Written between the 8th and 11th centuries, Beowulf remains one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature. This is ironic, considering the fact that the poem depicts the society of the Geats, in 5th to 7th century Scandinavia. The poem likely reached the shores of Britain courtesy of the Vikings, who began to raid England in the 8th century. Once in the hands of its British author, Christian morals became part of the original pagan tale. Taken together, the various elements depicted in Beowulf present a remarkable Scandinavian tale, depicted through a British optic.