Beowulf (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

By Barnes & Noble Classics

Beowulf is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:

• New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars
• Biographies of the authors
• Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events
• Footnotes and endnotes
• Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work
• Comments by other famous authors
• Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations
• Bibliographies for further reading
• Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate

All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.

Widely regarded as the first true masterpiece of English literature, Beowulf describes the thrilling adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century. Its lyric intensity and imaginative vitality are unparalleled, and the poem has greatly influenced many important modern novelists and poets, most notably J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings.

Part history and part mythology, Beowulf opens in the court of the Danish king where a horrible demon named Grendel devours men in their sleep every night. The hero Beowulf arrives and kills the monster, but joy turns to horror when Grendel’s mother attacks the hall to avenge the death of her son. Ultimately triumphant, Beowulf becomes king himself and rules peacefully for fifty years until, one dark day, a foe more powerful than any he has yet faced is aroused—an ancient dragon guarding a horde of treasure. Once again, Beowulf must summon all his strength and courage to face the beast, but this time victory exacts a terrible price.

New translation by John McNamara. Features an original map and genealogy chart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble Classics
• Release date: Jun 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781411431836

Book preview

Table of Contents

From the Pages of Beowulf

Title Page

Copyright Page

The Unknown Author of Beowulf

The World of Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxons

Introduction

Acknowledgements

A Note on the Translation

Prologue

-I-

—II—

—III—

—IV—

—V—

—VI—

—VII—

—VIII—

—IX—

-X-

—XI—

—XII—

—XIII—

—XIV—

—XV—

—XVI—

—XVII—

- XVIII—

—XIX—

- XX -

—XXI—

—XXII—

—XXIII—

- XXIV—

—XXV—

—XXVI—

—XXVII—

- XXVIII—

- XXIX—XXX—

- XXXI—

—XXXII—

—XXXIII—

—XXXIV—

—XXXV—

—XXXVI—

—XXXVII—

—XXXVIII—

—XXXIX—

—XL—

—XLI—

—XLII—

—XLIII—

Endnotes

Inspired by Beowulf

Comments & Questions

For Further Reading

From the Pages of Beowulf

Hail! We have heard tales sung of the Spear-Danes,

the glory of their war-kings in days gone by,

how princely nobles performed heroes’ deeds!

(PAGE 3, LINES 1-3)

"They knew the power of my strength—

for they had watched when from battles I came,

stained with blood of foes: once I bound five,

destroyed the kin of giants; and in the sea slew

water-monsters at night while in dire distress;

won vengeance for Weders, ground down hateful foes—

those asked for woe. And now with Grendel,

that horrid demon, I shall hold alone

a meeting with the monster."

(PAGES 16-17, LINES 418-426)

Then from the moors that were thick with mist,

Grendel emerged, wrapped in the anger of God.

(PAGE 26, LINES 710-711)

There is no easy way,

to flee from one’s fate—try as one may—

but every soul-bearer, every child of men,

each dweller on earth, is destined to seek

his appointed place, compelled by necessity,

with his body held fast in its bed of death,

to sleep after feasting.

(PAGE 35, LINES 1002-1008)

"Have joy of this neck-ring, beloved Beowulf,

with good fortune in youth, and use well this mail-shirt

from our people’s treasures, and savor prosperity,

win fame through your skill, and give my sons here

your friendly counsel. I shall remember to give you reward.

For what you did here, men will forever

sing songs of praise, both near and far-off,

even as far as the sea flows round the headlands,

the home of the winds. Be ever blessed while you live,

a noble lord."

(PAGE 42, LINES 1216-1225)

"Do not grieve, wise warrior! It is better for each man

that he avenge his friend than to mourn him much."

(PAGE 47, LINES 1384-1385)

Do not foster pride,

glorious warrior!

(PAGE 59, LINES 1760-1761)

Then the monster began to spew forth flames,

burning bright dwellings; light from fires shot up,

while the men watched in horror.

