Beowulf
Beowulf (/ˈbeɪoʊwʊlf/ Old English: [ˈbeːo̯ˌwulf])
is an Old English epic poem consisting of
3,182 alliterative lines. It may be the oldest
surviving long poem in Old English and is
commonly cited as one of the most important
works of Old English literature. A date of
composition is a matter of contention among
scholars; the only certain dating pertains to the
manuscript, which was produced between 975 and
1025.[2] The author was an anonymous Anglo-
Saxon poet, referred to by scholars as the
"Beowulf poet".
The full poem survives in the manuscript known as
the Nowell Codex gaining its name from 16th-
century scholar Laurence Nowell.. It has no title in
the original manuscript, but has become known by
the name of the story's protagonist.[4] In 1731, the
manuscript was badly damaged by a fire that swept
through Ashburnham House in London that had a
collection of medieval manuscripts assembled
by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton.[5] The Nowell Codex
is currently housed in the British Library.
First printed edition Thorkelin (1815).
Genre Epic heroic poetry
Many suggest that Beowulf was first composed in
the 7th century at Rendlesham in East Anglia, that
the Sutton Hooship-burial also shows close
connections with Scandinavia, and that the East
Anglian royal dynasty, the Wuffingas, may have
been descendants of the
Geatish Wulfings.[7][8] Others have associated this
poem with the court of King Alfred the Great or
with the court of King Cnut the Great.
Summary
The protagonist Beowulf, a hero of the Geats,
comes to the aid of Hrothgar, king of the Danes,
whose great hall, Heorot, is plagued by the
monster Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel with his
bare hands and Grendel's mother with a giant's
sword that he found in her lair.
1
Later in his life, Beowulf becomes king of the
Geats, and finds his realm terrorized by a dragon,
some of whose treasure had been stolen from his
hoard in a burial mound. He attacks the dragon
with the help of his thegns or servants, but they do
not succeed. Beowulf decides to follow the dragon
to its lair at Earnanæs, but only his young Swedish
relative Wiglaf, whose name means "remnant of
valour",[a] dares to join him. Beowulf finally slays
the dragon, but is mortally wounded in the struggle.
He is cremated and a burial mound by the sea is
erected in his honour.
Beowulf is considered an epic poem in that the
main character is a hero who travels great distances
to prove his strength at impossible odds against
supernatural demons and beasts. The poem also
begins in medias res or simply, "in the middle of
things," which is a characteristic of the epics of
antiquity. Although the poem begins with
Beowulf's arrival, Grendel's attacks have been an
ongoing event. An elaborate history of characters
and their lineages is spoken of, as well as their
interactions with each other, debts owed and
repaid, and deeds of valour. The warriors form a
kind of brotherhood linked by loyalty to their lord.
What is unique about "Beowulf" is that the poem
actually begins and ends with a funeral. At the
beginning of the poem, the king, hero, Shield
Shiefson dies (26-45) and there is a huge funeral
for him. At the end of the poem when Beowulf
dies, there is also a massive funeral for
Beowulf.(3140-3170)
First battle: Grendel
Beowulf begins with the story of Hrothgar, who
constructed the great hall Heorot for himself and
his warriors. In it, he, his wife Wealhtheow, and his
warriors spend their time singing and celebrating.
Grendel, a troll-like monster said to be descended
from the biblical Cain, is pained by the sounds of
joy.[19] Grendel attacks the hall and kills and
devours many of Hrothgar's warriors while they
sleep. Hrothgar and his people, helpless against
Grendel, abandon Heorot.
Beowulf, a young warrior from Geatland, hears of
Hrothgar's troubles and with his king's permission
leaves his homeland to assist Hrothgar.[20]
Beowulf and his men spend the night in Heorot.
Beowulf refuses to use any weapon because he
holds himself to be the equal of Grendel.[21] When
Grendel enters the hall, Beowulf, who has been
feigning sleep, leaps up to clench Grendel's
hand.[22] Grendel and Beowulf battle each other
violently.[23] Beowulf's retainers draw their swords
and rush to his aid, but their blades cannot pierce
Grendel's skin.[24] Finally, Beowulf tears Grendel's
arm from his body at the shoulder and Grendel runs
to his home in the marshes where he
dies.[25] Beowulf displays "the whole of Grendel's
shoulder and arm, his awesome grasp" for all to see
at Heorot. This display would fuel Grendel's
mother's anger in revenge.[
Second battle: Grendel's mother
The next night, after celebrating Grendel's defeat,
Hrothgar and his men sleep in Heorot. Grendel's
mother, angry that her son has been killed, sets out
to get revenge. "Beowulf was elsewhere. Earlier,
after the award of treasure, The Geat had been
given another lodging" his assistance would be
absent in this battle.[27] Grendel's mother violently
kills Æschere, who is Hrothgar's most loyal fighter,
and escapes.
