2024 Die Schlacht von Maldon (Heidenreich, Niesner, Steck)

The Battle of Maldon and The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth

Release Date: 2024.12.14
Readers: Gert Heidenreich, Timmo Niesner, Johannes Steck
Language: German
Translator: Helmut W. Pesch
Organisation: der Hörverlag
ISBN: 9783844552270
Duration: 8 hours 37 minutes
Unabridged: Yes
Country: Germany
Licenced: Yes
Formats: MP3-CD, Digital

An unabridged reading of Die Schlacht von Maldon und Die Heimkehr von Beorhtnoth (The Battle of Maldon and The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth), based on the edition edited by Peter Grybauskas and published in print by Klett-Cotta.

This is a multi-narrator production designed to capture the different “layers” of the book—Tolkien’s scholarly translation, his original verse drama, and his accompanying essays. Heidenreich handles the prose essays and scholarly commentary with his trademark gravitas. Timmo Niesner & Johannes Steck perform the dramatic dialogue of the verse drama (Die Heimkehr). Niesner (the German voice of Elijah Wood/Frodo) and Steck bring a theatrical intensity to the characters of Totta and Tída as they search the dark battlefield.

The recording uses the 2024 translation by Helmut W. Pesch, a veteran Tolkien scholar and translator. Pesch is noted for his ability to translate Tolkien’s alliterative verse into German while maintaining the strict Germanic meter that Tolkien was so passionate about.

The audiobook mirrors the “Grybauskas” edition, which is far more than just the poem:

  • The Battle of Maldon: Tolkien’s modern prose translation of the original Old English poem.
  • The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth: The verse drama sequel featuring the two servants of the fallen Lord.
  • Essays and Lectures: Includes “The Death of Beorhtnoth” and the critical essay “Ofermod,” which explores the fatal flaw of the English leader.
  • Contextual Material: Commentary on how these themes of heroism and sacrifice eventually flowed into the character of Boromir and the culture of Rohan in The Lord of the Rings.