
Beowulf
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Narrated by:
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Charlton Griffin
About this listen
This medieval masterpiece, written in pre-Norman England Saxon, lay forgotten for centuries, rediscovered & printed for the first time early in the 19th century. It has been translated many times since, and the more people read Beowulf, the more they admire it. For good reason. In strikingly beautiful lines, it affirms the ideal of tenderness joined to strength, and of courage ennobled by virtue. It speaks resounding tones of valor, faith, and honor. It¿s a heroic tale of pagan Germanic origin, a saga of a vanishing age retold in the new light of the Christian era. Its author, most likely an educated monk from Northumbria, was certainly influenced by the work of Virgil. The old pagan legends of blood feuds & monsters formed the dark background against which the Christian hero Beowulf would shine forth with deeds of courage & virtue. Of all old Anglo-Saxon poems, Beowulf is the greatest.
This version of Beowulf is organized in 17 parts. Within some sections, there are digressions which do not, strictly speaking, belong to the central plot. These sections, called "lays", have been enhanced by an echo to help the listener detect them. An introduction by Henry Bradley precedes the poem.
To supplement the full text, listen to the SparkNotes Guide for Beowulf.(P)2005 Audio ConnoisseurListeners also enjoyed...
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By: Jessie Weston
Good reading, but translation just a bit stilted
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Yee Olde Beowulf
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There are some very nice lines in this one that keep the alliterative element in the line as well as the natural pause within each line, though it is difficult to do consistently. Basically originally it is a 4 beat line with a natural caesura/pause in the middle and the 3rd beat determines the alliteration that matches the 2 stressed syllables from the 1st half of the line & sometimes matches all 4. "places Made ready / for Much traveled Men."
see also my other B reviews. on to Heaney's
good version of B
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story ok, narration great
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beowulf!
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Magnificent reading!
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A strange tale told in a strange way
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Beowulf
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I’m glad there was an explanation of the disorder of stories and add ins, it wouldn’t have made much sense to me otherwise. It was a very beautiful story. I really enjoy the language they used at the time. I’m very interested in various mythologies and history, Norse being a big one and Beowulf was a big deal. The movie was nothing like this story so I’m glad I decided to check it out.
All hail Charleton Griffin!
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How does he do it?!
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