(PAGE 77, LINES 2312-2314)

"In the time I was given,

I lived in my own land, ruling my people well,

never turning to treachery, or swearing to oaths

contrary to right. In all this I take comfort and joy

when now I am stricken with death-dealing wounds."

(PAGE 90, LINES 2736-2740)

They sang of his valor, and his deeds of great strength,

with all their power praising the hero—as it is fitting

for a man with his words to praise his friendly lord,

share the love from his heart, when the lord must go,

passing beyond the bounds of his body.

(PAGES 104-105, LINES 3173-3177)

001002

Published by Barnes & Noble Books

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Though its author and precise date of composition is unknown—

scholars have argued it was written as early as 650 A.D.—the only

existing manuscript copy of Beowulf dates to 1000.

Published in 2005 by Barnes & Noble Classics with new Translation,

Introduction, Notes, Biography, Chronology, Map: The World of Beowulf,

Note on the Translation, Genealogies, Inspired By, Comments & Questions,

and For Further Reading.

Introduction, A Note on the Translation, Appendix: Genealogies,

The World of Beowulf, Notes, and For Further Reading

Copyright @ 2005 by John McNamara.

Note on the Unknown Author of Beowulf, The World of Beowulf and

the Anglo-Saxons, Map: The World of Beowulf,

Inspired by Beowulf, and Comments & Questions,

Copyright © 2005 by Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Translation of Beowulf by John McNamara

Copyright © 2005 by Barnes & Noble, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy,

recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the

prior written permission of the publisher.

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colophon are trademarks of Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Beowulf

ISBN-10: 1-59308-266-5

ISBN-13: 978-1-59308-266-6

eISBN : 978-1-411-43183-6

LC Control Number 2005926181

Produced and published in conjunction with:

Fine Creative Media, Inc.

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Michael J. Fine, President and Publisher

Printed in the United States of America

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FIRST PRINTING

The Unknown Author of Beowulf

Around the year 1000, scribes set down a narrative poem about the Scandinavian hero Beowulf. In the alliterative, unrhymed, four-beat meter of Old English poetry, the epic depicts Beowulf’s encounters with the marauding monster Grendel and Grendel’s mother, and the hero’s final battle against a fearful dragon.

It is generally believed that the Beowulf manuscript was composed in Anglo-Saxon England using Old English, which was spoken from the early 400s to around 1100. The identity of the poet remains unknown, and what is surmised about the author is historical, genealogical, and linguistic conjecture. The poem was composed following the conversion of England to Christianity, and Beowulf’s author and the creators of the manuscript were undoubtedly Christian, but the poem is an amalgam of Christian and pagan values. Significantly, Beowulf is among the first vernacular poems in English literature.

Bound up with several other works, Beowulf lay dormant in an unknown monastery until 1563, when, after the dissolution of the English monasteries, it emerged into history just long enough for Lawrence Nowell, dean of Litchfield, to inscribe his name on its pages. The manuscript found its way into the library of Sir Robert Cotton (1571-1631), an antiquarian and member of Parliament whose manuscripts, including Beowulf, became part of the British Library. In 1731 a fire left the pages of the manuscript singed and powdery. Grímur Jónsson Thorkelin (1752-1829), an Icelandic linguist and archivist working at the University of Copenhagen, made the first transcriptions of the poem. Napoléon’s bombardment of the Danish capital in 1807 destroyed Thorkelin’s house and the manuscript, but the scholar published the first printed edition of Beowulf in 1815.

In the twentieth century, J. R. R. Tolkien (best known for his The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is based on Beowulf) and other scholarly researchers firmly established the historical and literary importance of the epic. Whether approached as a work of great literature or a rousing tale, Beowulf continues to fascinate first-time readers and scholars alike.

