Basilisks and Beowulf : Monsters in the Anglo-Saxon World

Why were the Anglo-Saxons obsessed with monsters, many of which did not exist?Drawing on literature and art, theology and a wealth of first-hand evidence, Basilisks and Beowulf reveals a people huddled at the edge of the known map, using the fantastic and the grotesque as a way of understanding the world around them and apprehending something of a divine plan.It is for these reasons that monsters were at the very centre of their worldview.From map monsters to demons, dragons to Leviathan, we neglect them at our peril.