The Oldest English Epic/Chapter 1/Beowulf 35
XXXV
2460“Then he goes to his chamber, a grief-song chants
alone for his lost. Too large all seems,
homestead and house. So the helmet-of-Weders
hid in his heart for Herebeald
waves of woe. No way could he take
2465to avenge on the slayer slaughter so foul;
nor e’en could he harass that hero at all
with loathing deed, though he loved him not.
And so for the sorrow his soul endured,
men’s gladness he gave up and God’s light chose.
2470Lands and cities he left his sons
(as the wealthy do) when he went from earth.
There was strife and struggle ’twixt Swede and Geat
o’er the width of waters; war arose,
hard battle-horror, when Hrethel died,
2475and Ongentheow’s offspring grew
strife-keen, bold, nor brooked o’er the seas
pact of peace, but pushed their hosts
to harass in hatred by Hreosnabeorh.[1]
Men of my folk for that feud had vengeance,
2480for woful war (’tis widely known),
though one of them bought it with blood of his heart,
a bargain hard: for Hæthcyn proved
fatal that fray, for the first-of-Geats.
At morn, I heard, was the murderer killed
2485by kinsman for kinsman,[2] with clash of sword,
when Ongentheow met Eofor there.
Wide split the war-helm: wan he fell,
hoary Scylfing; the hand that smote him
of feud was mindful, nor flinched from the death-blow.
2490—“For all that he[3] gave me, my gleaming sword
repaid him at war,—such power I wielded,—
for lordly treasure: with land he entrusted me,
homestead and house. He had no need
from Swedish realm, or from Spear-Dane folk,
2495or from men of the Gifths,[4] to get him help,—
some warrior worse for wage to buy!
Ever I fought in the front of all,
sole to the fore; and so shall I fight
while I bide in life and this blade shall last
2500that early and late hath loyal proved
since for my doughtiness Dæghrefn[5] fell,
slain by my hand, the Hugas’ champion.
Nor fared he thence to the Frisian king
with the booty back, and breast-adornments;
2505but, slain in struggle, that standard-bearer
fell, atheling brave. Not with blade was he slain,
but his bones were broken by brawny gripe,
his heart-waves stilled.—The sword-edge now,
hard blade and my hand, for the hoard shall strive.”
2510Beowulf spake, and a battle-vow made,
his last of all: “I have lived through many
wars in my youth; now once again,
old folk-defender, feud will I seek,
do doughty deeds, if the dark destroyer
2515forth from his cavern come to fight me!”
Then hailed he the helmeted heroes all,
for the last time greeting his liegemen dear,
comrades of war: “I should carry no weapon,
no sword to the serpent, if sure I knew
2520how, with such enemy, else my vows
I could gain as I did in Grendel’s day.
But fire in this fight I must fear me now,
and poisonous breath; so I bring with me
breastplate and board.[6] From the barrow’s keeper
2525no footbreadth flee I.[7] One fight shall end
our war by the wall, as Wyrd allots,
all mankind’s master. My mood is bold
but forbears to boast o’er this battling-flyer.
—Now abide by the barrow, ye breastplate-mailed,
2530ye heroes in harness, which of us twain
better from battle-rush bear his wounds.
Wait ye the finish. The fight is not yours,
nor meet for any but me alone
to measure might with this monster here
2535and play the hero. Hardily I
shall win that wealth, or war shall seize,
cruel killing, your king and lord!”
Up stood then with shield the sturdy champion,
stayed by the strength of his single manhood,
2540and hardy ’neath helmet his harness bore
under cleft of the cliffs: no coward’s path!
Soon spied by the wall that warrior chief,
survivor of many a victory-field
where foemen fought with furious clashings,
2545an arch of stone; and within, a stream
that broke from the barrow. The brooklet’s wave
was hot with fire. The hoard that way
he never could hope unharmed to near,
or endure those deeps,[8] for the dragon’s flame.
2550Then let from his breast, for he burst with rage,
the Weder-Geat prince a word outgo;
stormed the stark-heart; stern went ringing
and clear his cry ’neath the cliff-rocks gray.
The hoard-guard heard a human voice;
2555his rage was enkindled. No respite now
for pact of peace! The poison-breath
of that foul worm first came forth from the cave,
hot reek-of-fight: the rocks resounded.
Stout by the stone-way his shield he raised,
2560lord of the Geats, against the loathed-one;
while with courage keen that coiléd foe
came seeking strife. The sturdy king
had drawn his sword, not dull of edge,
heirloom old; and each of the two
2565felt fear of his foe, though fierce their mood.
Stoutly stood with his shield high-raised
the warrior king, as the worm now coiled
together amain: the mailed-one waited.
