Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race
Thus Hrothgar departed, to seek slumber in a less dangerous abode,
where, greatly troubled in mind, he awaited the dawn with almost
hopeless expectation, and Beowulf and his men prepared themselves for
the perils of the night.
Beowulf and Grendel
The fourteen champions of the Geats now made ready for sleep; but
while the others lay down in their armour, with weapons by their
sides, Beowulf took off his mail, unbelted his sword, unhelmed
himself, and gave his sword to a thane to bear away. For, as he said
to his men, "I will strive against this fiend weaponless. With no
armour, since he wears none, will I wrestle with him, and try to
overcome him. I will conquer, if I win, by my hand-grip alone; and the
All-Father shall judge between us, and grant the victory to whom He
will."
The Geats then lay down--brave men who slept calmly, though they knew
they were risking their lives, for none of them expected to see the
light of day again, or to revisit their native land: they had heard,
too, much during the feast of the slaughter which Grendel had wrought.
So night came, the voices of men grew silent, and the darkness
shrouded all alike--calm sleepers, anxious watchers, and the deadly,
creeping foe.
When everything was still Grendel came. From the fen-fastnesses, by
marshy tracts, through mists and swamp-born fogs, the hideous monster
made his way to the house he hated so bitterly. Grendel strode fiercely
to the door of Heorot, and would fain have opened it as usual, but it
was locked and bolted. Then the fiend's wrath was roused; he grasped
the door with his mighty hands and burst it in. As he entered he seemed
to fill the hall with his monstrous shadow, and from his eyes shone a
green and uncanny light, which showed him a troop of warriors lying
asleep in their war-gear; it seemed that all slept, and the fiend did
not notice that one man half rose, leaning on his elbow and peering
keenly into the gloom. Grendel hastily put forth his terrible scaly
hand and seized one hapless sleeper. Tearing him limb from limb, so
swiftly that his cry of agony was unheard, he drank the warm blood and
devoured the flesh; then, excited by the hideous food, he reached forth
again. Great was Grendel's amazement to find that his hand was seized
in a grasp such as he had never felt before, and to know that he had
at last found an antagonist whom even he must fight warily. Beowulf
sprang from his couch as the terrible claws of the monster fell upon
him, and wrestled with Grendel in the darkness and gloom of the
unlighted hall, where the flicker of the fire had died down to a dim
glow in the dull embers. That was a dreadful struggle, as the
combatants, in deadly conflict, swayed up and down the hall,
overturning tables and benches, trampling underfoot dishes and goblets
in the darkling wrestle for life. The men of the Geats felt for their
weapons, but they could not see the combatants distinctly, though they
heard the panting and the trampling movements, and occasionally caught
a gleam from the fiend's eyes as his face was turned towards them. When
they struck their weapons glanced harmlessly off Grendel's scaly hide.
The struggle continued for some time, and the hall was an utter wreck
within, when Grendel, worsted for once, tried to break away and rush
out into the night; but Beowulf held him fast in the grip which no man
on earth could equal or endure, and the monster writhed in anguish as
he vainly strove to free himself--vainly, for Beowulf would not loose
his grip. Suddenly, with one great cry, Grendel wrenched himself free,
and staggered to the door, leaving behind a terrible blood-trail, for
his arm and shoulder were torn off and left in the victor's grasp. So
the monster fled wailing over the moors to his home in the gloomy mere,
and Beowulf sank panting on a shattered seat, scarce believing in his
victory, until his men gathered round, bringing a lighted torch, by the
flaring gleam of which the green, scaly arm of Grendel looked ghastly
and threatening. But the monster had fled, and after such a wound as
the loss of his arm and shoulder must surely die; therefore the Geats
raised a shout of triumph, and then took the hateful trophy and
fastened it high up on the roof of the hall, that all who entered might
see the token of victory and recognise that the Geat hero had performed
his boast, that he would conquer with no weapon, but by the strength of
his hands alone.
In the morning many a warrior came to Heorot to learn the events of
the night, and all saw the grisly trophy, praised Beowulf's might and
courage, and followed with eager curiosity the blood-stained track of
the fleeing demon till it came to the brink of the gloomy lake, where
it disappeared, though the waters were stained with gore, and boiled
and surged with endless commotion. There on the shore the Danes
rejoiced over the death of their enemy, and returned to Heorot
care-free and glad at heart. Meanwhile Beowulf and his Geats stayed in
Heorot, for Hrothgar had not yet come to receive an account of their
night-watch. Throughout the day there was feasting and rejoicing, with
horse-races, and wrestling, and manly contests of skill and endurance;
or the Danes collected around the bard as he chanted the glory of
Sigmund and his son Fitela. Then came King Hrothgar himself, with his
queen and her maiden train, and they paused to gaze with horror on the
dreadful trophy, and to turn with gratitude to the hero who had
delivered them from this evil spirit. Hrothgar said: "Thanks be to the
All-Father for this happy sight! Much sorrow have I endured at the
hands of Grendel, many warriors have I lost, many uncounted years of
misery have I lived, but now my woe has an end! Now a youth has
performed, with his unaided strength, what all we could not compass
with our craft! Well might thy father, O Beowulf, rejoice in thy fame!
