Beowulf in Do Better: SFF without Sexual Violence

Sep 25, 2009 Amy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classic-lit, classics

English teachers love poetry. In particular, they love Beowulf. Passed down through oral tradition, the author of this poem is unknown, and yet this tale of adventure has inspired readers, and listeners, for centuries. What is it all about?
Beowulf centers around 2 main parts and tells the story of a warrior. Beginning with the founding of the Danish royal line, we are introduced several generations later to King Hrothgar of Denmark. He is plagued by a huge demon and antagonist, Grendel. The bea English teachers love poetry. In particular, they love Beowulf. Passed down through oral tradition, the author of this poem is unknown, and yet this tale of adventure has inspired readers, and listeners, for centuries. What is it all about?
Beowulf centers around 2 main parts and tells the story of a warrior. Beginning with the founding of the Danish royal line, we are introduced several generations later to King Hrothgar of Denmark. He is plagued by a huge demon and antagonist, Grendel. The beast enters his halls every night, carries away his men, and devours the warriors who sleep there. No weapon can harm the creature, the kingdom is thrown into turmoil. Under these circumstances enters the protagonist, Beowulf, a famous warrior, “that noblest man.” He is the son of a warrior, the nephew of his king, Hygelac, and he offers to fight and kill Grendel. King Hrothgar gratefully agrees and after eating, Beowulf and his men fall asleep in the hall. During the night Grendel comes and Beowulf rises to fight him, a battle takes place where Beowulf rips off Grendel’s arm and is the victor. There is much rejoicing, gift giving, and feasting but that night Grendel’s mother comes to avenge her son. She kills the king’s favorite advisor and returns to her haunted lake where Beowulf pursues. An epic battle takes place underwater and he barely manages to defeat her by using a magical sword he finds. Chopping off her head, he brings it to the king as a trophy. Hrothgar warns him against pride in a brilliant oratory, saying, amongst other things, “Guard against that awful curse, and choose the better, eternal gains. Turn not to pride, O brave champion! Your fame lives now, in one strong time. Soon in their turn sickness or war will break your strength, or the grip of fire, overwhelming wave, or sword’s swing, or thrown spear, or hateful old age; the lights will darken that were your eyes. Death overcomes you all at once, warrior.” After receiving more gifts, Beowulf returns to his home amongst the Geats, a tribe located in southeastern Sweden. He gives all his gifts to his uncle, King Hygelac, and is rewarded with even more then he gave, including land and livestock. Several verses are given as he tells his uncle about the feuds of the Danish and his doubts about the peace settlement recently arranged.
So ends part one, also known as Beowulf’s youth. The poem picks up about fifty years later, Hygelac and his sons are dead and Beowulf had inherited the throne. His rule is peaceful until a robber disturbs a sleeping dragon guarding treasure. The dragon retaliates by flying through the land and burning houses. Beowulf goes out to fight the dragon with his men, but during the first charge is engulfed in flames, and his soldiers flee. One remains, his kinsman Wiglaf, who comes to his aid. The battle continues and eventually leads to the dragon’s demise, but Beowulf has received his death wound and after instructing Wiglaf, dies. He is cremated on a big pyre and buried by the sea.
The poem is un-rhyming and the longest surviving of its kind in Old English, composed of 3,182 lines. What makes the poem so beautiful is its beat, pairs of half-lines tied together. Howell D. Chickering, Jr. says about it in his Introduction to Beowulf: A Dual-Language Edition “The Old English term for the poet was sop ‘the maker,’ from the verb scieppan ‘to shape, to make.’ Apparently the poet’s shaping activity was not consciously regarded as invention or as due to inspiration. Old English poetry always described the bard’s activity as ‘to exchange words’ ‘to tie words together’ ‘to find one word bound truly to another’.”
Glory is a major theme of this poem, as is knighthood and pride in the gifts God gives. I really liked this poem. The echoes of time and translation give a tantalizing glimpse into a world so unlike our own, and yet so recognizable. It may seem like a lot to trudge through at first, but you will not regret giving it your time.
The beauty of a poem is not always easy to find. It is hidden, begging to be sought out. Beowulf is bold, but it too has its secret meanings. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
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Feb 09, 2021 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own-paper-copy, favorites, classic-lit, poetry

By now, you’ve surely heard of how Headley’s translation begins, calling out “Bro!” to the reader. It’s an audacious opening, when other translations have begun with “So,” or “Hark,” or “Lo,” but it sets the tone for the kind of epic tale that a drunk old storyteller might tell to his buddies at the bar, full of larger-than-life characters and incredible feats, sprinkled with “I sh*t you not” asides.

You might have heard how Headley uses modern slang, such as “swole” or “Hashtag: Blessed” in this By now, you’ve surely heard of how Headley’s translation begins, calling out “Bro!” to the reader. It’s an audacious opening, when other translations have begun with “So,” or “Hark,” or “Lo,” but it sets the tone for the kind of epic tale that a drunk old storyteller might tell to his buddies at the bar, full of larger-than-life characters and incredible feats, sprinkled with “I sh*t you not” asides.

You might have heard how Headley uses modern slang, such as “swole” or “Hashtag: Blessed” in this translation, but don’t think this is just some sort of eyeroll-worthy Millennial/Zoomer slang version. Headley glories in the nuances and cadence of language, choosing words both archaic and modern, and preserving original linguistic and poetic elements while also introducing modern turns of phrase and poetic sensibilities. This translation evokes courtly images of lords and their retainers, warriors and shining armor, and then cuts right through the old-fashioned sensibilities with a well-timed “He knew the score.” It is, in short, a brilliant interpretation that, in my opinion, preserves the spirit and meaning of the original epic more than a literal translation would for readers today.

It should also be noted that for all she plays with turns of phrase, Headley has put a lot of work into representing female characters fairly. It’s still a story set in a society in which women are bargaining chips to be given as brides for political gain, but she considered what was already there in the original text and its context. In her introduction, Headley points out that one of the words used to describe Grendel’s mother as a monster or demon is, in the original text, merely the feminine form of a word used in the same text to describe Beowulf as a hero, and that the masculine version of the word is used elsewhere in early English in contexts that mean something like “formidable.” Thus, Headley’s version of Grendel’s mother is not some fiendish monster, but rather a formidable old warrior woman, an interpretation that is perfectly reasonable given the original language in the text.

If you love what the musical Hamilton did for American history, then you’ll love this too. This version of Beowulf feels far more accessible and familiar than other versions, and Headley’s turns of phrase are simply a joy to read. I was grinning from ear to ear from start to finish. For all that the language may not be a perfectly literal translation, this isn’t some loose adaptation of the story; this translation was clearly a labor of love that tried to keep true to the characters, tone, and poetic sensibilities of the original work, while rendering it understandable to modern audiences. Of course, if you’re the type of reader who prefers a more literal, word-for-word translation or the modern slang in this version is a dealbreaker for you, then this isn’t the translation for you. ...more

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Jan 12, 2021 Sarah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-by-daylight-2021

If you're not a fan of Beowulf the poem (full disclosure that I am not, way too much meandering and masculine posturing) this won't exactly change your mind. I didn't really find it particularly feminist as advertised, aside from a few jabs at how many women in the poem go unnamed and gendering the dragon.

The modern language generally works well, though a few bits did stand out as kind of silly. Overall, it feels like a drunk guy clamouring to tells a story in a bar, which feels accurate to the ...more

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