Beowulf: Fight with Grendel Flashcards
Com on wanre niht scriðan sceadugenga. Sceotend swæfon, þa þæt hornreced healdan scoldon, 705ealle buton anum. Þæt wæs yldum cuþ þæt hie ne moste, þa metod nolde, se scynscaþa under sceadu bregdan; ac he wæccende wraþum on andan bad bolgenmod beadwa geþinges. 710Ða com of more under misthleoþum Grendel gongan, godes yrre bær; mynte se manscaða manna cynnes sumne besyrwan in sele þam hean. Wod under wolcnum to þæs þe he winreced 715goldsele gumena, gearwost wisse, fættum fahne. Ne wæs þæt forma sið þæt he Hroþgares ham gesohte; næfre he on aldordagum ær ne siþðan heardranhæle, healðegnas fand.
- com (repeated 3 times, sense of Grendel’s gradual approach build tension/front placement of verb increase impending sense of threat), ‘wanre’ (light as God)
- glide, shadow-dweller compound (light as God, lexical variation on Grendel highlights isolation- lives in shadows ANA), warriors slept
- hornreced (compound: horn-hall, animalises- mouth), scoldon (duty as warrior- comitatus code)
- double/vocallic allit (emphasis on ANUM), yldum (men), cuþ (well-known)
- metod nolde (when the creater didn’t want- religious reference kind of rare)
- hostile demon/spectral foe: means ‘sprite’ and parallels him wicked creatures of germanic legend, was originally ‘syn’ (sinful destroyer)- think man/monster (alliterative meter demands emendation: sc/s)
- ende (present partic), the hostile one in anger
- wait enraged, battle result
- com (rep), cinematographic (inside/outside hall cutting), misty hill
711 gongan (walk), bear the anger of God (descendent of Cain, makes him MAN, highlights family jealousy/feud) - mynte (intended), manscaða (man/evil)
- besyrwan (ensnare: modal aux separated from infinitive to create suspense)
- wod (trudged), winreced (variation for hall: alcohol), b-line is a C-verse
- appositional variation on hall (goldhall: bright hall/dark moor echoes cain/abel divide, monster/man), clearly recognised
- decorated/stained (with gold ornament), first (metrical emphasis on FIRST) time
- gesohte (visited)
- hard luck/hard welcome, hallthanes found. HALLTHANES (ironic/dramatic irony: don’t defend the hall)
720Com þa to recede rinc siðian, dreamum bedæled. Duru sona onarn, fyrbendum fæst, syþðan he hire folmum æthran; onbræd þa bealohydig, ða he gebolgen wæs, recedes muþan. Raþe æfter þon 725on fagne flor feond treddode, eode yrremod; him of eagum stod ligge gelicost leoht unfæger. Geseah he in recede rinca manige, swefan sibbegedriht samod ætgædere, 730magorinca heap. þa his mod ahlog; mynte þæt he gedælde, ærþon dæg cwome, atol aglæca, anra gehwylces lif wið lice, þa him alumpen wæs wistfylle wen. Ne wæs þæt wyrd þa gen 735þæt he ma moste manna cynnes ðicgean ofer þa niht. þryðswyð beheold mæg Higelaces, hu se manscaða under færgripum gefaran wolde. Ne þæt se aglæca yldan þohte,
- rinc (used to describe men/warrior: monster/man), siðian (stalk)
- deprived of joys (common phrase for isolation, in this case referencing cain, deprived of joys of heaven), door suddenly gave way
- (made) firmly with bands forged with fire, verb æthran postponed (until after door described as heavy: emphasise shock of it), magical Grendel?
