Beowulf 5: Grendel’s mother takes revenge.

His mother moreover

[Grendel’s mother comes to avenge her son.]

Eager and gloomy was anxious to go on

Her mournful mission, mindful of vengeance

For the death of her son. She came then to Heorot

Where the Armor-Dane earlmen all through the building

Were lying in slumber. Soon there became then

Return to the nobles, when the mother of Grendel

Entered the folk-hall; the fear was less grievous

By even so much as the vigor of maidens,

War-strength of women, by warrior is reckoned,

When well-carved weapon, worked with the hammer,

Blade very bloody, brave with its edges,

Strikes down the boar-sign that stands on the helmet.

Then the hard-edgèd weapon was heaved in the building,

The brand o’er the benches, broad-lindens many

Hand-fast were lifted; for helmet he recked not,

For armor-net broad, whom terror laid hold of.

She went then hastily, outward would get her

Her life for to save, when some one did spy her;

[She seizes a favorite thane of Hrothgar’s.]

Soon she had grappled one of the athelings

Fast and firmly, when fenward she hied her;

That one to Hrothgar was liefest of heroes

In rank of retainer where waters encircle,

A mighty shield-warrior, whom she murdered at slumber,

A broadly-famed battle-knight. Beowulf was absent,

[Beowulf was asleep in another part of the palace.]

But another apartment was erstwhile devoted

To the glory-decked Geatman when gold was distributed.

There was hubbub in Heorot. The hand that was famous

She grasped in its gore; grief was renewed then

In homes and houses: ’twas no happy arrangement

In both of the quarters to barter and purchase

With lives of their friends. Then the well-agèd ruler,

The gray-headed war-thane, was woeful in spirit,

When his long-trusted liegeman lifeless he knew of,

[Beowulf is sent for.]

His dearest one gone. Quick from a room was

Beowulf brought, brave and triumphant.

As day was dawning in the dusk of the morning,

[He comes at Hrothgar’s summons.]

Went then that earlman, champion noble,

Came with comrades, where the clever one bided

Whether God all gracious would grant him a respite

After the woe he had suffered. The war-worthy hero

With a troop of retainers trod then the pavement

(The hall-building groaned), till he greeted the wise one,

[Beowulf inquires how Hrothgar had enjoyed his night’s rest.]

The earl of the Ingwins; asked if the night had

Fully refreshed him, as fain he would have it.

XXI. HROTHGAR’S ACCOUNT OF THE MONSTERS.

[Hrothgar laments the death of Æschere, his shoulder-companion.]

Hrothgar rejoined, helm of the Scyldings:

“Ask not of joyance! Grief is renewed to

The folk of the Danemen. Dead is Æschere . . .

My true-hearted counsellor, trusty adviser,

Shoulder-companion, when fighting in battle

Our heads we protected, when troopers were clashing,

[He was my ideal hero.]

And heroes were dashing; such an earl should be ever,

An erst-worthy atheling, as Æschere proved him.

The flickering death-spirit became in Heorot

His hand-to-hand murderer; I cannot tell whither

The cruel one turned in the carcass exulting . . .

[This horrible creature came to avenge Grendel’s death.]

By cramming discovered. The quarrel she wreaked then,

That last night igone Grendel thou killedst

In gruesomest manner, with grim-holding clutches,

Since too long he had lessened my liege-troop and wasted

My folk-men so foully. He fell in the battle

With forfeit of life, and another has followed,

A mighty crime-worker, her kinsman avenging,

And henceforth hath ‘stablished her hatred unyielding,

As it well may appear to many a liegeman,

Who mourneth in spirit the treasure-bestower,

Her heavy heart-sorrow; the hand is now lifeless

Which availed you in every wish that you cherished.

[I have heard my vassals speak of these two uncanny monsters who lived in the moors.]

Land-people heard I, liegemen, this saying,

Dwellers in halls, they had seen very often

A pair of such mighty march-striding creatures,

Far-dwelling spirits, holding the moorlands:

One of them wore, as well they might notice,

The image of woman, the other one wretched

In guise of a man wandered in exile,

Except he was huger than any of earthmen;

Earth-dwelling people entitled him Grendel

In days of yore: they know not their father,

Whe’r ill-going spirits any were borne him

[The inhabit the most desolate and horrible places.]

Ever before. They guard the wolf-coverts,

Lands inaccessible, wind-beaten nesses,

Fearfullest fen-deeps, where a flood from the mountains

’Neath mists of the nesses netherward rattles,

The stream under earth: not far is it henceward

Measured by mile-lengths that the mere-water standeth,

Which forests hang over, with frost-whiting covered,

A firm-rooted forest, the floods overshadow.

There ever at night one an ill-meaning portent

A fire-flood may see; ’mong children of men

None liveth so wise that wot of the bottom;

Though harassed by hounds the heath-stepper seek for,

[Even the hounded deer will not seek refuge in these uncanny regions.]