The World of Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxons

Introduction

Beowulf is generally regarded as the first true masterpiece in English literature, but generations of readers have also found the epic to be so filled with complexities that its qualities are not always easy to define. The work provides us with a unique representation of the distant world of the early Middle Ages in Northern Europe, and yet in its very complexity it disrupts our commonplace simplifications of that culture and its historical period. We know that the poem was composed in Anglo-Saxon England using Old English, which was spoken from the early 400s to around 1100 (when, after the Norman Conquest of 1066, the language changed to Middle English). We also know that the only manuscript in which Beowulf survives can be dated from around the year 1000, having endured the effects of time and even of fire, and its present resting place is the British Library.

Even so, we do not know when the poem was composed, and scholars differ so widely on this point that some would date it in the early 700s, while others would place it in the 900s, or possibly even slightly later. This debate is not a matter of interest only to antiquarians, since the time to which we assign the composition of Beowulf, at least in its present form, will affect how we interpret key features of the poem. Moreover, while composed in Old English, this earliest literary masterpiece in our language is set in Scandinavia, and virtually all of the characters are Scandinavian. Why this should be so is still a mystery, especially given the often troubled relations between Anglo-Saxons and Scandinavian Vikings during this period.

Other mysteries likewise abound. We do not know who composed the poem in the form in which it exists in the manuscript. Scholars have generally taken it for granted that the poet was a man, but recent archeological research has unearthed evidence of women serving as scribes in monastic houses. Thus, it is at least possible that a woman could have been involved at some stage of the production of the manuscript. We do know that the poet was working with materials that were, at least in certain notable cases, inherited from a store of traditions. Thus, in addition to the main plot, there are several subplots embedded in the narrative that were drawn from these traditions. As a consequence, many scholars in the nineteenth century believed that Beowulf was composed of many separate traditional lays, or sung narratives, but scholars are now generally convinced that a single poet created the poem as we know it, though it was written down by two different scribes. Especially since J. R. R. Tolkien’s famous "Beowulf. The Monsters and the Critics" was published in 1936 (see For Further Reading), most scholars have stressed the unity of the poem, including its unity of authorship, and have sought to discover the keys to its artistic construction. Even so, there are still fundamental questions about the kind of unity one may find, both in terms of theme and in terms of structure—and even more fundamental questions about the kind of unity one would require in order to judge the

Reviews for Beowulf (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

[bookslesstravelled · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great epic fantasy tale.

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An awakening for me, this book has opened up the classic and made it very accessible. My purist literature professor friend refers to it as an abomination since she can read it in its original. I, on the other hand, am most appreciative of this new translation and am loving it...[[in progress]]

[seriousgrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Everyone raves about Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf and I have to wonder, is it just the translation or could the accompanying gorgeous illustrations and photography have something to do with it? Everyone knows the story of Beowulf the mighty warrior from an English lit class. As a poem, it is the courageous story of a man who learns of a King's annual nightmare. A monster named Grendel destroys fifteen knights a year without fail and has been doing so for the past twelve years. Beowulf, upon hearing this sad tale, takes it upon himself to vanquish Grendel only to face Grendel's vengeful mother. Yeah, he kills her, too. Then there's the fire-breathing dragon (think Bilbo Baggins) who tragically wins over Beowulf. In truth, I had forgotten the graphic violence of men being mauled by the monster Grendel. The clash is pretty dramatic. It would make a great movie. Wait. Knowing my knowledge of movies...it probably is.

[yarb_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heaney is a poet I admire and enjoy in small doses rather than inhale, but his Beowulf is unputdownable. His feel for the texture, tenor and tempo of the Anglo Saxon is just spot-on, and reading this I noticed the correspondences with his own poetry, like that weighty, measured pacing, and the way his images unfold gradually. As a bonus he throws in a handful of Ulster dialect words like "bawn" (castle/fort/hall) and "graith" (gear, equipment) which feel totally apt and give a sense of the original's otherness. Overall the impression is of a great poet in his element.As for Beowulf itself, it's a simple tale, isn't it? Boy meets monster, boy grapples monster, boy meet's monster's mom... I'd forgotten that Grendel, along with all trolls and their ilk, is asserted by the poet to be the offspring of Cain. I'd also forgotten all about the climactic battle with the dragon, which is described much more clearly than are Grendel or his mother, and conforms (unsurprisingly given the intermediation of Tolkien) near-identically with the traditional fantasy image of the fire-breathing, treasure-hoarding, poison-breathing, winged serpent.

