The Beowulf Discussion: Section XII

[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.

XII


NOT in any wise would the earls'-defence {12a}
suffer that slaughterous stranger to live,
useless deeming his days and years
to men on earth. Now many an earl
of Beowulf brandished blade ancestral,
fain the life of their lord to shield,
their praised prince, if power were theirs;
never they knew, -- as they neared the foe,
hardy-hearted heroes of war,
aiming their swords on every side
the accursed to kill, -- no keenest blade,
no farest of falchions fashioned on earth,
could harm or hurt that hideous fiend!
He was safe, by his spells, from sword of battle,
from edge of iron. Yet his end and parting
on that same day of this our life
woful should be, and his wandering soul
far off flit to the fiends' domain.
Soon he found, who in former days,
harmful in heart and hated of God,
on many a man such murder wrought,
that the frame of his body failed him now.
For him the keen-souled kinsman of Hygelac
held in hand; hateful alive
was each to other. The outlaw dire
took mortal hurt; a mighty wound
showed on his shoulder, and sinews cracked,
and the bone-frame burst. To Beowulf now
the glory was given, and Grendel thence
death-sick his den in the dark moor sought,
noisome abode: he knew too well
that here was the last of life, an end
of his days on earth. -- To all the Danes
by that bloody battle the boon had come.
From ravage had rescued the roving stranger
Hrothgar's hall; the hardy and wise one
had purged it anew. His night-work pleased him,
his deed and its honor. To Eastern Danes
had the valiant Geat his vaunt made good,
all their sorrow and ills assuaged,
their bale of battle borne so long,
and all the dole they erst endured
pain a-plenty. -- 'Twas proof of this,
when the hardy-in-fight a hand laid down,
arm and shoulder, -- all, indeed,
of Grendel's gripe, -- 'neath the gabled roof.



INITIAL COMMENTARY:
The translator uses the word "earl" here to refer to Beowulf's men, and that is used to translate "eorl", "eorla". Other translates use "thane" to translate the title. The expression "earls'-defence" is a kenning for Beowulf himself.

Note the use of the word "falchion" to refer to the thanes' weapons. A falchion is a high medieval sword (used after the Norman invasion of 1066), probably taken to England by the Normans, although the design is believed to have been based on more ancient blades. Still, the word is Norman French and it belies the translator's prejudice toward Norman-era imagery as noted in previous sections.

Another interesting (and Norman-like) concept here is that the thanes' bear swords carried by their forefathers. Ironically, real Swedes from this period (400-600 CE) probably would not have inherited swords from their fathers. The weapons would not have been servicable for so long a period.

The Vikings devised a famous blade design, the pattern-welded sword, that is said to have been unbreakable. The smith took two pieces of iron in the form of rods, heated and beat them into a long twisted shape, and then beat them flat. Finally, an iron edge was welded onto the core. The process, according to some modern researchers, required about a month's work. Only chiefs would have had swords like these.

Hygelac, referred to in the poem, was a historical Danish king who raided France in part (at least) to steal Frankish swords, which at this time were considered to be the best swords in Europe. The Franks remembered him as Chlochilaich (Geoffrey of Tours wrote about his raid).

I don't believe the original text identifies the thanes' swords as heirlooms. My Old English is not that good but there is a pretty thorough analysis of many of the Old English words here: http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext06/8bwlf10ha.htm if you want to take a look for yourselves.

This section records the first of the "live" great deeds reported for Beowulf. That is, unlike his journey across the sea and his battle with the sea-monster, Beowulf's struggle with Grendel takes place in the current time. He rips off Grendel's ar m, a feat not matched by any of Tolkien's heroes (that I can think of). Helm Hammerhand comes closest, but he only slays a man (Freca) by hitting him.