18. BEOWULF'S STRUGGLE WITH GRENDEL

"Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty"

Out from the marsh, (1) from the foot of misty (2)
Hills and bogs, (3) bearing God's hatred,
Grendel came, hoping to kill
Anyone he could trap on his trip to high Herot.
He moved quickly through the cloudy night,
Up from his swampland, (4) sliding (5) silently
Toward that gold-shining hall. (6) He had visited Hrothgar's
Home before, knew the way--
But never, before nor after that night,
Found Herot defended so firmly, his reception
So harsh. He journeyed, (7) forever joyless,
Straight to the door, then snapped (8) it open,
Tore (9) its iron fasteners with a touch
And rushed (10) angrily over the threshold, (11)
He strode (12) quickly across the inlaid (13)
Floor, snarling (14) and fierce: his eyes
Gleamed (15) in the darkness, burned with a gruesome (16)
Light. Then he stopped, seeing the hall
Crowded with sleeping warriors, stuffed (17)
With rows of young soldiers resting together.
And his heart laughed, he relished (18) the sight,
Intended to tear the life from those bodies
By morning; the monster's mind was hot
With the thought of food and the feasting his belly (19)
Would soon know. But fate, (20) that night, intended
Grendel to gnaw (21) the broken bones
Of his last human supper. Human
Eyes were watching his evil steps,
Waiting to see his swift hard claws.(22)
Grendel snatched (23) at the first Geat
He came to, ripped him apart, (24) cut
His body to bits with powerful jaws, (25)
Drank the blood from his veins and bolted (26)
Him down, hands and feet; death
And Grendel's great teeth came together,
Snapping (27) life shut. (28) Then he stepped to another
Still body, clutched at Beowulf with his claws,
Grasped (29) at a strong-hearted wakeful sleeper
-- And was instantly seized himself, claws
Bent back as Beowulf leaned up on one arm.
That shepherd of evil, guardian of crime,
Knew at once that nowhere on earth
Had he met a man whose hands were harder;
His mind was flooded (30) with fear--but nothing
Could take his talons (31) and himself from that tight
Hard grip. Grendel's one thought was to run
From Beowulf, flee (32) back to his marsh and hide there:
This was a different Herot than the hall he had emptied.
But Higlac's follower (33) remembered his final
Boast (34) and, standing erect, stopped
The monster's flight, fastened those claws
In his fists till they cracked, clutched (35) Grendel
Closer. The infamous killer fought
For his freedom, wanting no flesh but retreat,
Desiring nothing but escape; his claws 55
Had been caught, he was trapped. That trip to Herot
Was a miserable journey for the writhing (36) monster!
The high hall rang, its roof boards swayed,(37)
And Danes shook (38) with terror. Down
The aisles (39) the battle swept, (40) angry
And wild. Herot trembled, wonderfully
Built to withstand (41) the blows, the struggling
Great bodies beating at its beautiful walls;
Shaped and fastened (42) with iron, inside
And out, artfully (43) worked, the building
Stood firm. Its benches rattled, (44) fell
To the floor, gold-covered boards grating (45)
As Grendel and Beowulf battled across them.
Hrothgar's wise men had fashioned (46) Herot
To stand forever; only fire,
They had planned, could shatter (47) what such skill had put
Together, swallow (48) in hot flames such splendor
Of ivory and iron and wood. Suddenly
The sounds changed, the Danes started (49)
In new terror, cowering (50) in their beds as the terrible
Screams of the Almighty's enemy sang (51)
In the darkness, the horrible shrieks (52) of pain
And defeat, the tears torn out of Grendel's
Taut (53) throat, hell's captive caught in the arms
Of him who of all the men on earth
Was the strongest.
Now he discovered--once the afflictor
Of men, tormentor of their days--what it meant
To feud (54) with Almighty God: Grendel
Saw that his strength was deserting (55) him, his claws
Bound (56) fast, Higlac's brave follower tearing at
His hands. The monster's hatred rose higher,
But his power had gone. He twisted in pain,
And the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder
Snapped, (57) muscle and bone split
And broke. The Battle was over, Beowulf
Had been granted new glory: Grendel escaped,
But wounded as he was could flee (58) to his den,
His miserable hole at the bottom of the marsh,
Only to die, to wait for the end
Of all his days. And after that bloody
Combat (59) the Danes laughed with delight.
He who had come to them from across the sea,
Bold (60) and strong-minded,(61) had driven affliction
Off, purged (62) Herot clean. He was happy,
Now with that night's fierce work; the Danes
Had been served as he'd boasted (63) he'd serve them; Beowulf
A prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel,
Ended the grief, (64) the sorrow, the suffering
Forced on Hrothgar's helpless people
By a bloodthirsty fiend. (65) No Dane doubted
The victory, for the proof, hanging high
From the rafters (66) where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster's
Arm, claw and shoulder and all.

(Beowulf, Lines 710-790, 809-836, N.A.L.,Translated by Burton Raffel.)