- bealohydig (the evil-minded), gebolgen (enraged), onbræd (sprung open)
- mouth of the building (kenning, door, humans become monsters, monsters become humans, obscured divide)
- fagne (decorated/stained),
- appositional variant (angry-minded went: angry because CAIN), eyes: only physical description of Grendel (light of eyes is human in heaven, but burning like hell), also bad omen (monster=portent, monstrarum=demonstrate, often appear before national disasters)
- flip to Grendel’s perspective (sympathises somewhat)
- appositional variant (2 variants of rinca…), t
- autology used to emphasise togetherness which Grendel SEPARATES (gedælde- divide)
- ahlog (laughed)
731-onwards: verbs of intention and subjunctive coming up: dramatic irony highlighting that it doesnt happen (lots of modal auxiliary and infinitive structures) - gedælde (divides), ærþon (before)
- aglæca (used to describe monsters/heroes: grendel, mother, dragon, sigemund and beowulf)
- lice (body), alumpen (came to pass)
- wistfylle (fill of feasting: irony, he feasts on men in the hall where men are meant to feast), wen (hope: expressing the fact that it DOESNT HAPPEN), his fate, gen (yet)
- ma (more), fight against mankind (like the DEVIL- not just the Danes)
- ðicgean (partake of/eat), ofer (after), þryðswyð (tautologous compound of adjectives to express the power and might of Beowulf, also rhyming feature is playful/ornamental)- now shift to Beowulf perspective
- variation on Beowulf
- færgripum (sudden grip/attack), will (wolde is subjunctive- never fulfilled) proceed/act
- repeat aglæca, thought to dely (verb of intention), a-line is C Type Sievers’, B-line is A Type
740ac he gefeng hraðe forman siðe slæpendne rinc, slat unwearnum, bat banlocan, blod edrum dranc, synsnædum swealh; sona hæfde unlyfigendes eal gefeormod, 745fet ond folma. Forð near ætstop, nam þa mid handa higeþihtigne rinc on ræste, ræhte ongean feond mid folme; he onfeng hraþe inwitþancum ond wið earm gesæt. 750Sona þæt onfunde fyrena hyrde þæt he ne mette middangeardes, eorþan sceata, on elran men mundgripe maran. He on mode wearð forht on ferhðe; no þy ær fram meahte. 755Hyge wæs him hinfus, wolde on heolster fleon, secan deofla gedræg; ne wæs his drohtoð þær swylce he on ealderdagum ær gemette. Gemunde þa se goda, mæg Higelaces, æfenspræce, uplang astod 760ond him fæste wiðfeng; fingras burston.
740-745 particularly interesting metre (C/D/E)
- gefeng (caught), hraðe (quickly), first time
parataxis: excitement and action - slat (tore), unwearnum (eagerly), banlocan kenning, a-line is an E metre
- synsnædum (sinful gobbets), sona (soon)
- gefeormod (consumed)
- double alliteration, ætstop (stepped forth)
- nam (took), higeþihtigne (determined)
- began to reach
- feond (confused referent) onfeng (recieved), hraþe (quickly)
- inwitþancum (hostile purposes)
- onfunde (realised), the guardian of crimes likens Grendel to the Devil, back in Grendel’s perspective
- appositional variation to emphasise scope of reference
- maran (more), on mode/ferhðe (below) paralleled, wearð (became)
- ferhðe (spirit), he could no sooner get away
- mind was him eager to get away, heolster (darkness), unusual syntax separating hyge from hinfus (v), wolde (lots of verbs of intention- particularly during fight, as if a battle of the mind, a man’s fight/not a monster’s fight of strength), separation of auxiliary and infinitive (split intention)
- deofla (devils), gedræg (noisy company), drohtoð (course)
- gemette (met/experienced), metrical emphasis on before and days-before (vocalic, unusual)
- appositional variation for Beowulf (se goda is a suggestive epithet of God)
- æfenspræce (evening-speech: boast, A-S warrior culture), uplang (upright)
- wiðfeng (laid hold on), as Grendel did to him earlier
Eoten wæs utweard; eorl furþur stop. Mynte se mæra, þær he meahte swa, widre gewindan ond on weg þanon fleon on fenhopu; wiste his fingra geweald 765on grames grapum. Þæt wæs geocor sið þæt se hearmscaþa to Heorute ateah. Dryhtsele dynede; Denum eallum wearð, ceasterbuendum, cenra gehwylcum, eorlum ealuscerwen. Yrre wæron begen, 770reþe renweardas. Reced hlynsode. Þa wæs wundor micel þæt se winsele wiðhæfde heaþodeorum, þæt he on hrusan ne feol, fæger foldbold; ac he þæs fæste wæs innan ond utan irenbendum 775searoþoncum besmiþod. Þær fram sylle abeag medubenc monig, mine gefræge, golde geregnad, þær þa graman wunnon. Þæs ne wendon ær witan Scyldinga þæt hit a mid gemete manna ænig, 780betlic ond banfag, tobrecan meahte, listum tolucan, nymþe liges fæþm swulge on swaþule.
