Passage 1

“for the maker had proscribed [Grendel] with the race of Cain. That bloodshed, for that Cain slew Abel, the Eternal Lord avenged: no joy had he of that violent deed, but God drove him for that crime far from mankind. Of him all evil broods were born, ogres and goblins and haunting shapes of hell, and the giants too, that long time warred with God – for that he gave them their reward” (narrator, lines 86-92).

Before coming across this passage, I had never heard of this connection between the mythic beasts of olden tales and Cain, son of Adam, who killed his brother Abel. This intermingling of pagan myth and Christian Biblicism reveals a cultural association between generational Anglo-Saxon oral stories (as the story of Beowulf may have been for generations) and the relatively recently-introduced Christian doctrine. Grendel and his monstrous relatives are all descendants, in this lore, of the first murderer of Scripture. The passage states that these monsters “long time warred with God;” could this suggest that Hrothgar, the men of the Scyldings, and Beowulf–given that they in this story are the objects of Grendel’s malice–represent the forces of God, the camp of the righteous? It seems so, as Grendel and his descendants are immediately associated with evil and the Anglo-Saxon men are constantly lauding the Lord and thanking him for victory. This strain of clear-cut good vs. evil runs throughout the story of Beowulf, and the ready can love the heroes wholly and despise the depicted devils through and through. It is not that the story is shallow, but rather bold and straightforward in its judgement’s. The modern reader may not appreciate this clear moral demarcation in the lines of Beowulf and other ancient English texts, but a willing eye will see the wisdom and beauty that this writing can yield

Passage 2

“There was laughter of mighty men, and the din of singing; sweet were the words” (narrator, lines 496-497).

This line is wonderful. It welcomes the reader into the glorious world of the Danes and the Scyldings, full of mead and motley manhood. So often laughter is confined to children or to the foolish, but here it is the medium of the communion of the mighty, an image that chastises the modern stoic image of strength. Here, the strong laugh. Their congregation sings together and the singing knits them one to the other. The words of the men are not piercing or cruel, nor is their laughter harsh; instead, “sweet were the words,” healing, uplifting, encouraging. This is the type of community I long for. It’s like is expressed in Tolkien’s later works The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, most notably in his Dwarfish characters. Tolkien, being a professor of Old English and an interpreter of the ancient English texts, including this copy of Beowulf, undoubtedly mirrored some elements of the ancient heroisms in his original plots, thereby bringing to life once again those halls filled with the “laughter of mighty men, and the din of singing.”

Passage 3

“There was the renown of Beowilf recalled; many a man and oft declared that South or North the Two Seas between was there no other beneath the encircling sky more excellent among bearers of the shield, more worthy of kingly rule. Yet verily they did not in any thing belittle their lord and patron, gracious Hrothgar; nay, a good king was he” (narrator, lines 695-701)

This quote affirms Beowulf’s heroic status and reveals the faithfulness of the Scydlings to their own king, Hrothgar. Beowulf, now after killing the monster Grendel, is unmatched: “no other beneath the encircling sky more excellent among bearers of the shield, more worthy of kingly rule.” Beowulf’s esteem is the declaration of all the people between the two seas, and yet the Scydlings, under Hrothgar’s rule, display true humility and nobility; full knowing Beowulf’s ability, prowess, and unmatched claim to kingly rule, the Scydlings remain loyal to their king. I love this. My interpretations of this quote suggest two distinct insights into Anglo-Saxon culture. The first is that Beowulf’s kingly promise is gauged per his ability in combat–i.e. because Beowulf killed the great monster, he would be a great king. This may have been true of the culture at large. Kingly ability may have been gauged foremost by one’s ability to defend, and that ability is synonymous in many respects with combat success. Therefore, Beowulf’s proclaimed kingliness may reveal that the culture mirrored in this story may have placed great value in combat effectiveness. The second cultural insight is in regards to the Scydling’s loyalty to their king. Beowulf is unanimously proclaimed to have the greatest potential and claim to being king, but the Scydlings do not therefore do away with their own Hrothgar and instate Beowulf; instead, they laud Hrothgar: “nay, he was a good king.” Therefore, it can be inferred that loyalty and fealty were both prized characteristics of Anglo-Saxon commonfolk. It would probably have been disastrous to the Anglo-Saxon society for the villagers to always jump ship with the strongest and bloodiest of men. Therefore, a deep cultural appreciation for loyalty may have been predominant, as is expressed in these lines of Beowulf.

Passage 4

“To his [Beowulf’s] warlike sword he lent a mighty force, nor did his hand hold back the blow; and on her head the weapon ring-adorned sang out its lusting song of war” (narrator lines 1269-1272)

These lines are poetic, and more so if read aloud. The Tolkien translation of Beowulf is a prosaic version, whereas many other translations have attempted to mold the Old English into modern poetic form. Although Tolkien translates into prose, the words retain a strong cadence that keeps the poetic motion and fluidity of the text. “To his warlike sword he lent a mighty force” can be easily read iambically, and the intonation gathers the force of speech in a palpable manner behind the sword’s swoop. Modern prose tends not to have this sort of chronic cadence, which is, in part, what makes reading a text like Beowulf so difficult. The modern reader is not disposed to read the text aloud and experience the rise and fall of Beowulf’s syntactic structure. This quote also exemplifies a trend in the larger work: the personification of weapons and armor. Here is written “the weapon ring-adorned sang out its lusting song of war.” The weapon here sings–a human action. More so, the song is “lusting,” which denotes an emotional, erotic status. The sword is therefore endowed with human traits, and these traits transform the inanimate iron into a mythic character itself. The personification of the sword may also reveal the cultural importance placed on weaponry. A good sword may well have made the day-to-day difference between life and death. One’s weapon, therefore, was not merely a tool, but a protector, a comrade, and a loved one. This inference regarding the Anglo-Saxon culture may be reflected by the personifications of the weapons in Beowulf.

