[Evisse the Blue]

I'm sorry, I don't think I understand:

Beowulf cannot be properly appreciated in reference to the 'canon' of established Greek epic tradition.

Beowulf is not to Greek mythology what LOTR fanfic is to LOTR. The characters in Beowulf are original characters, from an Anglo-saxon background, totally different from the gods and heroes of Ancient Greece.

Fanfiction, slash or otherwise, cannot be properly appreciated in reference to the 'canon' of the Lord of the Rings.

Yet you see how I might have a certain difficulty in judging it as an artistic whole in itself, and not think along the lines of 'Aragorn would never do that. It's part of the essence of the character." There's that little problem of the characters already being very familiar to me and the fact that I know them to act in a certain way, which gets in the way of the story being appreciated for what it is, with no reference to canon.