HarperCollins has shared some of the though process that went behind the design of the dustjacket for Beowulf - I found it interesting!

http://harpercollins-design.tumblr.co ... g-beowulf-by-ben-gardiner

It’s a balancing act designing a cover to illustrate J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary texts; simultaneously giving his fantastical works a stand out and distinctive look, whilst also paying respect to the genre and decades of publishing that have gone before.