jan 28, 701 - Beowulf (c.700-750)

Description:

An epic, heroic poem written in vernacular Old English, or Anglo-Saxon. To read the piece today is impossible without actively translating it. Nevertheless, it represents the highest achievement in Old English Literature - and really the first piece of literature that is worthy of the name in English.

The script dates from around 1000 AD, but was not widely published until the 19th Century - a piece of literature that remained effectively dormant for a thousand years, but is now studied as a powerful piece of literature.