10 May 2009
We are introduced to Wiglaf, the only one of Beowulf’s men who does not flee. He is not a Geat, but a Wægmunding, a distant kinsman of Beowulf. His father, Weohstan, fought on the side of the Swedes in the earlier wars of Swedish succession, and his sword was won by his father when he killed a Swedish prince in battle. We are told that this is the first time that Wiglaf, a very young man, has ever had to fight alongside Beowulf. Wiglaf gives a speech to the other men, attempting unsuccessfully to rally them to Beowulf’s side. He then goes on, alone, to aid Beowulf. Right away, the dragon fire destroys Wiglaf’s linden shield and the young warrior has to take shelter behind Beowulf’s iron one. Beowulf takes a mighty swing at the dragon’s head, but his sword, Nægling, shatters. The dragon then bites and seizes Beowulf by the neck, mortally wounding our hero.
There is a lot of emphasis on inheritance of weapons in this fit. The poem spends some time describing the lineage of Wiglaf’s sword and armor—the noble background of the weapons is imparted to the warrior. Wiglaf’s speech is also a fine example of rhetoric. Wiglaf connects the gifts of weapons the warriors have received from Beowulf with their obligation to him. He shifts back and forth between the abstract obligations and the cold, hard reality of the weapons and armor they have on their bodies.
The battle description is quite vivid, lines 2669-93:
Æfter ðām wordum wyrm yrre cwōm,
atol inwitgæst ōðre sīðe
fyrwylmum fah fīonda nīos(i)an,
laðra manna; līġ yðum fōr;
born bord wið rond. Byrne ne meahte
ġeongum gārwigan ġēoce ġefremman,
ac se maga ġeonga under his mæġes scyld
elne ġeēode, þā his āgen wæs
glēdum forgrunden. Þā ġēn gūðcyning
m(ōd) ġemunde, mæġenstrenġo slōh
hildebille, þæt hyt on heafolan stōd
nīþe ġenyded; Næġling forbærst,
ġeswāc æt sæċċe sweord Bīowulfes,
gomol ond græġmæl. Him þæt ġifeðe ne wæs
þæt him īrenna ecge mihton
helpan æt hilde; wæs sīo hond tō strong,
sē ðe mēċa ġehwane mine ġefræġe
swenġe ofersōhte, þonne hē tō sæċċe bær
wæpen wundum heard; næs him wihte ðē sēl.
Þā wæs þēodsceaða þriddan sīðe,
frēcne fyrdraca fæhða ġemyndiġ,
ræsde on ðone rofan, þā him rūm āġeald,
hāt ond heaðogrim, heals ealne ymbefēng
biteran banum. He ġeblodegod wearð
sāwuldrīore; swāt yðum wēoll.(After those words the worm came angrily,
the terrible malicious stranger for a second time
with surges of hostile fire to seek out its enemies,
the hated men; it came forth with waves of flame;
it burned the shield to the boss. His mail-shirt could not
to the young spear-warrior deliver help,
but the young man under his kinsman’s shield
valiantly went, when his own was
destroyed by fires. Then the war-king yet
remembered his courage, and with great strength struck
with his battle-sword, so that it stuck in the head
forced with violence; Nægling burst apart,
failed at battle the sword of Beowulf,
ancient and gray. To him was not granted by fate
that him the iron edge might
help in battle; his hand was too strong,
he who each sword as I have heard said
overtaxed with the swing, when he bore to battle
a wondrously hard weapon; it was no good to him at all.
Then was the people’s enemy for a third time,
the fearsome fire-dragon mindful of feuds,
rushed the brave one, when opportunity permitted it,
hot and battle-grim, he clasped all by the neck
with bitter teeth. He became bloodied
with life-blood; blood welled in waves.)
Some notes on this passage. I’ve translated wæpen wundum heard as wondrously hard, but it can also be translated as wound-hardened weapons, the idea that it has been made sharp through the infliction of many wounds, that an old and trusted weapon is the best.
I’ve also translated þā him rūm āġeald as when opportunity permitted it, but it literally is when room permitted it. This construction, physical space for opportunity, appears several times in the poem.
Note also that the dragon’s teeth are referred to as bones, banum.
