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''The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son'' is the title of a work by J. R. R. Tolkien that was originally published in 1953 in volume 6 of the scholarly journal ''Essays and Studies by Members of the English Association'', and later republished in 1966 in The Tolkien Reader. It is a work of historical fiction, inspired by the Old English poem ''The Battle of Maldon''. It is written in the form of an alliterative poem, but is also a play, being mainly a dialogue between two characters in the aftermath of the Battle of Maldon. The work was accompanied by two essays, also by Tolkien, one before and one after the main work. The work, as published, was thus presented as: *''The Death of Beorhtnoth'' - an introductory essay concerning the battle and the Old English fragment that inspired Tolkien. *''The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son'' - the actual work itself. *''Ofermod'' - an essay following on from the main work, discussing the meaning of the Old English word ''ofermod'' "overconfidence, foolhardiness". ==Plot== The play itself is the story of two characters, Tidwald (Tida) and Torhthelm (Totta), retrieving the body of Beorhtnoth, Ealdorman of Essex, from the battlefield at Maldon. After a brief search they eventually find their lord’s battle-mangled body and his golden sword. In the middle of the action, Totta slays an English battlefield-looter, for which Tída chastises him. The murder provides an opportunity for the characters to discuss the ethics of Beorhtnoth's actions. Totta is a romantic who thinks Beorhtnoth's actions were tragically noble, while Tída is the battle-experienced farmer who takes the realist position, pointing out the folly of Beorhtnoth's decision to let the Vikings cross the causeway. Eventually the two characters load the lord's body onto a cart, and the drama closes with them leaving the battlefield for a nearby abbey in Ely. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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