Hrothgar, Beowulf and their men track Grendel's
mother to her lair under a lake. Unferth, a warrior
who had doubted him and wishes to make amends,
presents Beowulf with his sword Hrunting. After
stipulating a number of conditions to Hrothgar in
case of his death (including the taking in of his
kinsmen and the inheritance by Unferth of
Beowulf's estate), Beowulf jumps into the lake, at
the bottom of which he finds a cavern containing
Grendel's body and the remains of men that the two
have killed. Grendel's mother and Beowulf engage
in fierce combat.
At first, Grendel's mother appears to prevail.
Beowulf, finding that Hrunting cannot harm his
foe, puts it aside in fury. Beowulf is again saved
from his opponent's attack by his armour. Beowulf
takes another sword from Grendel's mother and
slices her head off with it. Travelling further into
Grendel's mother's lair, Beowulf discovers
Grendel's corpse and severs his head. The blade of
Beowulf's sword touches Grendel's toxic blood,
and instantly dissolves so that only the hilt remains.
Beowulf swims back up to the rim of the pond
where his men wait in growing despair. Carrying
the hilt of the sword and Grendel's head, he
presents them to Hrothgar upon his return to
Heorot. Hrothgar gives Beowulf many gifts,
including the sword Nægling, his family's
2
heirloom. The events prompt a long reflection by
the king, sometimes referred to as "Hrothgar's
sermon", in which he urges Beowulf to be wary of
pride and to reward his thegns
Third battle: The Dragon
Beowulf returns home and eventually becomes
king of his own people. One day, fifty years after
Beowulf's battle with Grendel's mother, a slave
steals a golden cup from the lair of a dragon at
Earnanæs. When the dragon sees that the cup has
been stolen, it leaves its cave in a rage, burning
everything in sight. Beowulf and his warriors come
to fight the dragon, but Beowulf tells his men that
he will fight the dragon alone and that they should
wait on the barrow. Beowulf descends to do battle
with the dragon, but finds himself outmatched. His
men, upon seeing this and fearing for their lives,
retreat into the woods. One of his men, Wiglaf,
however, in great distress at Beowulf's plight,
comes to his aid. The two slay the dragon, but
Beowulf is mortally wounded. After Beowulf dies,
Wiglaf remains by his side, grief-stricken. When
the rest of the men finally return, Wiglaf bitterly
admonishes them, blaming their cowardice for
Beowulf's death. Afterward, Beowulf is ritually
burned on a great pyre in Geatland while his people
wail and mourn him, fearing that without him, the
Geats are defenceless against attacks from
surrounding tribes. Afterwards, a barrow, visible
from the sea, is built in his memory. (Beowulf lines
2712–3182).
 The poem has been dated to between the
8th and the early 11th centuries, with some
recent scholarship offering what has been
called "a cohesive and compelling case for
Beowulf's early composition."
 During the early 20th century, Frederick
Klaeber's Beowulf and The Fight at
Finnsburg[55] (which included the poem
in Old English, an extensive glossary of Old
English terms, and general background
information) became the "central source
used by graduate students for the study of
the poem and by scholars and teachers as
the basis of their translations."
 Andy Orchard, in A Critical Companion to
Beowulf, lists 33 "representative"
translations in his bibliography,[57]and it has
been translated into at least 23 other
languages
  Seamus Heaney's 1999 translation of the
poem (referred to by Howell Chickering
and many others as "Heaneywulf"[59]) was
widely publicized. Translating Beowulf is
one of the subjects of the 2012
publication Beowulf at Kalamazoo,
containing a section with 10 essays on
translation, and a section with 22 reviews of
Heaney's translation.
Gradesaver
The poem begins with a brief genealogy of the
Danes. Scyld Shefing was the first great king of the
Danes, known for his ability to conquer enemies.
Scyld becomes the great-grandfather of Hrothgar,
the king of the Danes during the events of Beowulf.
Hrothgar, like his ancestors before him, is a good
king, and he wishes to celebrate his reign by
building a grand hall called Heorot. Once the hall is
finished, Hrothgar holds a large feast. The revelry
attracts the attentions of the monster Grendel, who
decides to attack during the night. In the morning,
Hrothgar and his thanes discover the bloodshed and
mourn the lost warriors. This begins Grendel's
assault upon the Danes.
