Stories & Soliloquies

Stories & Soliloquies
  • About my Soliloquies
  • Metaphysics, Myth, & Magic
  • My Poetry & Fiction
  • Philosopher Fridays
  • The Philosopher’s Lexicon
  • Tag: anglo-saxon

    • Mini-Syllabus: Introduction to Beowulf and Anglo-Saxon

      Posted at 12:45 pm by Michelle Joelle, on September 29, 2015

      IMG_1561

      Although I am still working my way through my last syllabus, I’m excited that my book club is reading Beowulf this fall. I’ve decided to make the most of this chance to talk about Beowulf with a wonderful group of intelligent readers by setting myself a larger project. I’d love to get a better sense of the language and the context from which Beowulf, and though I won’t get to this project for some time, I couldn’t resist sharing it here.

      First, there is the story itself.

      1. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (Bilingual Edition), by Seamus Heaney.

      Heaney’s translation is widely considered the best, most exciting new translation, and as such is a great starting point. I also love any translation with the original text on the left-hand side.

      2. Beowulf, a Translation and Commentary, by J. R. R. Tolkien

      Of course, with Tolkien’s new translation out for public viewing, the time is ripe for a side-by-side comparison. I’m can’t wait to see what Tolkien does differently. This new edition also includes Tolkien’s notes and commentary, making it an invaluable resource.

      3. The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays, by J. R. R. Tolkien

      This collection of Tolkien’s essays includes Tolkien’s lecture on Beowulf to the British Academy in 1936, as well as an essay on translation. If you cannot bring yourself to buy multiple translations of the same text and already have an older copy of Beowulf you like, these essays seem like a great way to get Tolkien’s take.

      Next, I’ll want some historical and literary context.

      4. The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction, by John Blair

      I love turning to this series when I’m new to a topic. While I often look back at introductions to topics with which I’m now more acquainted with some disagreement, you really can’t beat this series for showing you the breadth of whatever field it covers.

      5. BBC 4’s In Our Time on Beowulf, with Melvyn Bragg

      This radio program, offered free online, offers a level of engagement similar to the Very Short Introduction series, but comes with an added bonus: scholars who disagree with each other.

      6. The Anglo-Saxon World: An Anthology, translated by Kevin Crossley-Holland

      This is a wonderful collection of Anglo-Saxon literature, and it includes commentary on different types of stories to go along with the curated collections. Beowulf is included, but I’m someone who thinks you can’t really have too many different translations of the same text.

      7. The Cambridge Introduction to Anglo-Saxon Literature by Hugh Magennis

      After the collection above, you may want a more thorough look at the literary norms and authors of the time, and this appears from its table of contents to be a more or less definitive survey. There’s only one review on Amazon, but I find you can trust Cambridge U. Press to provide general knowledge and excellent citations.

      Finally, in my fantasy world, I’ll attempt to learn some Anglo-Saxon and read Beowulf in its original form.

      8. Anglo-Saxon Primer with Grammar, Notes, and Glossary; Eighth Edition Revised, by Henry Sweet

      This is a free primer that has the advantage of the instant digital download, but the downside of being a bit archaic in structure. If you’re used to modern language learning tools, this will feel a bit stilted.

      9. Beowulf: A Student Edition, edited by George Jack

      This is an edition of the text with a glossary at the side, and seems like a great way to dive into reading the untranslated text without going too far out on a limb.

      And there you have it – my dream syllabus on Beowulf. I’ll be digging into a comparison of the Heaney and Tolkien translations this Fall, but the rest will have to wait a bit. If you have any other essential texts to recommend, don’t hesitate to leave a suggestion in the comments.

      Happy reading.

      Posted in Series | 13 Comments | Tagged anglo-saxon, beowulf, seamus heaney, syllabus, tolkien
    • Looking for Something?

    • Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

      Join 422 other followers

    • Follow on Bloglovin
    • Popular Posts & Pages

      • The Writers Roast
      • About my Soliloquies
      • A Bit of Winter Hygge
      • Of Physical Laws and Fictional Characters
      • For Ever, and Ever, and Ever
      • Why the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is a Good Thing
      • The Philosopher's Lexicon: Apophatic Theology
      • The Blacksmith's Apprentice: a Poem
      • 30 Days of Painting, Day 1: Floral Vine and Lace Doodles
      • 30 Days of Painting, Day 28: Sunset Colors
    • Tags

      academia acrylic acrylics aquinas arendt art Augustine awards beach books C.S. Lewis christmas definitions dictionary editing ephemerality epistemology favorite words feynman Fiction film food god harry potter history husserl hygge illustration kindle language learning lexicon libraries links list literary time consciousness literature logic longreads magic medieval Metaphysics music myth my work NaNoWriMo nature painting pensieve philosopher fridays philosophy photography Plato poetry reading reason reblog religion Rousseau science snow spring stories storytelling syllabus temporality theology time tolkien trees vikings vocabulary water colors words writing
    • The Archives

    • top blog sites
      top blog sites

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy