As Gwydion so rightly stated, you may assume the importance of the Anglo-Saxon Epic Beowulf to J.R.R. Tolkien by his seminal Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lecture for 1936 (at the British Academy) Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics. read more
Tolkien’s representation of events in Rohan were calculated to match these events in Beowulf. There are many indicators of this in the novel. The name of Théoden’s hall is taken from the Old English language and translates as “mead hall”. Also, the names of many of the Rohirrim are inspired by Old English. read more
Swords were often the weapons of choice in Beowulf, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings. | Source Armor and Enchanted Weapons The armor and weapons described in Tolkien’s works are very similar to those described in Beowulf. read more