The Beowulf Discussion: Section XXXVIII

[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

XXXVIII.

WIGLAF PLUNDERS THE DRAGON'S DEN.--BEOWULF'S DEATH.


{Wiglaf fulfils his lord's behest.}

Then heard I that Wihstan's son very quickly,
These words being uttered, heeded his liegelord
Wounded and war-sick, went in his armor,
His well-woven ring-mail, 'neath the roof of the barrow.
5 Then the trusty retainer treasure-gems many

{The dragon's den.}

Victorious saw, when the seat he came near to,
Gold-treasure sparkling spread on the bottom,
Wonder on the wall, and the worm-creature's cavern,
The ancient dawn-flier's, vessels a-standing,
10 Cups of the ancients of cleansers bereaved,
Robbed of their ornaments: there were helmets in numbers,
Old and rust-eaten, arm-bracelets many,
Artfully woven. Wealth can easily,
Gold on the sea-bottom, turn into vanity[1]
15 Each one of earthmen, arm him who pleaseth!
And he saw there lying an all-golden banner
High o'er the hoard, of hand-wonders greatest,
Linked with lacets: a light from it sparkled,
That the floor of the cavern he was able to look on,

{The dragon is not there.}

20 To examine the jewels. Sight of the dragon
[94] Not any was offered, but edge offcarried him.

{Wiglaf bears the hoard away.}

Then I heard that the hero the hoard-treasure plundered,
The giant-work ancient reaved in the cavern,
Bare on his bosom the beakers and platters,
25 As himself would fain have it, and took off the standard,
The brightest of beacons;[2] the bill had erst injured
(Its edge was of iron), the old-ruler's weapon,
Him who long had watched as ward of the jewels,
Who fire-terror carried hot for the treasure,
30 Rolling in battle, in middlemost darkness,
Till murdered he perished. The messenger hastened,
Not loth to return, hurried by jewels:
Curiosity urged him if, excellent-mooded,
Alive he should find the lord of the Weders
35 Mortally wounded, at the place where he left him.
'Mid the jewels he found then the famous old chieftain,
His liegelord beloved, at his life's-end gory:
He thereupon 'gan to lave him with water,
Till the point of his word pierced his breast-hoard.
40 Beowulf spake (the gold-gems he noticed),

{Beowulf is rejoiced to see the jewels.}

The old one in sorrow: "For the jewels I look on
Thanks do I utter for all to the Ruler,
Wielder of Worship, with words of devotion,
The Lord everlasting, that He let me such treasures
45 Gain for my people ere death overtook me.
Since I've bartered the aged life to me granted
For treasure of jewels, attend ye henceforward

{He desires to be held in memory by his people.}

The wants of the war-thanes; I can wait here no longer.
The battle-famed bid ye to build them a grave-hill,
50 Bright when I'm burned, at the brim-current's limit;
As a memory-mark to the men I have governed,
[95] Aloft it shall tower on Whale's-Ness uprising,
That earls of the ocean hereafter may call it
Beowulf's barrow, those who barks ever-dashing
55 From a distance shall drive o'er the darkness of waters."

{The hero's last gift}

The bold-mooded troop-lord took from his neck then
The ring that was golden, gave to his liegeman,
The youthful war-hero, his gold-flashing helmet,
His collar and war-mail, bade him well to enjoy them:

{and last words.}

60 "Thou art latest left of the line of our kindred,
Of Waegmunding people: Weird hath offcarried
All of my kinsmen to the Creator's glory,
Earls in their vigor: I shall after them fare."
'Twas the aged liegelord's last-spoken word in
65 His musings of spirit, ere he mounted the fire,
The battle-waves burning: from his bosom departed
His soul to seek the sainted ones' glory.

[1] The word 'oferhigian' (2767) being vague and little understood,
two quite distinct translations of this passage have arisen. One takes
'oferhigian' as meaning 'to exceed,' and, inserting 'hord' after
'gehwone,' renders: _The treasure may easily, the gold in the ground,
exceed in value every hoard of man, hide it who will._ The other takes
'oferhigian' as meaning 'to render arrogant,' and, giving the sentence
a moralizing tone, renders substantially as in the body of this work.
(Cf. 28_13 et seq.)

[2] The passage beginning here is very much disputed. 'The bill of the
old lord' is by some regarded as Beowulf's sword; by others, as that
of the ancient possessor of the hoard. 'AEr gescod' (2778), translated
in this work as verb and adverb, is by some regarded as a compound
participial adj. = _sheathed in brass_.


INITIAL COMMENTARY:
To be honest, I cannot think of much to say, except that the occurrence of "worm-creature" in the narrative at this point reminds me of a discussion which was posted to SF-FANDOM's Inklings Forum this week concerning the meaning of Wormtongue's name.

Since I'm posting through a Web interface with a timer that resets my text, I'll just say that I'll followup with a discussion of "Wormtongue" when I have finished the Beowulf posts tonight.


POSTED LATER THAT NIGHT:
Dixieberry, a longtime member of the SF-FANDOM Inklings Forum, joined a discussion yesterday where someone asked "are dragons worms?".

After much etymological commentary regarding the original spelling/meaning of "worm/wyrm" (snake, serpent, dragon), DixieBerry joined in with this comment:

==== BEGIN CITATION ====
Dasher -- yes, you are right! There is literary (and linguistic) precedent that dragons were actually called worms.

Like Attalus and RobRoy were saying, "wyrm" or "worm" or "wurm" are direct Old English translations of the word "dragon." (Interestingly enough, the definition also includes the word "serpent.") Considering Tolkien's deep love for -- and tendency to borrow from -- archaic languages, it seems clear that he meant the words synonymously... and, most likely, not insultingly, except in the sense that wyrms (or dragons) in the Saxon context were thought to be equal parts clever and evil.

Which is why, by the way, Wormtongue's nickname makes perfect sense.

If you get a hold of a bilingual version of Beowulf, on the Old English/Anglo-Saxon side of the page you will recognize many familiar names and places from LotR (particularly the Rohirric contingent!)

Near the end of the poem, Beowulf is slain by a creature called a "wyrm," which all modern translations recognize as a dragon.

(By the way.... slightly off-topic... I recommend the Seamus Heaney translation of Beowulf that came out a few years ago. It takes a true poet to translate an ancient poem, and he captures not only its letter but its spirit.)

Nice question.
==== END CITATION ====

Alvin Eriol, another long-time member of the forums, followed up (after some more discussion) with:

==== BEGIN CITATION ====
So the bottom line is that "dragon", "serpent", and "worm" are etymologically closely related, almost twins, and in Anglo-Saxon are basically identical. Therefore it appears we're dealing with one of JRRT's little etymological / philological wordplays here, with the additional layer of the sense of "worm" as an insult.

So "Wormtongue" as applied to Grima son of Galmod is supposed to suggest he speaks like a dragon (such as Smaug, who was depicted as enjoying flattery and petty riddles and deceptive turns of phrase.) I guess I can stop imagining a nightcrawler wiggling around behind his lips.
==== END CITATION ====

I agree with these deductions, although I had never made the connection before. I think "Wormtongue" is one of Tolkien's little jokes, and it explains how someone like Grima could earn a position as Theoden's advisor in the first place. Theoden even expresses a longing for his old friend and companion after Gandalf has gone off to rally the missing troops.

It is not the servant of Saruman whom Theoden misses, but the older Grima, who seems to have been called Wormtongue because he spoke with the craft and subtlty of a dragon. He must have been a formiddable counselor before he became loyal to Saruman.