J.R.R. Tolkien translated the Old English epic Beowulf in a work published posthumously in 2014.
The volume, titled Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, was edited by Christopher Tolkien and published by HarperCollins in 2014. It combines Tolkien’s prose translation with commentary on the poem, along with the related story Sellic Spell.
Tolkien was one of the most influential modern scholars of Beowulf. His 1936 lecture “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” helped redirect academic attention toward the poem’s artistic structure, especially its treatment of monsters, rather than viewing it mainly as a historical source.
Beowulf is an Old English poem about a hero who fights Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. Tolkien’s scholarship on the poem also influenced his creative work, although Beowulf is not a direct retelling of The Lord of the Rings.