[books9n9pickles · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After reading The Mere Wife, of course I had to go back and read Beowulf! I originally read most of it in high school, though I'm pretty sure we left out the digressions. I can still remember the way Ms. Philbin said "Grendel's mother!" and I actually still have her drawing of Grendel in my scrapbook of things-that-used-to-hang-on-my-walls.

It was interesting to have the old English and the modern side by side, as I was occasionally able to pick out words that seemed almost identical to what they are today, or spot similarities. I was annoyed, however, by Heaney's decision to use some of his family's old Celtic words in the text--wasn't the whole point of the translation to make this epic accessible to a modern audience?

Anyway, I couldn't flag passages because this was a library book, so no quote roundup this time. Though I do remember that the phrase "bone-house" was used several times to, it seemed to me, refer to the body, or at least the rib cage. I absolutely love the imagery, so it stuck!

And now back to The Mere Wife for my second reading!

[sunyidean · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stunning, subversive, and beautiful. I loved Heaney's version of Beowulf but this was truly lovely and wild, with all the piss taking braggadaxious rollicking humor and bittersweet angry tragedy of the original. In an academic sense this is a brilliant translation. And in a literary sense it's an enormously enjoyable read.

I would LOVE to see this done as a play or performance. I can envision it so easily in my head. Definitely going to read The Mere Wife.

[tobinelliott · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The last of my four "classic" tales (the others being The Iliad, The Odyssey, and The Aenead).

I think I enjoyed this one more than The Aenead, simply because it was more to the point, however despite the brevity of this story overall, it still seemed to ramble.

Oh, and Beowulf takes on a dragon? Who knew? Not I!

Once again, I find myself "knowing" the story of Beowulf, until I go through the narrative and—in this case—realize I knew the first half only. The parts where Beowulf kicks Grendel's ass, then Grendel's mother's ass. I thought that was where it ended, to be quite honest.

(Sidenote: after having read this, does anyone else have a hankering for Weird Al Yankovic to take on Fountain's of Wayne's Stacy's Mom song and change it to a parody called Grendel's Mom? End of sidenote.)

After the big, glorious battles of The Iliad and The Odyssey, I found, what should have been the most epic of battles here somewhat...truncated? Short? Underwhelming?

So, overall, while I'm very glad I know the full story now, and I'm glad I went through this epic poem, I was hoping for a bit more.

[dandelionroots · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was aight, ancient, anonymous verse.

[terence_johnson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thoroughly enjoyed this modern translation, was fun hearing the characters speak in today's language.

