ENGL1002NORA

TutorialWeek7(
Beowulf
)

Read the translations of Beowulfs fights with Grendel and Grendels mother (from Bradley,
AngloSaxonPoetry
)andconsiderthefollowingquestions:

1. Theseareactionscenes.Howistheactiontold,andwhatistheeffectonthereader?
2. Howdothesepassagesbuildonthethemesof:(a)wordsanddeeds(b)fameandthehero?
3. From what perspective do we see the action (focalisation)? Does theperspectivechangeat
all?

BeowulffightsGrendel

XI
710
So fromthemoorGrendelcameadvancing under the banksofmist:heboreuponhimGods
anger. Thenefarious spoiler meant tosnare acertainoneof the humanstockin the loftyhall.Onhe
stalked beneath the clouds to where he knew with perfect familiarity the winebuilding stood, the
peopleshallforthegivingof gold,gleaming withplatesofpreciousmetal.Thoughthatwasnotthe
first time he had visited Hrothgars home, never in all the days of his life, beforenor after,did he
encounterhallthaneswithharsherconsequences.
720
To the hall, then, theaggressorcamemakinghisway,cutofffrom the thingsthatgive joy.
The door, secured with forged metal bands, yieldedat once whenhetouched it with his hands. So,
now thathewasinfrenziedmood,obsessedwithviolenceheswungopentheentrancetothe building.
Afterthatthefiendsteppedswiftlyontothebrightlycolouredfloor.Irascibleoftemper,headvanced
from hiseyesthereflashedahideouslight,mostlikeaflame.Inthehallhesawthe manysoldiers,the
fraternal company, sleeping, a throng of young fightingmen gathered together. His heart jubilated
then the hideousmonstermeant, beforedaycame,topartlife frombodyofeachsingleoneofthem,
sincetheprospectofgorginghimselffullhadpresenteditself.
734
It was no longer to be his lot beyond that night to be allowed to devour any more of
humankind: strong and mighty, Hygelacs kinsman was observing howthenefarious spoiler would
proceed inthecourseof this precipitate assault.The monsterdid notintendtodelay,butas astarthe
hastily grabbed a sleeping soldier, tore him apart without any trouble, chewedhisjoints, drankthe
blood out of his veins and gulped him down in gobbets. Soon he had consumed the whole of the
lifeless man, evenhis feetandhands.Forwardandnearerhesteppedthenwith hishandheseizedthe
unflinchingsoldier on his bed.With his claw thefiend clutchedat him he,withastute presence of
mind, quickly grabbed hold of it and braced himself against the arm. Straightway that master of
violentdeedsdiscoveredthat nowhereintheworld,nowhereontheplainsofearth,had hemetinany
other man agreater handgrip. He grewafraidin heart andinspirit butnonethesoonerfor thatcould
hegetaway. Hisinstinctwasurginghimtobeoffhewanted toescapeintothedarkness,tojoin the
flock of devilishcreatures. This presentexperience of his was notsuchashehadencounteredbefore
inallthedaysofhislife.
758
Then thatworthyman, Hygelacskinsman,boreinmindhisspeechofthatevening.Hestood
upright and grappled tightly with him. His fingers wereatcracking point.Theogrewas edging his
way outwards the noblewarriorkeptmovingforward stepby step.The notoriouscreaturemeantto

