Annotated Bibliography: Beowulf
“Hold now, Earth what men may not1 & 13,
The hoard of the heroes, earth-gotten wealth5, 11, & 12
When it first was won2. War-death has felled them,
An evil befalling each of my people.
The long-house is mirthless when men are lifeless14.
I have none to wear sword, none to bear wine
Or polish the precious vessels and plates2.
Gone are the brethren who braved many battles.
From the hard helmet the hand-wrought gilding9
Drops in the dust3. Asleep are the smiths
Who knew how to burnish the war-chief’s mask7
Or mend the mail-shirts mangled in battle.
Shields and mail-shirts molder with warriors
And follow no foes to faraway fields.
No harp rejoices to herald the heroes,
No hand-fed hawk swoops through the hall4,
No stallion stamps in the keep’s courtyard.
Death has undone many kindreds of men.”
Stricken in spirit, he spoke of his sorrow as last of his line15, drearily drifting10
Through day and dark until death’s flood-tied stilled his heart8.
1 According to Lee, the gold that the dragon is hiding behind his flames holds a curse that
illustrates a foreshadowing of doom. Frye emphasizes that “first phase language” is not directly
on the subject or objects, but rather on the natural environment (Fry qtd. in Lee 204). Lee states
that the gold is related to “Almighty’s Creation” through the gold-hall. In Beowulf, the gold-hall
is said to be the middle ground or “safe zone” in the story, a place of celebration and glory.
Therefore, the gold is related to “Almighty’s Creation” and that we are living in the middle
ground between Heaven and Hell. Lee believes that the dragon is the destroyer of Creation and
therefore hoards the gold which symbolizes the creation on Earth. Together the dragon and the
gold illustrate a type of doom that foreshadows the ending of Beowulf. The emphasis on the
“Hold now” illustrates the foreshadowing of the doom of Beowulf and the illustration of the gold
held by the dragon (202). I believe that the gold in Beowulf is cursed, and that it is a
reflection and a foreshadowing of destruction as Lee states. In the beginning of the
digression, the poet talks about the hoard of the dragon: another term for the gold. Directly
after talking about the cursed gold, the line reads: “War-death has felled them.” This
statement illustrates the destruction of the people, which is implied that the gold hoard had
a role in this destruction. As other sources confirmed, gold is seen commonly as a symbol
for destruction and the foreshadowing of the doom. There is not a time, besides in the gold
hall that I find gold to be seen as a positive symbol. The digression does justice to this idea
as well when it mentions, “The long-house is mirthless,” but then continues to bring gold
back to the negative connotation by saying, “but men are life-less.” The shifting and
juxtaposing of these two symbolizations and meanings of gold, illustrate the importance of
the gold’s role in Beowulf and leads the reader to make her own judgments about the
meaning of gold and what it is foreshadowing for the rest of the poem. I believe that it
foreshadows Beowulf’s death in this digression. The last survivor seems to humanize him
and make him seem just as easily capable of becoming a victim, if you will, of the curse.
2 According to Silber, the treasure that is alluded to in this poem is said to be wisdom learned
from battle that God allows men to share (7). Silber believes that the good intentions or
meanings of gold in Beowulf are “adorn[ed] people, places and weapons and, above all, to give
to deserving warriors” (6). This concept is important in this digression, because the men are
deceased from falling in battle but are holding the treasure of wisdom to share with Beowulf
before he goes to defeat the worm (Silber 6). The distribution of gold by Hrothgar is common;
Silber states that Hrothgar uses treasure as a source of wergild (8). Silber states that gold is often
shown on the armor of the soldiers (9). The gold portrayed in the armor illustrates the wisdom
that they have encountered and brought back from war to share with others, since the armor is
still usable. The gold armor can be seen as a gift of wergild to the soldier’s families after they
have died in battle. It is a way to remember their loved ones and a gift of gold after their loss.
The phrase “earth-gotten wealth, [ . . . ] won” shows irony in the word “won.” The irony of this
word illustrates that though the gold adorned soldiers have passed, they have won the wisdom
which is carried in their armor and transferred from soldier to soldier after death (Silber 7). This
idea relates to Hrothgar’s giving of gold as wergild as mentioned in Lawrence’s article. I
believe that the giving of the gold armor and the giving of the treasured wisdom is not
necessarily a positive action. I view the giving of the armor as a source of wisdom from
battle, as a foreshadowing that if they accept the armor, their fate will be the same as the
soldiers that have come before them, not as a source of wisdom as Silber explains. I believe
this because of all the negative connotations of gold and the curse, that I believe the “gold”
armor is also cursed and looked upon negatively. I also believe that it is negative to receive
the gold armor, because of the destruction of the soldiers in the armor previously, and by
wearing defeated armor, it seems to me to be a bad omen. It is cursed not only because it is
associated with gold, but also that the gold armor has been through so much, that the fate
of the next soldier will be the same as the last. I do not believe that the armor holds any
special significance only because it has been worn by a previous soldier and that their
wisdom has now been placed on the gold.
