Julie Boyden 
Beowulf — A Pagan Hero 

Beowulf: A Pagan Hero takes the poem back to its pre-Christian roots, revealing a warrior-society that valued duty, honor, bravery, and swift vengeance. Removing the Christian insertions shows us what is expected of heroes, of men who do not shrink before the hard decisions of life or death, and a society that valued fame above all other rewards. Remaining true to the Anglo Saxon language without hewing too closely to the rhythm of the ancient poetry shows us the power and beauty of that language that has been called ‘more masonry than poetry’, a burly language full of swift and beautiful metaphors and descriptions of ordinary life made ethereal.