Ofermod

Ofermod is an essay by J.R.R. Tolkien originally published in 1953 along with his alliterative poem "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorthelm's Son" and another essay titled "The Death of Beorhtnoth". The essay explores the meanings of the Old English word ofermod, which appears in the original Old English fragment Maldon. The word is used to describe Beorhtnoth's state of mind at one point in the fragment--Tolkien took the word to mean that Beorhtnoth was a victim of overweening pride (a character flaw that would appear in several of Tolkien's later characters, Fëanor and Túrin being the best examples).

For a full discussion of Tolkien's translation and use of ofermod, see: http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/papers/dreamlord/stages/ofermod.htm