ABSTRACT

I have come completely into the clear over Beowulf and on Sunday I was close to putting the Altertumskunde on one side for a few weeks, to finish off the whole investigation of it: at least the outline is done. An old lay about the fight with Grendel received a continuation (the fight with the mother) and an introduction (up to 193); another man (A) continued this poem up to the end, but at the same time made interpolations into the first older part, and then at least one more still, the episode-poet, worked over the whole thing, and indeed some additions (the ones about Cain and the giants and such like) have been added later by another hand.—When you have to present what is known and current, then you have to be content to make it as illuminating and intelligible to your listeners as is possible. Then you have the pure joy in content and form.