Fly to the forest, firm-antlered he-deer,

Spurred from afar, his spirit he yieldeth,

His life on the shore, ere in he will venture

To cover his head. Uncanny the place is:

Thence upward ascendeth the surging of waters,

Wan to the welkin, when the wind is stirring

The weathers unpleasing, till the air groweth gloomy,

[To thee only can I look for assistance.]

And the heavens lower. Now is help to be gotten

From thee and thee only! The abode thou know’st not,

The dangerous place where thou’rt able to meet with

The sin-laden hero: seek if thou darest!

For the feud I will fully fee thee with money,

With old-time treasure, as erstwhile I did thee,

With well-twisted jewels, if away thou shalt get thee.”

XXII. BEOWULF SEEKS GRENDEL’S MOTHER.

Beowulf answered, Ecgtheow’s son:

[Beowulf exhorts the old king to arouse himself for action.]

“Grieve not, O wise one! for each it is better,

His friend to avenge than with vehemence wail him;

Each of us must the end-day abide of

His earthly existence; who is able accomplish

Glory ere death! To battle-thane noble

Lifeless lying, ’tis at last most fitting.

Arise, O king, quick let us hasten

To look at the footprint of the kinsman of Grendel!

I promise thee this now: to his place he’ll escape not,

To embrace of the earth, nor to mountainous forest,

Nor to depths of the ocean, wherever he wanders.

Practice thou now patient endurance

Of each of thy sorrows, as I hope for thee soothly!”

[Hrothgar rouses himself. His horse is brought.]

Then up sprang the old one, the All-Wielder thanked he,

Ruler Almighty, that the man had outspoken.

Then for Hrothgar a war-horse was decked with a bridle,

Curly-maned courser. The clever folk-leader

[They start on the track of the female monster.]

Stately proceeded: stepped then an earl-troop

Of linden-wood bearers. Her footprints were seen then

Widely in wood-paths, her way o’er the bottoms,

Where she faraway fared o’er fen-country murky,

Bore away breathless the best of retainers

Who pondered with Hrothgar the welfare of country.

The son of the athelings then went o’er the stony,

Declivitous cliffs, the close-covered passes,

Narrow passages, paths unfrequented,

Nesses abrupt, nicker-haunts many;

One of a few of wise-mooded heroes,

He onward advanced to view the surroundings,

Till he found unawares woods of the mountain

O’er hoar-stones hanging, holt-wood unjoyful;

The water stood under, welling and gory.

’Twas irksome in spirit to all of the Danemen,

Friends of the Scyldings, to many a liegeman

[The sight of Æschere’s head causes them great sorrow.]

Sad to be suffered, a sorrow unlittle

To each of the earlmen, when to Æschere’s head they

Came on the cliff. The current was seething

With blood and with gore (the troopers gazed on it).

The horn anon sang the battle-song ready.

The troop were all seated; they saw ’long the water then

[The water is filled with serpents and sea-dragons.]

Many a serpent, mere-dragons wondrous

Trying the waters, nickers a-lying

On the cliffs of the nesses, which at noonday full often

Go on the sea-deeps their sorrowful journey,

Wild-beasts and wormkind; away then they hastened

[One of them is killed by Beowulf.]

Hot-mooded, hateful, they heard the great clamor,

The war-trumpet winding. One did the Geat-prince

[50]

Sunder from earth-joys, with arrow from bowstring,

From his sea-struggle tore him, that the trusty war-missile

[The dead beast is a poor swimmer]

Pierced to his vitals; he proved in the currents

Less doughty at swimming whom death had offcarried.

Soon in the waters the wonderful swimmer

Was straitened most sorely with sword-pointed boar-spears,

Pressed in the battle and pulled to the cliff-edge;

The liegemen then looked on the loath-fashioned stranger.

[Beowulf prepares for a struggle with the monster.]

Beowulf donned then his battle-equipments,

Cared little for life; inlaid and most ample,

The hand-woven corslet which could cover his body,

Must the wave-deeps explore, that war might be powerless

To harm the great hero, and the hating one’s grasp might

Not peril his safety; his head was protected

By the light-flashing helmet that should mix with the bottoms,

Trying the eddies, treasure-emblazoned,

Encircled with jewels, as in seasons long past

The weapon-smith worked it, wondrously made it,

With swine-bodies fashioned it, that thenceforward no longer

Brand might bite it, and battle-sword hurt it.

And that was not least of helpers in prowess

[He has Unferth’s sword in his hand.]

That Hrothgar’s spokesman had lent him when straitened;

And the hilted hand-sword was Hrunting entitled,

Old and most excellent ’mong all of the treasures;

Its blade was of iron, blotted with poison,

Hardened with gore; it failed not in battle

Any hero under heaven in hand who it brandished,

Who ventured to take the terrible journeys,

The battle-field sought; not the earliest occasion

That deeds of daring ’twas destined to ’complish.

