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature in the English language. A number of origins have been proposed for the name "Beowulf". Henry Sweet, a philologist and early linguist specializing in Germanic languages, proposed that the name "Bēowulf" literally means in Old English "bee-wolf" or "bee-hunter" and that it is a kenning for "bear". This etymology is mirrored in recorded instances of similar names. "Biuuuwulf" is recorded as a name in the AD 1031 "Liber Vitae". The name is