The Beowulf Discussion: Section XL

[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

XL.

THE MESSENGER OF DEATH.


{Wiglaf sends the news of Beowulf's death to liegemen near by.}

Then he charged that the battle be announced at the hedge
Up o'er the cliff-edge, where the earl-troopers bided
The whole of the morning, mood-wretched sat them,
Bearers of battle-shields, both things expecting,
5 The end of his lifetime and the coming again of
The liegelord beloved. Little reserved he
Of news that was known, who the ness-cliff did travel,
But he truly discoursed to all that could hear him:

[98]

{The messenger speaks.}

"Now the free-giving friend-lord of the folk of the Weders,
10 The folk-prince of Geatmen, is fast in his death-bed,
By the deeds of the dragon in death-bed abideth;
Along with him lieth his life-taking foeman
Slain with knife-wounds: he was wholly unable
To injure at all the ill-planning monster

{Wiglaf sits by our dead lord.}

15 With bite of his sword-edge. Wiglaf is sitting,
Offspring of Wihstan, up over Beowulf,
Earl o'er another whose end-day hath reached him,
Head-watch holdeth o'er heroes unliving,[1]

{Our lord's death will lead to attacks from our old foes.}

For friend and for foeman. The folk now expecteth
20 A season of strife when the death of the folk-king
To Frankmen and Frisians in far-lands is published.
The war-hatred waxed warm 'gainst the Hugmen,

{Higelac's death recalled.}

When Higelac came with an army of vessels
Faring to Friesland, where the Frankmen in battle
25 Humbled him and bravely with overmight 'complished
That the mail-clad warrior must sink in the battle,
Fell 'mid his folk-troop: no fret-gems presented
The atheling to earlmen; aye was denied us
Merewing's mercy. The men of the Swedelands
30 For truce or for truth trust I but little;
But widely 'twas known that near Ravenswood Ongentheow

{Haethcyn's fall referred to.}

Sundered Haethcyn the Hrethling from life-joys,
When for pride overweening the War-Scylfings first did
Seek the Geatmen with savage intentions.
35 Early did Ohthere's age-laden father,
Old and terrible, give blow in requital,
Killing the sea-king, the queen-mother rescued,
The old one his consort deprived of her gold,
Onela's mother and Ohthere's also,
[99] 40 And then followed the feud-nursing foemen till hardly,
Reaved of their ruler, they Ravenswood entered.
Then with vast-numbered forces he assaulted the remnant,
Weary with wounds, woe often promised
The livelong night to the sad-hearted war-troop:
45 Said he at morning would kill them with edges of weapons,
Some on the gallows for glee to the fowls.
Aid came after to the anxious-in-spirit
At dawn of the day, after Higelac's bugle
And trumpet-sound heard they, when the good one proceeded
50 And faring followed the flower of the troopers.

[1] 'Hige-meethum' (2910) is glossed by H. as dat. plu. (= for the
dead). S. proposes 'hige-meethe,' nom. sing. limiting Wiglaf; i.e. _W.,
mood-weary, holds head-watch o'er friend and foe_.--B. suggests taking
the word as dat. inst. plu. of an abstract noun in -'u.' The
translation would be substantially the same as S.'s.


INITIAL COMMENTARY:
Higelac's raid into the Frankish lands is mentioned by Geoffrey of Tours, who calls him Chlochilaich.

The mention of Ravenswood may be figurative or it may be significant. The name "Ravenswood" is fairly common and is found in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, England, and Ireland (to name a sampling of countries where it may be found).

However, if we presume that the alternative identifictaion of the Geats with the Jutes is correct, where in Denmark would Ravenswood (Ravens Wood) have been located?

I don't know much about Danish geography, but I have read that the eastern lands were more heavily forested than the western lands. One Web site (http://www.haervej.dk/english/landskab.htm) mentions ravens near the eastern town of Vojens, which is translated as "the sacred possession of Odin". Since ravens were Odin's sacred messengers, to the ancient Germanic and Scandinavians, a Raven's Wood would have possibly been a holy place.

Vojens is located in eastern Denmark near Jutland, according to this map:
http://www.fallingrain.com/world/DA/11/Vojens.html

The conflicts between the Geats and the Franks and Frisians make more sense if the Geats are equated with the Jutes than if they are equated with the Goths of southern Sweden.

But I'm in no position to prove these speculations.

We have three sections remaining and then we'll have reached the end of the poem. I'll try to finish up next week.