I've long suspected that the translation I read in high school was a product of the warehouse Bob Newhart imagined in which an infinite number of monkeys labored at their typewriters for eternity trying to write the works of Shakespeare. It made little sense, largely because, while the words had been translated, without context and background they might as well have been left in Old English. The obligatory recitation by the teacher of the first few lines in the original tongue, for all I know, was actually from the Newhart Translation. ("Hwaet! There once was a man of the Geats, who fancied a quest on the streets . . .")
Headley's translation brings this dusty old book to life and drags the reader into it like Grendel's mom wrestled Beowulf. This version has a strong pulse, as one would expect from a story as dark, dangerous, and full of dread that those who heard it recited at their local mead hall must have felt. The characters have a third dimension that was certainly missing from the the Newhart Translation I read. (In fact, that version was linear and had neither breadth not depth). The voices she gives to these worthies from the meres are brilliant and vigorous. The lessons the original tellers of the tale mean to convey come through clearly.
Having lost interest in being an English major after my initial encounter with Beowulf and the monkeys, I had no reference point to decide where this translation lies relative to the apparently many which preceded it. In her introduction, which is quite interesting in its own right, certain names kept coming up. One of them, Seamus Heaney appears to be considered one of, if not the best, translator to this point. So I read the two versions side by side. His translation is all the critics say it is--a great achievement to say no more. Her's is excellent, too, but I give her's the edge because she brings the story into language that people today, especially young ones reading the story for the first time. I like that she brings her inner Maenad to Heorot. The voice she gives the men has an edge that drunken guys, in my experience, don't normally get. Her Maenad voice makes them sound better than they probably actually did, and I believe it works.
I'm convinced that this translation is one that has arrived at good time. Stories like Beowulf, when they get told at all, have the Hollywood gore for the sake of gore (and ticket sales) and faithful telling be damned. The old myths and heroic tales of all cultures need to be part of our common heritage. So many of them tell similar stories and have common themes--things that we all learn to some extent. Seeing what we hold in common is vital to counteracting the rampant nationalism we experience more all the time. Ms Headley has done her bit to make people get in touch with something remote from our past and now accessible to other cultures. The fact that she brings a female voice to a story that is normally told by men about men is important. She is one of many women now taking on translation of classics like The Aeneid and the Iliad (e.g Madeline Miller's "Song of Achilles") and adding additional depth and texture to them and their characters. The story is palpably better told because of the unique and valid perspective she brings.
Before I sign off, if you haven't already run across her book "The Mere Wife," it, too is excellent. I read it first because Beowulf wasn't out yet. Read Beowulf first; The Mere Wife will be even more enjoyable if you do. I've started to reread it now that Beowulf is out, and my eyes have already opened to nuances I didn't pick up on during the first read.
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From the Publisher
Praise for Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley
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Christian Lemburg
Very readable, interesting new take on the topic
Reviewed in Germany on January 13, 2021