The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Argument
• The Story of Beowulf
• I.: And First of the Kindred of Hrothgar.
• II.: Concerning Hrothgar, and How He Built the House Called Hart. Also Grendel Is Told Of.
• III.: How Grendel Fell Upon Hart and Wasted It.
• IV.: Now Comes Beowulf Ecgtheow’s Son to the Land of the Danes, and the Wall-warden Speaketh With Him.
• V.: Here Beowulf Makes Answer to the Land-warden, Who Showeth Him the Way to the King’s Abode.
• VI.: Beowulf and the Geats Come Into Hart.
• VII.: Beowulf Speaketh With Hrothgar, and Telleth How He Will Meet Grendel.
• VIII.: Hrothgar Answereth Beowulf and Biddeth Him Sit to the Feast.
• IX.: Unferth Contendeth In Words With Beowulf.
• X.: Beowulf Makes an End of His Tale of the Swimming. Wealhtheow, Hrothgar’s Queen, Greets Him; and Hrothgar Delivers to Him the Warding of the Hall.
• XI.: Now Is Beowulf Left In the Hall Alone With His Men.
• XII.: Grendel Cometh Into Hart: of the Strife Betwixt Him and Beowulf.
• XIII.: Beowulf Hath the Victory: Grendel Is Hurt Deadly and Leaveth Hand and Arm In the Hall.
• XIV.: The Danes Rejoice; They Go to Look On the Slot of Grendel, and Come Back to Hart, and On the Way Make Merry With Racing and the Telling of Tales.
• XV.: King Hrothgar and His Thanes Look On the Arm of Grendel. Converse Betwixt Hrothgar and Beowulf Concerning the Battle.
• XVI.: Hrothgar Giveth Gifts to Beowulf.
• XVII.: They Feast In Hart. the Gleeman Sings of Finn and Hengest.
• XVIII.: The Ending of the Tale of Finn.
• XIX.: More Gifts Are Given to Beowulf. the Brising Collar Told Of.
• XX.: Grendel’s Dam Breaks Into Hart and Bears Off Aeschere.
• XXI.: Hrothgar Laments the Slaying of Aeschere, and Tells of Grendel’s Mother and Her Den.
• XXII.: They Follow Grendel’s Dam to Her Lair.
• XXIII.: Beowulf Reacheth the Mere-bottom In a Day’s While, and Contends With Grendel’s Dam.
• XXIV.: Beowulf Slayeth Grendel’s Dam, Smiteth Off Grendel’s Head, and Cometh Back With His Thanes to Hart.
• XXV.: Converse of Hrothgar With Beowulf.
• XXVI.: More Converse of Hrothgar and Beowulf: the Geats Make Them Ready For Departure.
• XXVII.: Beowulf Bids Hrothgar Farewell: the Geats Fare to Ship.
• XXVIII.: Beowulf Comes Back to His Land. of the Tale of Thrytho.
• XXIX.: Beowulf Tells Hygelac of Hrothgar: Also of Freawaru His Daughter.
• XXX.: Beowulf Forebodes Ill From the Wedding of Freawaru: He Tells of Grendel and His Dam.
• XXXI.: Beowulf Gives Hrothgar’s Gifts to Hygelac, and By Him Is Rewarded. of the Death of Hygelac and of Heardred His Son, and How Beowulf Is King of the Geats: the Worm Is First Told Of.
• XXXII.: How the Worm Came to the Howe, and How He Was Robbed of a Cup; and How He Fell On the Folk.
• XXXIII.: The Worm Burns Beowulf’s House, and Beowulf Gets Ready to Go Against Him. Beowulf’s Early Deeds In Battle With the Hetware Told Of.
• XXXIV.: Beowulf Goes Against the Worm. He Tells of Herebeald and HÆthcyn.
• XXXV.: Beowulf Tells of Past Feuds, and Bids Farewell to His Fellows. He Falls On the Worm, and the Battle of Them Begins.
• XXXVI.: Wiglaf Son of Weohstan Goes to the Help of Beowulf: NÆgling, Beowulf’s Sword, Is Broken On the Worm.
• XXXVII.: They Two Slay the Worm. Beowulf Is Wounded Deadly: He Biddeth Wiglaf Bear Out the Treasure.
• XXXVIII.: Beowulf Beholdeth the Treasure and Passeth Away.
• XXXIX.: Wiglaf Casteth Shame On Those Fleers.
• Xl.: Wiglaf Sendeth Tiding to the Host: the Words of the Messenger.
• Xli.: More Words of the Messenger. How He Fears the Swedes When They Wot of Beowulf Dead.
• Xlii.: They Go to Look On the Field of Deed.
• Xliii.: of the Burial of Beowulf.

XVI.

HROTHGAR GIVETH GIFTS TO BEOWULF.

• THEN was speedily bidden that Hart be withinward
• By hand of man well adorn’d; was there a many
• Of warriors and wives, who straightway that winehouse,
• The guest-house, bedight them: there gold-shotten shone
• The webs over the walls, many wonders to look on
• For men every one who on such things will stare.
• Was that building the bright all broken about
• All withinward, though fast in the bands of the iron;
• Asunder the hinges rent, only the roof there
• Was saved all sound, when the monster of evil
• The guilty of crime-deeds had gat him to flight
• Never hoping for life. Nay, lightly now may not
• That matter be fled from, frame it whoso may frame it.
• But by strife man shall win of the bearers of souls,
• Of the children of men, compelled by need,
• The abiders on earth, the place made all ready,
• The stead where his body laid fast on his death-bed
• Shall sleep after feast. Now time and place was it
• When unto the hall went that Healfdene’s son,
• And the King himself therein the feast should be sharing;
• Never heard I of men-folk in fellowship more
• About their wealth-giver so well themselves bearing.
• Then bow’d unto bench there the abounders in riches
• And were fain of their fill. Full fairly there took
• A many of mead-cups the kin of those men,
• The sturdy of heart in the hall high aloft,
• Hrothgar and Hrothulf. Hart there withinward
• Of friends was fulfilled; naught there that was guilesome
• The folk of the Scyldings for yet awhile framed.
• Gave then to Beowulf Healfdene’s bairn
• A golden war-ensign, the victory’s guerdon,
• A staff-banner fair-dight, a helm and a byrny:
• The great jewel-sword a many men saw them
• Bear forth to the hero. Then Beowulf took
• The cup on the floor, and nowise of that fee-gift
• Before the shaft-shooters the shame need he have.
• Never heard I how friendlier four of the treasures,
• All gear’d with the gold about, many men erewhile
• On the ale-bench have given to others of men.
• Round the roof of the helm, the burg of the head,
• A wale wound with wires held ward from without-ward,
• So that the file-leavings might not over fiercely,
• Were they never so shower-hard, scathe the shield-bold,
• When he ’gainst the angry in anger should get him.
• Therewith bade the earls’ burg that eight of the horses
• With cheek-plates adorned be led down the floor
• In under the fences; on one thereof stood
• A saddle all craft-bedeck’d, seemly with treasure.
• That same was the war-seat of the high King full surely
• Whenas that the sword-play that Healfdene’s son
• Would work; never failed in front of the war
• The wide-kenn’d one’s war-might, whereas fell the slain.
• So to Beowulf thereon of either of both
• The Ingwines’ high warder gave wielding to have,
• Both the war-steeds and weapons, and bade him well brook them.
• Thuswise and so manly the mighty of princes,
• Hoard-warden of heroes, the battle-race paid
• With mares and with gems, so as no man shall blame them,
• E’en he who will say sooth aright as it is.