Hwæt! Beowulf begins with the word hwæt, modern day: what. This single word when uttered by the scops (the poet-minstrels, and pronounced shops) brought those gathered (the assembly) in the meade-hall (a fermented drink of honey and water) to order. Now imagine them going through the 3,182 word Beowulf at one go (whenever they did). David Crystal in, The Story of English in 100 words, says that Beowulf would have taken a scop over three hours to recite.
Translator from English to Old English (Anglo-Saxon) and vice-versa. http://www.oldenglishtranslator.co.uk/ Beowulf in Old English http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/172777 ++++++++++++ venantius j pinto
