I had no idea what to expect before I picked up Beowulf. I knew it was the oldest English epic in existence, but I was unaware that it was only translated into English in 1815 and was apparently damaged in a fire in 1731 and nearly lost. The story is about a character named 'Beowulf' and is set in Scandinavia. He belongs to the Geat-clan, which lived in modern day Sweden. Beowulf comes to the rescue of the King of the Danes, who is exasperated by the death of many in his kingdom by a giant named Grendel. Beowulf slays the giant as well as his mother who seeks retribution after Grendel's death. Fifty years apparently pass and Beowulf has become king of the Geats. They go after a treasure guarded by a dragon, who is slain... but Beowulf sustains an injury that kills him.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? I could not help thinking about 'The Hobbit' as I worked my way through this epic poem. Tolkien's world contained rings (reference frequently) as well as a large dragon named Smaug, who dwelled on a mountain of treasure. There is a thirteen member party, very similar to the party that goes on the hobbit adventure. The naming conventions are similar - there is one reference to a man named Eofur, which has a striking resemblance to the dwarven Bifur and Bofur. There is even a character named Guthlaf which looks a lot like Gandalf to me. Beowulf is buried on a large Tumulus (or barrow) upon his death, similar in nature to the barrow downs in The Hobbit where Bilbo is buried alive.
There is no question that Tolkien borrowed a few ideas from this work. This was just a theory of mine, until I found this on Wikipedia: "Tolkien also revealed how highly he regarded Beowulf: "Beowulf is among my most valued sources," and this influence may be seen throughout his Middle-earth legendarium.
Anyway, this work can be a tough slog at times. The chapters are thankfully short and preceding each one in my edition, there is a summary of what will happen. This is helpful since the text is an olde English translation. You eventually get used to the style and the rhyming convention almost flows, but it takes some time to get used to.
Since the work was not preserved in its entirety, there are pieces and chapters missing. In addition, there are historic stories with unknown characters thrown in the work which makes it fairly choppy and incongruent with the original story.
I would recommend it to hardcore Tolkien fans, as it gives you further insight into Middle Earth. I'd also recommend it to those who enjoy ancient tales from Scandinavia or the surrounding area and for those that love adventure and fantasy tales. It's not really something that most parents would read to their children, though perhaps it's possible to find a version that is translated into simpler verse.
Would love to hear what those in the book blogging community think of this one before my book club meeting in late May!