[liscarey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beowulf is a classic that comes down to us from Anglo-Saxon times, written in what we now call Old English, and so, except for scholars of Old English, today we read it only in translation.This is a wonderful translation that's fun, exciting, thoroughly enjoyable.I'm going to assume that, as Beowulf is more than a thousand years old, and is a popular choice for teachers to assign to high school students who will never even thing of studying Old English, spoilers are not really an issue.The basic story, of course, is that a Danish king has built a great mead hall, Heorot, where he and his thanes feast, drink, and generally party every night--until Grendel, a never really described "monster," being greatly annoyed by the noise, starts visiting nightly to kill, carry off, and eat men from the court. The Danes are unable to kill him, and this, obviously, puts quite a damper on the partying. Word spreads, and Beowulf, a young warrior of the Geats, comes to Heorot with the plan of fighting and killing Grendel. He succeeds in this, and everyone is delighted, until, the following night, Grendel's grieving, angry, warrior mother shows up, seeking vengeance for the death of her son. Grendel's mother, never named, is an even tougher opponent, and Beowulf has to fight her in her undersea lair.Tolkien said that the use of archaic language in translations of Beowulf is essential because the language used in the original would have been archaic to the listeners of the time. This isn't a universal opinion, but it certainly expresses something about how most translations of it are written. This is one of the things that makes it a challenging read for high school students, and not necessarily a beloved or even interesting one. Yet some of those translations have also been popular and beloved, also.It's important to understand than no translation is simply a matter of correctly translating the words on the page. Direct, exact translation can lose much of the meaning, even much of the basic sense, because different languages and cultures don't just have different things to say. They also tend to say "the same thing" in different, often very different ways. Then add in the effects of differing grammars and sentence structure, and it becomes clear that translation is always an act of artistic interpretation as well as translation of the words.What Maria Dahvana Headley has done is translate and interpret Beowulf not as a Great Work of Literature, but as a work that is meant to be performed in a loud mead hall, or bar, or drunken party, a work that needs to grab the attention of people who weren't waiting quietly for the performer to begin.The first word, in Old English "Hwaet," customarily used in Old English to demand the attention of the audience, becomes "Bro." This epic poem is about young men who have to prove themselves as warriors to be able to establish themselves as adult men. That's not the story; it's the cultural background that poet and audience took completely for granted. Headley doesn't turn the entire poem in to modern dudebro slang, not by any means, not even really very much of it--but that dudebro slang and attitude is lightly salted throughout, to give it for modern ears the tone and attitude the original audiences would have been hearing. This is a loud, engaging poem with a lot of male swagger, because that's what the original was for its original audience. It was not serious, sober, Serious Literature. It was popular entertainment.What makes it great literature is that, more than a thousand years later, it still has an audience that cares about it and enjoys it--even if that audience tends not to be high school students reading it only because it's been assigned and they'll be tested on it.Another thing Headley has done is salt in a few references to some of our more modern myths, stories, and bits of culture--not explicitly naming them, but references modern readers or listeners will likely enjoy even if they don't consciously register them. I'm personally sure that similar references were present in the original, and we don't recognize them, because Beowulf is the only significant piece of Old English literature we have. We don't have access to the literary culture it would have been embedded in in its day.The result is an epic poem that conveys the story and the culture of the day, while making it recognizable and accessible to the modern reader or listener--and, I think, in the process captures the fun and excitement, and something of the atmosphere in which it was intended to be heard.Highly recommended.I bought this book.

[zoes_human · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

By far and away, my favorite translation of this ancient tale. It's told in a rollicking beer-hall manner suited to the battle and bravado contained within its verses. Modern slang is combines with more traditional translation techniques to make the story sound to our ears as a tale told in tavern over a pint or seven. Absolutely glorious. I highly recommend reading it aloud and throwing yourself into the role.

[comfypants · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A warrior fights monsters.2.5/4 (Okay).For a short work about hunting and fighting three different monsters, everyone sure spends a lot of time giving speeches and exchanging gifts.

[wickenden-285487 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very fun telling.

[sara_cat-107388 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was my first introduction to the story of Beowulf. There were a lot of characters and it seemed there were many ways of referring to certain characters. So, there were times I wasn't 100% sure how the characters were connected to each other and what precisely was happening.That being said, I loved the language and style of writing. Headley beautifully intertwined modern slang into this old story, making it feel fully accessible to modern readers without feeling like the original story was simply thrown out.While I think on subsequent reads (because I do plan to reread this) I may raise my rating on this book, for now I'm going to give it 3.5 stars because there was a decent bit I had a hard time following and on a single read it's hard to judge if that's because it's a story that really needs readers to sit with it and spend time with it, or because there are areas which Headley could have improved clarity.

[octoberdad · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent translation. Easy to read, and some exquisite word choices that give a satisfying pop and rattle while reading it (if one reads portions of it aloud, as I did).

