J. R. R. Tolkien is, quite rightly, labeled as the grandfather of modern fantasy. A preeminent linguist of his time, he steeped his imagination in worldly epics, legends and poems from ages past. Stories that were once passed down word to word were eventually written down, no doubt altered and exaggerated along the way: “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” “Beowulf.” “The Kalevala.” “The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún.” Tolkien delved into these works with great affection, examining and pulling apart their language and their explorations of heroism, sacrifice, honor and mythology.

THE BATTLE OF MALDON, the latest in the wave of posthumous releases, comes just a few months after the release of THE FALL OF NÚMENOR. While that tome focused on the Second Age of Middle-earth, compiling the legends into one easily digestible volume, this new work looks back at a piece the Professor sank his attentions into and devoted authorship and analysis to back in the 1950s. Though titled THE BATTLE OF MALDON, the book actually opens with “The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son.” This short piece is a drama in verse, set in the time just following the Battle of Maldon.

"THE BATTLE OF MALDON is a worthwhile read for anyone seeking further scholarly Tolkien work and would be a welcome addition to your bookshelves."

Wait. What is the Battle of Maldon, you ask? It is, by way of a very brief explanation, a piece of English history. It took place in August of the year 991 near the town of Maldon in England. It was there that the Earl Byrhtnoth led a defense of England against invading Vikings, only to be soundly defeated. The Archbishop of Canterbury advised the King to pay the Vikings to stop the invasion rather than continue what appeared to be a futile military endeavor.

In “Homecoming,” we are presented with Tolkien’s version of the quest of Torhthelm and Tidwald. The poetic drama unfolds over just a few pages and lines, recounting the likely mythical journey of Torhthelm the storyteller and Tidwald the farmer as they scour the battlefield to locate the body of the fallen Beorhtnoth. They are struck by the horror of the battlefield and compelled to haste by supernatural fears.

“The Battle of Maldon” comes second. Tolkien prefaces the piece by giving an overview of the work. This time, the story is told not in poetic form but as a narrative. In reading the section as presented in Tolkien’s voice, one can very clearly see similarities to passages contained in THE LORD OF THE RINGS. This is followed by notes from Tolkien about select passages of the original poem itself.

The book also supplies “The Tradition of Versification” in Old English, which is essentially the text of a speech that Tolkien gave at Oxford around the late 1920s or early 1930s. The entire endeavor is an exploration of the myriad kinds of poetry in Old English, the meter and language, and the tradition of poetic storytelling.

While this section may not be the fiction and beautiful prose that a reader of Tolkien’s Middle-earth would expect or desire, it is absolutely fascinating insight into his mind. He puts the pieces of the puzzle together to see the big picture --- the Old English epics being key pieces that would inspire the Middle-earth we so love and admire. Seeing how his mind worked in this regard is, in itself, an impressive bit of time spent. But unless you are a fan of Tolkien in areas beyond Middle-earth, this won’t be a purchase for casual readers to enjoy --- though they could be impressed and appreciate it if they put in the time and effort.

THE BATTLE OF MALDON is a worthwhile read for anyone seeking further scholarly Tolkien work and would be a welcome addition to your bookshelves.