12 May 2009
Wiglaf enters the dragon’s barrow and carries out a wealth of treasure to lay at the dying Beowulf’s feet. The treasure is great, but also mouldering, rusty, and uncared for. Beowulf commands Wiglaf to build a monument to him at the place of his funeral pyre, and gives Wiglaf, his only relative, his arms and armor. Then Beowulf dies.
This fit is significant in that Beowulf dies at the end of it, but it’s fairly unremarkable as far as the language goes. There are no new vocabulary or constructions of significance.
Wiglaf sees the treasure in the barrow, lines 2756–64a:
Ġeseah ðā sigehrēðiġ, þā hē bī sesse ġēong,
magoþeġn mōdiġ māððumsiġla fealo,
gold glitinian grunde ġetenġe,
wundur on wealle, ond þæs wyrmes denn,
ealdes ūhtflogan, orcas stondan,
fyrnmanna fatu feormendlēase,
hyrstum behrorene; þær wæs helm moniġ
eald ond ōmiġ, earmbēaga fela
searwum ġesæled.(The victorious one saw, when he went by the seat,
the brave young retainer many precious jewels,
glittering gold lying on the ground,
wonders on the walls, and the den of the worm,
the old dawn-flier, cups standing,
vessels of ancient men without a polisher,
ornaments deprieved; there was many a helmet
old and rusty, many arm-rings
with twisted decorations.)
Beowulf’s last words are, lines 2813–20:
“Þū eart endelāf ūsses cynnes,
Wæġmundinga; ealle wyrd forswēop
mīne māgas tō metodsceafte,
eorlas on elne; iċ him æfter sceal.”
Þæt wæs þām gomelan ġinġæste word
brēostġehyġdum, ær hē bæl cure,
hāte heaðowylmas; him of hreðre ġewāt
sāwol sēċean sōðfæstra dōm.(“You are the last remnant of our people,
the Wægmundings; fate has swept away all
my kinsmen to their appointed destiny,
the valor of the warriors; I must follow them.”
that was from the old man the last word
the thoughts of his heart, before he chose the pyre
the hot, hostile flames; from his heart went
his soul to seek the judgment of the righteous.)
