The next morning, at early dawn, warriors in numbers
flock to the hall Heorot, to hear the news. Joy
is boundless. Glee runs high. Hrothgar and
his retainers are lavish of gratitude and of gifts.
Grendel’s mother, however, comes the next
night to avenge his death. She is furious and
raging. While Beowulf is sleeping in a room somewhat
apart [x] from the quarters of the other warriors,
she seizes one of Hrothgar’s favorite counsellors,
and carries him off and devours him. Beowulf is
called. Determined to leave Heorot entirely purified,
he arms himself, and goes down to look for the female
monster. After traveling through the waters many
hours, he meets her near the sea-bottom. She drags
him to her den. There he sees Grendel lying dead.
After a desperate and almost fatal struggle with the
woman, he slays her, and swims upward in triumph, taking
with him Grendel’s head.
Joy is renewed at Heorot. Congratulations
crowd upon the victor. Hrothgar literally pours
treasures into the lap of Beowulf; and it is agreed
among the vassals of the king that Beowulf will be
their next liegelord.
Beowulf leaves Dane-land. Hrothgar weeps and
laments at his departure.
When the hero arrives in his own land, Higelac
treats him as a distinguished guest. He is the
hero of the hour.
Beowulf subsequently becomes king of his own people,
the Geats. After he has been ruling for fifty
years, his own neighborhood is wofully harried by
a fire-spewing dragon. Beowulf determines to kill
him. In the ensuing struggle both Beowulf and
the dragon are slain. The grief of the Geats is
inexpressible. They determine, however, to leave
nothing undone to honor the memory of their lord.
A great funeral-pyre is built, and his body is burnt.
Then a memorial-barrow is made, visible from a great
distance, that sailors afar may be constantly reminded
of the prowess of the national hero of Geatland.
The poem closes with a glowing tribute to his bravery,
his gentleness, his goodness of heart, and his generosity.
* * * *
*
It is the devout desire of this translator to hasten
the day when the story of Beowulf shall be as familiar
to English-speaking peoples as that of the Iliad.
Beowulf is our first great epic. It is an epitomized
history of the life of the Teutonic races. It
brings vividly before us our forefathers of pre-Alfredian
eras, in their love of war, of sea, and of adventure.
My special thanks are due to Professors Francis A.
March and James A. Harrison, for advice, sympathy,
and assistance.
J.L.
HALL.
[xi]
B. = Bugge. C. = Cosijn. Gr. = Grein.
Grdvtg. = Grundtvig. H. = Heyne. H. and
S. = Harrison and Sharp. H.-So. = Heyne-Socin.
K.= Kemble. Kl. = Kluge. M.= Muellenhoff.
R. = Rieger. S. = Sievers. Sw. = Sweet. t.B.
= ten Brink. Th. = Thorpe. W. = Wuelcker.