[amanda4242_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This review is for Maria Dahvana Headley's translation.Publicity materials and professional reviews of Maria Dahvana Headley's new translation of Beowulf have been using words like "radical" and "recontextualize" to describe her work, and making much of her use of modern slang. So great has been the effort to cast Headley's version as entirely different that I've been left wondering if it's so divergent that it shouldn't even be combined with other translations. Imagine my surprise when I read it and discovered it's actually a pretty standard translation.Published reviews I've seen have chosen to quote passages showing Headley's incorporation of modern slang into the ancient poem, but this gives a false impression of most of the text. These lines spoken by Wealhtheow are much more representative of the translation:"Accept this cup from me, my lord of rings, and lift this golden goblet. Give the Geats their due. Be good to them who've been good to you. Gifts are for granting, and your hands should be open, your heart happy, even as you remember--I know you do--the good men who gave kith-gifts to you."That's definitely modern English, and it isn't deliberately archaic or full of poetic flourishes like some translations, but it's not earth-shatteringly radical either. Headley does use modern slang in places, but she also drops in old-fashioned terms just as often; readers are as likely to come across a "swan-road" and "warp and weft" as they are a "bling" or "hashtag." Oddly, this sparing use of slang actually works less well than more liberal use would have; the effect here is like a poser trying to sound cool by slipping in words they don't really understand.The most radical thing about Headley's translation is her clear sympathy for the monsters. Her word choices emphasize Grendel's alienation and his mother's grief-fueled rage at the death of her son. This interpretation isn't unsupported by the text; it's just a different take from most other translations, and it certainly makes for thrilling action scenes. I must say I don't share Headley's enthusiasm for Grendel's mother: I find it hard to stir up much sympathy for someone who goes on a murder spree to avenge a son who was killed while breaking in next door so he could eat the neighbors.To sum up:Do I believe this version meets the LT standard for combining with other translations? Yes.Would I recommend this version to someone looking for an epic poem with some good action in it? Maybe.Would I recommend this version to someone looking for a good translation of Beowulf, the 1,000+ year old poem? No.

[sweetkokoro-61371 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After coming to the realization, (while looking for a completely different book at the library) I had never actually read the whole story of Beowulf and had only read what little is gone over when I was in high School.So now after having read the whole Epic Poem, I can admit I had no idea, or at least do not remember the dragon part. I only ever knew of the battles Beowulf had with Grendel and Grendel’s Mother, which I didn’t realize where so short. The longest carried out battle was the dragon, yet I find it absolutely fascinating that when Beowulf is mentioned people only think of, know of, or mention Grendel. Very few mention his Mother and from what I have experienced never the dragon. It’s so fascinating to me that such a short fight is the most memorable piece of this story.My mood severely fluctuated while reading this, one moment I was super interested the next I was bored out of my mind. The flow of each line was really had to follow, at times it felt like I understood the pacing then next thing I knew it sounded weird to me, as if the flow just broke. And I I know a lot of that is due to the era this was written in and possibly the many many attempts at translating it from a damaged script.It has its moments were it feels like it just talks about nothing but it’s suppose to be important but they just feel like they were added at the wrong time.Also for the longest time I use to believe that the talk about the religious aspects were just mere interpretations, but no this actually has a ton of religious mentions in it, funny how high school ignored that part.I don’t think it’s horrible nor do I think it’s the best piece of literature I have ever read. Read it if your interested, if not that’s cool too.

[drbrand-271246 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Past and present, God’s will prevails.Hence, understanding is always bestand a prudent mind Whoever remainsfor long here in this earthly lifewill enjoy and endure more than enough.While I haven’t read another translation to compare it to, Heaney’s Beowulf instantly strikes me as perfect. The story bristles with authority and magic. A litany of delightful compound words (favorites include: word-hoard, cloud-murk, terror-monger, hell-serf, wound-slurry, and tarn-hag) supplement an already epic narrative of monster slaying and dragon fighting. Though obviously reminiscent of Homer’s epics, I found Beowulf even more primordial, recalling instead another ancient anonymous tale: the Epic of Gilgamesh.