Twelve years pass. Eventually the news of
Grendel's aggression on the Danes reaches the
Geats, another tribe. A Geat thane, Beowulf,
decides to help the Danes; he sails to the land of
the Danes with his best warriors. Upon their
arrival, Hrothgar's thane Wulfgarjudges the Geats
worthy enough to speak with Hrothgar. Hrothgar
remembers when he helped Beowulf's
father Ecgtheow settle a feud; thus, he welcomes
Beowulf's help gladly.
Heorot is filled once again for a large feast in honor
of Beowulf. During the feast, a thane
named Unferth tries to get into a boasting match
with Beowulf by accusing him of losing a
swimming contest. Beowulf tells the story of his
heroic victory in the contest, and the company
celebrates his courage. During the height of the
celebration, the Danish queen Wealhtheow comes
forth, bearing the mead-cup. She presents it first to
Hrothgar, then to the rest of the hall, and finally to
Beowulf. As he receives the cup, Beowulf tells
Wealhtheow that he will kill Grendel or be killed in
Heorot. This simple declaration moves
Wealhtheow and the Danes, and the revelry
continues. Finally, everyone retires. Before he
leaves, Hrothgar promises to give Beowulf
everything if he can defeat Grendel. Beowulf says
that he will leave God to judge the outcome. He
3
and his thanes sleep in the hall as they wait for
Grendel.
Eventually Grendel arrives at Heorot as usual,
hungry for flesh. Beowulf watches carefully as
Grendel eats one of his men. When Grendel
reaches for Beowulf, Beowulf grabs Grendel's arm
and doesn't let go. Grendel writhes about in pain as
Beowulf grips him. He thrashes about, causing the
hall to nearly collapse. Soon Grendel tears away,
leaving his arm in Beowulf's grasp. He slinks back
to his lair in the moors and dies.
The Danes, meanwhile, consider Beowulf as the
greatest hero in Danish history. Hrothgar's minstrel
sings songs of Beowulf and other great characters
of the past, including Sigemund (who slew a
dragon) and Heremod (who ruled his kingdom
unwisely and was punished). In Heorot, Grendel's
arm is nailed to the wall as a trophy. Hrothgar says
that Beowulf will never lack for riches, and
Beowulf graciously thanks him. The horses and
men of the Geats are all richly adorned, in keeping
with Hrothgar's wishes.
Another party is held to celebrate Beowulf's
victory. Hrothgar's minstrel tells another story at
the feast, the story of the Frisian slaughter. An
ancient Danish king had a daughter
named Hildeburh; he married her to a king of the
Frisians. While Hnaef, Hildeburh's brother, visited
his sister, the Frisians attacked the Danes, killing
Hnaef and Hildeburh's son in the process. Hengest,
the next leader of the Danes, desired vengeance,
and in the spring, the Danes attacked the Frisians,
killing their leader and taking Hildeburh back to
Denmark.
After this story is told, Wealhtheow presents a
necklace to Hrothgar while pleading with her
brother-in-law Hrothulf to help her two young sons
if they should ever need it. Next she presents many
golden treasures to Beowulf, such as necklaces,
cups, and rings. Soon the feast ends, and everyone
sleeps peacefully.
In the night, Grendel's mother approaches the hall,
wanting vengeance for her son. The warriors
prepared for battle, leaving enough time for
Grendel's mother to grab one of Hrothgar's
counselors and run away. When Beowulf is
summoned to the hall, he finds Hrothgar in
mourning for his friend Aeschere. Hrothgar tells
Beowulf where the creatures like Grendel live‹in a
shadowy, fearful land within the moors.
Beowulf persuades Hrothgar to ride with him to the
moors. When they reach the edge of the moors,
Beowulf calls for his armor, takes a sword from
Unferth, and dives into the lake. After a long time,
Beowulf reaches the bottom of the lake, where
Grendel's mother is waiting to attack. Beowulf
swings his sword, but discovers that it cannot cut
her, so he tosses it away. They then wrestle until
Beowulf spies a large sword nearby. He grabs it by
the hilt and swings‹killing Grendel's mother by
slicing off her head. Still in a rage, Beowulf finds
the dead Grendel in the lair and cuts off his head as
a trophy.
As they wait, the Danes have given up all hope for
Beowulf because he has been underwater for such a
long time. They are shocked when Beowulf returns
with Grendel's head and the hilt of the sword
(which melted with the heat of Grendel's blood).
