The code of the comitatus is at the heart of the Beowulf epic. ... Beowulf vaunts himself as a great warrior and backs up his words by defeating Grendel; he is thus celebrated and received as a hero. ... Though such verbal elements as boasts and stories are crucial to the warrior culture, heroes are, above all, defined by action. ... From there, the early Greek stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey gave a rich basis for fantasy stories, featuring more heroes and monsters, wars and gods. ... Lastly in speaking of themes of the epic, is the theme of the "welters of the people" ...

• Word Count: 3090
• Approx Pages: 12