Anonymous

Beowulf by Anonymous (AD 700-1000)

Beowulf is probably the most well-known and most complete of medieval Anglo-Saxon epic poetry. From an unknown author, Beowulf is written in Old English verse, and at only 3200 lines long in the original is quite short. Despite its length, there’s a lot going on: A Swedish hero journeys to another land, slays monsters and is rewarded by a grateful and generous king. He then sails home, fights in wars, becomes king himself, fights a dragon, dies.

The character Beowulf is the traditional hero-type—strong, intelligent, clever, good-looking, high-born, and the best warrior around. He is so great, his very existence keeps his people from being invaded because the invaders don’t want to fight him. This type of hero is a staple in classical literature, from The Iliad to The Epic of Gilgamesh to The Nibelungenlied to here. These were the perfect men, models to aspire to and admire. For narrative purposes though, this can be a negative, creating a boring story that lacks true conflict. Where’s the tension and excitement when a fight involves the perfect man? It’s like trying to fight Superman who’s immune to kryptonite. With such a protagonist, Beowulf threatens to rob the battles of any drama. To counter this, drama and tension are built up through description and set-up. Ample space is given to introducing the villains, the havoc they cause, and how regular humans react to them. Before Beowulf even picks up a sword, the reader understands their terror and desperation, and why Superman is needed. We have a reason now to root for the hero.

If written today, Beowulf would be classified as fantasy. It has all the elements. This world is full of demons and monsters inhabiting haunted and cursed lands. Primordial creatures roam bogs and coastlines at night, hunting down and eating knights. Warriors are armed with great, legendary weapons, some forged by dwarves and magical beings. There are quests. A great hall hosts a grand medieval banquet where songs are sung full of legend and lore. There’s even a cave of ancient treasure guarded by a dragon. All the tropes are here.

For a long time, Beowulf was dismissed by cultural influencers as ridiculous, irrelevant twaddle. In the mid-twentieth century, however, it was finally reconsidered. This renaissance could be credited, almost single-handedly, to the father of modern fantasy, J. R. R. Tolkien. Tolkien wrote an essay that reexamined the poem, its language, structure, style, and form, reintroducing Beowulf to the world and arguing for its importance. Since then, its worth has been unquestioned.

I liked Beowulf. I think it holds up against the other “great” epics and would recommend it to anyone. It’s engaging and thrilling, and a quick read. The translation I used, published by Penguin Classics, was in prose (written as a novel rather than a poem). It’s a fine edition that includes plenty of end notes, a necessary list of characters, and short, scholarly essays placing the story in its cultural and historical context. However, it’s not how Beowulf was meant to be read. It’s a poem with verse, meter and cadence. It’s a work of art. Personally, I feel I missed out on something…

BUT…

The Penguin translation or one like it is fine if you’re just looking to read a very good story. There’s nothing wrong with that. Reading shouldn’t always have to be work. It’s okay to want to shut off your brain and enjoy something just because.