The Beowulf Discussion: Section XXXIII

[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

XXXIII.

BRAVE THOUGH AGED.--REMINISCENCES.


{The dragon spits fire.}

The stranger began then to vomit forth fire,
To burn the great manor; the blaze then glimmered
For anguish to earlmen, not anything living
[79] Was the hateful air-goer willing to leave there.
5 The war of the worm widely was noticed,
The feud of the foeman afar and anear,
How the enemy injured the earls of the Geatmen,
Harried with hatred: back he hied to the treasure,
To the well-hidden cavern ere the coming of daylight.
10 He had circled with fire the folk of those regions,
With brand and burning; in the barrow he trusted,
In the wall and his war-might: the weening deceived him.

{Beowulf hears of the havoc wrought by the dragon.}

Then straight was the horror to Beowulf published,
Early forsooth, that his own native homestead,[1]
15 The best of buildings, was burning and melting,
Gift-seat of Geatmen. 'Twas a grief to the spirit
Of the good-mooded hero, the greatest of sorrows:

{He fears that Heaven is punishing him for some crime.}

The wise one weened then that wielding his kingdom
'Gainst the ancient commandments, he had bitterly angered
20 The Lord everlasting: with lorn meditations
His bosom welled inward, as was nowise his custom.
The fire-spewing dragon fully had wasted
The fastness of warriors, the water-land outward,
The manor with fire. The folk-ruling hero,
25 Prince of the Weders, was planning to wreak him.
The warmen's defender bade them to make him,
Earlmen's atheling, an excellent war-shield

{He orders an iron shield to be made from him, wood is useless.}

Wholly of iron: fully he knew then
That wood from the forest was helpless to aid him,
30 Shield against fire. The long-worthy ruler
Must live the last of his limited earth-days,
Of life in the world and the worm along with him,
Though he long had been holding hoard-wealth in plenty.

{He determines to fight alone.}

Then the ring-prince disdained to seek with a war-band,
35 With army extensive, the air-going ranger;
He felt no fear of the foeman's assaults and
He counted for little the might of the dragon,
[80] His power and prowess: for previously dared he

{Beowulf's early triumphs referred to}

A heap of hostility, hazarded dangers,
40 War-thane, when Hrothgar's palace he cleansed,
Conquering combatant, clutched in the battle
The kinsmen of Grendel, of kindred detested.[2]

{Higelac's death recalled.}

'Twas of hand-fights not least where Higelac was slaughtered,
When the king of the Geatmen with clashings of battle,
45 Friend-lord of folks in Frisian dominions,
Offspring of Hrethrel perished through sword-drink,
With battle-swords beaten; thence Beowulf came then
On self-help relying, swam through the waters;
He bare on his arm, lone-going, thirty
50 Outfits of armor, when the ocean he mounted.
The Hetwars by no means had need to be boastful
Of their fighting afoot, who forward to meet him
Carried their war-shields: not many returned from
The brave-mooded battle-knight back to their homesteads.
55 Ecgtheow's bairn o'er the bight-courses swam then,
Lone-goer lorn to his land-folk returning,
Where Hygd to him tendered treasure and kingdom,

{Heardred's lack of capacity to rule.}

Rings and dominion: her son she not trusted,
To be able to keep the kingdom devised him
60 'Gainst alien races, on the death of King Higelac.

{Beowulf's tact and delicacy recalled.}

Yet the sad ones succeeded not in persuading the atheling
In any way ever, to act as a suzerain
To Heardred, or promise to govern the kingdom;
Yet with friendly counsel in the folk he sustained him,
65 Gracious, with honor, till he grew to be older,

{Reference is here made to a visit which Beowulf receives from Eanmund and
Eadgils, why they come is not known.}

Wielded the Weders. Wide-fleeing outlaws,
Ohthere's sons, sought him o'er the waters:
They had stirred a revolt 'gainst the helm of the Scylfings,
The best of the sea-kings, who in Swedish dominions
70 Distributed treasure, distinguished folk-leader.
[81] 'Twas the end of his earth-days; injury fatal[3]
By swing of the sword he received as a greeting,
Offspring of Higelac; Ongentheow's bairn
Later departed to visit his homestead,
75 When Heardred was dead; let Beowulf rule them,
Govern the Geatmen: good was that folk-king.

[1] 'Ham' (2326), the suggestion of B. is accepted by t.B. and other
scholars.

[2] For 'laethan cynnes' (2355), t.B. suggests 'laethan cynne,' apposition
to 'maegum.' From syntactical and other considerations, this is a most
excellent emendation.

[3] Gr. read 'on feorme' (2386), rendering: _He there at the banquet a
fatal wound received by blows of the sword._


INITIAL COMMENTARY:

We learn here in a very brief passage of what is probably Beowulf's greatest feat of strength. He swims across the sea carrying 30 suits of armor on one arm and then single-handedly defeats an army of enemies.

The translator uses the word "manor" to describe Beowulf's kingly home. The word "manor" is derived from French and Latin, and is reflective of a medieval lifestyle. In fact, this translation of the poem uses "manor" throughout to refer to the homes of the lords and their earls. It's an anacronism which reflects the Christian poet's contemporary point of view. Manors were widely held throughout Anglo-Saxon England.

The visit by the brothers Eanmund and Eadgils, sons of the king Ohthere whose brother Onela usurped the throne, places this portion of the poem in the 6th century. The legendary dynasties to which these heroes belonged are discussed in a historical context on this page:


http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Swedish%20semi-legendary%20...

Eadgils' reign is placed in the years 530-575. That article is copied from Wikipedia, which is a very questionable source of information, but there are some other sources which confirm several of the facts. This link goes to a Google cache copy of a page that has been removed from a university Web site. The page contained notes on "Beowulf" based on the Seamus Heaney translation:

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:x0LYxnUIPnQJ:www.msu.edu/~tavrmin...

Here is a link to the same page on Archive.Org:
http://web.archive.org/web/20041025062311/http://www.msu.edu/~tavrmin...

The historical placement of Beowulf's deeds and reign is difficult, since there are references to conflicts between Danes and Frisians which are believed to have occurred earlier. The historical perspective in these poetic passages is thus compressed. Events and lifetimes are overlapping each other.

I have throughout this discussion referred to "the Christian poet". However, not everyone agrees there is a Christian poet. You'll find an interesting discussion of "Beowulf" here:


http://www.medievalhistory.net/page004b.htm


The page draws upon commentary from Michael Alexander which argues, among other things, that the Geats were actually Jutes (thus living in Denmark, not Sweden).

The missing sections of the poem leave much room for speculation, and it's impossible to really know why this particular work was composed. But it's my feeling that "Beowulf" is a compilation of several older adventure tales strung together. The poet is almost trying to preserve against irretrievably lost a collection of folk-stories about an ancient hero whose fame was once more widely celebrated than in the poet's day.

The poem reflects a transition of cultural values. It is a conservative voice in a liberal era. The poet's world is probably going through a violent transition, and he is trying to restore a (temporary) measure of calm to his audience by recalling a past hero who overcame great obstacles and challenges.
It has been argued that this poet must have composed the work prior to the Danish invasions which destroyed the English system. But maybe the poet is living in a world where Danes have already landed, and some peace has been restored, and he is attempting to show his audience that the Danes and the Angles share a glorious past.