The epic poem Beowulf, a work of fiction, offers more insight into early Anglo-Saxon English culture than the work of Bede, who wrote A History of the Church and English people. The epic poem Beowulf gives an improved illustration and clearer understanding of the culture of the ancient Anglo-Saxons. The epic poem gives the audience a picture of what the ancient Anglo-Saxon English valued; navigation, warriors, heroes and paganism. Beowulf highlights descriptions of pagan religious rituals and warrior culture. The epic poem Beowulf reveals different accounts of paganism, a tradition of Anglo-Saxon English. When Grendel attacks Herot, the people and warriors think they are in danger, so they summon the "old stone gods" (175-178). This showed that people still sacrificed and worshiped the gods of pagan traditions, even though they might have been converted to Christianity. In Beowulf, the author refers to Grendel as a monster, who represents the ultimate evil in this culture because he is the product and sin of a man who killed his brother. The recurring theme of good versus evil was part of paganism as it is common for a hero (good) to fight a monster (evil) in pagan views. Beowulf expresses this but by showing the battle between Grendel and the hero Beowulf. The epic poem clearly highlights the beliefs and traditions of paganism, a tradition that the Anglo-Saxons believed in. In the nonfiction text of Bede's A History of the English Church and its People, no reference is made to paganism. Another tradition in which the Ancient Anglo-Saxons practiced the maritime tradition. The epic Beowulf expresses this tradition in great detail to illustrate the life of a sailor. Beowulf...... middle of paper ...... Christianity, not paganism. Although Bede addresses small aspects of Anglo-Saxon English culture, his work lacks information vital to understanding the main features of Anglo-Saxon English culture. Navigation, paganism, and the hero code were all imperative traditions of the ancient Anglo-Saxon English language. culture. Bede's fictional work, A History of the English Church and People, clearly does not help the audience understand these traditions, even though it expresses the general idea of ​​the culture. Ultimately, the epic poem Beowulf reveals and connects these traditions to make them easier to understand, while enjoying the story of the epic hero Beowulf. This piece of fiction is best suited to understanding the culture of the ancient English Anglo-Saxons because overall the epic poem Beowulf sheds more light on the ancient Anglo-Saxons..