Reviews with content warning for Murder - Beowulf

“Dude, this was what they call a blood feud, a war / that tore a hole through the hearts of the Danes. / Grendel was broken, and would not brook peace, / desist in dealing deaths, or die himself.”

Headley proves beyond debate that truly modern (American?) English, complete with its plethora of colloquialisms and slang, is a perfectly beautiful and apt vehicle for this traditional, epic story. I would go so far as to argue that her translation gives an additional level of magic and power to this poem that possibly even more appropriately captures the true energy and feeling of its content.

When I read Heaney’s translation first, I was appreciative of both the language and the content from an academic perspective, but Headley’s translation has turned this into a story as well as a piece of writing that has truly captivated my imagination and fascination. It felt like I was underlining some quote or another on every other page. She also returns to the story more of the feel of its true oral storytelling nature—I was better able to visualize the characters standing in the meadhall shouting and boasting and acting like real people.

What Headley was trying to accomplish with this translation was definitely risky—the result could have truly been a cringe-worthy disaster—but I think she was intentional enough to capture both the original essence of the poem and the style of modern language that makes her translation so revolutionary and impactful.

Essentially, if you’re fascinated by language, especially the uniquely developed word-hash that is the English language, I would definitely recommend checking this book out.

“My own experiences as a woman tell me it’s very possible to be mistaken for monstrous when one is only doing as men do: providing for and defending oneself… many human women have been, over the centuries, mistaken for supernatural creatures simply because they were alone and capable.” — from the Introduction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

TW // gore, murder, death

Further Reading—

Seamus Heaney’s translation (the bilingual edition & the Norton Critical edition)
J. R. R. Tolkien’s translation and commentaries
“Grendel and His Mother”, by Toni Morrison
The Mere Wife, by Maria Dahvana Headley (a Beowulf retelling)
The Boneless Mercies, by April Genevieve Tucholke (a retelling)

Content Warnings

More...