AUTHOR: UNKNOWN

LANGUAGE: WEST SAXON

DATE: 975-1025

PAGE #: 435

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.25 X 8.75 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: BEOWULF IS AN OLD ENGLISH EPIC POEM OF ALLITERATIVE LINES. THE DATE OF THE ORIGINAL IS DEBATABLE BUT THE GENERAL CONSENSUS IS 975-1025. THE MANUSCRIPT HAS NO TITLE PAGE OF AUTHOR TO CLAIM THE WORK, THEREFORE THE TITLE IS THE NAME OF THE MAIN PROTAGONIST BEOWULF AND THE AUTHOR IS ONLY REFERENCED AS “BEOWULF POET.”

THE STORY OF IS SET IN SCANDINAVIA IN THE SIXTH 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 (GOTALAND 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 HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

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