Well may thy mother, if she yet lives, praise the All-Father for the
noble son she bore! A son indeed shalt thou be to me in love, and
nothing thou desirest shalt thou lack, that I can give thee. Often
have I rewarded less heroic deeds with great gifts, and to thee I can
deny nothing."
Beowulf answered: "We have performed our boast, O King, and have
driven away the enemy. I intended to force him down on one of the
beds, and to deprive him of his life by mere strength of my hand-grip,
but in this I did not succeed, for Grendel escaped from the hall. Yet
he left here with me his hand, his arm, and shoulder as a token of his
presence, and as the ransom with which he bought off the rest of his
loathsome body; yet none the longer will he live thereby, since he
bears with him so deadly a wound."
Then the hall was cleared of the traces of the conflict and hasty
preparation was made for a splendid banquet. There was joy in Heorot.
The Danes assembled once again free from fear in their splendid hall,
the walls were hung with gold-wrought embroideries and hangings of
costly stuffs, while richly chased goblets shone on the long tables,
and men's tongues waxed loud as they discussed and described the
heroic struggle of the night before. Beowulf and King Hrothgar sat on
the high seats opposite to each other, and their men, Danes and Geats,
sitting side by side, shouted and cheered and drank deeply to the fame
of Beowulf. The minstrels sang of the Fight in Finnsburg and the deeds
of Finn and Hnaef, of Hengest and Queen Hildeburh. Long was the chant,
and it roused the national pride of the Danes to hear of the victory
of their Danish forefathers over Finn of the Frisians; and merrily the
banquet went forward, gladdened still more by the presence of Queen
Wealhtheow. Now Hrothgar showed his lavish generosity and his
thankfulness by the gifts with which he loaded the Geat chief; and not
only Beowulf, but every man of the little troop. Beowulf received a
gold-embroidered banner, a magnificent sword, helmet, and corslet, a
goblet of gold, and eight fleet steeds. On the back of the best was
strapped a cunningly wrought saddle, Hrothgar's own, with gold
ornaments. When the Geat hero had thanked the king fittingly, Queen
Wealhtheow arose from her seat, and, lifting the great drinking-cup,
offered it to her lord, saying:
"Take thou this goblet, my lord and my ruler,
O giver of treasure, O gold-friend of heroes,
And speak to the Geats fair speeches of kindness,
Be mirthful and joyous, for so should a man be!
To the Geats be gracious, mindful of presents
Now that from far and near thou hast firm peace!
Tidings have come to me that thou for son wilt take
This mighty warrior who has cleansed Heorot,
Brightest of banquet-halls! Enjoy while thou mayest
These manifold pleasures, and leave to thy kinsmen
Thy lands and thy lordships when thou must journey forth
To meet thy death."
Turning to Beowulf, the queen said: "Enjoy thy reward, O dear Beowulf,
while thou canst, and live noble and blessed! Keep well thy widespread
fame, and be a friend to my sons in time to come, should they ever
need a protector." Then she gave him two golden armlets, set with
jewels, costly rings, a corslet of chain-mail and a wonderful jewelled
collar of exquisite ancient workmanship, and, bidding them continue
their feasting, with her maidens she left the hall. The feast went on
till Hrothgar also departed to his dwelling, and left the Danes, now
secure and careless, to prepare their beds, place each warrior's
shield at the head, and go to sleep in their armour ready for an
alarm. Meanwhile Beowulf and the Geats were joyfully escorted to
another lodging, where they slept soundly without disturbance.
Grendel's Mother
In the darkness of the night an avenger came to Heorot, came in
silence and mystery as Grendel had done, with thoughts of murder and
hatred raging in her heart. Grendel had gone home to die, but his
mother, a fiend scarcely less terrible than her son, yet lived to
avenge his death. She arose from her dwelling in the gloomy lake,
followed the fen paths and moorland ways to Heorot, and opened the
door. There was a horrible panic when her presence became known, and
men ran hither and thither vainly seeking to attack her; yet there was
less terror among them than before when they saw the figure of a
horrible woman. In spite of all, the monster seized Aschere, one of
King Hrothgar's thanes, and bore him away to the fens, leaving a house
of lamentation where men had feasted so joyously a few hours before.
The news was brought to King Hrothgar, who bitterly lamented the loss
of his wisest and dearest counsellor, and bade them call Beowulf to
him, since he alone could help in this extremity. When Beowulf stood
before the king he courteously inquired if his rest had been peaceful.
Hrothgar answered mournfully: "Ask me not of peace, for care is
renewed in Heorot. Dead is Aschere, my best counsellor and friend, the
truest of comrades in fight and in council. Such as Aschere was should
a true vassal be! A deadly fiend has slain him in Heorot, and I know
not whither she has carried his lifeless body. This is doubtless her
vengeance for thy slaying of Grendel; he is dead, and his kinswoman
has come to avenge him."
"I have heard it reported by some of my people
That they have looked on two such unearthly ones,
Huge-bodied march-striders holding the moor wastes;
One of them seemed to be shaped like a woman,
Her fellow in exile bore semblance of manhood,
Though huger his stature than man ever grew to:
In years that are long gone by Grendel they named him,
But know not his father nor aught of his kindred.
Thus these dire monsters dwell in the secret lands,
Haunt the hills loved by wolves, the windy nesses,