- eoten (‘arcane knowledge’, ruin), utweard (turning outward), stop (stepped), paratactic
- intended (! verbs of intention, particularly auxilliaries and infinitives, express lack of control) the notorious one, if he could
- faraway place escape, þanon (thence)
- fenhopu (fen-hollows), geweald (power)
- grames (the grim one- Beowulf variation), grapum (grip), geocor (grievous), sið (journey/fate)
- hearmscaþa (terrible enemy), ateah (drew)
767-769: parataxis, double alliteration, vocalic echoes creating sense of ‘resounding’ - dynede (resounded), wearð (became), envelope pattern creates sense of echoing, also emphasised by double alliteration, Denum in the dative case to express passivity
- city-dwellers, each brave ones
- noblemen, distressed, angry were both (likens Beowulf and Grendel, PLURAL past verb used for both)
- fierce hall-guardians, hlynsode (resounded), renweardas=hall-guadians (hapax legomenon- draws attention to the irony of the phrase)
- note SE in comparison with HE (772/3)
- heaþodeorum (battle-brave), hrusan (earth), HE used to describe the hall in 772/3 (directly after 771, all in the b-lines: encourages comparison of these usages)
- beautiful building, þæs (so)
- irenbendum (bands of iron)
- skill strengthened, sylle (floor), abeag (yeilded)
- gefræge (information through hearsay: first person narrative not common, reminder of tradition of stories), medubenc (important symbolism: meadbenches determine status in society, are where peace-weaving and treasure-giving happens, and thus fall of benches=fall of society)
- geregnad (adorned), graman (the fierce ones), wunnon (fought)
- wendon (expected), wisemen of the Danes (witan is ironic: the Danes are stupid)
- hit (the hall), gemete (measure), manna ænig (referring to Grendel or Beowulf? Is Grendel man?)
- betlic (excellent), banfag (adorned with bone- 1. the horns of the stag in the hall, 2. the hall itself is like a stag- open mouthed, 3. dead people in the hall adorn it with bones), was able to break/destroy
- skills pull-asunder, nymþe (unless), fire embraced
- swallowed in flame
Sweg up astag niwe geneahhe; Norðdenum stod atelic egesa, anra gehwylcum 785þara þe of wealle wop gehyrdon, gryreleoð galan godes ondsacan, sigeleasne sang, sar wanigean helle hæfton. Heold hine fæste se þe manna wæs mægene strengest 790on þæm dæge þysses lifes. Nolde eorla hleo ænige þinga þone cwealmcuman cwicne forlætan, ne his lifdagas leoda ænigum nytte tealde. Þær genehost brægd 795 eorl Beowulfes ealde lafe, wolde freadrihtnes feorh ealgian, mæres þeodnes, ðær hie meahton swa. Hie þæt ne wiston, þa hie gewin drugon, heardhicgende hildemecgas, 800 ond on healfa gehwone heawan þohton, 801a sawle secan:
782b. sound ascended (ascension: Christian?)
783. uncanny; specify North for alliteration, ‘stod’ passive, also genitive is passive (contrast with active Geats later)
784. in horrible terror, each one, anra headstave, passive genitive X2 directly on top of each other in b-line
785. through, weeping heard, wop (who is weeping: man/monster, do monsters even weep?)
786. song of terror sing god enemy, ironic because singing is what brought him to the hall, presents him as the DEVIL: ‘enemy of god’
787. in defeat sang, wound bwail
788. captive of hell, Christian reference, Cain
789. mægene (strong), superlative unusual, tautology emphasises strength
790. unusual metrical emphasis, transience of man (also used to describe Beowulf at some point), potentially Christian undertone
791. eorla hleo (protector of noblemen),
792. murderous-visitor, forlætan (release), visitor presenting him as an outsider/exile, dramatic tension split between auxiliary and infinitive
793. leoda (people)
794. tealde (considered), genehost (frequently), brægd (drew- a sword, action of Geats compared to Danes)
795. ancient heirloom, Beowulf has 12 warriors (Jesus)
796. life of the lord, ealgian (defend), freadrihtnes is a compound that means LORDLORD: emphasises his position as lord?