Passage 5

“Even thus had he [Beowulf], the son of Ecgtheow, been preserved in every deadly strait and cruel slaying and desperate deed, until that one day when he must fight the serpent.Then filled with grief and rage the lord of the Geats with eleven companions went to look upon the dragon” (narrator, lines 2014-2018).

This passage is perhaps the most interesting to me. It may be an allusion to the overarching Biblical story of Jesus Christ, harkening back to the prophecy in the first few chapters of the Book of Genesis where God curses the serpent who deceives Eve: “And I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Gen 3:15). Beowulf’s confrontation with the serpent may be an allegory of Jesus’ death on the cross, whereby Jesus fulfilled that prophecy in Genesis. Just as Jesus died fighting the serpent, which is Satan, so too Beowulf, lord of the Geats, dies fighting the serpent which plagues his people. Furthermore, Beowulf going to combat against the serpent with 11 companions may be mirroring Jesus approaching Jerusalem (and His crucifixion) with 11 true disciples (the 12th being Judas, who betrayed Him). And like all of Jesus’ disciples ran away when He was arrested and crucified, save John, so too all of Beowulf’s companions run away and hide when he goes to fight the serpent, save Wiglaf. Christian themes are explicit and profligate all through the story of Beowulf, so it is not altogether unlikely that the oral story of Beowulf became fused in some way with the story of Jesus Christ, and Beowulf’s death with Jesus’. Wiglaf is also the name of the main protagonist in one of my favorite children’s book series: Dragon Slayers’ Academy.

Passage 6

“A mystery it is where a man of prowess and good heart shall meet the end of his allotted life” (narrator, lines 2569-2570)

This quote belies a theme that runs throughout the text of Beowulf: fate. All mentioned deaths are explained in terms of a preexistent and sovereign plan, although not explicitly God’s plan. The fate of Beowulf, then, is his death at the hands of the serpent guarding the treasure hoard. That is the direct context of this line, but the line is stated to be generally true. Earlier in the text, there is some mention of a man’s ability to escape fate by displaying tremendous feats of valor and courage. That is then the mystery. If sometimes a man can outlive his fate, why not always? What brings a man to that final stand, and cripples him so that he may not rise again, regardless of his prowess? Why now does Beowulf fall to the serpent when he has never fallen before? Like all the world’s wisdom, the text of Beowulf does not give an answer to the question It poses.

Quintessential Quote of the Novel

“Beowulf beloved, do all things well unto the end, even as thou didst vow aforetime in the days of youth that thou wouldst not while living suffer thy honour to fall low. Now must thou, brave in deeds, thy noble heart unwavering, with all thy might thy life defend. To the uttermost I will aid thee” (Wiglaf, lines 2234-2238).

This is the most beautifully articulated pronouncement of friendship, of loyalty, and of brotherly love that I have ever heard or read. It sums up the text’s themes of fealty, of comradery, of valor, of honor, and of strength in combat. So too does it tell in summary the greatness of Beowulf and the love he has garnered from his people. Wiglaf’s words strike my soul and challenge me to be manlier. It is a call to stand and fight with all strength, just as Beowulf has boasted of doing time and time again. So too does Wiglad provide Beowulf with a final parting honor, as Beowulf all his life has strived to garner all the honor he was able. This quote is a final stand of men against monsters, brothers against a deadly foe, loyal servant and noble lord against the dread heat of raging chaos. The serpent lies coiled just out of sword’s reach, just as Grendel attacked Haerot with impunity and Grendel’s mother with fierce strength. Beowulf, now requires the aid of another, just as he gave up his aid in service of Hrothgar as he defeated Grendel and Grendel’s mother. This quote flips the character’s needs and casts Beowulf now as the needy, though yet courageous and honorable. He is no longer a stoic, nor a man alone, but he is now girded by another as he so long girded lords before him. This quote, then, bespeaks again those great and noble characteristics of Beowulf the character and Beowulf the story: poetic, lofty, peerless, and worthy of acclaim.

Reflective Letter

Beowulf is one of the most pleasurable texts I have ever read. The beauty of the story, translated into a masterpiece of cadenced prose with vibrant imagery intact, pierced my soul with its beauty, just as Beowulf’s sword pierced that great serpent. The phraseology was archaic, but after a bit of practice reading, the lines came easy and the reading transcended into an emotional and visual experience. I saw Haerot there on the hill, gilded with gold and overflowing with mead and laughter. The stories of the bards drifted and mingled with the blood of Grendel on the ground beneath his arm, and Hrothgar’s gift-giving reached out and ennobled my own heart. Beowulf, eager for honor yet humble in service, is worth mimicking. So too is Wiglaf, eager friend and beloved relative, a perfect and enthusiastic eqample of what self-sacrifice and compassion ought to look and sound like. His expression of love for Beowulf was the epitome of manliness and brotherliness–two qualities I long to possess and display in full. The explicit praise and thanksgiving given to God was also powerful and moving. The poetic cadence and lofty, noble diction gave every Psalm and upturned word a sash of glory, so tha the whole of Beowulf is poured out as a drink offering to the Most High. It is a lovely thing and most encouraging to see and know that my faith is historical and has been held by the Beowulfs of history both in fact and in fiction. So too is it encouraging and inspiring to read praise so eloquent and explicit, glorifying God without a whit of shame or doubt. I absolutely loved reading Beowulf. I will surely read it many times over throughout my lifetime and reference it time and time again. This story is an incredible source of literary excellence, historical insight, and cultural wealth. English heritage does well to have been endowed with such a literary jewel as the story of Beowulf, lord of the Geats, son of Ecgtheow and noblest, strongest of men.