goleapingofftoasaferdistanceifhecould,andfleeawayfromthereintohisfenhaunts. Herealized
hisfingerspower wasin afierce foesgrips.Itwasabitterforayonwhichthemalignantspoilerhad
journeyedtoHeorot.
767
Thelordlyhallrangwiththedin.For alltheDanesdwellinginthefortress,forthoseearlsand
foreverybrave man itwas the bitter dregsoftheale.Thetwofuriousdefendersofthehallwereboth
enraged. The building resounded. It was a great wonder that the winehall withstood the fierce
combatants and that the beautiful residence did not collapse to the ground, but it was sufficiently
secured inside and out by straps ofiron,cunninglysmithied.Manya meadbenchembellishedwith
gold was wrenched from its footings, so I have heard tell, where the ferocious adversaries fought
together.KnowledgeablemenamongtheScyldings hadnot previously believedof itthatanyperson
couldeverby ordinarymeans wreck that excellent hall cladwithbracingtimbers,orreduceittoruin
bycunningunlessfiresembraceshouldengulfitinitsblaze.
782
Anoise,astrangenoise,roseuprepeatedly.IntheDanesaterriblefearsprangup,in eachone
of them whofrom the rampartheardawailing,heardGodsadversaryhowlingaterriblewarchant,a
song of victory lost, hells prisoner moaning over his wound. The man who was in strength the
sturdiestofpeopleatthattimeinthismortalexistence,heldhimfast.
XII
791
Beowulf, sheltererofearls, wasnotwilling onanyaccounttoreleasethe murderousintruder
alive for he did not reckon thatthedays ofhislife wereto anyones advantage. Repeatedly,oneof
Beowulfs earls would draw his ancient sword there, wanting to protect the life of their lord and
famed prince wherevertheycould. There was something they did notknow when they joined in the
struggle,thosesternlymotivated fightingmen, andthought tochop athimfrom everyside and seek
hislife:nobattleblade noranyironsword,notthechoicestonearth,wouldtouchthatevilspoiler,for
hehadmadehimselfimperviousby magic to weaponscustomarilyvictorious,toanyswordwhatever
yet his severance fromlife atthattimein this mortalexistencewasto be awretched one andthis
alienbeingwastojourneyfarawayintothepowerofdevils.
809
Then hewho hithertoperpetratedmuch heartfeltafflictionandviolenceagainsthumankind
he being antagonistic towards God found that his bodywould not perform for him,forHygelacs
courageouskinsman was restraininghimby meansofhishands.Each wasloathsome totheotheras
long as he remained alive. The terrible monster suffered a bodily wound in his shoulder a great
lesion became conspicuous. The sinews were snapping apart, his joints were bursting.ToBeowulf
wasgrantedthebattletriumphGrendelwasforcedto fleefromtheremortallywounded,tomakehis
way to a comfortlessdwellingplaceunder coverofthemarshyslopeshewasall the more clearly
awarethattheendof his lifeandthefullspanofhisdayshadbeenreached.FortheDanesasawhole
anambitionhadbeenrealizedinconsequenceofthatfatalcombat.

BeowulffightsGrendelsMother

XXII
1473
Beowulf,sonofEcgtheow,spoke:
1474
Bemindfulnow,Healfdenesfamousson,wiseking,peoplesgenerousfriend,nowthatIam
set uponthisexploit, of whatweearlier spoke about:thatifIshouldlosemylifeinthecauseofyour
needyouwould alwaysbein the stead of afather to me,beingdeparted.Beaprotectinghandtomy
retainers, to my righthandmen,ifbattlecarriesmeoffthetreasurestoo whichyougaveme,beloved
Hrothgar, send themto Hygelac.Thenthelord of the Geatswill be ableto understand by that gold,
and Hrethelssonseewhen he gazesupon that wealth,thatIhave founda ringgivervirtuousin his

generosityand had the joyof it whileIwasallowed.Andlet Unferth,a man known farafield,have