797. variation, if they can
798. wiston (know), gewin (combat), drugon (performed)
799. strong-willed warriors
800. side each, intended to cut
801a. seek the soul (Christian?)
801b þone synscaðan ænig ofer eorþan irenna cyst, guðbilla nan, gretan nolde, ac he sigewæpnum forsworen hæfde, 805 ecga gehwylcre. Scolde his aldorgedal on ðæm dæge þysses lifes earmlic wurðan, ond se ellorgast on feonda geweald feor siðian. Ða þæt onfunde se þe fela æror 810 modes myrðe manna cynne, fyrene gefremede (he wæs fag wið god), þæt him se lichoma læstan nolde, ac hine se modega mæg Hygelaces hæfde be honda; wæs gehwæþer oðrum 815 lifigende lað. Licsar gebad atol æglæca; him on eaxle wearð syndolh sweotol, seonowe onsprungon, burston banlocan. Beowulfe wearð guðhreð gyfeþe; scolde Grendel þonan 820 feorhseoc fleon under fenhleoðu, 821a secean wynleas wic;
801b. criminal (syn: Christian frame of ref.)
802. irenna (iron swords), cyst (best)
803. guðbilla (war-swords: variation on irenna to emphasise that NO swords worked), gretan (touch), cross alliteration (Eric Stanley)
804. victory-weapon (ironic compound), forsworen (bewitched=grendel, forsake=beowulf)
805. ecga (blades, variation), aldorgedal (separation from life, ironically referencing separating lif wið lice)
806. ðæm/þysses metre and repetition: Beo/Grendel
807. wretched, become/happen, ellorgast (alien spirit: outsider)
808. power of enemies, siðian (travel)
809. onfunde (realised) HE THAT many before
810. mind afflictions, myrðe AND fyrene both gen plural parallels (variants, emphasising)
811. crimes gefremede (PERFORMED), fag (in a state of feud), wið (against), presented as the Devil
812. lichoma (body), læstan (do service), separation between HIM and BODY (soul?), lichoma (kenning for body/skeleton: life home)
813. modega (brave one), appositional variation
814. was each the other
815. living (present partic.) hateful, liscar (bodily wound), gebad (experienced)
816. æglæca (hero/monster), wearð (became)
817. terrible wound, open, sinews, banlocan RARE kenning (directly references to Beowulf biting the banlocan in his attack: bat banlocan)
818. half line?
819. guðhreð (war-glory), gyfeþe (granted- use as adjective rather than verb obscures who does the granting: God/society/Hygelac?)
820. feorhseoc (mortally wounded), fenhleoðu ironically references under the misty-slopes that he travels under at beginning)
821a. search for the joyless dwelling, (wyn/wine paranomasia)
821b wiste þe geornor þæt his aldres wæs ende gegongen, dogera dægrim. Denum eallum wearð æfter þam wælræse willa gelumpen. 825 Hæfde þa gefælsod se þe ær feorran com, snotor ond swyðferhð, sele Hroðgares, genered wið niðe; nihtweorce gefeh, ellenmærþum. Hæfde Eastdenum Geatmecga leod gilp gelæsted, 830 swylce oncyþðe ealle gebette, inwidsorge, þe hie ær drugon ond for þreanydum þolian scoldon, torn unlytel. Þæt wæs tacen sweotol, syþðan hildedeor hond alegde, 835 earm ond eaxle (þær wæs eal geador Grendles grape) under geapne hrof. Ða wæs on morgen mine gefræge ymb þa gifhealle guðrinc monig; ferdon folctogan feorran ond nean 840 geond widwegas wundor sceawian, laþes lastas.