[modioperandi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally getting around to writing about this reread ahead of the forthcoming 'radical new translation' by Maria Dahvana Headley. After having reread and slogged through the classic Seamus translation I am looking forward to what Headley brings to translation. It is the oldest epic of Anglo-Saxons, Beowulf is an epic poem written by an unknown author. It was written in the 8th century, and its language is old English and translated into modern English by Seamus Heaney. This poem, consisting of 3182 strings, is about the miracles of the folk hero Beowulf. Despite being the epicenter of the Anglo-Saxon, the scene is Scandinavia, even in the palace of the Danish king Hrothgar.Epic heroes originated in the Greek Archaic period and became the most popular among heroes, their wars and achievements have been legendary for generations. Beowulf is also an epic hero. A distinctive feature of epic heroes is that they stand out not only with their physical strength, but also with their intelligence and practicality. There is a system in epic epics, the character is introduced, the character's purpose of being there is indicated - which is usually the need to fight a bad guy - and then the character begins to slowly strengthen. This calm ascension is revealed by some conflict or minor warfare, in general, its purpose is to prepare the reader for the big war and show how strong - if not physically - the character is actually.When the peak is reached - when it is peaked - the character is at the strongest level he can be, he is about to defeat the main evil hero of the saga, and the character feels "worthy" with the honor he gives. Since the bad character is dead, there is not much left to do, it is a fall from the peak. Our hero is loved and counted by the people; Vows are dedicated to him, monuments are erected. He lives a happy life, albeit short; Remember, epic heroes do not live long after performing their mission. It does not make much sense for them to live after realizing their only purpose in their lives. And our hero dies; he definitely dies. To introduce the authenticity of Beowulf. Beowulf is an epic epic; yes, but the system I mentioned above does not exist in Beowulf. The epic begins with Grendel, whereas Grendel is the main villain, and his defeat must occur at the "peak" point of our epic hero, right? No not necessarily. Beowulf has a braid that allows us to rewrite what we know about epic epics, and it starts from the top and slowly descends. This is the most important feature that distinguishes Beowulf from others, this distinguishing mark being its unusual scheme / format. The epic is written in such a way that the deaths that will be described in 100-200 words in normal novels are said and passed in 2 strings in this epic. It's all equal to the author, the death of Grendel, the death of Grendel's mother, even the death of Beowulf. And so the story is quickly told. I did enjoy the Seamus translation but the promise of a radical new translation is enticing and I look forward to reading it with this classic reread now so recently behind me.

[bobbybslax · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Seamus Heaney does a good job of modernizing the old text. The story itself is often exciting and visceral, but the characters don't hold much interest.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I find it easier to listen to than read. That is how these stories were shared originally.

[scottjpearson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Like many, I have not touched this work since my class on British Literature in high school. I have learned a lot since then, and my capacity for processing great literature has only increased. This book, perhaps the first great work in the English language (Old English, that is), has remained the same. Today, I read it in one afternoon and loved every minute of it. Raffel’s translation brings out the drama of the tale while maintaining the simple, Old-English style.The setting portrays a far different world than modern life. We are taken back to the world of kingdoms – of a mythical people known as the Geats. These ancients, presumably living sometime in the early middle ages, approach life in fear of the unknown, symbolized by monsters. They are motivated by riches and social standing. They are governed by kings. Indeed, according to the storyteller, good kings take care of their people, and good soldiers act in courage. (Some things never change.)The plot is simple enough. An ancient knight ends up preserving civilized kingdoms from attacks by three great monsters. He is rewarded with riches, fame, and power. Interestingly, the country of England was not once mentioned in the telling; The Danes, the Fracks, and the Swedes, however, are. The protagonist Beowulf ends up becoming a king and dying nobly.This lively tale helps readers get in touch with an earlier culture yet preserves an element of humanity that should not be forgotten. Indeed, this poem portrays human nature in an elegant and noble light. No matter our era or station, we all want to be celebrated, and we all want to be known as courageous. In this tale, perhaps unlike most of medieval and modern life, good overcomes evil. In showing the effects of Christianity, reverence towards the Deity is displayed. We do not yet have the nuance of Reformation theology nor of Shakespeare’s (or even Chaucer’s) England.This story helped me get in touch with my inner boy who likes adventure. If Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn does that for American youth, perhaps Beowulf does that in the English (or even European) setting. The afterword makes this book sound utterly foreign to contemporary life. I did not find that to be the case. Perhaps the afterword should have been written by someone who has once been a young male child. Reading it as an adult decades after high school, I can easily see why it achieved the status of a classic. I can only hope my poetry reflects a tinge of the liveliness of this anonymous tale.

