5 days to go! Anglo-Saxon epic poem Kickstarter

Hey all! I’m super excited to report that a great number of people have backed up my Kickstarter campaign for the publication of a special hardback edition of Hæstingas: A retelling of the valiant fall of England in verse.

The book is a historical fantasy, 4,000-line epic poem set during one of the most turbulent times in English history.

We’re only 5 days away from the end of the campaign. So if you wish to back this project, now’s the time to do so 😀

Copies of the paperback edition of Hæstingas are still available from Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Till next time! 😉

Anglo-Saxon historical fantasy epic poem | Crowdfunding begins!

Hey folks! Back again from the shadows 🙂

I hope you’re all sage and are having a good start to the new year.

Just dropping by for a quick shout-out to a Kickstarter campaign just launched.

As many followers of this blog may know, I wrote a book back in November 2019: Hæstingas: A retelling of the valiant fall of England in verse.

The book, a historical fantasy, 4,000-line epic poem set during one of the most turbulent times in English history, is now getting the Special Edition Hardcover treatment!

If you have an interest in Anglo-Saxon history, are a fantasy reader and love to odd-bit o’ poetry (as Samwise Gamgee would say) every now and then, your support in this endeavour would be most appreciated!

Rewards and bundles are there for the taking, so head over to the Kickstarter campaign page and take a look.

In the meantime, copies of the paperback edition of Hæstingas are still available from Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Till next time! 😉

“Hæstingas” | My New Book!

Well folks, this is it.

The Lay of Leofwin project I briefly posted about over the last few months, has taken a life of its own and been transformed into a book. An actual, published book!

Lay of Leofwin project #Update 2

Alas! dear readers and followers of A Tolkienist’s Perspective. I feel a long apology is due to redress my absence during these last few months. However, a short note must suffice at this stage. Although I’ve been actively replying to comments that still flow through on a weekly basis on this blog (thank you!), one of the reasons for my inactivity was precisely this Lay of Leofwin project, which I delve into a bit more in this post.

Hence, read on dear reader, read on …

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It soon becomes apparent to readers delving into Tolkien’s writings, that the aforementioned author was fascinated by the Anglo-Saxon world that thrived in England between c.450AD and 1066 — the latter, an infamous year in history when the Battle of Hastings took place.

Debating Tolkien’s Magnum Opus

Stephen King has The Dark Tower series. George Orwell has 1984. Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy is the author’s own unparalleled piece of writing.

“Magnum Opus” (translated from Latin as “masterpiece”) is a term that can be applied to virtually any piece of art or literature that has somehow had a significant impact upon those who experience it, and was brought about by a sophisticated, high standard and excellent creative impulse on the part of its creator.

Tolkien Reading Day 2017!

The sun has risen on yet another 25th of March, and that means it’s the start of Tolkien Reading Day!

This day, marking the destruction of the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings, is meant to praise the author’s works and encourage people to read Tolkien by quoting favourite passages.

Besides being a prolific writer, J.R.R. Tolkien was also quite the poet. I’ve mentioned numerous times my love for his poetry and, instead of focusing on the more popular and praised Middle-earth works, today I’ve decided to provide you with four beautiful extracts of these metrical compositions.

Northern Courage, Ofermōde and Thorin Oakenshield’s last stand

Northern Courage

Tolkien was fascinated by the concept he called “the theory of courage”, which exemplified one of the highest qualities in the literary Northern hero: that of unflinching courage, steadfast resolve and sheer determination of will in the face of impossible odds.

Beowulf: The Lost King of Rohan

An Anglo-Saxon Connection

The Anglo-Saxon epic has been acknowledged many times as one of the major sources of inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The world in the poem is easily comparable to Rohan and beyond. The character of Beowulf himself has been placed under scrutiny and analysed alongside other characters from Middle-earth, including Aragorn and Bard the Bowman.

The Geat hero, however, shares a close affinity with the majority of the kings of Rohan. Indeed, one could argue that many of the qualities and characteristics found in the House of Eorl can be attributed to Beowulf as an individual. The events that shape his life can be gleamed from the lives of Théoden’s ancestors.

For the purpose of this article, I will be using Tolkien’s recently published: Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, in order to reference specific passages in relation to the character. I have also compared them with the text in The Lord of the Rings, with strong emphasis on ‘The House of Eorl’ in Appendix A.

Approaching Tolkien – Beowulf: A Translation & Commentary

The Anglo-Saxon Epic Receives Treatment from the Anglo-Saxon Professor

If you’ve read your fair share of Tolkien, at some point in your reading you would certainly have comes across numerous references highlighting the author’s fascination towards Anglo-Saxon culture and literature.

Beowulf, made up of three thousand lines written in the Old English metre, remains the single most important work of the period.

But as expressive and fluent as the language is in the original language, many scholars have attempted to translate it into Modern English in the hope of capturing the same spirit and style of the poem: as it was intended to be read.

New Tolkien book now available!

That’s right folks.

Today the much-anticipated new book by Tolkien is now available 😀