821b. wiste (knew), geornor (readily)
822. aldres (life), gegongen (to go)
823. days, count of days
824. wælræse (battle-rush), gelumpen (occurred)
825. gefælsod (cleansed- religious?), he than before…
826. swyðferhð (stout-hearted)
827. redeemed against hostility, gefeh (rejoiced in)
828. ellenmærþum (courageous acts)
829. leader of the Geats, gilp (boast: AS warrior culture: promises to kill Grendel), gelæsted (performed)
830. oncyþðe (sorrow), gebette (amended)
831. inwidsorge (terrible sorrow), drugon (endured)
832. þreanydum (terrible needs), þolian (suffer), torn (suffering)
833. open token/sign
834. hildedeor (brave in battle: Beowulf or Grendel? Beowulf showing the hand, or Grendel leaving it behind and therefore ‘laying it down’), alegde (laid down)
835. geador (together), biblical echo: in Old Test Judas Maccabeus cut off Nicanor’s arm and hung it on the wall of the citadel AND he also cut off his head and showed people it like Grendel (paralleling Beowulf with
836. spacious roof
837. perspective shift from in the hall to out of the hall/society, and looking at Heorot as the centre of societygefræge (information through hearsay: oral tradition)
838. ymb (around), guðrinc (warriors), gifhealle (compound to express importance of hall, treasure-giving, Grendel’s arm is like a gift)
839. journied (Journey of the Magi, to visit JESUS: are they looking at Grendel’s arm, or are they looking at Beowulf the hero- who is Jesus? echo), leaders of the people
840. through distant paths, sceawian (see: verb used throughout collocated with wundor to describe looking at magical/supernatural things, but later used to describe Beowulf’s dead body), hostile tracks (the wundor is the hostile tracks: is Grendel like Jesus in the Magi parallel?)
No his lifgedal sarlic þuhte secga ænegum þara þe tirleases trode sceawode, hu he werigmod on weg þanon, 845niða ofercumen, on nicera mere fæge ond geflymed feorhlastas bær. Ðær wæs on blode brim weallende, atol yða geswing eal gemenged haton heolfre, heorodreore weol. 850Deaðfæge deog, siððan dreama leas in fenfreoðo feorh alegde, hæþene sawle; þær him hel onfeng. Þanon eft gewiton ealdgesiðas, swylce geong manig of gomenwaþe 855fram mere modge mearum ridan, beornas on blancum. Ðær wæs Beowulfes mærðo mæned; monig oft gecwæð þætte suð ne norð be sæm tweonum ofer eormengrund oþer nænig 860under swegles begong selra nære rondhæbbendra, rices wyrðra.
- lifgedal (death: ironic reference, lif wið lice)
- sarlic (sad), secga (warriors)
- he/those that, sceawode (saw), inglorious tracks
- weary-minded
- niða (hatred), nicera (sea-monsters), mere (lake)
- fated and put to flight (put to flight suggestive of exile- Cain/Devil), bloody tracks carried
- brim (waves), weallende (surging): water and blood (Christ crucifixion: suffering and redemption, waters of baptism and Noah’s flood)
- atol (terrible), yða (waves), geswing (swirling)
- hot blood/gore, battle-blood boiling, vocalic sound patterning to create sense of boiling and swelling, heorodreore (internal rhyme: Eric Stanley, stylise and make more exciting- consider oral tradition)
- death-fated, hid/concealed, leas (deprived)
- fenfreoðo (refuge of the fens), life laid down (verbs in b-line ironic inversion of COM a-line)
- heathen soul (HUMAN?), onfeng (received: passive structure ironic inversion of ACTIVE COM), hell (Devil)
- gewiton (departed), old-comrades
- many young, gomenwaþe (joyous journey)
- modge (brave), mearum (horses)
- warriors on grey/white
- fame spoke of, gecwæð (spoke: oral tradition?), repetition of negatives emphasise how great Beowulf is
- sæm tweonum (two seas), variation (kind of)
- eormengrund (spacious ground), oþer (another)
- swegles (sky), begong (region), selra (better)
- shield-barer (kenning for warrior: highlights Beowulf as protector of men, where Hrothgar could not protect them), kingdom worthy. DOUBLE SUPERLATIVES in b-lines (unusual in OE literature, emphasising contrast with Hrothgar: David and Goliath)
