Beowulf
Beowulf is one of the oldest pieces of English literature known to modern man. Countless works of great fiction through the years, from the writings of Tolkein to an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, have drawn inspiration from it. One of the most recent examples of this is the film "The 13th Warrior," based on the Michael Crichton novel "Eaters of the Dead." There are a number of striking similarities between the two in plot lines, adversaries faced by the protagonist, and the ideologies behind both works.
Like Beowulf, The 13th Warrior is the story of a band of 13 warriors who travel to help a distant kinsman in trouble. The leader of the band in the film is a Norseman named "Bulvai," a close approximation of Beowulf. The king in need of assistance in the film is named "Wulfgar" and it's said he is the son of "Hrothgar," the name of the king in Beowulf. Both stories have a great hall under siege by a ruthless enemy. In Beowulf its Grendel, a demon, and in the film it's a mysterious tribe of flesh eaters called the "Wendel."
Upon the warriors' arrival, a great feast is prepared and they dine with the king's men. In the film, the king's son is less than pleased with his father's guests and begins to taunt Bulvai. Bulvai calmly responds by saying he's never heard of any great deeds accomplished by the son, other than killing his brothers. This same response is given by Beowulf in response to Hrothgar's son's taunts.
That night, in the film as in Beowulf, the hall is attacked while the warriors lie in wait. A fierce battle ensues, and the warriors are eventually able to drive off the assault, but not without taking some losses.
Eventually, the now-fortified hall is attacked again and the warriors manage to drive off the second assault, but they're told by a soothsayer that they have to kill the "mother" of the Wendel if they wish to end the attacks for good. They track the Wendel to a cave and sneak inside, journeying farther and farther downward until...
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