Widsith, Beowulf, Finnsburgh, Waldere, Deor

C K Scott Moncrieff's translation "Done Into Common English After the Old Manner"

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

First edition. Hardback, bound in the original red cloth with paper title label to spine. 22 × 14cm, xxvi + 127pp.

C K Scott Moncrieff's translation of Anglo-Saxon poetry, translated into modern English, including Widsith, a wandering poet of the Myrging tribe; Beowulf, the hero of the Geats, who comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall in Heorot has been under attack by a monster known as Grendel; the Finnsburgh fragment, which is the slim portion of an Old English heroic poem about a fight in which Hnæf and his 60 retainers are besieged at "Finn's fort" and attempt to hold off their attackers; Waldere in which Hildegyth motivates Waldere for an upcoming fight using the sword Mimming made by Weland; and Deor, a minstrel who recounts the sorrows of Weland.

This was C K Scott Moncrieff's second book of translation after The Song of Roland and before he started work on his translation of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past.

Condition

Good condition only. The book has spotted foxing throughout, at points quite heavy, but remaining in strong readable condition. There is a very slight bend to the boards, and the paper title label is chipped to the edges. The inner binding is secure.