In 1953, J.R.R. Tolkien published the alliterative poem "The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorthelm's Son" along with two essays on Beorhtnoth: Ofermod and "The Death of Beorhtnoth". Ofermod is an essay regarding the titular Old English word from the poem Maldon on which the poem is partially based. The essay explores the meanings of the word, which appears in the original Old English fragment Maldon. The word is used to describe Beorhtnoth's state of mind in the fragment and Tolkien construed this as representing that Beorhtnoth was a victim of overweening pride. Elements of this appear in several of Tolkien's characters, such as Fëanor and Túrin.