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The text of this edition of "Beowulf" is based on the highly regarded Donaldson prose translation of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem. Accurate and literally faithful, the Donaldson translation conveys the full meaning and spirit of the original. "Backgrounds and Contexts" provides readers with the historical, linguistic, and literary settings of "Beowulf", including Robert C. Hughes on the origins of the Old English language, E. Talbot Donaldson's presentation of the major features of Old English poetry, new material on "Beowulf's" tribes and genealogies, three maps, and a facsimile illustration of the manuscript. "Criticism" collects seven new and wide-ranging interpretations of "Beowulf" by Fred C. Robinson, Roberta Frank, John D. Niles, Michael Lapidge, Joyce Hill, Helen Bennett, and Nicholas Howe. A Glossary of Proper Names and a Selected Bibliography are included.
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A NORTON
CRITICAL
EDITION
BEO W U LF A PROSE TRANSLATION
BACKGRO U ND S AN D C O N T E X T S CRITICISM SECOND EDITION
Translated by
E d ited by
E. TALBO T D O N ALD SO N
N ICH O LAS HOWE
LATE O F INDIANA UNIVERSITY
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
W • W • N O RTO N & COM PANY . N ew York • London
Copyright © 2002, 1975 by W. W. Norton & Company,-Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. T h e text of this book is composed in Electra with the display set in Bernhard Modern. Composition by Publishing Synthesis Ltd., New York. Book design by Antonina Krass. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Beowulf. English. Beowulf : a prose translation : contexts, criticism / translated by E. Talbot Donaldson ; edited by Nicholas Howe. - 2nd ed. p.
cm. —(A Norton critical edition)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-393-97406-5 (pbk.) 1. Epic poetry, English (Old)—History and criticism. 2. Epic poetry, English (Old)-M odernized versions. 3. Scandinavia—In literature. 4. Monsters in literature. 5. Dragons in literature. 6. Scandinavia-Poetry 7. Heroes in literature. 8. MonstersPoetry. 9. Dragons—Poetry. 10. Heroes—Poetry. 11. Beowulf. 1. Donaldson, E. Talbot (Ethelbert Talbot), 1 9 10-
II. Howe