An Epic epic: Beowulf

Beowulf is an epic written in the earthy times, sometime between the 8th and 11th century. It's one of the finest and most precious pieces of Poetry in Old English, and I, will be studying it sometime later this year in my studies.

And as a side note: I have heard the Movie Beowulf completely twists the story around, so I would not recommend it.

The poem is about the Geaton King Hygelac's Nephew, Beowulf, and how he and 14 companions sail to aid the Danish King Hrothgar. The Danish King's Hall, Heorot, has been ravaged by a savage beast called Grendel for 12 years. Grendel, the monster in human form, has been rendering the Hall uninhabitable, and so this is Beowulf's quest: To rid the Hall of the beast. When Beowulf and his men have arrived, they eat and drink in the hall with the Danes, until the night comes when all but Beowulf and his fellows withdraw from the hall. Slowly, as the night wore on, all of Beowulf's men fell asleep, and when they had, Grendel came and struck out at them all. In the surprise, one of Beowulf's dear friends was killed to his distraught. Beowulf was the only one awake, and though unarmed, managed to wrestle the beast, and with his might strength, mortally wound the beast and have it flee. They then followed the trail of blood to find Grendel.

The Danes now had nothing to fear, and so they all resided in the Hall that night. Safe as they thought they were, the hall was raided by Grendel's mother (She must have been a tough cookie!) and she took one of the Danish Nobles and ran away. But the fearless Beowulf boldly raced after her under the waves into a secret vault. They fought there, and Beowulf bravely defeated Grendels mother. It was there that the body of Grendel lay, and so, when Beowulf emerged from the waves, it was with the severed head of Grendel that he cheered the victory won!

After being richly rewarded by Hrothgar, Beowulf returned to his native land. Hygelac heard his story and showered him with land and money. During the reign of Hygelac and Hygelac's son, Heardred, he was the most well off man in the kingdom. And when Heardred was killed, in a battle with the Sweedes, Beowulf becomes the King of all Gotland.

Beowulf reigned for 50 years in unending prosperity, until a merciless Dragon comes to the land and starts causing destruction. The Dragon residing in a Burial mound, full of treasure, burned even the royal hall to the ground. The Aged King Beowulf resolves to fight this Dragon unaided but for 12 of his warriors. They travel to the mound, and when they reach the entrance, Beowulf places himself by the opening, and shouts a cry of defiance to the Dragon. The Dragon hearing this, rushes with fire gushing out of his jaws, to Beowulf and overpowers him. The sight is such a horrid, awful and pitiable sight, all of the warriors but one run away in fear. The one remaining, Wiglaf, though yet untried in battle, did not run, nor did he flee when even Beowulf told him too, attacked, and helped overturn the tide of battle, and together they did slay the beast, though not without a mortal blow to Beowulf. In Beowulf's last moments alive, Wiglaf shows him the treasures in the cave they have found. Beowulf names Wiglaf successor to the thrown, and then lays his head down...one...last...time....

When Wiglaf and the others return to Gotland to project the news, the people mourn for the loss of their hero, their King Beowulf, and they have a cremation for the king, in which his body is consumed along with the treasure that was found. Wiglaf becomes King, and honors Beowulf, by having 12 Warriors parade around his ashes.

That is the touching, memorable, and wonderfully poetically structured Epic that I will be studying. And though it be 3182 lines, let this keep you not from reading it. And now live the rest of your life, and hopefully, somewhere in your heart, you will have a new respect, for the Heroic, the Brave, the King Beowulf.