Беоулф: легенда за воина

by H.E. Marshall, Х.Е. Маршал, Станимир Йотов (Translator)

„Беоулф: легенда за воина“ е преразказ на староанглийската поема „Беоулф“, извадена от забравата от големия учен Дж.Р.Р. Толкин през 1936 г. Този епос е един от основните вдъхновители на британския писател за написването на „Хобитът“ и „Властелинът на пръстените“.

„Беоулф“ е разказ за герои в един преходен и опасен свят, населяван от чудовища и дракони. Макар историята да ни връща към далечни езически времена, героите в книгата са живи хора със своите слабости, достойнства, страхове и възторзи.

Сюжетът е максимално прост – войните между хора и чудовища, но разказът е задъхан и увлекателен.

Езикът и стилът на Х.Е. Маршал са пестеливи и верни на оригинала, върху който стъпва тази малка творба.

Беоулф е доблестен воин, справедлив владетел и благороден защитник. Но въпреки идеализацията, пред читателя постепенно изплува пълнокръвният образ на някогашния герой, съхранен от легендата.

Финалът на „Беоулф“ звучи като могъщ последен акорд на героична симфония, която отеква през вековете.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Mythology, Fantasy, Medieval, Childrens, Literature

104 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2005

About the author

Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall (usually credited as H.E. Marshall) was a Scottish author, particularly well known for her works of popular national history for children.

H.E. Marshall is famous for her 1905 children's history of England, Our Island Story: A History of England for Boys and Girls, illustrated by A. S. Forrest. In the USA the book was entitled An Island Story. The book was a bestseller, was printed in numerous editions, and for fifty years was the standard and much-loved book by which children learned the history of England. However a lot of this book is historically inaccurate and much of it uses Shakespeare's plays for historical sources; for example, the section of Richard III is really a summary of the play. The book is still to be found in schools and homes, but the last printing was in 1953 and it went out of print in the 1960s. In 2005, an alliance of the Civitas think-tank and various national newspapers brought the book back into print, with the aim of sending a free copy to each of the UK's primary schools. Readers of The Daily Telegraph contributed £25,000 to the cost of the reprint.

She was educated at a girls' boarding school called Laurel Bank, in Melrose. Between 1901 and 1904 she was the superintendent of a hall of residence for female students at the University of Glasgow, but, otherwise, she appears to have made her living throughout her life by writing. She never married.

As is made clear by the Prefaces of her books from time to time, she travelled extensively after 1904, including to Melbourne, California and China, although her obituary in The Times stated that she spent most of her life in Oxford and in London, where she died.

Reviews

[Димитър Цолов · Rating 3 out of 5]

Семпла прозаична адаптация на едноименната англо-саксонска епическа поема от началото на миналия век, дело на британската писателка Хенриета Елизабет Маршал. Книжлето, набавено като плънка към поредната озонска кошница, уби половин час от тегаво дежурство и... толкоз.

[Amy Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

H.E. Marshall really does a nice job of retelling Beowulf in a way that retains so much of the texture of the epic itself. I love reading Beowulf with high schoolers, and Marshall’s story is a great way to give younger kids the day comes that they get to enjoy the real thing.

[Bethany Feustel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s be honest.
There’s not a whole lot else that can make you feel like a BA homeschool mom than your kids begging you to read Beowulf.
(Okay, maybe Shakespeare)
Needless to say, this was adored by all and now my girls love to play Grendel.

