21. BEOWULF'S FINAL SPEECH

The poem ends with the death of the hero Beowulf and the imminent destruction of the Geatish people. In the last attack against the dragon, Beowulf received a deadly wound when the monster fastened his poisonous fangs in Beowulf's throat. Beowulf thanes had fled when they saw the dragon spouting streams of flame, despite young Wiglaf's plea for them to remain beside their king in his time of danger. Beowulf's neck began to bleed badly. Soon after Wiglaf and Beowulf mortally wounded the dragon: Wiglaf thrust a stout blow with his sword, and Beowulf, with declining strength, drew his dagger and cut the dragon in two.
Now Beowulf felt the poison of the dragon and realised that he was fatally wounded, and the end was near. Therefore the dying King asked Wiglaf to bring the treasure out of the cave so he could see it before he died. Wiglaf returned to Beowulf with the treasure and the King made his final speech. He gave thanks to God that he could acquire this treasure for his people, hands over responsibility to Wiglaf and requested a tomb to be built by the sea as a sign to his people and to seamen. He gave his collar, armour, rings and his authority to Wiglaf, and wished him well in terms which seem to imply his succession to rule over the Geats. His soul then left his body and flew to glory. Beowulf's death was a lonely one. He had no son to whom he could leave the succession, and only his loyal thane, Wiglaf, was with him when death came.

"For this, this gold, these jewels, I thank"

Then Wiglaf went back, anxious
To return while Beowulf was alive, to bring him
Treasure they'd won together. He ran,
Hoping his wounded king, weak
And dying, had not left the world too soon.(1)
Then he brought their treasure to Beowulf, and found
His famous king bloody, gasping (2)
For breath. But Wiglaf sprinkled (3) water
Over his lord, until the words
Deep in his breast broke through and were heard.
Beholding (4) the treasure he spoke, haltingly: (5)
"For this, this gold, these jewels, I thank
Our Father in Heaven, Ruler of the Earth--
For all of this, that His grace has given me,
Allowed me to bring to my people while breath
Still came to my lips. I sold my life
For this treasure, and I sold it well. Take
What I leave, Wiglaf, lead my people,
Help them; my time is gone. Have
The brave (6) Geats build me a tomb,
When the funeral flames have burned me, and build it
Here, at the water's edge, (7) high
On this spit (8) of land, so sailors can see
This tower, and remember my name, and call it
Beowulf's tower, and boats in the darkness
And mist, crossing the sea, will know it."(9)
"Then that brave king gave the golden
Necklace from around his throat to Wiglaf,
Gave him his gold-covered helmet, and his rings,
And his mail shirt, and ordered him to use them well:
"You're the last of all our far-flung (10) family.
Fate has swept our race away, (11)
Taken warriors in their strength and led them
To the death that was waiting. And now I follow them."
The old man's mouth was silent, spoke
No more, had said as much as it could;
He would sleep in the fire, (12) soon. His soul
Left his flesh, flew to glory.

(Beowulf, Lines 2783-2820), N. A. L., Translated by Burton Raffe

Notes:

1. had not left: had not died.
2. gasping/ For breath: breathing with difficulty.
3. sprinkled: scattered drops of water.
4. Beholding: looking at, seeing.
5. haltingly: brokenly.
6. brave: courageous.
7. edge: border.
8. spit: this amount of earth, headland.
9. The tomb Beowulf has in mind is a burial mound on a headland that will be seen far out at sea. Such mounds on high places were not uncommon.
10. far-flung: long line, large, widespread.
11. swept our race away: sent our kinsmen to their final doom.
12. fire: the flames of the funeral blaze, on the pyre.

Christian and Pagan Elements.

1. Read the passage Beowulf's Death and point out any Christian and Pagan elements you can find out.(Quote lines from the text)

Language Practice.

2. Complete the summary below.

Beowulf's final speech

Wiglaf returned to Beowulf with the 1. ............... and saw that his King and 2. ................... was 3. ............ . Wiglaf bathed Beowulf's fatal 4. ............... , and the dying King made his final 5. .............. . He gave 6. ............. to God that he could
acquire that 7. .............. for his people. Beowulf had no son to 8. ........... whom he could give his inheritance, so he handed over 9. .............. to Wiglaf and ordered him to 10. .......... after the 11. ..........., his 12. ................ , and to build a high 13. ........... by the 14. .............'s 15. ........ as a sign to his people and to 16. .............. and to call it 17. .............'s 18............ " . It 19. ............ be a reminder of 20. ...............'s fearless courage, an inspiration for future 21. ................ as they set out across the misty 22. .............. . Then he removed a golden 23. .............. from his 24. .......... and handed it together with his golden 25. ............. and 26. .............., and his authority and 27. ................ him to use them right. This meant that Wiglaf was now the 28. .............. of the Geats. Wiglaf was the last of the 29. ................. . Then Beowulf's speech 30. ............ and his 31. ............ took flight to seek the 32. ............ 33. .............. .