theancient heirloom,my rarelyornamentedswordofripplepatterneddamascene,hardofedge.With
HruntingIshallachieverenown,orelsedeathwillcarrymeoff.
1492
AfterthesewordstheprinceoftheWederGeatspressedonwithcourageandwouldnoteven
wait for areply.The troubled waterofthelake engulfedthe warrior. Then it was agood partof the
day before he was able to discern the bottom. She who fora hundred seasons,ravenousforblood,
savage and greedy, had tyrannized over the watery regions soon discovered that some man was
probingfromaboveintothelairof aliencreatures:soshe madeagrabathimandseizedthewarriorin
her hideous clutches. But not that way would she harm his body unscathed within: ontheoutside,
chainmailshieldeditabout so that shewasunabletopokeherloathsomefingersthroughhissoldiers
armour,thecorsletofinterlockedrings.
1506
So, when she had reached the bottom, this shewolf of the water carted themailprotected
princeinto her hall,because,although hehadthecourage forit,hewasunabletowieldweapons,for
such a host of extraordinary creatures constricted him in swimming: many a seabeast with
fightingfangstoreathis soldiersmailcoatmonstersmenacedhim.Thenthemanrecognizedthathe
wasin some kind of abode ofevilwhere nowaterharmed him atall andthecurrentssuddenclutch
was unable to touch him because of the roofed abode. He saw a fierylight,a luridgleamglowing
brightly. Then the virtuous man recognizedthedamnedcreature of the deep,the brawny waterhag.
He gave his battleblade a mighty impetus his hand did not hold back the stroke so that the
ringornamented sword sang out a greedy warcry onher head.Thenthevisitor discoveredthatthe
gleaming weapon wouldnot bite anddamage hervitals, buttheedgecheated the princein his need.
Many confrontations handtohand it had sustainedbefore this, had often slicedthrough ahelmet, a
doomedsoldiersbattledress:thiswasthefirsttimefortheprecioustreasurethatitsreputationfailed.
1529
Even then he wassingleofpurpose,nordid helosecourage:Hygelacskinsmanhadglorious
accomplishmentsin mind.So,angered, theassailant tossed aside the twistpatternedsword,fastened
aboutwithgems ofartistry,sothatitlay,sturdyandsteelyedged,ontheground,andhetrustedtohis
strength and the main force of handtohand wrestling. A man mustactso, whenhemeans togain
longlastingfameinthefight:hewillnotbeobsessedwithsurvival.
1537
So the leader of the warfaringGeats,who feltnocompunctioninthe feud,grabbedGrendels
mother by the shoulderthen, ruthless in the struggle, for he wasnow enragedtobursting,hethrew
the lifemenacing foesothatshe fellto the floor. She sharplygave him quittanceagainwithsavage
clutches,andshe made agrabat him.Then, desperateofmood,shetrippedthemanfightingonfoot,
strongestof warriors,sothathewasprostratedthenshepinneddownherhallvisitoranddraggedout
herbroad,brightedgedknife:shemeanttoavengeherchild,heronly son. Acrosshisshoulderlaythe
meshed mailshirt: it saved his life and resisted penetration by point or edge. Ecgtheows son, the
Geatish campaigner, would have perishedthendown inthevast deep,hadnothisbattlecorslet,his
sturdysoldiers mailcoat, affordedhimhelpandwereitnotthatholyGodheldswayovervictory in
war.ThewiseLord,arbiteroftheheavens,easilydeterminedthematteronthesideofrightassoonas
hegotupagain.
XXIII
1557
Then,amongsometrappings,hesawabladeblessedwithsuccess, anancient,gigantic sword,
excellingin itsedges,a thingtolendprestigetowarriors.It wasthechoicestofweaponsexceptthat
it washuger than anyothermanwouldbe abletocarryintothecutandthrustofbattleefficient and
beautiful, theworkofgiants.So,boldheroof theScyldings, fierceanddeadlygrim, he grabbed the
bound hilt,unsheathedtheringembellishedswordand,not expecting tosurvive, struck angrily so
that it caught her hard on her neck and smashedthe ringsofbone:clean through herdoomedflesh

clove the blade. She fell dead to the floor. The sword was bloody. The man felt pleased at his
achievement.
1570
A radiance gleamed forth and a light appeared therein, even as the sun, candle of the sky,
shinesbrilliantly fromheaven.He gazed aboutthehall, thenhe setoffalongsidethewall.Hygelacs
thane, angry and single of purpose, raised the weapon, gripped hard by the hilt, on high. The
sharpedged sword was notwithoutfurtherusefulnesstothewarrior,forhemeant torepay Grendel
smartlyforthosemany assaults whichhemade upontheWestDanesmuchmoreoftenthanonthat
one expedition when he slew members of Hrothgarshousehold during their nightrest,devouredas
they sleptfifteen men ofthe Danishnation, and cartedoutandawayasmanyagain,ashisloathsome
spoil.For this,Beowulf, fiercecampaigner,paidhimrewardsoefficaciouslythatonabedhebeheld
thebattleweary Grendel lying lifeless,followingthe damage whichthestruggleatHeorot had done
him. Wide opensplithiscorpse as, afterdeath, he suffered ablow,a hard swingeing swordstroke
andBeowulfcutoffhishead.