[L. Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a wonder to consider the fact that an epic translated for children in the first years of the 20th century could be so compelling to adults over a hundred years later. The truth is that time takes our words from us, glutting itself upon the pages of fragile dictionaries and encyclopedias causing them to hemorrhage vocabulary until only echoes of understanding remain, until the elders of the future speak as the children of the past. Because of this, trying to tackle direct translations of ancient stories is often akin to bare knuckle boxing in a bear den: in the end you're battered, bloody, and barely better than intellectually dead. I would say that most people who have been put through a western education have had exposure to the legendary Beowulf, be it in full, piecemeal, or through stray excerpts. Due to this, the vast majority of us run from the epic's mere mention. Why? We were provided with pitiful copies that went for direct translation of words rather than meanings, syntax rather than comprehension, and the result was the erosion of the story's essence. Who can care about something they can scarcely understand? A translator's job is not to take words from one language to another as pristinely as possible, it is to take the message, morals, and voice of a piece, the majesty of its language and the style of its author, and reincarnate them into the understanding of a new generation, culture, or country. In the words of Francis Steegmuller, translator of Madame Bovary, "to translate a masterpiece with any justice requires an effort which parallels the author's own labor in translating his idea into adequate words. Problems of language, transition, rhythm, symbolism, and the secret relationships that make up texture--all these things have to be solved anew, in a new medium. The great difference is, of course, that the translator does not work in the dark. Even though the trail he follows has to be followed in a vehicle which it was not meant to accommodate, there is a trail. The author blazed it in his lonely and perilous earlier journey, leaving behind him the certainty that the terrain is not impassable." H.E. Marshall, in 1908, succeeded in following the ancient trail of Beowulf's unnamed author, and found the perfect parallels to pull the epic out of the realm of stringent academia and into the public spotlight, where with new words it offered its essence to a new age. Unlike my previous review of another version of Beowulf, I'll end this one by saying that you should run to The Story of Beowulf, not away from it, for "'From the north to the south,' they cried, 'between the seas all the world over, there is none so valiant as he, none so worthy of honour.'"

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beowulf is great. This is just a simplified version that keeps the original story beats and descriptions, while updating/cutting many of the archaic Middle-English language elements. The result is that it's much easier to read, especially when you're listening on audio! :)

There's a fantastic free audio version of this which you can find on librivox.org here: http://bit.ly/rQYKnw

[Erin Klarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

a helpful introduction to the plot of Beowulf that will certainly help a person decipher the epic poem.

[Eloise Sunshine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Üks korralik seiklusjutt ühe kangelase elust. Võideldud sai vaprasti, kuningad jagasid nii nukraid hetki kui ka kallihinnalisi turviseid ja mõõku kangelastegude eest. Kollid said tapetud, kuulsusrikkad laulud sellest loodud, lõpuks langes ka lohe ning Beowulf ise koos temaga.

Üks huvitav tähelepanek aga taas. Ikka ja jälle käib erinevate rahvaste pärimustest ja müütidest läbi viide hiiglastele. Erinevalt dinosaurustest näivad paljude eri paikkondade esivanemad olnud nendega kokku puutunud, mitte ainult eestlased, kel lausa eraldi Hiidude maa olemas.
Teise paralleeli tõmbaks aga sumerite pärimuslugudega jumalikest reptiloididest anunnakidest, kes siia kulda kaevandama tulid oma planeedi päästmise tarbeks. Kas seetõttu on legendide draakonid kõik kulla-armastajad?

Ma usun, et proua Marshalli versioon sellest iidsest loost ongi tänapäeval lugemiseks parem, kui originaaltekst, mis ilmselt veelgi rohkem täis ülistuste kirjeldusi ja kuidas mehed said kokku ning jõid sündmuse tähistamiseks, kuidas edastati austusavaldusi jne jne. Tänapäeva lugejale pakub rohkem naudingut selliste stseenide kogemine, kus midagi sisukat ka päriselt toimub ja tänu lihtsustatud tekstile on raamatut kergem tarbida. Ja seda mitte ainult lastele! :)

[Maryruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading about Beowulf without the confusing language. The boys really liked it, too - they pretended that I was Grendel.

[Elise]

There's no shame in consulting the works of H. E. Marshall as an adult if you've missed some of the wonderful stories she retells.

[5centreview · Rating 3 out of 5]

Книжлето е издадено през 2018г. на 🇧🇬 и е страхотен преразказ на легендата от която започва искрата, която вдъхновява Толкин за Властелина и Хобит... 💕 Сюжетната линия се върти около това дали злодеят в нечия история не е герой в своята собствена история, и обратното: героят за едни е злодей за други... (за книгата чух от книжно ревю в YT на Krimson Rogue, отделете му време, заслужава си, и с радост открих, че книгата я има на 🇧🇬)...Все пак имайте предвид, че може да не е на всеки по вкуса... Разказът звучи като средновековна приказка, разказана от някой трубадур, докато свири на тогазвремешна китара (дори я дочувах между редовете, докато чета)... Като се чете такъв тип преразкази е хубаво да се има предвид и знае контекста на времето в което са писани тези притчи, а именно Средновековието. Почти всички такива поеми от това време са метод за предаване на исторически събития чрез аналогии и метафори, и далеч от буквализма на съвремението... Тоест чете се с отворено съзнание и нагласа към препратки... Не е за всеки читател, но я препоръчвам... (В крайна сметка и за Троновете е взимано с голям черпак вдъхновение от историята на Средновековна Европа, и Англия в частност, така че не е кой знае каква новост за почитателите на фентъзи-жанра, които могат да приемат тази новела за сбор от преразкази на фолклорни митове от Скандинавието и Западна Европа в контекста на по-широка фентъзи поредица, примерно; с две думи: дайте и шанс на тая книжка, 105 страници е само)... книжлето е идеално за еднодневно четиво на път, на плажа, или за едно-две кафета сутрин или следобед в жегата...