3 Bjork suggests that the soldiers in this digression “took gold from the earth, the Last Survivor
returns it” (Bjork 209). This suggests the power of the curse of the dragon’s gold. All the men
who took the gold had died, where the survivor who had put the gold back is still living (209).
This illustrates the idea that Beowulf could die, if he attempts to take the gold also. Bjork
encourages the idea that in this digression, the poet is foreshadowing Beowulf’s ending and
doom that is yet to come in the poem. Tripp argues that the Geats have put a prohibition on the
gold as a means for its seekers to “survive against God’s will” to be influential, but opens a new
idea that Beowulf seeks to go against fate (Tripp qtd. in Bjork 210). I find it interesting that the
only soldier standing is said, by Bjork, to have returned the gold. This furthers my belief
that gold is negative and illustrates its power and also makes the foreshadowing of
Beowulf’s death even more prevalent, because the gold has such an influence on those who
come in contact with it. According to Tripp’s argument, Beowulf is seen as a strong
untouchable hero, but why just him (Tripp qtd. in Bjork 210)? Is there a force or power that
helps him become imperishable? I believe that this digression shows the weakness of
Beowulf and that he cannot stand up to the curse. This idea makes Beowulf more human
like rather than god-like.
4 Halverson sees gold as a symbol of order and joy. Gold is often seen in the great hall which is
depicted as a place of protection and safety. Therefore, the “Lavishly adorned” hall illustrates the
order in the interior world (593). Halverson sees the two worlds as polar opposites: the interior
world as order and protection and the outside world as chaotic and dangerous (601). Halverson
also states that there is no more happiness after Beowulf’s end and that there is doom for the
people because their hero no longer exists (604). The chaos described in the digression illustrates
that the outside world is losing everything and that there is, and no one left to keep it in order.
Halverson’s ideas illustrate that the gold adorned hall is order and the outside world is full of
destruction of the people, the communities, and how it is run. The lack of gold in the outside
world helps to foreshadow the chaos of Beowulf’s death and show the final endings of the
outside world and its chaos (599). I do believe that the gold-hall is a place of peace and joy.
However, I do not believe that the gold is what gives it the joyous tone and atmosphere, like
Halverson presents. I believe that the hall is joyous because of a matter of enclosed walls,
that are filled with positive items such as food and is seen as a safe haven as suggested in
Lee’s article. As I understand, the gold in Beowulf is mostly a symbol of the curse, which
protrudes doom upon all of the land. However, protected by the walls, the great-hall is safe.
Therefore, I agree more with Lee, that the hall is a heavenly like place and is separated
from the destruction of the outside world. It cannot be, that the gold which holds such a
negative connotation in all other aspects of the poem, also has the influence of joy in the
great-hall, it would be inconsistent and contradictory.
5 Lawrence suggests that Beowulf was not given the cup at the beginning, but rather he was the
thief who stole the cup from the dragon. Lawrence also suggests that money or gold is given as a
settlement for the growth of the economy. He believes that this is a form of payment and a
contribution to the economy rather than being a form of wergild (552). The origin of the hoard
begins with the digression of the last survivor. The last survivor buries the gold in a burialmound of all the dead soldiers and this was a source of his strength (Lawrence 557). Lawrence
states earlier, that the dragon’s lair is located on an ancient burial-mound; therefore, the origins
of the dragon’s hoard came from the digression of The Lay of the Last Survivor (548). I believe
that Beowulf did take the cup from the dragon; however the word “theft” is harsh and does
not give him justice. I believe that Beowulf’s intentions for taking the cup were to stop the
curse and be a hero for his people. I also disagree with Lawrence because; I believe that the
gold given as a settlement is not for the growth or well-being of the economy, but for the
safety of their own lives. I see the giving of gold as a form of wergild, which illustrates the
soldiers’ selfishness and attempt at saving their own lives. They give the gold as a
repayment so that they are not killed for their actions of murder. They are also giving up
the gold, which is commonly associated with destruction. Therefore, they are giving up
something that has a negative connotation and is often the source of many deaths in this
poem.
