Beowulf

[KEV67]

I am progressing with this. It is written in Old English on one side of the page, modern English on the other. It was translated by John Porter and it is a fairly literal translation.  My step-mother gave me a translation by Seamus Heaney once, but I never read it. I suppose the translation was a little more free. I think the story is jolly good. There is quite a lot of preamble. Beowulf does not just turn up and start fighting monsters. There are lots of pleasantries and formalities.  You can't just turn up and fight monsters without a by-your-leave, particularly if you turn up in a boat full of armed men.

Edited February 23, 2024 by KEV67

[lunababymoonchild]

I read the Seamus Heaney translation and loved it.

[KEV67]

I am about half way through. Beowulf has killed the Grendel by ripping off his arm. Beowulf must have been pretty strong, because I image the Grendel being as strong as a grizzly bear. I expect Jeff Capes would have had a problem ripping a grizzly bear's arm off. 

[KEV67]

I thought I was half way through in May, but I am not yet half way through in July. I read the same page each day until I understand it. When I understand a page without having to refer to the translation I start a new page the next day. They're after Grendal's mum now. Was Grendal's mum tougher than Grendal? I dare say my mum is not as tough as me, but maybe it is different with primeval monsters.

[KEV67]

Beowulf just chopped through Grendal's mum's neck with a giant sword he found in her lair. I can see the influence in J.R.R. Tolkein's books. Magic swords and mail, precious jewels, giants, monsters, dragons, trolls. In Beowulf the word 'faege' (I think) meaning fey. In The Silmarillion heroes and villains were usually fell or fey or both.

[KEV67]

I am still reading this. I have got to the bit with the dragon. It reminds me a lot of Smaug from The Hobbit. Someone steals a gold cup from the dragon's hoard, and the dragon goes nuts.

[Hayley]

On 2/27/2025 at 5:00 PM, KEV67 said:

I am still reading this. I have got to the bit with the dragon. It reminds me a lot of Smaug from The Hobbit. Someone steals a gold cup from the dragon's hoard, and the dragon goes nuts.

Maybe it did inspire Smaug! Tolkien did spend a long time translating Beowulf . (I agree that ‘feage’ would be fey as well - interesting how in old stories the idea of ‘fey’ was so much broader than what we think of as fairies now!)

[Madeleine]

Yes fairies have been cutified haven't they. I think Tolkien took a lot of inspiration from the Nordic tales.