Corpus Christi Church, West 121st Street, Manhattan
September 30, 2018

No one quite knows when the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf became a thing. Estimates range from the sixth century up until the early eleventh, which is the date of the sole existing manuscript, but whatever your guess, it’s definitely an ancient story. A tale of heroes and monsters, Beowulf harks back to a time when audiences in early medieval England would gather round a hearth and a singer of tales, or scop, would employ all of his skill and imagination to enthrall and entertain. The narrative would vary, depending on the scop and his mood on any given occasion – that was typical of this kind of oral story-telling – and he would season his story by accompanying himself on a six-stringed harp, as is known from contemporary accounts and surviving instruments. Fast forward 1500 years or so and Benjamin Bagby is that scop.

Benjamin Bagby recites Beowulf. Photo © Hillary Scott

In fact, Bagby, a native of the Great Lakes, can trace his family origins to a Germanic clan, which emigrated from Jutland to...