[Kim Elder · Rating 4 out of 5]

“’Beowulf is known to every one.’ Some months ago I read these words, and doubted if they were true. Then the thought came to me that I would help to make them true, for Beowulf is a fine story finely told, and it is a pity that there should be any who do not know it. So here it is ‘told to the children’.” Thus says H.E. Marshall in her introduction to this book in 1908. Considering she felt that people didn’t read it in 1908, I’m sure that is still the case today, but as she says it is a fine tale. This book, although for the children, is certainly not dumbed down. She uses rich language and stays true to the original story. I read it aloud to my 11, 14 and 15 year old (he will be reading the original this year). Beowulf was a significant influence on Tolkien and we enjoyed picking out elements that show up in Tolkien’s works.

[Dayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely way to introduce anyone to the epic of Beowulf...whether it be a child, adolescent, or an adult. H.E. Marshall simplifies Beowulf into a story that even modern readers can understand, while still keeping the essence and original language. I highly recommend this book as a precursor to any scholar wishing to fully understand this story, as it provides a quick, and simple look into the great tale.

[Michelle Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved Beowulf since first encountering it in high-school, so as soon as it was mentioned in my 1st grader's history curriculum I had to do a deep dive. It took us several months to slowly work through this, since the high language is preserved and I had to frequently stop, explain, and check for understanding, but it is an EXCELLENT way to familiarize children with the epic poem through prose!

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent short retelling of Beowulf for primary grades and up. Miss Marshall has done an excellent job covering the whole story of Beowulf, and maintaining some of the alliteration and traditional epithets of the the original while keeping her language clear and readable. She has also kept the mixture of paganism and Christianity found in Beowulf.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The saga of Beowulf is pretty amazing and Stories of Beowulf Told to Children tells some of the stories in a way that young children can read and understand while still preserving the spirit of the original. This is a great book for anyone studying the middle ages.

[Daniel Hennessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for introduction to the epic poem... reading it with 7/8th grade students who are enthralled with it. The perfect story to teach Joseph Campbell's hero cycle with. It fires up the imagination as it teaches...

[Nathanael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beowulf alone is a good story, but the way she abridged the story was weird. She removed all the details, but left the old English quotes. If this was told to any children, they wouldn't know what the heck was going on...

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was our last school/morning time read-aloud for 2025. We read this retelling in anticipation of reading the real thing in the future. Fun fact: until recently, my sister, Jess, had a dog named Beowulf.

[Cheri Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent short retelling of the beowulf stories. Still not "kid friendly" but modern friendly.

[Stephen Tubbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my case, as told to an adult. My introduction to Beowulf.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let us all aspire to be Wiglafs.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent retelling for children.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm impressed by how the author managed to make Beowulf compact yet encompass all the important aspects. I'm still not a huge fan of the source material but this abridged version is well done.

[Димитър Йосифов · Rating 5 out of 5]

Епичен разказ за герои, смели войни, история разказваща що е това приятелство, солидарност, чест, дълг. Тази малка книжка вдъхновява Толкин да напише "Хобит" и "Властелинът на пръстена".

[Laurie Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting adventure story that is a quick and easy read. We read this for our Classical Dialectic homeschool history studies.

[Annie Bruza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great telling of a great story. My kids and I both enjoyed this one!

[Marissa The Great · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.7/5.0 stars

I like this interpretation of Beowulf. The story was engaging and entertaining, and the ending was very suiting.

[Juan Arias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una buena versión de Beowulf, aunque sea para niños. Es una buena introducción para saber si te gustaría o no leer la leyenda original. Muy buena traducción.

[Christopher Gilmour · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was all right.

[Abigail Leick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope that Leon (2yrs old) asking me to read 'Bee-wuf' during snack will live forever in my mind.