BEOWULF

SUMMARY:
The poem opens with a brief genealogy of the Scylding (Dane) royal dynasty, named
after a mythic hero, Scyld Scefing, who reached the tribe's shores as a castaway baby on a
ship loaded with treasure. Scyld's funeral is a memorable early ritual in the work, but
focus soon shifts to the reign of his great-grandson, Hrothgar, whose successful rule is
symbolized by a magnificent central mead-hall called Heorot. For twelve years, a huge
man-like ogre named Grendel, a descendant of the biblical murderer Cain, has menaced
the aging Hrothgar, raiding Heorot and killing the king's thanes (warriors). Grendel
terrorizes Heorot because he is envious of the people’s happiness. His jealousy consumes
him, and he decides to attack Heorot. Grendel rules the mead-hall nightly.
Beowulf, a young warrior in Geatland (southwestern Sweden), comes to
the Scyldings' aid, bringing with him fourteen of his finest men. Hrothgar
once sheltered Beowulf's father during a deadly feud, and the mighty
Geat hopes to return the favor while enhancing his own reputation and
gaining treasure for his king, Hygelac. At a feast before nightfall of the
first day of the visit, an obnoxious, drunken Scylding named Unferth
insults Beowulf and claims that the Geat visitor once embarrassingly lost
a swimming contest to a boyhood acquaintance named Breca and is no
match for Grendel. Beowulf responds with dignity while putting Unferth
in his place. In fact, the two swimmers were separated by a storm on the
fifth night of the contest, and Beowulf had slain nine sea monsters before
finally returning to shore.
While the Danes retire to safer sleeping quarters, Beowulf and the Geats
bed down in Heorot, fully aware that Grendel will visit them. He does.
Angered by the joy of the men in the mead-hall, the ogre furiously bursts
in on the Geats, killing one and then reaching for Beowulf. Beowulf
knows that no weapons forged by mortals can destroy Grendel, so he will
fight the monster using his bare hands. With the strength of thirty men
in his hand-grip, Beowulf seizes the ogre's claw and does not let go. The
ensuing battle nearly destroys the great hall, but Beowulf emerges
victorious as he rips Grendel's claw from its shoulder socket, sending the
mortally wounded beast fleeing to his mere (pool). The claw trophy hangs
high under the roof of Heorot.
The Danes celebrate the next day with a huge feast featuring
entertainment by Hrothgar's scop (pronounced "shop"), a professional
bard who accompanies himself on a harp and sings or chants traditional
lays such as an account of the Danes' victory at Finnsburh. This bard
also improvises a song about Beowulf's victory. Hrothgar's wife, Queen
Wealhtheow, proves to be a perfect hostess, offering Beowulf a gold collar
and her gratitude. Filled with mead, wine, and great food, the entire
party retires for what they expect to be the first peaceful night in years.
But Grendel's mother — not quite as powerful as her son but highly
motivated — climbs to Heorot that night, retrieves her son's claw, and
murderously abducts one of the Scyldings, Aeschere, who is King
Hrothgar’s wisest councellor, while Beowulf sleeps elsewhere. The next
morning, Hrothgar, Beowulf, and a retinue of Scyldings and Geats follow
the mother's tracks into a dark, forbidding swamp and to the edge of her
mere. The slaughtered Aeschere's head sits on a cliff by the lake, which
hides the ogres' underground cave. Carrying a sword called Hrunting, a
gift from the chastised Unferth, Beowulf dives into the mere to seek the
mother monster.
Near the bottom of the lake, Grendel's mother attacks and hauls the Geat warrior to her
dimly lit cave. Beowulf fights back once inside the dry cavern, but the gift sword,
Hrunting, strong as it is, fails to penetrate the ogre's hide. The mother moves to kill
Beowulf with her knife, but his armor, made by the legendary blacksmith Weland,
protects him. Suddenly Beowulf spots a magical, giant sword and uses it to cut through
the mother's spine at the neck, killing her. A blessed light unexplainably illuminates the
cavern, disclosing Grendel's corpse and a great deal of treasure. Beowulf decapitates the
corpse. The magic sword melts to its hilt. Beowulf returns to the lake's surface carrying
the head and hilt but leaving the treasure.
After more celebration and gifts and a sermon by King Hrothgar warning
of the dangers of pride and the mutability of time, Beowulf and his men
return to Geatland. There he serves his king well until Hygelac is killed
in battle and his son dies in a feud. Beowulf is then named king and
rules successfully for fifty years. Like Hrothgar, however, his peace is
shattered in his declining years. Beowulf must battle one more demon.
A fiery dragon has become enraged because a lone fugitive has inadvertently discovered
the dragon's treasure-trove and stolen a valuable cup. The dragon terrorizes the
countryside at night, burning several homes, including Beowulf's. Led by the fugitive,
Beowulf and eleven of his men seek out the dragon's barrow. Beowulf insists on taking
on the dragon alone, but his own sword, Naegling, is no match for the monster. Seeing his
king in trouble, one thane, Wiglaf, goes to his assistance. The others flee to the woods.
Together, Wiglaf and Beowulf kill the dragon, but the mighty king is mortally wounded.
Dying, Beowulf leaves his kingdom to Wiglaf and requests that his body be cremated in a
funeral pyre and buried high on a seaside cliff where passing sailors might see the
barrow. The dragon's treasure-hoard is buried with him. It is said that they lie there still.