6 Taylor states that the treasure that is stolen is a symbol of “begotten life” (192). This seems to
say that the treasure symbolizes a re-birth or a safety of life. This idea illustrates that Beowulf
seeks the gold to stay alive. Taylor also believes that household treasures such as swords and
cups were used as a source of wergild. The meaning of gold seems to be “a collection of good,”
which illustrates the intentions of giving good to the Geats (193). I do not believe that Beowulf
stole the treasure as a safety device for himself. The gold has been cursed, and Beowulf
stole the gold in a heroic action to save others from the curse. I also do not believe that the
collection of goods, is a positive wergild, but rather giving the destruction and doom to the
people. It cannot be possible that the giving of gold can be an action of gift giving from
kindness, but to pass on the doom. The negative connotations of the dragon’s gold is so
strong, that it leads me to believe that all gold in Beowulf is negative and suppresses the
Geats, leaving them only with negative influences of the treasure.
7 Hume believes that we are not focused on Beowulf himself, but the dragon and other mythical
monsters that he encounters (2). She states that the dragon who guards the cursed treasure is a
symbol of war. She believes that the dragon interrupts social order and is the symbol of
destruction (9). I believe that the gold is what holds the curse and the removal of the gold
from the dragon by Beowulf is the source of Beowulf’s misfortune. The dragon does not
hold the curse in himself, but guards the cursed treasure; therefore associating himself with
the curse and destruction. Hume believes that the dragon reacts to the theft of the treasure by
burning the great hall (9). And that Beowulf uses the gold and obtains as much as he can as way
to bring peace to the people (10). To go along with my assumption in another annotation,
Beowulf steals the treasure, not to gain the power or curse, but rather to be heroic and save
the people from all of the destruction. Therefore, I agree with Hume in the sense that he is
trying to bring peace and does so in a heroic way when he risks his own life by entering the
dragon’s lair to steal the cursed, doom-ridden treasure.
8 Tanke seems to believe that gold illustrates that the curse is so powerful that not even Beowulf
has a chance in battle (356). The digression illustrates the foreshadowing of Beowulf’s feat and
what is yet to come. Tanke believes that gold is associated with luck (358). He says that Beowulf
falls as a victim to the curse of gold. The Last Survivor’s speech suggests that the gold hoard can
no longer be owned by anyone else (363). Therefore, it is possible that the gold in this passage is
representing good luck to Beowulf because he cannot be cursed by the gold, which is owned last
by the dragon (358). However, the curse is still upon the gold, therefore, I believe that the
gold is a foreshadowing of Beowulf’s death especially because of gold’s negative
connotation in this digression after the death of all the gold armored soldiers who have
passed in battle. I do not think that Beowulf is an exception to the curse. Although he is a
very strong and honorable soldier, I do not think that he has the power to overcome such a
strong and forceful curse. I think that in a heroic attempt to save the people from the curse,
there is hope that he can withstand the curse and overcome the curse; however, he is
human and is subject to the curse just as much as the other people of Geatland.
9 Rogers believes that the joy of the hall is the action to destruction and doom. He believes that
material things and heroic deeds all lead to negative results (339). To add to the destruction,
Rogers also points out that Beowulf focuses on the negative aspects of treasure, and the evil that
it possesses throughout the poem. Beowulf’s main focus was not to gain treasure, but to trust in
God to get him through the battles (341). Roger’s ideas may hold true in the fact that
Beowulf’s heroic act of stealing the treasure to end the curse, led to the destruction of his
own life. Therefore, Roger’s viewpoint might be true. I also agree that Beowulf does focus
on the negative aspects of treasure. In my own beliefs of the digression above, I think that
the hoard and the speech of the last survivor lead the reader to believe that the hoard is the
epitome of all doom and destruction. I think that this digression foreshadows the future
destruction and the dreadful fate of Beowulf.
10 DuBois, lists all the possibilities of the dragon and his role in the poem. For example, he
believes that the dragon is a symbol of a known myth. He also believes that the “dragon is
connoted as undesirable, the monstrous, though not, like Grendel, a moral evil, necessarily”
(820). DuBois believes that the dragon is seen as equal or similar to the other fights that he has
encountered; therefore, making the dragon more realistic and human like (822). He focuses
mostly on the symbolism of the dragon and how one could view the dragon in the story. He
leaves most of the interpretation up to the reader. Similarly to most of the beliefs of gold in
Beowulf, DuBois believes that the treasure is a reflection of the doom that is coming upon
Geatland (822). I agree that the dragon is seen as undesirable; however, I do not believe that
that is a fair suggestion. As stated earlier, I believe that the dragon does not hold monstrous
qualities itself, but rather it is guarding the curse that forces him to be undesirable because
of the mere association with the cursed gold that is projecting evil and destruction to the
Geats. Because the curse is so powerful, the dragon must protect it and is entitled to protect
the hoard. This association again is negative and gives the connotative meaning of evil upon
the dragon. Like DuBois said, I do not think the dragon is necessarily evil, but by the
association, the dragon obtains undesirable qualities that Beowulf tries to overcome by
stealing the hoard.
