The Beowulf Discussion: Section V

[Michael]

This discussion was originally posted to the Endor mailing list. It used the Project Gutenberg eText based on Frances Barton Gummere's translation of the poem. The source can be found here:
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext97/bwulf11.txt

It is necessary to use a public domain translation, so while more modern translations may be better or preferable, we cannot legally cite their texts here.

Eventually, I switched over to using this source text:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16328/16328-8.txt

The section numbers differ by 1. I had to post a "null" section for Section XVI to make the transition between translations. Some of my comments address the translator's choices, and they are not relevant to other translations.

V


STONE-BRIGHT the street: {5a} it showed the way
to the crowd of clansmen. Corselets glistened
hand-forged, hard; on their harness bright
the steel ring sang, as they strode along
in mail of battle, and marched to the hall.
There, weary of ocean, the wall along
they set their bucklers, their broad shields, down,
and bowed them to bench: the breastplates clanged,
war-gear of men; their weapons stacked,
spears of the seafarers stood together,
gray-tipped ash: that iron band
was worthily weaponed! -- A warrior proud
asked of the heroes their home and kin.
"Whence, now, bear ye burnished shields,
harness gray and helmets grim,
spears in multitude? Messenger, I,
Hrothgar's herald! Heroes so many
ne'er met I as strangers of mood so strong.
'Tis plain that for prowess, not plunged into exile,
for high-hearted valor, Hrothgar ye seek!"
Him the sturdy-in-war bespake with words,
proud earl of the Weders answer made,
hardy 'neath helmet: -- "Hygelac's, we,
fellows at board; I am Beowulf named.
I am seeking to say to the son of Healfdene
this mission of mine, to thy master-lord,
the doughty prince, if he deign at all
grace that we greet him, the good one, now."
Wulfgar spake, the Wendles' chieftain,
whose might of mind to many was known,
his courage and counsel: "The king of Danes,
the Scyldings' friend, I fain will tell,
the Breaker-of-Rings, as the boon thou askest,
the famed prince, of thy faring hither,
and, swiftly after, such answer bring
as the doughty monarch may deign to give."
Hied then in haste to where Hrothgar sat
white-haired and old, his earls about him,
till the stout thane stood at the shoulder there
of the Danish king: good courtier he!
Wulfgar spake to his winsome lord: --
"Hither have fared to thee far-come men
o'er the paths of ocean, people of Geatland;
and the stateliest there by his sturdy band
is Beowulf named. This boon they seek,
that they, my master, may with thee
have speech at will: nor spurn their prayer
to give them hearing, gracious Hrothgar!
In weeds of the warrior worthy they,
methinks, of our liking; their leader most surely,
a hero that hither his henchmen has led."



INITIAL COMMENTARY:
The opening lines of this section reveal a couple of interesting facts.

First, the people living in/around Heorot are "clansmen". They are all related to each other. The Rohirrim don't speak of such kinship, but figuratively they claim to be the "sons of Eorl" (their first king in the Mark), naming themselves the Eorlingas. This was a common practice among Germanic peoples, and many place-names in England and Germany (perhaps also Scandinavia, but I cannot think of any) actually follow the Saxon practice of naming a community for its leader. Hastings, for example, is derived from Haestingas -- the followers (or sons) of Haest.

The second interesting point made in these opening lines is the mention of corselets. The word "corselet" can be used of mail but it is derived from Old French and really usually refers to a breast-plate -- a type of armor that Danish warriors of the 5th century CE would hardly have worn. This is, I think, an indication of the translator's weak knowledge of the period (or deliberate rendering of the story into a pseudo 'High Medieval' geste). Another translation (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16328/16328-8.txt) renders the word as "war-burnies".

The correct spelling is "byrnie", derived from Old English Byrne, and that is the name for a sleeveless shirt of mail. It may be that Gummere wanted to evoke images of the Achaeans and Trojans in the "The Odyssey". It would be interesting to see Tolkien's comments on this translation. I doubt they would be favorable, but let me point out that he did speak of the Rohirrim (in one of his letters) as "Homeric horsemen". I selected this translation because it was the easiest on the eyes, not the most faithful rendering. Nonetheless, it does evoke something of the Homeric element Tolkien may have sought with his own invention.

Note the use of Ash spears. Tolkien mentions Ash spears in LoTR (I think for the Rohirrim, but possibly for the Rangers of Eriador -- I wish I had the book here to check). Nonetheless, the similarity between the spear-armed, mail-wearing Danes and the Riders of Rohan has been the subject of much commentary.

Finally, Wulfgar plays a role similar to that of Hama in LoTR. Wulfgar is Hrothgar's doorwarden, and he conveys Beowulf's greeting and entreaty to the king, just as Hama convey's Gandalf's to Theoden.