Beowulf

Date: 975 - 1025

Language: West Saxon

Page Number: 435

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem of alliterative lines. The date of the original is debatable but the general consensus is 975 to 1025. The manuscript has no title page or author to claim the work, therefore the title is the name of the main protagonist Beowulf and the author is known as “beowulf poet.”

Brief story line: “The story is set in Scandinavia in the 6th century. Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, 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. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel's mother attacks the hall and is then also defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland (Götaland in modern Sweden) and becomes king of the Geats. Fifty years later, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is mortally wounded in the battle. After his death, his attendants cremate his body and erect a tower on a headland in his memory.”

The poem survives in a single-copy in the manuscript known as the Nowell Codex. In 1731, the manuscript was damaged by a fire that swept through Ashburnham House in London that had a collection of medieval manuscripts assembled by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton; the margins were charred, and a number of readings were lost.

Reproduction Details:

Our reproduction uses the original images and faithfully reprints them onto thick matte paper to resemble the original. The original was severely damaged in the 1731 fire so each page is mounted onto a stabilizing page for preservation. We print the facsimile as the condition is today, with the stabilizing pages.

This facsimile measures 11.25 inches tall by 8.75 inches wide. Our hardcover books are made with 2oz genuine cowhide upholstery leather from a small farm located in the United States. The pages are printed on 67lb cover acid free paper (business card thickness). We use a 4 color digital offset press. Each book is handsewn by our trained bookbinders using a library binding method. This method will ensure a strong, sturdy, and lasting book for generations to come.

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Patrick Broughton