[scottcholstad · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Yes, a classic, I know. And not bad. But not my favorite, nor one of the best, I think. Still, recommended.

[treehorse-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Burton Raffel translation"

[joe73-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Incredible, Epic. I would love to have a time machine and go back to the first time this was told in a mead hall with the outer dark and cold winds pushing on the back of the speaker.

[eldang-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This translation is wonderful. I had tried reading a different translation in school, before this was published, and couldn't get through it. Heaney was very open about not being too slavishly literal in his translation and the result is something that's very readable, tautly paced and full of evocative turns of phrase.

The actual story recounted is much less interesting than its telling. It's about the most macho character in a very macho world, who takes on other peoples' battles to prove himself, and where everything is valued in strength and/or gold. I found myself sympathising more with the second "monster" (a bereaved mother out to avenge her son) than the "hero". And the narrator seems very confused about whether the characters being described were Christians or not - they're explicitly described as pagans but then they keep referencing a distinctly monotheist God as if that was the only way the narrator knew to render humility. But it's still an interesting window into a period of history we don't exactly have copious written records from.

Unusually for an Important Work Of Literature, the introduction is really worth reading, I suppose because Heaney wrote it himself. I read it after the poem, which I think was the right way round.

[setnahkt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my third version of Beowulf; the others are by Seamus Heaney and Burton Raffel. Beowulf is often claimed to be the first English poetry, but the language and poetic style are different enough that it might as well be in Greek. Well, some of the emotion comes through in translation – just like some of The Illiad comes through. I liked reading this and it’s pretty glorious, but I’m certainly not enough of a Old English scholar to be able to tell if it’s any more faithful than other versions.

[sloopjonb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had this book on my shelves for 20 years before reading it. I really shouldn't have left it that long. Heaney's translation brings the old poem to life, blowing off the cobwebs of nearly two hundred years of it being studied rather than read. His translation was contentious, especially with Angl0-Saxon purists, but I have no complaints to make; he manages to make the old words meaningful, and evokes marvellously the atmosphere of a society that was long gone even when the poem was written.Of course one cannot discuss Beowulf without mentioning Tolkien; as Heaney acknowledges, he was the first to treat the poem as literature rather than merely an ancient artefact. Every Tolkien fan should read this; they will understand him much better, and they will find therein the originals of many scenes and phrases in his works.

[eoin-311239 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So, Heaney wins the Nobel, leaves Harvard, and decides to do this. Best seller, agreed new standard, best translation. Why? He’s not an Old English scholar, not a philologist as such. He was already rich and famous.

I have two guesses:
1. He had already written so much of his own work, he was looking into new sources, translation being a good one. Fine, probably true.
2. Revenge. England conquered Ireland, crushing out the native culture and language as best they could for hundreds of years. Early 20th century, Ireland attempts to reclaim language and culture, including political independence. Except where Heaney is from in the North. So, how do you conquer the conqueror hundreds of years later? You take their language and use it against them. Like Joyce, but instead of moving further ahead, he goes back to the beginning. Translates the oldest English there is into 20th century Irish dialect English.

[willszal-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

On my first listen, I feel like I got 5% of what's there out of it. I'm definitely going to need to revisit with a different translation.It's bizarre hearing the numerous motifs and names, many of which I'm so familiar with due to reading fantasy. In a way, it feels cliche, although, of course, Beowulf helped to invent these motifs—not the other way around.