Notes:

1. marsh: a tract of low land flooded in wet weather and usually watery at all times.
2. misty: covered with mist.
3. bog: wet spongy grounds; marshes.
4. swampland: a tract of wet, spongy land, a piece of low waterlogged ground: bog or marsh.
5. sliding: moving quietly.
6. gold-shining hall: Heorot.
7. journeyed: went.
8. snapped: broke suddenly.
9. tore: pulled apart violently.
10. rushed: he moved with great speed.
11. threshold: doorstep.
12. strode: walked with long firm steps.
13. inlaid: decorated, ornamented, chequered.
14. snarling: menacing, threatening, making angry growls with bared teeth.
15. gleamed: shone, emitted light.
16. gruesome: horrible, disgusting.
17. stuffed: filled.
18. relished: enjoyed greatly, got pleasure out of.
19. belly: the part of the human body below the chest, containing the stomach and bowels.
20. fate: inevitable destiny.
21. gnaw: bite, devour.
22. claws: feet armed with claws,i.e., toe hooked nails.
23. snatched: seized, clutched, grasped suddenly.
24. ripped him apart: tore him into pieces.
25. jaws: each of the upper and lower bony structures in vertebrates forming the framework of the mouth and containing the teeth.
26. bolted: swallowed hastily.
27. snapping: catching, clasping.
28. shut: closed-tight, fastened, firmly, tightly, securely, fixedly.
29. Grasped: endeavoured to seize; clasped, caught.
30. flooded: inundated, overwhelmed.
31. talons: hooked claws or fingers.
32. flee: run away.
33. Higlac's follower: Beowulf.
34. Boast: proud promise.
35. clutched: held firmly, seized, grasped.
36. writhing: contorting, twisting himself in agony.
37. swayed: were caused to incline, oscillate.
38. shook: were shocked, frightened, terrified, dismayed.
39. aisles: side divisions of a building, generally separated off by pillars; s; passages between rows of seats.
40. swept: passed over swiftly and violently.
41. withstand: resist.
42. fastened: fixed securely.
43. artfully: skilfully, masterly.
44. rattled: made a quick succession of short hard sounds.
45. grating: scraping, scratching or damaging by scraping.
46. fashioned: made, built.
47. shatter: break, brake into pieces, ruin, destroy, wreck.
48. swallow: devour, destroy.
49. started: were frightened.
50. cowering: trembling in fear.
51. sang: uttered.
52. shrieks: screams, high-pitched piercing cry.
53. Taut: tightly drawn, held, fastened.
54. feud: conduct war.
55. deserting: abandoning.
56. Bound: tied, fixed, fastened.
57. snapped: cracked, broke, disjointed.
58. flee: run away.
59. combat: fight.
60. Bold; daring, actively courageous.
61. strong-minded: determined.
62. purged: purified.
63. boasted: promised.
64. grief: affliction, sorrow.
65. fiend: devil eager for bloodshed.
66. rafters: the sloping beams forming the framework of a roof.

ANALYSIS

1. Read the whole passage and divide it into two parts. Quote the lines and justify your choice.

. Read lines 1-36 and identify the character being described by the poet.

3. Where did Grendel come out from?

4. Grendel is immediately described as an evil creature. Which lines stress his nature?

5. Consider lines five and six and say 1) how Grendel moved, 2) when he chose to move, 3) where he came out from.

6. What connotations are implied by the images contained in lines 5-6, positive or negative? Juxtapose the images with their connotations.

7. Are the connotations positive or negative?

8. Do lines 5-6 reinforce the evil nature of Grendel?

9. What is Grendel's "swampland" contrasted with?

10. Had Grendel visited Hrothgar's home before?

11. Was this visit the same as the previous time?

12. In lines 1-36 the poet gives a description of Grendel. List the words portraying his physical appearance and juxtapose them with the expressions describing his thoughts and perceptions.

13. What is there in common between Grendel's physical appearance and thoughts and mood?

14. List the verbs describing Grendel's action in lines 1-36 and say if they are consistent with the evil nature of the monster.

15. Read the rest of the passage and identify the phrases defining Grendel.

16. Consider Grendel in the light of Christian religion and the phrases referring to him; what is he identified with?

17. Were Beowulf's thanes awake or asleep?

18. Who did Grendel attack and devour first?

Beowulf's Fight with Grendel (lines 36-109)

19. Who did Grendel attack then?

20. Was Beowulf awake or asleep? Why?

21. In the introductory note to this extract we have presented a summary of the main events occurring here. Match each group of lines given below with the matter they narrate within the second part (lines 36-109).

Mythology, Pagan and Christian Elements

21. In Beowulf historical and literary elements are associated with heroic legends, mythology and folklore. Which lines of this passage reveal a mythological world?

22. Pagan and Christian tradition are present in Beowulf. Which expressions and elements reveal the two traditions? Consider the whole text again and complete the table below.

Language and Style

23. Beowulf is an Old English poem. Old English poetry frequently used "kennings". Write out the de definition of this device of figurative language, then find examples in the text.

- A "kenning" is:

- Some examples are:

24. Alliterative verse was an essential feature of Germanic poetry. Nearly all Old English verse is heavily alliterative. Say what alliteration is, then find examples in the text translated by B. Raffel and quote the lines.

- An alliteration is:

- Examples are:

25. Read aloud the lines of this extract and say if there is any rhyme scheme pattern.

26. Old English poetry frequently used compound nouns and adjectives. Are there any in this translation in modern English? Quote examples from the text.

27. Grendel is also described by means of metaphors in line 41. Write out what a metaphor is, then identify Grendel's metaphors and analyse them into tenor, vehicle, common ground.

- A metaphor is:

- Grendel is compared to a:

- Other metaphors are: