Author Archives: Ruth

The first duty of a Germanic king was to give gifts wisely. All of the loot from any raid belonged to the king, and from this hoard, he handed out rewards in accordance with each man’s effort and standing. The … Continue reading →

The fight ends with an event that seems to us particularly savage. Beowulf’s men gather around, and as Beowulf appears to be essentially unhurt and rejoicing, they take from him the arm he still holds. Perhaps we are to imagine … Continue reading →

Grendel arrives at the hall (720) and we see that the hall was not left entirely unlocked, but that someone had tried to lock the door.  Grendel is stronger, and with a flick of his wrist, he swings the door … Continue reading →

In line 662, Hrothgar and his men leave the hall in a procession. We can imagine the quiet and dark they left behind, as the last door closed and only fifteen young men occupied a much larger hall than they … Continue reading →

Line 499 gives the name of a new character: Hunferth, or Unferth. He’s a noble in Hrothgar’s court, and he’s called a þȳle. There’s multiple uncertainty here, because his name is spelled “Hunferth” but it’s alliterated with vowels, as if … Continue reading →

Hrothgar’s acceptance of Beowulf’s offer to fight the monster for him comes quickly and easily. For, it turns out, long ago he did a big favor for Beowulf’s father. Ecgtheow had killed the prince Heatholaf while he was living among … Continue reading →

(Link to Seamus Heaney’s translation online) When the Geats, in their admirable gear, arrive at King Hrothgar’s hall, the coast guard leaves them to follow the path to the hall. Here, the poet includes a realistic detail, telling us that … Continue reading →

Seamus Heaney’s translation is online. On the Swedish mainland, the Geats (yahts) of this time are ruled by King Hygelac (hee-ye-lahk). His supporting warriors are here called thanes, so the hero is first introduced as “Hygelac’s thane.” His proper name, … Continue reading →

The poem has been broken into parts counted in Roman numerals. Part I was about Scyld Sceafing, to set the stage. Part II introduces Hrothgar and Heorot, the grand mead hall he has built. We hear of Grendel, a monster … Continue reading →