Why do we think a monk was the poet who wrote Beowulf down?

There's a misconception that we think a monk wrote down Beowulf. While it's true that the only surviving manuscript of Beowulf is written in a late 10th or early 11th century hand, likely by a monk, that doesn't mean the poet who created the epic was also a monk. Here's why:

* Beowulf's content: The poem deals with themes of heroism, warrior culture, and pagan mythology, which doesn't align with the typical concerns of monastic life in the later Anglo-Saxon period.

* Beowulf's language: The poem exhibits linguistic features that are closer to the Old English spoken in the 8th century, suggesting a much earlier date of composition.

* Oral tradition: Beowulf likely developed through oral storytelling for generations before being written down. This means the original creator could have been a bard, a scop, or someone else entirely.

Here's what we know about Beowulf's origins:

* Date: Beowulf was likely composed in the 8th century, with the earliest surviving manuscript dating to the late 10th or early 11th century.

* Author: The author is unknown. It's highly probable that Beowulf was composed by a single poet but could have been compiled from a variety of oral sources.

* Origin: The poem is set in Scandinavia, but its origins are uncertain. Some scholars believe it was composed in England, while others believe it was brought to England from Scandinavia.

The monk who copied the manuscript was likely a scribe who preserved this vital piece of Anglo-Saxon literature. It's crucial to distinguish between the scribe and the poet who originally created the epic.