Hwaet is the first word of the Old English epic poem, Beowulf. It is a word that is frequently found at the beginning of Old English poems, and it was used to get the attention of audiences listening to an oral performance. While it has no precise equivalent in modern English and has been translated in many different ways, it seems to mean something like, "listen up!"
Description by Kathy Powell. Photograph by Chad Kainz.
