Literature was a big part of the Anglo-Saxon period, and a lot of the works followed similar themes. Many of the stories were prose works that reflected seafaring life, their pagan beliefs, and loneliness. The stories were passed around orally, then were later translated and written by monks. Poems were also a big part of the literature, and they were chanted and sung by gleemen. Heroic epics were popular, as were elegiac poems, which were usually laments. “Beowulf” is a great example of literature from this period because it is a heroic epic containing battles and adventure as well as a religious aspect. Another popular work from that time was the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which was a recording of the English history by Alfred the Great.