Ne hie huru winedrihten wiht ne logon, glædne Hroðgar, ac þæt wæs god cyning. Hwilum heaþorofe hleapan leton, 865on geflit faran fealwe mearas ðær him foldwegas fægere þuhton, cystum cuðe.Hwilum cyninges þegn, guma gilphlæden, gidda gemyndig, se ðe ealfela ealdgesegena 870worn gemunde, word oþer fand soðe gebunden; secg eft ongan sið Beowulfes snyttrum styrian ond on sped wrecan spel gerade, wordum wrixlan. Welhwylc gecwæð 875þæt he fram Sigemundes secgan hyrde ellendædum, uncuþes fela, Wælsinges gewin, wide siðas, þara þe gumena bearn gearwe ne wiston, fæhðe ond fyrena, buton Fitela mid hine, 880þonne he swulces hwæt secgan wolde,
- huru (their), wiht (at all), logon (blame), compound expresses social status of lord (friend), repetition of negative (grammatically sound) and wiht (at all) stressing defence of Hrothgar
- glædne (gracious: variation to emphasise Hrothgar being good), ac (but) as a recovery, GOD paranomasia
- heaþorofe (the brave in battle- plural, adjective used as noun), leton (allowed), hleapan (gallop)
- in competition, faran (travel), fealwe (dark)
- earth-ways, seemed beautiful
- best familiar, now referring to the poet (scop), begins to be very ornamental with assonance etc. (reference Orchard and Stanley)
- man covered in glory (kenning for a poet: boast-laden, he is a man who knows of great victories), mindful of songs
- ealfela (very much/many), ealdgesegena (old traditions)
- worn (large number), remembered, fand (find), perhaps describing the OE poetic technique of variation
- truly bind (perhaps referencing OE technique of alliterative metre that binds words), secg (man), ongan (begins)
- styrian (stir up), snyttrum (wisdom), sið (journey)
- sped (means), gerade (skilful), wrecan (utter), spel (story)
- words varied (again, reference to poetic technique of variation), welhwylc (everything)
At this point interesting: at the moment of Beowulf’s victory he foreshadows his downfall by referencing the death of Sigemund, another hero and the only other Aglaca (these tales recounted in the Norse Volsunga Saga) - secgan (tell)
- courageous-deeds, unknown many
- Wales-son battle, wide journeys
- gumena bearn (son of man), gearwe (readily), wiston (know)
- feuds and crimes, with him
- whenever, swulces (such), secgan (tell)
eam his nefan, swa hie a wæron æt niða gehwam nydgesteallan; hæfdon ealfela eotena cynnes sweordum gesæged.Sigemunde gesprong 885æfter deaðdæge dom unlytel, syþðan wiges heard wyrm acwealde, hordes hyrde. He under harne stan, æþelinges bearn, ana geneðde frecne dæde, ne wæs him Fitela mid. 890Hwæþre him gesælde ðæt þæt swurd þurhwod wrætlicne wyrm, þæt hit on wealle ætstod, dryhtlic iren; draca morðre swealt. Hæfde aglæca elne gegongen þæt he beahhordes brucan moste 895selfes dome; sæbat gehleod, bær on bearm scipes beorhte frætwa, Wælses eafera. Wyrm hat gemealt.
- uncle his nephew, a (always)
- niða (hostilities), gehwan (together), nydgesteallan (comrades-in-battle)
- ealfela (great many)
- gesæged (slayed), gesprong (arose/sprung forth)
- dom unlytel (fame unlittle)
- wiges (battle), heard (fierce), acwealde (killed)
- hordes hyrde (guardian of the hoard), harne stan (grey stone)
- son of the prince, geneðde (ventured)
- daring deed
- gesælde (chanced), þurhwod (passed through)
- wrætlicne (strange), ætstod (stood fixed)
- dryhtlic (lordly), morðre (of the violence), swealt (perished)
- gegongen (went)
- beahhordes (ring-hoard), brucan (enjoy)
- dome (judgement), loaded the seaboat
- bore onto the bosom ship, frætwa (ornaments)
- eafera (offspring), hat (hot), gemealt (melted)
We’ve just heard tale about Sigemund dying after killing a dragon (syþðan: after/when), so then later when Beowulf goes to fight dragon we anticipate his death
General information
- Beowulf fighting Grendel is not just because he is honour-bound: he owes it to Hyglac
- Poet takes a real history and inserts new heroes (changes it from a history to a legend- an elaboration of history): psuedo-historical setting
- This extract consists of two parts: the fight/celebration
Must mention
- Monsters and men: Grendel crosses from dark moor to human hall, transversing the divide between monsters and men (Beowulf does the same thing)
- Cain/Abel: darkness of Cain (moores), light of abel (hall)
