21 April 2009
The fit starts with Beowulf telling Hrothgar of the battle with Grendel’s mother and he gives the old king the hilt of the giant sword that slayed the monster. Hrothgar praises Beowulf and then launches into the story of Heremod, a Danish king who did not share his treasures with his men and, in fact, killed his own retainers in fits of rage. This is one of the many digressions, or “episodes,” that populate the poem. Hrothgar is giving a warning to Beowulf that he should not be like Heremod.
There’s not a lot to say about this fit as it’s pretty straightforward. But here are some notes.
In telling his story, Beowulf embellishes a bit. He claims to kill two monsters, not just one, although he could be conflating the two separate battles, with Grendel and with Grendel’s mother, condensing them into one. The relevant line is (l. 1165-66a), hyrdas is the accusative plural for keeper or shepherd:
Ofslōh ðā æt þære sæċċe, þa mē sæl aġeald,
hūses hyrdas.(I slew then in that battle, when opportunity permitted me,
the keepers of the house.)
There are some neat alliterative descriptions in this fit. Hrothgar is a harum hildfruman (hoary war-chief, l. 1678). The giant sword our hero uses to kill Grendel’s mother is a wundorsmiþa ġeweorc (work of wonder-smiths, l. 1681) and has a wreoþenhilt ond wyrmfah (hilt wrapped with ornamentation and with serpentine patterns, l. 1698). Grendel is a gromheort guma (hostile-hearted man, l.1682).
About the greedy Heremod it is said (l. 1718b-1719a):
Hwæþere him on ferhþe grēow
brēosthord blōdrēow.( Yet in his heart grew
a bloodthirsty breast-hoard.)
