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A second printing of the revised edition, published in 1950 with further revision from the first revised edition of 1940. The book was originally published in 1911. ***This revised edition is notable in having a 35pp section of Prefatory Remarks on the translation by J. R. R. Tolkien. ***Very good in orange-red cloth-covered boards, with black titles to the spine and front board. The titles are still very clear. The boards are quite clean but have some wear and marks commensurate with age and handling. Head and tail of spine slightly creased, with some rubbing along the edges mainly at the top of the spine. Corners slightly softened but not creased. No bumps or tears to the fragile cloth. Page block edges lightly foxed. No reading lean to the binding. Spine tight. Internally also very good, with neat contemporary ownership details - 'M. H. Venables Pembroke College, Oxford 8. viii. 52' - to the top corner of the front free endpaper. There is also a small 'B. H. Blackwell Ltd.' bookseller's label affixed to the bottom of the front pastedown and some old bookseller's marks in pencil also on the front pastedown. None of the usual offsetting to the front and rear endpapers - just some light foxing. The internal pages are very clean indeed, and unusually have no annotations. No dustwrapper. ***194 pages including an extensive section of Notes on Beowulf at the back of the book. 187mm x 125mm. ***'"Beowulf" Old English: Bēowulf [ˈbeːowuɫf]) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The date of composition is a matter of contention among scholars; the only certain dating is for the manuscript, which was produced between 975 and 1025 AD. Scholars call the anonymous author the "Beowulf poet". The story is set in pagan 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 Heorot has been under attack by the monster Grendel for twelve years. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel's mother takes revenge and is in turn defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland 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 barrow on a headland in his memory.' (Wiki) ***'The "Finnesburg Fragment" (also "Finnsburh Fragment") is a 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. The surviving text is tantalisingly brief and allusive, but comparison with other references in Old English poetry, notably "Beowulf" (c. 1000 AD), suggests that it deals with a conflict between Danes and Frisians in Migration-Age Frisia (400 to 800 AD).' (Wiki) ***A post-war reprinting of the 1940 revised edition of this literary study of the Old English manuscripts "Beowulf" and "The Finnesburg Fragment" - with the extremely detailed prefatory notes on the translation by J. R. R. Tolkien. Early editions of this work are seldom found now. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc.