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"Accept this beaker, my beloved lord,1 dispenser of treasure; may 'st be joyful, gold-friend of men! And speak to the Geats with gentle words! So man shall do. Be kind toward the Geats, mindful of gifts; near and far thou now hast safety. Men have said that thou this warrior wouldst have for a son. Heorot is purged, the bright hall of rings: enjoy while thou may

est

XIX. BEOWULF REWARDED. EVENTIDE

The cup was brought him, and friendly greeting

in words was given and twisted gold kindly proffered-bracelets two, armor and rings, a collar the largest of those that on earth I have heard tell of. Never 'neath heaven have I heard of a better treasure-hoard of men, since Hama bore off to the glittering burg the Brosings' necklace,§. the jewel and casket (he fled the guileful 1200 hate of Eormenric, chose gain eternal1). Hygelac the Geat wore this collar,

the grandson of Swerting, on his last raid, when he 'neath his banner the treasure defended,

the slaughter-spoil guarded; fate took him off when he out of pride sought his own woe, war with the Frisians; he the jewels conveyed, the precious stones, over the wave-bowl, the powerful king; he fell 'neath his shield. Then into the power of the Franks the king's

life

went, and his breast-weeds, went too the collar; warriors inferior plundered the fallen 1212 after the war-lot; the Geat-folk held the abode of the slain.

The hall resounded. Wealhtheow spake, before the warrior-band

said:

"Use this collar, Beowulf dear,

oh youth, with joy, and use this mantle, these lordly treasures, and thrive thou well; prove thyself mighty, and be to these boys gentle in counsels. I will reward thee. This hast thou achieved, that, far and near, throughout all time, men will esteem thee, even so widely as the sea encircles 1180 the windy land-walls. Be while thou livest a prosperous noble. I grant you well precious treasures; be thou to my sons gentle in deeds, thou who hast joy. Here is each earl to the other true,

the rewards of the many, and to thy sons leave folk and realm, when thou shalt go forth to see thy Creator. Well I know that my gracious Hrothulf will the youth in honor maintain if thou sooner than he, oh friend of the Scyldings, leavest the world. I ween that he with good will repay our offspring dear, if he remembers all the favors that we for his pleasure and honor performed when he was a child." Then she turned to the seat where were her sons,

Hrethric and Hrothmund, and the sons of the heroes, 1189

the youths all together; there sat the noble Beowulf the Geat, beside the two brothers.

1 Hrothgar

Hrothgar, and his nephew, Hrothulf, who must have been older than the king's children (cp. lines 1180 ff), but who evidently did not remain "true.' He was said to have killed his brothers.

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mild of mood, to his liege lord faithful; the thanes are united, the people all ready. 1230 Warriors who have drunken, do as I bid." To her seat then she went. There was choicest of feasts,

the warriors drank wine; Wyrd they knew not, calamity grim, as it turned out

for many a man after evening had come and Hrothgar had to his lodging departed, the ruler to rest. There guarded the hall

1 Perhaps entered a monastery (S. Bugge).

§ The famous necklace of Freyja, which Hama stole from Eormenric, the cruel king of the Goths.

countless warriors, as oft they had done. They cleared the bench-floor; it soon was o'erspread

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with beds and bolsters. A certain beer-bearer,
ready and fated, bent to his rest.
They set at their heads their disks of war,
their shield-wood bright; there on the bench,
over each noble, easy to see,

was his high martial helm, his ringed byrnie
and war-wood stout. It was their custom
that they were ever for war prepared,
at home, in the field, in both alike,
at whatever time to their liege lord
the need befel. 'Twas a ready people.

XX. GRENDEL'S MOTHER

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They sank then to sleep. One sorely paid for his evening rest, as full oft had happened since the gold-hall Grendel occupied, unrighteousness did, until the end came, death after sins. Then it was seen,

wide-known among men, that still an avenger lived after the foe, for a long time after the battle-care,-Grendel's mother. The woman-demon remembered her misery,

she that the watery horrors, the cold streams, had to inhabit, when Cain became

slayer by sword of his only brother,

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when the hilt-bound sword, hammer-beaten, stained with gore, and doughty of edges, hews off the head of the boar on the helm. Then in the hall the hard edge was drawn, the sword o'er the seats, many a broad shield raised firm in hand; helms they forgot and byrnies broad, when the terror seized them. She was in haste, would out from thence 1292 to save her life, since she was discovered. One of the nobles she quickly had

with grip fast seized, as she went to fen; he was to Hrothgar of heroes the dearest in comradeship beside the two seas,

a mighty shield-warrior, whom she killed, a hero renowned. (Beowulf was absent,

for another apartment had before been assigned,

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after giving of treasures, to the great Geat.) A cry was in Heorot. She took with its gore the well known hand;1 grief had become renewed in the dwellings.

