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Publications on the studies of Beowulf:
Chambers, R.W. Beowulf: An Introduction to the Study of the Poem
with a Discussion of the Stories of Offa and Finn. 3rd edition.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1959.
This book provides a comprehensive answer to the many questions
brought up by the epic poem. Included in its pages are a genealogical
table, tracing the Danish, Swedish, and Geat Royal families, a
recollection of the important historical facts, documentation
of the Beowulf saga, and theories about the origin of the poem.
In addition to providing the large volume of information about
the text, the author includes many other sources of insight into
the Beowulf legacy (other works, recent and past).
Chase, Colin, ed. The Dating of Beowulf. Toronto: University
of Toronto Press, 1981.
This book is a compilation of studies done from 1979 to 1981 to
determine the date when Beowulf was composed. The studies used
many different methods to determine its origins, from grammar
and sentence construction to comparing the text to historical
knowledge. The collected essays present many opinions, but they
do not make any conclusions.
Huppé, Bernard F. The Hero in the Earthly City. Binghamton,
NY: State University of New York at Binghamton, 1971
The aim of this reading of Beowulf is to present a coherent view
of the theme and structure of the poem. For the reader with little
or no acquaintance with Beowulf, this book presents the epic not
as a primitive work of art, but treats it with the depth it deserves.
Includes a translation.
Irving, Edward B. Jr., Rereading Beowulf. Philadelphia:
U. of Pennsylvania Press, 1989.
This book is an excellent source for a contemporary literary analysis
of Beowulf. The book covers: a nonoral approach to analyzing Heorot,
an oral mode of characterization of all the characters and Kings,
the typical methods of narrative construction, and a whole chapter
devoted to studying the Hall as a unifying factor in Beowulf.
Other contributers to the book are Katherine O'Brien O'Keeffe,
John Porter, Phyllis Rackin, and Paul Beekman Taylor.
Kendall, Calvin B. Voyage to the Other World: The Legacy
of Sutton Hoo. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1992.
This book of essays was written for the fiftieth anniversary of
the discovery of Sutton Hoo, the richest early medieval burial
found in the British Isles. The discovery was used immediately
to support the traditional dating of the poem Beowulf, which some
believe to be composed in the late seventh or early eighth century.
The chapters of the book go on to examine links between Sutton
Hoo and Beowulf, the impact of Sutton Hoo on the study of Anglo-Saxon
history, and includes maps and illustrations of archeological
finds in northern Europe.
Kiernan, Kevin. Beowulf and the Beowulf Manuscript. New
Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1981.
Kiernan's book focuses on the Beowulf manuscript itself and presents
an argument for recovering its historical context. It also considers
the dialects and language of the poem. The first page of the book
has an excellent reproduction of a leaf of the original manuscript.
Lawrence, William W. Beowulf And Epic Traditions. New York:
Hafner Publishing Company, 1961.
Lawrence concentrates on the text's position in the history and
culture of the time the story takes place in and the period of
the author, with emphasis on social and political background.
Niles, John D. Beowulf : the poem and its tradition. Cambridge,
Mass. : Harvard University Press, 1983.
A good overview of the main issues in Beowulf criticism, with
a focus on approaches to the poem that foreground the oral traditions
of Old English poetry.
Overing, Gilian R. Language, Sign, and Gender in Beowulf.
Southern Illinois University Press: Carbondale and Edwardsville;
1990.
In an overall study of the language of Beowulf, Overing shows
the textual effects and affects of the manuscript. The author
also does a close study of semiosis in Beowulf, through which
she analyzes the signs and symbols in the story. She concludes
with a study of gender and its interpretation in Beowulf.
Robinson, Fred C. Beowulf and the Appositive Style. Knoxville,
Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press, 1985
This book examines apposition as well as poetic compounds, amphibolies,
and certain other narrative devices as keys to style and structure
of Beowulf. The book consists of three separate lectures on 1)
Appostive style and the theme of Beowulf, 2) Apposed word meanings
and religious perspectives, and 3) Grammatical apposition and
some Beowulfian themes.
Stanley, Eric. In the Foreground: Beowulf. Cambridge and
Rochester, NY : D.S. Brewer, 1994.
This book describes "what is said of Beowulf" and "what
is known of Beowulf." In part one, Stanley describes Beowulf
in literary history, in the second the uncertainties of the date
and transmission of the poem. He also covers some metrical considerations,
poetic diction, and ornamentation, as well as prayers, praise,
and thanksgiving in Old English verse.
Whitelock, Dorothy. The Audience of Beowulf. Oxford: Clarendon
Press, 1951.
The three lectures contained in this book are not an exhustive
study of Beowulf. Whitelock's approach focuses on the audience
because it is far removed from us in time. Therefore, to get a
full understanding of the epic, Whitelock attemps to figure out
the contribution of the audience. In so doing, contemporary audiences
are able to decipher much of the allusions, reminders, and suggestions
that exist throughout the poem.
Williams, David. Cain and Beowulf: A Study in Secular Allegory.
Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1982.
Cain and Beowulf explores the Cain tradition and the early Christian
perception of Cain as the "seed of Satan". The book
examines how this idea of Cain is used in Beowulf to characterize
the evils of monster and man. The book also discusses the social
context of the poem, concluding that it was written during a period
where pagan institutions were being transformed into Christian
ones, incorporating the ideals of Christian justice, brotherhood,
and universal kinship.