[Unferth has little use for swords.]

Ecglaf’s kinsman minded not soothly,

Exulting in strength, what erst he had spoken

Drunken with wine, when the weapon he lent to

A sword-hero bolder; himself did not venture

’Neath the strife of the currents his life to endanger,

To fame-deeds perform; there he forfeited glory,

Repute for his strength. Not so with the other

When he clad in his corslet had equipped him for battle.

XXIII. BEOWULF’S FIGHT WITH GRENDEL’S MOTHER.

[Beowulf makes a parting speech to Hrothgar.]

Beowulf spake, Ecgtheow’s son:

“Recall now, oh, famous kinsman of Healfdene,

Prince very prudent, now to part I am ready,

Gold-friend of earlmen, what erst we agreed on,

If I fail, act as a kind liegelord to my thanes,

Should I lay down my life in lending thee assistance,

When my earth-joys were over, thou wouldst evermore serve me

In stead of a father; my faithful thanemen,

My trusty retainers, protect thou and care for,

Fall I in battle: and, Hrothgar belovèd,

Send unto Higelac the high-valued jewels

Thou to me hast allotted. The lord of the Geatmen

May perceive from the gold, the Hrethling may see it

[I should like my king to know how generous a lord I found thee to be.]

When he looks on the jewels, that a gem-giver found I

Good over-measure, enjoyed him while able.

And the ancient heirloom Unferth permit thou,

The famed one to have, the heavy-sword splendid

The hard-edgèd weapon; with Hrunting to aid me,

I shall gain me glory, or grim-death shall take me.”

[Beowulf is eager for the fray.]

The atheling of Geatmen uttered these words and

Heroic did hasten, not any rejoinder

Was willing to wait for; the wave-current swallowed

[He is a whole day reaching the bottom of the sea.]

The doughty-in-battle. Then a day’s-length elapsed ere

He was able to see the sea at its bottom.

Early she found then who fifty of winters

The course of the currents kept in her fury,

Grisly and greedy, that the grim one’s dominion

[Grendel’s mother knows that some one has reached her domains.]

Some one of men from above was exploring.

Forth did she grab them, grappled the warrior

With horrible clutches; yet no sooner she injured

His body unscathèd: the burnie out-guarded,

That she proved but powerless to pierce through the armor,

The limb-mail locked, with loath-grabbing fingers.

The sea-wolf bare then, when bottomward came she,

[She grabs him, and bears him to her den.]

The ring-prince homeward, that he after was powerless

(He had daring to do it) to deal with his weapons,

But many a mere-beast tormented him swimming,

[Sea-monsters bite and strike him.]

Flood-beasts no few with fierce-biting tusks did

Break through his burnie, the brave one pursued they.

The earl then discovered he was down in some cavern

Where no water whatever anywise harmed him,

And the clutch of the current could come not anear him,

Since the roofed-hall prevented; brightness a-gleaming

Fire-light he saw, flashing resplendent.

The good one saw then the sea-bottom’s monster,

[Beowulf attacks the mother of Grendel]

The mighty mere-woman; he made a great onset

With weapon-of-battle, his hand not desisted

From striking, that war-blade struck on her head then

A battle-song greedy. The stranger perceived then

[The sword will not bite.]

The sword would not bite, her life would not injure,

But the falchion failed the folk-prince when straitened:

Erst had it often onsets encountered,

Oft cloven the helmet, the fated one’s armor:

’Twas the first time that ever the excellent jewel

Had failed of its fame. Firm-mooded after,

Not heedless of valor, but mindful of glory,

Was Higelac’s kinsman; the hero-chief angry

Cast then his carved-sword covered with jewels

That it lay on the earth, hard and steel-pointed;

[The hero throws down all weapons, and again trusts to his hand-grip].

He hoped in his strength, his hand-grapple sturdy.

So any must act whenever he thinketh

To gain him in battle glory unending,

And is reckless of living. The lord of the War-Geats

(He shrank not from battle) seized by the shoulder

The mother of Grendel; then mighty in struggle

Swung he his enemy, since his anger was kindled,

That she fell to the floor. With furious grapple

[Beowulf falls.]

She gave him requital early thereafter,

And stretched out to grab him; the strongest of warriors

Faint-mooded stumbled, till he fell in his traces,

[The monster sits on him with drawn sword.]

Foot-going champion. Then she sat on the hall-guest

And wielded her war-knife wide-bladed, flashing,

For her son would take vengeance, her one only bairn.

[His armor saves his life.]

His breast-armor woven bode on his shoulder;

It guarded his life, the entrance defended

’Gainst sword-point and edges. Ecgtheow’s son there

Had fatally journeyed, champion of Geatmen,

In the arms of the ocean, had the armor not given,

Close-woven corslet, comfort and succor,

[God arranged for his escape.]