change,

'Twas no good ex

with lives of their friends.

that those on both sides payment must make

Then was the old king,

the hoary war-hero, in stormy mood

when his highest thane, no longer living,

his dearest friend, he knew to be dead. Quickly to his chamber was Beowulf summoned,

his father's son. Then he went forth blood- the victor-rich warrior. Together ere day 1311

stained,

by murder marked, fleeing man's joy,

dwelt in the wilderness. Thence awoke many fated demons; Grendel was one,

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the hated fell wolf who at Heorot found a watchful warrior awaiting the conflict; and there the monster laid hold of him. Yet was he mindful of his great strength, the generous gift that God had given him, and trusted for help in him the All-wielder, for comfort and aid; so slew he the fiend,

he went with his earls, the noble champion with his comrades went where the wise king

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struck down the hell-spirit. Then humble he XXI. SORROW FOR ÆSCHERE. THE MONSTER'S

made off,

the foe of mankind, to seek his death-home,

of joy deprived. Natheless his mother,

greedy and gloomy, was bent on going

MERE

Hrothgar spake, the Scyldings' protector: "Ask not after happiness! Grief is renewed

the sorrowful journey, her son's death to to the folk of the Danes. Dead is Æschere,

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forfeiting life. And now comes another

mighty man-scather to avenge her son,-has from afar warfare established,

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as it may seem to many a thane

who mourns in spirit his treasure-giver,

I promise thee, not to the sea shall she 'scape, nor to earth's embrace, nor to mountain-wood, nor to ocean's ground, go whither she will.

in hard heart-affliction. Now low lies the hand This day do thou endurance have which once availed you for every desire.

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"I have heard it said by the land-dwellers, by my own subjects, my hall-counsellors, that they have seen a pair of such mighty march-stalkers holding the moors, stranger-spirits, whereof the one, so far as they could certainly know, was in form of a woman; the other, accurst, trod an exile's steps in the figure of man (save that he huger than other men was), whom in days of yore the dwellers on earth Grendel named. They know not a father. whether any was afore-time born

of the dark ghosts. That secret land they dwell in, wolf-dens, windy nesses,

the perilous fen-path, where the mountain stream

downward flows 'neath the mists of the nesses, the flood under earth. "Tis not far thence, 1361 a mile in measure, that the mere stands, over which hang rustling groves;

a wood fast rooted the water o'ershadows. "There every night may be seen a dire wonder,

fire in the flood. None so wise lives

of the children of men, who knows the bottom. Although the heath-stepper, wearied by hounds, the stag strong of horns, seek that holtwood, driven from far, he will give up his life, 1370 his breath, on the shore, ere he will venture his head upon it. That is no pleasant place. Thence surging of waters upwards ascends wan to the welkin, when the wind stirs up the hateful tempests, till air grows gloomy and skies shed tears. Again now is counsel in thee alone! The spot thou yet ken 'st not, the perilous place where thou may'st find this sinful being. Seek if thou dare. With riches will I for the strife reward thee, with ancient treasures, as I before did, with twisted gold, if thou comest off safe."

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in every woe, as I expect of thee!"

Up leapt the old man then, thanked God, the mighty Lord, for what the man said. For Hrothgar then a horse was bridled, a steed with curled mane. The ruler wise in state went forth; a troop strode on, bearing their shields. Tracks there were along the forest paths widely seen,

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her course o'er the ground; she had thither

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that battle-grip might not scathe his breast, the fierce one's wily grasp injure his life. But the flashing helm guarded his head, (which with the sea-bottom was to mingle, 1449 and seek the sea-surge) with jewels adorned, encircled with chains, as in days of yore the weapon-smith wrought it, wondrously framed,

set with swine-figures, so that thereafter no brand nor war-sword ever could bite it.

Nor then was that least of powerful aids which Hrothgar's orator1 lent him at need: Hrunting was named the hafted falchion. 'Twas among the foremost of olden treasures; its edge was iron, tainted with poison, 1459 harden'd with warrior-blood; ne'er in battle had it failed any of those that brandished it, who durst to travel the ways of terror, the perilous trysts. 'Twas not the first time that it a valorous deed should perform.

Surely Ecglaf's son remembered not, the mighty in power, what erst he had said, drunken with wine, when the weapon he lent to a better sword-warrior. He durst not himself 'mid the strife of the waves adventure his life, a great deed perform; there lost he his credit for valorous doing. Not so with the other 1471 when he had prepared himself for battle!

