The Story of Beowulf
We know a great deal about the Old English language thanks to the epic
poem Beowulf. Only one copy of this poem was ever found, and its
author is unknown. It was written sometime between the 8th and 11th
century and is 3,182 lines long. It is the earliest classic of English
literature.
This is the story of a Germanic hero, Beowulf, who fought many heroic
battles. Though the poem was written in the British Isles in the Old
English language, the tale is set in Scandinavia, in the land of the Geats
tribe, in the late 5th century. Beowulf fights heroic battles with the
monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a great dragon. This may well
be a legend that the Germanic peoples brought with them when they
invaded England. The significant thing about it is that it was written
down in English, the first work of its type that we know about.
First battle: Grendel
Beowulf begins with the story of King Hrothgar, who built the great hall
Heorot for his people. In it he, his wife, and his warriors spend their time
singing and celebrating. Grendel, a monster and an outcast from society
who is angered by their singing, waits until the warriors have gone to
sleep. Then he attacks the hall, kills the warriors and devours them.
But Grendel does not dare to touch the throne of Hrothgar, who is
protected by a powerful god. Hrothgar and his people, helpless against
Grendel’s attacks, abandon Heorot.
Beowulf, a young warrior from Geatland, hears of Hrothgar’s troubles
and, with his king’s permission, leaves his homeland to help Hrothgar.
Beowulf and his men spend the night in Heorot. After they fall asleep,
Grendel enters the hall and attacks, devouring one of Beowulf’s men.
Beowulf is not wearing any weapon because this would be an unfair
advantage against the unarmed beast, Grendel. Beowulf was only
pretending to sleep; now he leaps up to grab Grendel’s hand. The two
battle until it seems as though the hall might collapse. Beowulf’s men
draw their swords and rush to his aid, but their blades cannot pierce
Grendel’s skin as he is immune to human weapons. Finally, Beowulf
tears Grendel’s arm from his body at the shoulder, and Grendel runs to
his home in the marshes to die.
Second Battle: Grendel’s Mother
The next night, after celebrating Grendel’s death, Hrothgar and his men
sleep in Heorot. Grendel’s mother appears and attacks the hall. She
kills Hrothgar’s most trusted warrior in revenge for Grendel’s death.
Hrothgar, Beowulf, and their men track Grendel’s mother to her lair
under a lake. Beowulf prepares himself for battle; he is given a sword
called Hrunting. Beowulf dives into the lake, where Grendel’s mother
swiftly attacks him. She is unable to harm Beowulf through his armor
and drags him to the bottom of the lake. In a cavern containing
Grendel’s body, the mother and Beowulf engage in fierce combat.
At first, Grendel’s mother appears to be winning. Beowulf, finding that
his sword Hrunting cannot harm his foe, discards it in fury. He seizes a
mighty sword of the giants from Grendel’s mother’s armory, a sword that
no other man could have lifted in battle. Using that sword, he cuts off
her head. Then he discovers Grendel’s body and beheads it. Beowulf
returns to the surface and to his men. He goes back to Heorot, where
Hrothgar gives Beowulf many gifts, including a great sword.
Third Battle: The Dragon
Beowulf returns home and eventually becomes king of his own people.
One day, late in Beowulf’s life, a slave steals a golden cup from the lair of
a dragon. When the dragon sees that the cup has been stolen, it leaves
its cave in a rage, burning everything in sight. Beowulf and his warriors
come to fight the dragon, but when Beowulf is wounded by the dragon,
his warriors run away in fear. Only one of the warriors, a brave young
man named Wiglaf, stays to help Beowulf. The two kill the dragon, but
Beowulf dies from his wounds.
Beowulf’s body is cremated and he is buried on a cliff overlooking the
sea. The dragon’s treasure is buried with him. The remains of the
dragon are thrown into the sea.