Why do people believe that Beowulf is fiction?

[I_am_not_mafia]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf

It doesn't say anywhere that it is fiction. There is no "all persons fictitious" disclaimer at the beginning

How come no one ever raises the possibility that it actually recorded events that happened for real? After all, people believe far weirder accounts of the supernatural and paranormal.

We know that JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter as fiction but we don't know who wrote Beowulf so we don't know why they did it.

Beowulf is also far more plausible than the Bible or other holy books if you believe that they are not meant to be read as literal but contain metaphors. Many books and poems refer to dragons for example. Grendel has a mother so is more biologically plausible than a supernatural creature. We know that the culture depicted in Beowulf actually existed.

As far as I can tell the only reason wooists don't believe it actually happened is because unlike the Bible, someone hasn't told them this.

[Mister Agenda]

There are creationists who believe Beowulf is non-fiction and the hero fought dinosaurs.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Angelina Jolie's tail was real, that's a fact.

[I_am_not_mafia]

There are creationists who believe Beowulf is non-fiction and the hero fought dinosaurs.

Wow, I never knew that. Now that you mention that I can imagine young earth creationists looking through history and culture for anything to back up their beliefs in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

---

Angelina Jolie's tail was real, that's a fact.

What I noticed was how she could morph into any bodily form yet still chose to wear a pair of high heels to make herself look taller.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

There are creationists who believe Beowulf is non-fiction and the hero fought dinosaurs.

Wow, I never knew that. Now that you mention that I can imagine young earth creationists looking through history and culture for anything to back up their beliefs in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Those that can read, anyway. 

[Catholic_Lady]

I knew this was a Mathilda thread just from the title. I'm on mobile, so it doesn't say who the threads author is unless you click on the thread lol.

[Anomalocaris]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf

It doesn't say anywhere that it is fiction. There is no "all persons fictitious" disclaimer at the beginning

How come no one ever raises the possibility that it actually recorded events that happened for real? After all, people believe far weirder accounts of the supernatural and paranormal.

We know that JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter as fiction but we don't know who wrote Beowulf so we don't know why they did it.

Beowulf is also far more plausible than the Bible or other holy books if you believe that they are not meant to be read as literal but contain metaphors. Many books and poems refer to dragons for example. Grendel has a mother so is more biologically plausible than a supernatural creature. We know that the culture depicted in Beowulf actually existed.

As far as I can tell the only reason wooists don't believe it actually happened is because unlike the Bible, someone hasn't told them this.

Because people who are stupid and ignorant enough to think Bible is non-fiction tend not to have had the education or cosmopolitan curiosity to have read Beowulf?

[Mister Agenda]

There are Sea Serpents and a Dragon, and Grendel was one of those bipedal dinos with disproportionately small arms (easier to pull off if you're wrestling one). If Bobby Jindal had his way, this would be taught in Louisiana public schools.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

How can you not get this?  Beowulf is fiction because Jesus didn't write it. C'mon.

Boru

[Gawdzilla Sama]

How can you not get this?  Beowulf is fiction because Jesus didn't write it. C'mon.

Boru

You mean "God didn't write it and pass it along to Jesus to give to us in a non-oral format so that there wouldn't be any danger of miscommunication of the literal Word of God."  Right?