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to my near comrades, if war take me off. Also the treasures which thou hast given me, beloved Hrothgar, to Hygelac send.

By that gold then may the lord of the Geats know,

may Hrethel's son see, when he looks on that treasure,

that I in man's virtue have found one preeminent,

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a giver of rings, and rejoiced while I might. And let Hunferth have the ancient relic, the wondrous war-sword, let the far-famed man the hard-of-edge have. I with Hrunting will work me renown, or death shall take me." After these words the Weder-Geats' lord with ardor hastened, nor any answer would he await. The sea-wave received the warrior-hero. It was a day's space ere he the bottom could perceive. Forthwith she found-she who the flood's

course

had blood-thirsty held a hundred years, grim and greedy-that a man from above was there exploring the realm of strange creatures. 1500 Then at him she grasped, the warrior seized in her horrible claws. Nathless she crushed not his unhurt body; the ring-mail guarded him, so that she might not pierce that war-dress, the lock-linked sark, with her hostile fingers.

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Then when the sea-wolf reached the bottom, she bore to her dwelling the prince of rings so that he might not, brave as he was, his weapons wield; for many strange beings in the deep oppressed him, many a sea-beast with its battle tusks his war-sark broke; the wretches pursued him. Then the earl found he was in he knew not what dread hall, where him no water in aught could scathe, nor because of the roof could the sudden grip of the flood reach him; he saw a fire-light, a brilliant beam brightly shining. The hero perceived then the wolf of the deeps, the mighty mere-wife; a powerful onslaught he made with his falchion, the sword-blow withheld not, 1520

so on her head the ringed brand sang how that the battle-beam would not bite, a horrid war-song. The guest then discovered would not scathe life, but that the edge failed its lord at his need; erst had it endured hand-conflicts many, slashed often the helm, war-garb of the doomed; then was the first time for the precious gift that its power failed. Still was he resolute, slacked not his ardor, of great deeds mindful was Hygelac's kinsman. Flung he the twisted brand, curiously bound,

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the angry champion, that stiff and steel-edged it lay on the earth; in his strength he trusted, his powerful hand-grip. So shall man do, when he in battle thinks of gaining lasting praise, nor cares for his life.

angry and resolute. Nor was the edge
to the war-prince useless; for he would forth-
with

Grendel requite for the many raids
that he had made upon the West Danes,

By the shoulder then seized he (recked not of and not on one occasion only,

her malice),

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She pressed down the hall-guest, and drew her the conflict at Heorot; the corpse bounded far dagger,

when after death he suffered the stroke,

1589 the broad gleaming blade,—would avenge her the hard sword-blow, and his head it severed. son,

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Then he saw 'mongst the arms a victorious falchion,

an old jotun-sword, of edges doughty,

Forthwith they saw, the sagacious men, those who with Hrothgar kept watch on the

water,

that the surge of the waves was all commingled, the deep stained with blood. The grizzly-haired old men together spake of the hero,

how they of the atheling hoped no more that, victory-flush 'd, he would come to seek their famous king, since this seemed a sign that him the sea-wolf had quite destroyed. The noon-tide* came, they left the nesses, the Scyldings bold; departed home thence the gold-friend of men. The strangers sat, sick of mood, and gazed on the mere, wished but weened not that they their dear lord himself should see.

Then that sword, the war-blade, with its battle-gore like bloody icicles,

the glory of warriors; of weapons 'twas choic- began to fade. A marvel it was,

est,

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save it was greater than any man else to the game of war could carry forth, good and gorgeous, the work of giants. The knotted hilt seized he, the Seyldings' warrior,

fierce and deadly grim, the ringed sword swung; despairing of life, he angrily struck, that 'gainst her neck it griped her hard, her bone-rings1 brake. Thro' her fated carcass the falchion passed; on the ground she sank. The blade was gory, the man joy'd in his work. The sword-beam shone bright, light rayed within,

even as from heaven serenely shines

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how it all melted, most like to ice

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within those dwellings (though many he saw there)

except the head, and the hilt also, with jewels shining;-the blade had all melted, the drawn brand was burnt, so hot was the blood,

so venomous the demon, who down there had perished.

Afloat soon was he that at strife had awaited the candle of the firmament. He looked down the slaughter of foes; he swam up through the

the chamber,

then turned by the wall; his weapon upraised firm by the hilt Hygelac's thane,

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water.

* An apparent admission of the exaggeration in 1. 1495, though noon meant formerly the ninth hour of the day, which would bring it near evening.

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