Beowulf: A New Translation for Oral Delivery by Dick Ringler (review)

REVIEWS 230 find the inconsistencies frustrating if left unexplained and exciting if pointed out as one of the aspects of Old English that makes the language so interesting. Of course, the least interesting part of learning Old English is memorizing the paradigms! Although paradigm memorization is not forced upon students of Old English as much as it is upon, say, students of Greek or Latin, it is and ought to be an important component of the instruction. On this level, Baker falls slightly short. His paradigm charts are difficult to read and thus difficult to memorize. In this case, a simple visual system of delineation would have made a significant difference. However, perhaps this austere style will force students to create their own charts or even visit Baker’s website for more user-friendly tools. That said, instructors could certainly make use of any number of alternatives to satisfy their students’ deep inner desire to learn Old English grammar. And, Baker’s Introduction leaves much room for doing just that. I would certainly recommend this book for an introductory course in Old English since it has more explanatory information than, for example, Mitchell and Robinson’s A Guide to Old English and its format is slightly more accessible . In fact, Baker’s Introduction to Old English is completely compatible with Mitchell and Robinson’s text, which would serve as a good follow-up or reference text for advanced students. All in all, Baker’s new edition is a pleasure to read and would be a pleasure to use in the classroom. BENJAMIN SALTZMAN, English, UC Berkeley Beowulf: A New Translation for Oral Delivery, intro. and trans. Dick Ringler (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Co. 2007) 304 pp. The first thing one is struck by, upon opening Dick Ringler’s new translation of Beowulf, is the unusual verse form. Ringler has separated each half of the alliterative lines into its own individual line, thus spacing out the alliterative lines into types of alliterative couplets. An example chosen at random: When darkness came the demon set out for the silent hall to see how the Danes had bedded down in it after their beer-drinking (II.229–234, emphasis mine). This type of structure might at first seem odd, but when one considers that Ringler organized this translation to be read aloud, it makes sense. The separated lines make for easier oral recitation, and after one becomes accustomed to Ringler’s format it begins to flow more naturally. Ringler also separates the poem into fifty-four parts (including the prologue), each denoting a significant event in the poem. He begins with Scyld Scefing and Hrothgar’s family history and ends with Beowulf’s funeral. I found the chapter division unnecessary and even obtrusive because it can influence one’s reading of the poem in drawing conspicuous attention to Beowulf’s episodic nature. As for the quality of the translation, I found that it lives up to its claim of being a translation that sounds good when read out loud. Unlike some other translations that leave out the alliteration of the original, Ringler’s translation sounds closer to, and brings out the wonderful aural qualities of, the original Old English. The most impressive feature of Ringler’s edition is not the poem REVIEWS 231 itself, but his remarkably thorough (over 100 pages) introduction to the poem. Ringler’s years of scholarly expertise on the text are evident in his enlightening synopses and analyses of the poem, and the variety of textual challenges the manuscript presents. The topics covered in his introduction are The Story, Oral and Written Beowulfs, Legend and Lore, Narrative Strategies and Structures, The Hero, Christianity and the Problem of Violence, The Poet, and The Meter of the Translation. Each section discusses its topic in depth with thoughtful insight. Ringler also provides helpful maps and appendixes to give the reader a more complete understanding of the text, as well as the context. He includes translations of three other Old English poems, “The Fight at Finnsburg,” “A Meditation ” (Ringler’s own title for the poem more widely known as “The Wanderer ”), and “Deor.” These extra translations make this edition that much more comprehensive and...