Translated by Constance B. Hieatt. With an Introduction by A. Kent Hieatt
Unique and beautiful, "Beowulf" brings to life a society of violence and honor, fierce warriors and bloody battles, deadly monsters and famous swords. Written by an unknown poet in about the eighth century, this masterpiece of Anglo-Saxton literature transforms legends, myth, history, and ancient songs into the richly colored tale of the hero Beowulf, the loathsome man-eater Grendel, his vengeful water-hag mother, and a treasure-hoarding dragon. The earliest surviving epic poem in any modern European language. "Beowulf" is a stirring portrait of a heroic world–somber, vast, and magnificent.