Now, spire by spire, fast sped and glided
2570that blazing serpent. The shield protected
soul and body a shorter while
for the hero-king than his heart desired,[9]
could his will have wielded the welcome respite
but once in his life! But Wyrd denied it,
2575and victory’s honors.—His arm he lifted,
lord of the Geats, the grim foe smote
with atheling’s heirloom. Its edge was turned,
brown[10]-blade, on the bone, and bit more feebly
than its noble master had need of then
2580in his baleful stress.—Then the barrow’s keeper
waxed full wild for that weighty blow,
cast deadly flames; wide drove and far
those vicious fires. No victor’s glory
the Geats’ lord boasted; his brand had failed,
2585naked in battle, as never it should,
excellent iron!—’Twas no easy path
that Ecgtheow’s honored heir must tread
over the plain to the place of the foe;
for against his will he must win a home
2590elsewhere far, as must all men, leaving
this lapsing life!—Not long it was
ere those champions grimly closed again.
The hoard-guard was heartened; high heaved his breast
once more; and by peril was pressed again,
2595enfolded in flames, the folk-commander!
Nor yet about him his band of comrades,
sons of athelings, arméd stood
with warlike front: to the woods they bent them,
their lives to save.[11] But the soul of one
2600with care was cumbered. Kinship true
can never be marred in a noble mind!
- ↑ This war must not be confused with the later hostilities between Geat and Swede in Heardred’s reign, already noted (vv. 2200 ff.); it deals with an older feud, the main course of which can be surmised from this passage and the long speech of the messenger (see v. 2922, below) who announces Beowulf’s death, and says that now not only will Frisians and Franks be bent on war, but the Swedes will surely renew the ancient strife. Onela and Ohthere are sons of Ongentheow, and often raid Geatland (the mention of “wide water” makes for the Jutland theory of Beowulf’s home); Hæthcyn replies with a raid on Swedish soil. He seizes Ongentheow’s queen. But the old king follows the foe, defeats him, and kills Hæthcyn, whose men are in desperate case, surrounded by enemies, in Ravenswood. But now comes Hygelac with another Geatish army (not so favorable a fact for Jutland!), defeats the Swedes, whose queen again is captured, and besieges Ongentheow in his citadel. Ongentheow is finally killed by Eofor, whose brother Wulf has been disabled in fierce fight with the desperate old hero. Eofor is then married to Hygelac’s daughter. The lively but episodic account of this last struggle makes one yearn for the original songs, perhaps the epic, in which it was sung. Bugge has shown traces of it in Norse tradition. The style of reference to the death of Hæthcyn shows how familiar the whole story must have been.
- ↑ Eofor for Wulf.—The immediate provocation for Eofor in killing “the hoary Scylfing,” Ongentheow, is that the latter has just struck Wulf down; but the king, Hæthcyn, is also avenged by the blow. See the detailed description below, vv. 2961–2982.
- ↑ Hygelac.—Beowulf comes to his own services and their reward; the transition is so abrupt that some verses may be supposed to have been lost at this point. It will be noted that he speaks throughout this monologue as a warrior, stout with sword, and not as a wrestler, phenomenal “strong man,” or the like, except in the almost contradictory parenthesis, vv. 2506 f. In vv. 2518 f., the poet is matching Beowulf’s speech before the Grendel fight (677 ff.); while in 2680 ff., the “strong man” is again the main theme, backed by an old Anglian legend of another prince.
- ↑ Gepidae, who at this time were still near the Baltic. See Müllenhoff, Deutsche Alterthumskunde, II, 99; and Widsith, v. 60.
- ↑ The Franks were called Hugones; and this “Day-Raven” may have fought Beowulf on the historic raid into Frankish territory.
- ↑ Shield.
- ↑ The same phrase is used by Leofsunu at Maldon.
- ↑ The hollow passage.
- ↑ By another interpretation, the following lines would read—
what time it was fated first in his life
that Wyrd would not will him to wield at all
victory’s honors. - ↑ See note to v. 1546; and for the “biting,” v. 1455. For the seemingly sarcastic note of “excellent” in v. 2586, see note to v. 644.
- ↑ In 2532 the thanes were told to await the finish. Either this is conventional blame of coward retainers; or else the thanes are supposed to fly from their place where Beowulf stationed them, when they ought to have disregarded his instructions and helped. Beowulf’s other band waited for him by the uncanny and blood-stained mere. In Saxo (Bk. IX, Holder, p. 302) Ragnar fights two huge serpents, who try to crush him and kill him with their poison. He has no comrades; but the men of the court in that land fly to hiding-places and watch the fight “like scared girls.”