Vocabulary
Review the vocabulary words before you read the epic poem Beowulf
Scop- Composers and storytellers of Anglo-Saxon poetry
Moored- Secure a ship
Gables- Decorative triangular-shaped roofing structures
Linded- Soft light wood
Mead- An alcoholic drink of fermented honey and water
Vexed- Irritated, annoyed
Gorges- Eats greedily
Sentinal- A person or thing that stands watch
Talons- Claws
Sinews- Tendons
Runic- Consisting or set down in an ancient alphabet used for writing Germanic script, especially in Germanic language, most often of Scandinavian or Britain from about the third to the thirteenth centuries
Pyre- A bonfire for burning a dead body
Beowulf
In the passage you are about to read, Grendel, the fierce monster cursed by God, invades the mead-hall and begins his reign of terror.
Hint for Reading: Don't pause at the end of each line. Keep reading as if you are reading a regular prose narrative, or story, instead of a poem. Read as if you were reading a paragraph written like this:
"A powerful monster, living down in the darkness, growled in pain, impatient as day after day the music rang loud in that hall, the harp's rejoicing call and the poet's clear songs, sung of the ancient beginnings of us all, recalling the Almighty making the earth, shaping these beautiful plains marked off by the oceans; then proudly setting the sun and moon to glow across the land and light it; the corners of the earth were made lovely with trees and leaves, made quick with life, with each of the nations who now move on its face."
See how much easier that is to understand when you read it like a story! The remarks in blue print should help you understand anything that may be confusing.
Do you understand so far? The author is telling about a powerful monster that lived down in the darkness. This monster, day after day, listened to the music and the laughter that came from the great hall where the men gathered to hear the scop sing and play the harp. The subject of the scop's song is the beginning of time, how the Almighty created the earth for man's enjoyment.
Until. . . . .
The more the monster Grendel heard the songs of happiness and contentment, the angrier he grew. He is an offspring of Cain in the Bible who is cursed by God for killing his brother Abel. Grendel's family tree can be traced all the way back to Cain, linking Grendel with the forces of evil and with fiends, goblins, monsters, and giants. Naturally, Grendel hates to hear songs of the Almighty as much as he hates to hear the fun the men are having.
Do you understand about Grendel's horrible deeds?
After night had fallen, the monster Grendel went to the mead-hall, Herot, to satisfy his curiosity about what the men were doing in the hall. He found them sleeping peacefully. Immediately, he slipped through the door, grabbed thirty men from their beds, smashed them as they slept, and ran out with their bodies. Blood dripped behind him as he ran back to his lair, thrilled with his night's catch.
Note that his home is called a "lair." Usually you think of a lair as being the home or resting place of wild animals. By using the word lair, the author further dehumanizes Grendel and makes him animalistic.
Now let's see what happens when the horrible slaughter of the previous night is discovered.
It was very important in these times for the king or ruler to show loyalty to his people by avenging any evil done to them. Hrothgar, however, does not avenge the deaths of his thirty men. He weeps, fearful that what had just begun might continue. And, sure enough, it does! The very next night Grendel comes again and murders Hrothgar's men. The only men who escape death are those who run as far from Herot as they can. Distance is their only safety. It appears that evil has triumphed over good.
So, as impossible as it might seem to us today, the story says that for "twelve winters" Grendel terrorized Hrothgar's men. For twelve years he plundered and killed, and the old king hung his head in misery.
Grendel kept the bloody feud alive; he did not seek peace; he did not offer to call a truce. He didn't even ask for gold or land in return for peace. He stalked the people, a "shadow of death," always near, killing young and old alike, hidden in the mist and fog of the marsh--always there, always a threat of death.
Beowulf has most of the elements we enjoy in stories and movies today. The one element we are accustomed to that Beowulf does not have is a romantic interest. However, the story does contain a hero who fights against great obstacles, who represents right and good, and who eventually triumphs. Beowulf is this hero's name, and he places his own life in peril as he fights on the side of good.
You should be able to understand why this story has survived so many centuries to still be read and enjoyed by students and other readers. When you read, picture how Grendel might have looked. You can become an active participant in the story if you use your imagination to place yourself as a witness to the story.
Keep in mind, however, that the Anglo-Saxons did not read the story; they listened to it. To further enhance your enjoyment and understanding, try reading it aloud so that you can hear its sound.
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