<Table> <Tr> <Th colspan="2"> Beowulf </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td colspan="2"> First page of Beowulf in Cotton Vitellius A. xv </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Author ( s ) </Th> <Td> Unknown </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Language </Th> <Td> West Saxon dialect of Old English </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Date </Th> <Td> c. 700 -- 1000 AD ( date of poem ) , c. 975 -- 1010 AD ( date of manuscript ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> State of existence </Th> <Td> Manuscript suffered damage from fire in 1731 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Manuscript ( s ) </Th> <Td> Cotton Vitellius A. xv </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> First printed edition </Th> <Td> Thorkelin ( 1815 ) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Genre </Th> <Td> Epic heroic poetry </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Verse form </Th> <Td> Alliterative verse </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Length </Th> <Td> c. 3182 lines </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Subject </Th> <Td> The battles of Beowulf , the Geatish hero , in youth and old age </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Personages </Th> <Td> Beowulf , Hygelac , Hrothgar , Wealhþeow , Hrothulf , Æschere , Unferth , Grendel , Grendel 's mother , Wiglaf , Hildeburh . </Td> </Tr> </Table>
when was beowulf most likely composed when did it 's events probably take place
700 -- 1000 AD