They bear the hero and his booty back to Heorot,
where another celebration takes place. Beowulf
recounts his battle; Hrothgar praises him and gives
him advice on being a king. A grand feast follows,
and Beowulf is given more priceless treasures. The
next morning, the Geats look forward to leaving
Denmark. Before they leave, Beowulf promises aid
for Hrothgar from the Danes. Hrothgar praises
Beowulf and promises that their lands will have an
alliance forever. As the Geats leave, Hrothgar finds
himself wishing Beowulf would never leave.
The Geats return with much rejoicing to their
homeland, where their king Hygelac and his queen
Hygd greet them. In an aside, the narrator
compares Hygd to the queen of the ancient Offa,
who is not tamed until Offa comes to subjugate her.
Beowulf tells his lord the events of his trip to
Denmark. In the process, he tells another story that
had previously been unmentioned. Hrothgar
betrothed his daughter Freawaru to a prince of the
Heathobards in order to settle an old feud. Beowulf
speculates that someone will goad this Heathobard
prince to take vengeance upon the Danes for all
their past wrongs. Hygelac praises Beowulf for his
bravery and gives him half the kingdom. They rule
the kingdom together in peace and prosperity.
Hygelac is killed in a battle soon after, so Beowulf
becomes king of the Geats and rules the kingdom
well.
In the fiftieth year of Beowulf's reign, a monster
arises to terrorize the Geats. A treasure trove was
left by an ancient civilization, which guarded it
jealously until only one member of the race was
left. After the last person's death, a fire-breathing
dragon found the treasure and guarded it for three
hundred years. One day, a slave stumbled upon the
4
treasure and stole a cup as an offering to his lord.
The dragon awakened to find something missing
from his treasure, and began his rampage upon the
Geats.
One day, Beowulf learns that this dragon has
destroyed his own great hall. This attack sends him
into deep thought. Soon he orders a shield to use
for battle, but not without a heavy heart at what
may happen to him. He recalls Hygelac's death in
battle and his own narrow escape from this battle.
He recalls a number of battles he has seen as he
travels to the dragon's lair with eleven of his
thanes. The servant who stole the cup leads them to
the lair.
As they wait to attack the dragon, Beowulf
recounts the Geat royal family's plight, in which
Hygelac's oldest brothers killed each other and left
their father to die of a broken heart. Beowulf says
he served Hygelac well, and a sword
(named Naegling) that he won while serving
Hygelac will help him save the kingdom once
again. Beowulf leads the charge to the dragon's
cave. The shield protects him from the dragon's
flames, but his men flee in fear, leaving only one
man behind. This man is Wiglaf, Beowulf's
kinsman through Ecgtheow. Wiglaf becomes
angry, but swears that he will stay by Beowulf's
side.
Just then the dragon rushes up to them. Beowulf
and the dragon swing at each other three times,
finally landing mortal blows upon each other the
last time. The dragon is beheaded, but Beowulf is
bitten and has a mortal poison from the dragon
flowing through his body as a result. Wiglaf bathes
his lord's body as Beowulf speaks on the treasure.
He says that Wiglaf should inherit it as his
kinsman; then he dies.
After his death, the cowards return, to be severely
chastised by Wiglaf. He sends a messenger to tell
the people of their king's death. The messenger
envisions the joy of the Geats' enemies upon
hearing of the death of Beowulf. He also says that
no man shall ever have the treasure for which
Beowulf fought. Wiglaf and Beowulf's thanes toss
the dragon's body into the sea. They place the
treasure inside a mound with Beowulf's body and
mourn for "the ablest of all world-kings."
Characters
Scyld Shefing
He is known as one of the first great kings of the
Danes. Upon his death he is given a remarkable
burial at sea. Eventually he becomes the great-
grandfather of Hrothgar, king during Grendel's
attacks upon the Danes.
Beow (Beowulf)
He is the son of Scyld Shefing, and a strong king in
his own right. He is often confused with the hero of
the poem.
Hrothgar
He is the King of the Danes at the time of Grendel's
assaults. He builds the hall Heorot as a tribute to
his people and his reign.
Heorot
This is the hall that Hrothgar builds in celebration
of his reign. It is the site both of many happy
festivals and many sorrowful funerals.
Grendel
This man-monster is a descendant of Cain. He
attacks Heorot after hearing the sounds of revelry
there. Beowulf eventually kills him, with his
severed arm hung as a trophy in Heorot. His
mother attempts to avenge his death.
