Beowulf. Heldengedicht des achten Jahrhunderts. Zum ersten Male aus dem
Angelsächsischen in das Neuhochdeutsche stabreimend übersetzt, und mit
Einleitung und Anmerkungen versehen von Ludwig Ettmüller. Zürich, bei
Meyer und Zeller, 1840. 8vo, pp. 191.
First German Translation. Imitative measures.
_Ettmüller._
Ernst Moritz Ludwig Ettmüller (1802-77), at the time of the publication
of this book, was professor of the German language and literature in the
Gymnasium at Zürich. He had already appeared as a translator with a work
entitled _Lieder der Edda von den Nibelungen_. Later he edited
selections from the _Beowulf_ in his _Engla and Seaxna Scôpas and
Bôceras_ (1850). This text incorporated many new readings. Ettmüller was
the first to question the unity of the _Beowulf_, and sketched a theory
of interpolations which has since been developed by Müllenhoff. The
first announcement of these views is found in the introduction to this
translation.
_Theory of Translation._