And had God most holy not awarded the victory,

All-knowing Lord; easily did heaven’s

Ruler most righteous arrange it with justice;

Uprose he erect ready for battle.

XXIV. BEOWULF IS DOUBLE-CONQUEROR.

[Beowulf grasps a giant-sword.]

Then he saw mid the war-gems a weapon of victory,

An ancient giant-sword, of edges a-doughty,

Glory of warriors: of weapons ’twas choicest,

Only ’twas larger than any man else was

Able to bear to the battle-encounter,

The good and splendid work of the giants.

He grasped then the sword-hilt, knight of the Scyldings,

Bold and battle-grim, brandished his ring-sword,

Hopeless of living, hotly he smote her,

[The fiend-woman’s neck firmly it grappled, and fells the female monster.]

Broke through her bone-joints, the bill fully pierced her

Fate-cursèd body, she fell to the ground then:

The hand-sword was bloody, the hero exulted.

The brand was brilliant, brightly it glimmered,

Just as from heaven gemlike shineth

The torch of the firmament. He glanced ’long the building,

And turned by the wall then, Higelac’s vassal

Raging and wrathful raised his battle-sword

Strong by the handle. The edge was not useless

To the hero-in-battle, but he speedily wished to

Give Grendel requital for the many assaults he

Had worked on the West-Danes not once, but often,

When he slew in slumber the subjects of Hrothgar,

Swallowed down fifteen sleeping retainers

Of the folk of the Danemen, and fully as many

Carried away, a horrible prey.

He gave him requital, grim-raging champion,

[Beowulf sees the body of Grendel, and cuts off his head.]

When he saw on his rest-place weary of conflict

Grendel lying, of life-joys bereavèd,

As the battle at Heorot erstwhile had scathed him;

His body far bounded, a blow when he suffered,

Death having seized him, sword-smiting heavy,

And he cut off his head then. Early this noticed

The clever carles who as comrades of Hrothgar

[The waters are gory.]

Gazed on the sea-deeps, that the surging wave-currents

Were mightily mingled, the mere-flood was gory:

Of the good one the gray-haired together held converse,

[Beowulf is given up for dead.]

The hoary of head, that they hoped not to see again

The atheling ever, that exulting in victory

He’d return there to visit the distinguished folk-ruler:

Then many concluded the mere-wolf had killed him.

The ninth hour came then. From the ness-edge departed

The bold-mooded Scyldings; the gold-friend of heroes

Homeward betook him. The strangers sat down then

Soul-sick, sorrowful, the sea-waves regarding:

They wished and yet weened not their well-loved friend-lord

[The giant-sword melts.]

To see any more. The sword-blade began then,

The blood having touched it, contracting and shriveling

With battle-icicles; ’twas a wonderful marvel

That it melted entirely, likest to ice when

The Father unbindeth the bond of the frost and

Unwindeth the wave-bands, He who wieldeth dominion

Of times and of tides: a truth-firm Creator.

Nor took he of jewels more in the dwelling,

Lord of the Weders, though they lay all around him,

Than the head and the handle handsome with jewels;

The brand early melted, burnt was the weapon:

So hot was the blood, the strange-spirit poisonous

[The hero swims back to the realms of day.]

That in it did perish. He early swam off then

Who had bided in combat the carnage of haters,

Went up through the ocean; the eddies were cleansèd,

The spacious expanses, when the spirit from farland

His life put aside and this short-lived existence.

The seamen’s defender came swimming to land then

Doughty of spirit, rejoiced in his sea-gift,

The bulky burden which he bore in his keeping.

The excellent vassals advanced then to meet him,

To God they were grateful, were glad in their chieftain,

That to see him safe and sound was granted them.

From the high-minded hero, then, helmet and burnie

Were speedily loosened: the ocean was putrid,

The water ’neath welkin weltered with gore.

Forth did they fare, then, their footsteps retracing,

Merry and mirthful, measured the earth-way,

The highway familiar: men very daring

Bare then the head from the sea-cliff, burdening

Each of the earlmen, excellent-valiant.

[It takes four men to carry Grendel’s head on a spear.]

Four of them had to carry with labor

The head of Grendel to the high towering gold-hall

Upstuck on the spear, till fourteen most-valiant

And battle-brave Geatmen came there going

Straight to the palace: the prince of the people

Measured the mead-ways, their mood-brave companion.

The atheling of earlmen entered the building,

Deed-valiant man, adorned with distinction,

Doughty shield-warrior, to address King Hrothgar:

Then hung by the hair, the head of Grendel

Was borne to the building, where beer-thanes were drinking,

Loth before earlmen and eke ’fore the lady:

The warriors beheld then a wonderful sight.