This text presents a faithful rendition of "Beowulf", a poem written in Old English sometime before the tenth century A.D., which describes the adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century. The translation is combined with detailed annotations, with no reading knowledge of Old English assumed. Heaney`s introduction discusses "Beowulf`s" history in the canon and Heaney`s translation process. "Contexts" provides a selection of material on Anglo-Saxon and early Northern culture. "Critcism" features eight essays relevant to undergraduate readers, including a discussion of the Old English poem that lies behind the translation. Contributors include: J.R.R. Tolkien, John Leyerle, Jane Chance, Roberta Frank, Fred C. Robinson, Thomas Hill, Leslie Webster and Daniel Donoghue. A glossary of proper names and a selected biography are included.