Tolkien and Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics

Tolkien bucked a lot of trends in his day, and that extended even to his professional work. His influence is perhaps strongest with regard to the Old English poem Beowulf, and in this video I discuss some of his ideas as presented in a lecture (now available as an essay) titled "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics." You can find a copy of the essay here: www.amazon.com/Monsters-Criti...
You can also get Tolkien's own translation of the poem here: www.amazon.com/Beowulf-Transl...
Also, a quick note on the video--I recorded it as usual but for some reason the clips came out truncated and so there's a bit missing at the transitions. Nothing critical left out, luckily, and hopefully I won't have this problem again!

[@magnasupreme]

I did my senior English paper on Beowulf and aragorn

[@kamilziemian995]

What interesting things you find out?

[@kamilziemian995]

Nice introduction to the Tolkien's essay. After watching it, everyone should find copy of "The Monsters and the Critics" and read it.

[@ace9924]

I just finished beowulf and I gotta say its one of my favorite books of all time. I wanna read tolkien's translation.

[@denniscnolascoii2109]

Now this is a proper analysis, especially from Tolkien’s POV. I’ll have to check out his essay.

[@rushachowdhury8236]

This was really informative. I'm supposed to write an assignment on Beowulf and I think Tolkien's take is really very interesting in the fact that it translates the monsters into reality. I'm yet to read the essay myself. I think in the dragon's episode, the real evil is the corrupt humanity itself because it's really a human being that angers the dragon by stealing its treasure. It's like inviting trouble into your house or something. And that way, I think the dragon is really not the monster but like a creature of the wild which is comfortable and at home in its element and humans just go and decide to step on its tail. That's my reading of that episode. Thanks so much for making this video.

[@kamilziemian995]

Outside clear connection between "Beowulf” and "The Hobbit”, burglar stealing chalice from dragon, them of greed is omnipresence in "The Hobbit". On the last two pages we hear about man who died on the desert with gold he stolen.

[@kamilziemian995]

I don't read "Beowulf" by in this lecutres I heard, that in the beging of poem we find that court is attacked by Grendel, by in the future it will be destroyed by feud by the ruler of this court with another chief. So basicly, monsters are dengerous, but fight between humans is much worse. In there is much in the support of your look at dragon's episode. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWHRip1pYpigaas

[@aberfitchbabe711]

I started reading his essay and how you pointed out that his writing style is dry his the nail on the head. I will finish reading it but I thought hearing an oral interpretation of it will help me understand more clearly when I read now. You did a good job, thank you!

[@sugarcrazy29]

Great video. Respect.

[@MTB214]

In high school English class, we read Beowulf. Thanks for your discussion on it. I’m subscribing. Courage and valor in what looks hopeless is so,etching I’ve seen in LOTR too. I’m almost finished reading LOTR, which has some similarities to Beowulf, Christianity, medieval times and Norse mythology, from what I’m seeing from it.

[@QHarefield]

Thank you! Very interesting. It beats me how you manage to talk so knowledgeably, from the top of your head, whether on Beowulf or LotR or whatever. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@TolkienLorePodcast]

It’s rarely off the top of my head lol. I usually at least have notes to work from.

[@QHarefield]

@@TolkienLorePodcast Well, you hide it well (= you certainly fooled me!).

[@Autumnea]

Nice video.Just a small thing I would like to mention, at the beginning, Grendel keeps attacking the hall for 12 winters, and those 12 winters are somehow symbolizing the term "forever". So, these being said, Beowulf comes to the Danish people after Grendel terrorized them for a long while. When you mention this in the beginning of the video, you made it sound as if it was a fast swift of events, Grendel attacking and Beowulf coming to help Hrothgar. I find the time spam remarks really important. Just my opinion tho. Keep the nice work ^^

[@TolkienLorePodcast]

An unfortunate side effect of trying to be concise lol.

[@joejoelesh1197]

What are your thoughts on the CGI movie with hot Grendel's mom and the dragon being of Beowulfs own making?

[@tominiowa2513]

Ultimate dumbed down version: 😉 See Beowulf. See Dragon. See Beowulf and Dragon fight. See Beowulf and Dragon die.

[@moshecallen]

I'd add that the dragon makes Beowulf's victory over the Grendel and its mother only temporary. Yet the grendel and its mother are in many ways more fearsome than the dragon.

[@emrahgorgulu1237]

I think the Danish king is Hrothgar, not Hygelac. The latter is the Swedish or Geatish? king.

[@TolkienLorePodcast]

Yeah I think that’s right. I probably just switched the two in my head lol.

[@KendiKendimeHikayeler]

A Turkish person watching this kind of videos. Nice.

[@kavanpuranik98]

As someone who has never read beowulf, should I read Tolkein's Beowulf?

[@TolkienLorePodcast]

Do you like alliterative poetry?

[@kavanpuranik98]

@@TolkienLorePodcast I don't know. Like how is it different from the other translations?

[@TolkienLorePodcast]

The alliterative verse I imagine is common to all translations-it’s just the style used at that time by those peoples. It’s the same style in Gawain and the Green Knight. You need to understand how it works to really enjoy it. Tolkien also uses it in the Lay of the Children of Hurin and The Fall of Arthur if you’ve read those. The Beowulf poem overall is very much not a modern way of telling a story and it gets really verbose but if you can get into the poetic style it’s good stuff, and paired with his essay “The Monsters and the Critics” it’s very educational.

[@kavanpuranik98]

@@TolkienLorePodcast Oh wow! Thanks! I don't mind if it's more verbose. Also, you're telling me this feels more authentic? Also, this style I must get used to ... will it make no sense to me if I'm not aware of it?

[@TolkienLorePodcast]

It makes sense, it’s just not rhyming couplets or some other poetic form you’re more likely familiar with. It’s based on around having stressed syllables begin with the same consonantal sound, which is why in Gawain his name is occasionally spelled Wawain to match with other stressed W sounds. Once you get the feel for it it’s actually quite fun because it sometimes gets a really good momentum you just kind of fall into. Best read aloud. ;)

[@JOONBUGFILMS]

I think we need a good adaptation of Beowulf on the big screen better than that really crappy one we got like 10 years ago Joe Manganiello as Beowulf?....anyone

[@kamilziemian995]

Also, this adaptation put a lot more christian themes to the movie, speaking openly about "New roman god Christ". Or, I should say, antichristian themes, since one of main villian is pushing for adopting christianity.

[@joejoelesh1197]

What about the CGI movie? Or is that the one you are referencing?

[@kamilziemian995]

@@joejoelesh1197 I talk about Zemeckis movie "Beowulf" from 2007, which is total CGI movie.