Beowulf in Around the World in 80 Books

Aug 18, 2021 superawesomekt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, western-canon, in-translation

"For twelve snow-seasons, Grendel reigned over evening.
Hrothgar suffered, Heorot buffeted, no hero to hold it.
Every outsider talked shit, telling of legends and losses.
Hrothgar’s hall became a morgue, dark marks on floorboards.
No songs, no scops, no searing meat, no blazing fire.
And Grendel, incomplete, raided relentlessly.
Dude, this was what they call a blood feud, a war
that tore a hole through the hearts of the Danes.
Grendel was broken, and would not brook peace,
desist "For twelve snow-seasons, Grendel reigned over evening.
Hrothgar suffered, Heorot buffeted, no hero to hold it.
Every outsider talked shit, telling of legends and losses.
Hrothgar’s hall became a morgue, dark marks on floorboards.
No songs, no scops, no searing meat, no blazing fire.
And Grendel, incomplete, raided relentlessly.
Dude, this was what they call a blood feud, a war
that tore a hole through the hearts of the Danes.
Grendel was broken, and would not brook peace,
desist in dealing deaths, or die himself.
He had no use for stealth—he came near-nightly,
and never negotiated."

When I first heard about this translation last year I was skeptical because it was marketed as a Feminist translation. Don't get me wrong, that wasn't a mark against it, but I am just skeptical of the book marketing machine—certain topics and themes are part of the current zeitgeist and I've noticed I just have to sift more carefully. Anyway, when I saw it was available for download from my library I decided to check it out.

The introduction was fabulous! The translator explains her approach, the context, what she chose to focus on in her translation (alliteration, "compound" words, inner rhyme, and a more modern approach to the text vs. the more courtly Elizabethan style we are used to with Shakespeare and the KJV of the Bible.) And, actually, it is not incorrect to refer to this as a feminist translation (though I do think that is oversimplifying her method) because there is a focus on using more feminine words and metaphors (though not obtrusively so, in my opinion), and there is a peeling back of misogynistic imagery and implications from centuries of translation and supplementation. There is also an at-times ironic element to the machismo of the hero's tale. I didn't think any of these choices were too heavy handed or a distraction—I thought they made it fresh and interesting.

So, if you are an educator, pay attention! I would think that passages from this and Seamus Haney's modern, more traditional translation would be *amazing* in the classroom. If you read Beowulf in high school or college and wouldn't mind a refresh, may I recommend this new translation? I read so many passages aloud to my husband—it really is a clever take!

Note: there is a lot of profanity, so this would probably only be suitable for high school + ...more

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