Beowulf
He is a thane of the Geat king Hygelac and
eventually becomes King of the Geats. The poem
relates his heroic exploits over 50 years, including
the fights with Grendel and his mother and with the
treasure-guarding dragon.
Wulfgar
He is one of Hrothgar's faithful thanes. As the
watchman for the Danes, he is the first to greet
Beowulf and his thanes to the land of the Danes.
He also deems the Geat visitors as people worthy
enough to meet with Hrothgar.
Ecgtheow
He is Beowulf's father. He is a Waegmunding by
birth and a Geat by marriage. When he was
younger, Hrothgar helped him settle a feud with the
Wylfingas.
Unferth
A thane of Hrothgar's, he taunts Beowulf in the hall
about his swimming contest with Breca. However,
Beowulf shames him in the boasting match. His
name means "discord."
Wealhtheow
She is Hrothgar's queen and the mother of his two
sons. Her name comes from the Anglo-Saxon
words for "treasure bearer." She actually has the
duty of presenting necklaces and mead-cups at
court.
5
Sigemund
He is an ancient Germanic hero whose story is
recounted after the fight with Grendel. He was
known as the famous dragon slayer.
Heremod
He was an ancient Danish king who went from
being a good king to a ruthlessly evil king.
Hrothgar uses him as an example of bad kingship
for Beowulf.
Hildeburh
Her story in recounted during the second feast for
Beowulf at Heorot. She is an ancient Danish
princess who was married into the Frisian royalty.
Her brother and her son were both killed in a war
with the Frisians at Finnesburh.
Hrothulf
He is Hrothgar's nephew. Wealhtheow calls upon
him to protect her young sons if it should ever be
necessary to do so.
Grendel's Mother
She is, of course, the mother of the man-monster
Grendel. She comes to Heorot seeking vengeance
for the death of her son. Beowulf kills her.
Aeschere
Apparently he is one of Hrothgar's important
officials and faithful thanes. Grendel's mother kills
him, and Hrothgar is inconsolable.
Hrunting
Unferth gives this sword to Beowulf to use in
killing Grendel's mother. It is unable to cut her,
however, so Beowulf discards it. Later he returns it
to Unferth with his thanks
Hygelac
This King of the Geats is also Beowulf's uncle.
Upon hearing Beowulf's courageous exploits, he
gives Beowulf nearly half his kingdom.
Freawaru
She is the daughter of Hrothgar who is
unmentioned until Beowulf tells Hygelac about
her. Beowulf believes that her marriage to a
Heathobard prince will do more harm than good for
the Danes.
The Dragon
This is the third and last monster that Beowulf
must defeat. After a Geat slave steals from his
treasure, he goes on a rampage. Beowulf defeats
him, but not before striking a mortal blow to him.
Naegling
Beowulf won this sword in a fight between the
Geats and the Frisians. He uses it in the battle with
the dragon.
Wiglaf 5. O flower of warriors, beware of that trap.
This is Beowulf's kinsman through Ecgtheow's Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part,
family, the Waegmundings. He is the only thane of eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride.
Beowulf's that stays with him during the battle with For a brief while your strength is in bloom
the dragon.
but it fades quickly; and soon there will follow
Important Quotations
illness or the sword to lay you low,
or a sudden fire or surge of water
So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by
or jabbing blade or javelin from the air
and the kings who ruled them had courage and
or repellent age. Your piercing eye
greatness.
will dim and darken; and death will arrive,
...
dear warrior, to sweep you away.
There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many
(1758–1768)
tribes,
a wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among Q/A
foes.
...  according to Beowulf, is better than mourning
A foundling to start with, he would flourish later on a death-Avenging a death
... 
In the end each clan on the outlying coasts
beyond the whale-road had to yield to him
and begin to pay tribute. That was one good king. Quiz : only Sparknotes
(1–11)

And a young prince must be prudent like that,

giving freely while his father lives
so that afterwards in age when fighting starts
steadfast companions will stand by him
and hold the line. Behaviour that’s admired
is the path to power among people everywhere.

Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better

to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning.
For every one of us, living in this world
means waiting for our end. Let whoever can
win glory before death. When a warrior is gone,
that will be his best and only bulwark.
(1384–1389)

Beowulf got ready,

donned his war-gear, indifferent to death;
his mighty, hand-forged, fine-webbed mail
would soon meet with the menace underwater.
It would keep the bone-cage of his body safe:
...
[His helmet] was of beaten gold,
princely headgear hooped and hasped
by a weapon-smith who had worked wonders. . . .
(1442–1452)
6