Lauren Ducommun

I signed up to teach a British Literature class at our local co-op this year. So I chose to focus on a variety of fairy tales and legends, one of which is Beowulf. (Which is a book my eldest needs to read as part of the AmblesideOnline curriculum).

While we read aloud this old Anglo-Saxon poem, I thought it would be helpful to use puppets to act out the scenes or use for narration. Yes, they’re teens, but still visuals are always so helpful!

So, with the help of my 12-year-old, we drew some of the major characters (and monsters) from Beowulf and put them together in a downloadable and printable PDF that is now available in our Etsy shop, Ducommun Library.

These are all hand-drawn characters & props. The PDF includes: Beowulf, King Hrothgar, Queen Wealtheow, Wiglaf, Hygelac, Unferth, Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, a Dragon, Heorot Warriors, Villagers, along with props such as Grendel’s arm, a golden cup, and three swords (Hrunting, Naegling, and a giant’s sword).

You can print and color the characters as you read, or cut them out and glue onto sticks to use as puppets. I recommend printing them on cardstock and laminating after coloring.