11 Andersson believes that Beowulf is the thief in the story. He states, that the translation of the
moment that the thief is revealed is that Beowulf was handed the cup by an informer (494).
Andersson states that being charged or accused of stealing is a direct attack on the honor of the
person being accused (497). I believe that this is true; Beowulf was seen in a poor spotlight
because of his actions of theft. However, I believe that the attack on the honor depends on
the intentions for stealing. For example, I argue that Beowulf stole the hoard to end the
curse and to illustrate heroic deeds. Therefore, in this context, I do not think that theft is
not honorable, because it was done for a positive reason.
12 Levy writes that hoards illustrate the social power of the people and the differences in class.
Levy believes that by combining and grouping each social group, it would alleviate conflict
between the social classes (Levy qtd. in Tarzia 100). When the survivor is explaining that
there is no one left to do the various jobs of the town, he lists all different occupations. He
ranges from soldiers to those who polish and play music. There are a variety of occupations
that range from lower class to upper class jobs. This illustrates, that the hoard of these men
who have died are not showing a hierarchy, but is the burial of all the people from the
town. Tarzia also suggests that communities should hoard status symbols. This idea would
suggest that the hoarded soldiers on the burial-mound are a status of social structure (102). He
states that when Beowulf is dying, he passes on his armor of leadership (Tarzia 103). This idea is
agreeable and illustrates the passing of knowledge from one soldier to another as Silber wrote in
her article. I agree that the transition and the symbolic gift of Beowulf’s armor illustrates
the shifting of social status, however I disagree that the hoard pile in this particular passage
from Beowulf illustrates a distinct social class.
13 Tanke states, that he believes, the speech given by the last survivor is illustrating the idea that
there is no future for the hoard. He says that this passage demonstrates the ending of the hoard
and the curse. He also suggests that the dragons are not generous with the positivity of the gold,
but rather the gold is a favor from God (364). I find the word hoard or hoarding is interesting
in this quote and source. The passage in the text states, “Hold not now, Earth what men
may not” which to me suggests the idea that the gold is hoarded in the Earth, like it is in
the dragon’s lair. Addressing the Earth, gives a different spin on the meaning as well. The
idea that the Earth is holding the gold and that the men have died because of the curse of
the gold, which gives an eerie feeling and shows the importance of the dragon’s lair and the
effect that the gold has. I do not think that there is no future for the hoard as Tanke
suggests. Instead, I believe that the gold is an illustration or a foreshadowing of events that
are yet to come.
14 Halverson’s main argument is that the hall is a joyous and happy place, whereas the outside
world is unknown and often associated with negative connotations. For example, Halverson
states, that the direct contrast of the hall and the outside is that the hall has order and the outside
is chaos (601). I tend to agree with Halverson’s argument. Each time there is destruction or
disaster, such as in the digression of the last survivor, the death of Beowulf, etc. they tend
to be outdoors or outside of the hall. The chaos is any event outside of the hall where the
environment is no longer controlled. The last survivor comments on the thought that the
hall is joyous and happy, while in the reality and outdoors, there is destruction and
disorder.
15 Bjork states that it is important for the reciprocation of speech; through an exchange that help
to keep the alliances in the group, reciprocation of speech illustrates the gift-giving of the action
of speaking (995). Bjork also writes about the connection between the word hoard and the
treasure hoard. He states that the word hoard is in direct relation and coming together with the
treasure hoard. He mentions, the intentions of stealing the hoard during Beowulf’s last speech,
the exchange of speech becomes a tangible and realistic item (998). I think that the exchange
of words is important in Beowulf, especially when actions and event occur outside of the
hall. As stated by Tanke, the outside world is chaotic and destructed; therefore, speech
would help to restore the social order of the outside world. The act of taking the treasure is
not often associated with language, since the taking of the treasure was illegally taken,
usually implied as being sneaky and quiet.
Works Cited
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October 2012.
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Print.
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Print.
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JSTOR. Web. 30 September 2012.
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