Beowulf and the CriticsThe most important essay in the history of Beowulf scholarship, J.R.R. Tolkien's "Beowulf: the monsters and the critics" has been much studied and discussed. But scholars of both Beowulf and Tolkien have to this point been unaware that Tolkien's essay was a redaction of a much longer and more substantial work, Beowulf and the critics, which Tolkien wrote in the 1930s and probably delivered as a series of Oxford lectures. This critical edition of Beowulf and the critics presents both unpublished versions of Tolkien's lecture, each substantially different from the other and from the final, published essay. The edition included a description of the manuscript, complete textual and explanatory notes, and a detailed critical introduction that explains the place of Tolkien's Anglo-Saxon scholarship both in the history of Beowulf scholarship and in literary history. |
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Page 56
... Gold Galdre Bewunden . When the moon was new and the sun young of silver and gold the gods sung ; in the green grass they silver spilled , the white waters they with gold filled . Ere the pit was dug or Hell yawned , ere dwarf was bred ...
... Gold Galdre Bewunden . When the moon was new and the sun young of silver and gold the gods sung ; in the green grass they silver spilled , the white waters they with gold filled . Ere the pit was dug or Hell yawned , ere dwarf was bred ...
Page 113
... gold in my rock cave In a country of stones : old deplorable dragon , watching my hoard . In winter night the gold Freezes through toughest scales my cold belly . The jagged crowns and twisted cruel rings , Knobbly and icy are old ...
... gold in my rock cave In a country of stones : old deplorable dragon , watching my hoard . In winter night the gold Freezes through toughest scales my cold belly . The jagged crowns and twisted cruel rings , Knobbly and icy are old ...
Page 203
... gold . He heard not the horns in the mountain pass , he smelt not the blood on the trodden grass , but his halls were burned , his kingdom lost ; in a cold pit his bones were tossed . J. R. R. Tolkien , “ Iumonna Gold Galdre Bewunden ...
... gold . He heard not the horns in the mountain pass , he smelt not the blood on the trodden grass , but his halls were burned , his kingdom lost ; in a cold pit his bones were tossed . J. R. R. Tolkien , “ Iumonna Gold Galdre Bewunden ...
Contents
Seeds Soil and Northern | 1 |
Beowulf The Critics A | 31 |
Beowulf The Critics B | 79 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
Ælfric allegory allusions ancient Anglo Anglo-Saxon battle Beowulf Cain century Chambers Christian Christopher Tolkien criticism Danes dark death deeds dragon Earle edition England English Literature epic fate Fight at Finnsburg Folio folk-tale Footnote Text Frisian Geats Germanic Godes gods gold Grendel Guthlac heathen hell Heorot hero Heroic Age historical document Hroðgar Hrothgar Hygelac Icelandic Ingeld inserted J. R. R. Tolkien Jusserand King Klaeber language later Latin leaf left margin extends legend literary London Lord main text manuscript medieval metod monsters mythology Northern Old English Old Norse original Oxford pagan passage Paulinus Paulinus of Nola pencil line poet poetic poetry praise quotation reference Saga Saxon says sceal scholars Scyldings Shippey square bracket story tale Teutonic theme things Thorkelin top margin tradition trans translation University Press verse verso Virgil Völuspá W. P. Ker Widsith words written wyrd þæt