The Beowulf Discussion: Section XXVI

[Michael]

This discussion was originally posted to the Endor mailing list. It used the Project Gutenberg eText based on Leslie Hall's translation of the poem. The source can be found here:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16328/16328-8.txt

XXVI.


HROTHGAR MORALIZES.--REST AFTER LABOR.



{A wounded spirit.}


"Then bruised in his bosom he with bitter-toothed missile
Is hurt 'neath his helmet: from harmful pollution
He is powerless to shield him by the wonderful mandates
Of the loath-cursèd spirit; what too long he hath holden
5 Him seemeth too small, savage he hoardeth,
Nor boastfully giveth gold-plated rings,[1]
The fate of the future flouts and forgetteth
Since God had erst given him greatness no little,
Wielder of Glory. His end-day anear,
10 It afterward happens that the bodily-dwelling
Fleetingly fadeth, falls into ruins;
Another lays hold who doleth the ornaments,
The nobleman's jewels, nothing lamenting,
Heedeth no terror. Oh, Beowulf dear,
15 Best of the heroes, from bale-strife defend thee,
And choose thee the better, counsels eternal;


{Be not over proud: life is fleeting, and its strength soon wasteth away.}


Beware of arrogance, world-famous champion!
But a little-while lasts thy life-vigor's fulness;
'Twill after hap early, that illness or sword-edge
20 Shall part thee from strength, or the grasp of the fire,
Or the wave of the current, or clutch of the edges,
Or flight of the war-spear, or age with its horrors,
Or thine eyes' bright flashing shall fade into darkness:
'Twill happen full early, excellent hero,


{Hrothgar gives an account of his reign.}


25 That death shall subdue thee. So the Danes a half-century
I held under heaven, helped them in struggles
'Gainst many a race in middle-earth's regions,
With ash-wood and edges, that enemies none
On earth molested me. Lo! offsetting change, now,


[61]


{Sorrow after joy.}


30 Came to my manor, grief after joyance,
When Grendel became my constant visitor,
Inveterate hater: I from that malice
Continually travailed with trouble no little.
Thanks be to God that I gained in my lifetime,
35 To the Lord everlasting, to look on the gory
Head with mine eyes, after long-lasting sorrow!
Go to the bench now, battle-adornèd
Joy in the feasting: of jewels in common
We'll meet with many when morning appeareth."
40 The Geatman was gladsome, ganged he immediately
To go to the bench, as the clever one bade him.
Then again as before were the famous-for-prowess,
Hall-inhabiters, handsomely banqueted,
Feasted anew. The night-veil fell then
45 Dark o'er the warriors. The courtiers rose then;
The gray-haired was anxious to go to his slumbers,
The hoary old Scylding. Hankered the Geatman,


{Beowulf is fagged, and seeks rest.}


The champion doughty, greatly, to rest him:
An earlman early outward did lead him,
50 Fagged from his faring, from far-country springing,
Who for etiquette's sake all of a liegeman's
Needs regarded, such as seamen at that time
Were bounden to feel. The big-hearted rested;
The building uptowered, spacious and gilded,
55 The guest within slumbered, till the sable-clad raven
Blithely foreboded the beacon of heaven.
Then the bright-shining sun o'er the bottoms came going;[2]
The warriors hastened, the heads of the peoples
Were ready to go again to their peoples,


{The Geats prepare to leave Dane-land.}


60 The high-mooded farer would faraway thenceward
Look for his vessel. The valiant one bade then,[3]


[62]


{Unferth asks Beowulf to accept his sword as a gift. Beowulf thanks him.}


Offspring of Ecglaf, off to bear Hrunting,
To take his weapon, his well-beloved iron;
He him thanked for the gift, saying good he accounted
65 The war-friend and mighty, nor chid he with words then
The blade of the brand: 'twas a brave-mooded hero.
When the warriors were ready, arrayed in their trappings,
The atheling dear to the Danemen advanced then
On to the dais, where the other was sitting,
70 Grim-mooded hero, greeted King Hrothgar.


[1] K. says '_proudly giveth_.'--Gr. says, '_And gives no gold-plated
rings, in order to incite the recipient to boastfulness_.'--B.
suggests 'gyld' for 'gylp,' and renders: _And gives no beaten rings
for reward_.


[2] If S.'s emendation be accepted, v. 57 will read: _Then came the
light, going bright after darkness: the warriors, etc_.


[3] As the passage stands in H.-So., Unferth presents Beowulf with the
sword Hrunting, and B. thanks him for the gift. If, however, the
suggestions of Grdtvg. and M. be accepted, the passage will read:
_Then the brave one (_i.e._ Beowulf) commanded that Hrunting be borne
to the son of Ecglaf (Unferth), bade him take his sword, his dear
weapon; he (B.) thanked him (U.) for the loan, etc_.


INITIAL COMMENTARY:

This passage marks the use of "middle-earth" in the poem, a reference to
the whole world (of Men). It's a curious expression, in my opinion, for a
supposedly Christian poem. But I don't know enough about Old English to know whether that name was carried forward into the Christian era. In the
old mythologies, the world of men lay between the worlds of gods, elves,
dwarves, giants, and the dead.

The reconciliation between Beowulf and Unferth is a nice touch. It does
somewhat resemble (and therefore may inspire) the reconciliation between
Gimli and Eomer, who exchange cross words about the Lady Galadriel when
they first meet.

I think it's interesting that this poem celebrates 50-year reigns. Kings
seldom ruled that long in western European history. I would not expect a
barbarian king to rule that long in pre-feudal Europe. Although we have
this image of these huge, bear-like warriors rampaging across the Roman
empire, for about 200 years after the 1st century CE, the most common
experience of the barbarians when they invaded the empire was that they
were hunted down and butchered, usually because they were too weak from
starvation to continue fighting.

Many a barbarian king met a bloody end and cut short his brief reign in the
lands of the Romans. Of course, what became of those undocumented lords
who stayed behind will never be known. Maybe some of them really did reign
for 50 years. Maybe they were able to do so by driving their rivals and
potential rivals to raid other lands.