beowulf text and contexts. beowulf: review of lines 1-300 poem begins with danish royal genealogy

BeowulfText and Contexts

Beowulf: Review of Lines 1-300

• Poem begins with Danish royal genealogy


• Poem begins with Danish royal genealogy • Hrothgar decides to build a mead-hall at Heorot (60-ff)


• Poem begins with Danish royal genealogy • Hrothgar decides to build a mead-hall at Heorot (60-ff)• Neighbors from hell—the noise disturbs Grendel (80-ff)


• Poem begins with Danish royal genealogy • Hrothgar decides to build a mead-hall at Heorot (60-ff)• Neighbors from hell—the noise disturbs Grendel (80-ff)• Grendel is descended from Cain (90-100)


• Poem begins with Danish royal genealogy • Hrothgar decides to build a mead-hall at Heorot (60-ff)• Neighbors from hell—the noise disturbs Grendel (80-ff)• Grendel is descended from Cain (90-100)• Grendel begins his nightly attacks (101-ff)


• Poem begins with Danish royal genealogy • Hrothgar decides to build a mead-hall at Heorot (60-ff)• Neighbors from hell—the noise disturbs Grendel (80-ff)• Grendel is descended from Cain (90-100)• Grendel begins his nightly attacks (101-ff)• A thane of Hygelac (Beowulf) comes to Hrothgar’s aid

Beowulf, Lines 301-709

• Egtheow’s debt to Hrothgar (405-ff)


• Egtheow’s debt to Hrothgar (405-ff)• Hrothgar’s account of Grendel’s terror (420-ff)


• Egtheow’s debt to Hrothgar (405-ff)• Hrothgar’s account of Grendel’s terror (420-ff)• Unferth’s trash-talk (443-469)


• Egtheow’s debt to Hrothgar (405-ff)• Hrothgar’s account of Grendel’s terror (420-ff)• Unferth’s trash-talk (443-469)• Beowulf’s response (470-ff)


• Egtheow’s debt to Hrothgar (405-ff)• Hrothgar’s account of Grendel’s terror (420-ff)• Unferth’s trash-talk (443-469)• Beowulf’s response (470-ff)• Grendel’s approach (627-ff)


• Egtheow’s debt to Hrothgar (405-ff)• Hrothgar’s account of Grendel’s terror (420-ff)• Unferth’s trash-talk (443-469)• Beowulf’s response (470-ff)• Grendel’s approach (627-ff)• The battle of Beowulf and Grendel (660-ff)

405

410

415

Helm of the Scyldings,“It is fair that you seekin return for the favorwhen a killing fannedafter he felledwary of war,Ecgtheow elsewhere,he sought the South Danes,I had lately becomea youth rulingthis store-house of heroesmy brother and better,I calmed your father’s sent over seaan ancient heirloom;I took in return.”

Hrothgar answered:to defend us, my friend,offered your fatherthe fiercest of feudsthe Wylfing, Heatholafthe Weder-Geats wantedso over the sea-swellsstrong Scyldings.king of my kinsmen,this jewel of a realm,Heorogar was dead,born of Healfdene.quarrel with wergeldstraight to the Wylfings,and Egtheow’s oath

Beowulf: Hrothgar Speaks

420

425

430

435

What grief Grendelwhat harm in Heorot,at his sudden onset.my guardsmen are gone,into Grendel’s grip.of heaven could hinderBeer-swollen boasters,often have sworndrawn in the dark,Then in the morningblood on the bench-boards,the highest of housesFewer were leftsince those dear retainersBut sit now to supof soldierly pride,

“It pains me to tellhas given me since,hatred and shameMy circle is shrunken;gathered by fateHow simply the sovereigndeeds of this hell-fiend!brave in their ale-cups,to stay with their swordsto strike down the demon.the mead-hall was drenched,blood on the floor,A horror at dawn.to keep faith with their lordwere taken by death.and afterward speakif the spirit prompts you.”

Beowulf: Hrothgar Speaks

450

455

460

465

“Are you that BeowulfWhen both of you betdaring the deeprisking your livesThough friend or foe,your foolhardy foray.You each embraced spanned the sea-laneand wended over Winter-like wavesas the two of you toiled For seven nightsbut he was the strongerThe sea had swept himBreca went backHis burg on the bluffFair fold and wealthy.

Breca bestedon swimming the straits,in a dire struggle,after rash boasting?no man could deflectArms flailing,the billowing stream,with swift-dipping handsthe warring ocean.were roiling the watersin the tumult of combers.you strove to outswim him,and saw at sunriseto Heathoraeme shoresto his own homeland,stronghold of Brondings,

Beowulf: Unferth’s Taunts

470

475

480

485

Then Beowulf spoke “Listen, Unferth, brimful of beer,about Breca’s venture.my force in the floodfor any manBoys that we were,and reckless of risk,that each one could swimso we set forth,sturdily seawardhard in our hands,No swifter was heeach of us keptfloating togetherThen the storm-surgeswinter-cold weather

son of Ecgtheow:my fuddled friendyou blatter too muchI tell you the truth:is more than a matchwho wrestles the waves.brash in our youthboth of us boastedthe open ocean.stroking togetherwith swords drawnto ward off whale-fish.in those heaving seas;close to the other,those first five nights.swept us apart:and warring winds

Beowulf’s Response to Unferth

485

490

520

drove from the north Rough waves rosebut my breast was woundHard and hand-linked,it kept those creaturesI was drawn to the depths,grim in his grasp;I stuck in my sword-point,The mighty sea-monster. . .

or stark sword-strokesyou or Breca.how either of you twoso bold a deedthought I would not bruitIf the killing of kin

in deepening darkness. and sea-beasts raged,in a woven mail-shirt.hemmed with goldfrom causing me harm.held fast by the foe,yet granted a stab,struck down the horror.met his unmaker.

“Such close combatYou have not seen,No yarn has boastedever attempted done with bright sword,a brother’s banewere all I accomplished.”

Beowulf’s Response to Unferth

635

655

Then from the moorGrendel came gliding,The man-scather soughtFrom the high hall. . . An unlovely lightflashed from his eyes,at young soldiers dozingcomradely kindred.in his murderous mind,now living would diehow glutted with goreIt was not his fatehe foresaw that night.

under misty hillsides,girt with God’s anger.someone to snatch

most like a flameflared through the hall shoulder to shoulder,The cruel creature laughedthinking how manybefore the day dawned,he would guzzle his fill.to finish the feast

Beowulf: Grendel Attacks

660

665

Hygelac’s kinsman,not one to be idleFor his first feat a sleeping soldier,bit through bonesthat gushed from veinsswiftly he swallowed hands and feet whole; with open palmOne man angledthe fiend soon foundwhose hand-grip was harderhe had ever met

Soon the Stalwart,beheld how the horrorwent about the evil.he suddenly seizedslashed at the flesh,and lapped up the bloodas he gorged on gobbets.those lifeless limbs,then he headed forwardto plunder the prone.up on his elbow:he was facing a foethan any otherIn all Middle-Earth.


675

680

Cravenly cringing,he longed for a swifthis bevy of devils.from his earliest daysThe captain, recallingstraightaway stoodFingers fractured.the soldier stepped closer.somehow to slipflee to the fens;in too fierce a grip.the harm-wreaker rued

coward at heart,escape to his lair,He never had knownsuch awful anguish.his speech to the king,and hardened his hold.The fiend spun round;Grendel soughtthat grasp and escape,but his fingers were caughtHis foray had failed;his raid on Heorot.


beowulf text and contexts. beowulf: review of lines 1-300 poem begins with danish royal genealogy

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