fo eye MER ELL 29 SHEEP GULL LAA BHIONE LAREOEUUHE WU 1¢ right in Text B1. THE STORY Hrothgar, king of Denmark, suffered while his kingdom was being attacked by a devouring ‘monster, named Grendel. Grendel was protected by a magic spell and could not be hurt by weapons made by man, He lived in the wastelands, and every night he visited Hrothgar's hall carrying off and killing his guests. Beowulf lived in the nearby kingdom of Geatland. From a very early age he showed signs of. great strength and extraordinary courage. He killed many sea monsters and defended his country from enemy attacks, When he heard fiom mariners of Grendel's murderous attacks, he decided to help Hrothgar. He and some of his bravest followers crossed the sea to Denmark where they were welcomed by the king. A big feast was held in their honour. That night everybody slept except Beowulf. Grendel entered Hrothgar's hall and killed one of Beowulf's sleeping men. Beowulf, unarmed, fought the monster and with his great strength tore out one of Grendel’s arms at the shoulder. Mortally wounded, Grendel retreated to his home in the surrounding wastelands (> Text B1). Grendel's mother came to avenge her monster son's fatal injury and carried off @ Danish nobleman and Grendel's torn off arm. Beowulf and his men followed the blood trail left by the arm and came to the lake where Grendel's mother. ‘had taken refuge. Beowulf ‘plunged into the lake and swam into a chamber. He fought Grendel’s mother, killing her with an old sword he found in an underwater cavern. Grendel’s body was also lying in the cavern so Beowulf cut off his head and brought it back to King Hrothgar (Text B2)- / ja ‘There was a great feast in the hall to celebrate Beowulf’ victory and an even seater celeb oo sae suatry whore he was made king.guns 7 srounucis UL Une process, (..) Now many an earl? of Beowulf brandished? blade ancestral, fain‘ the life of their lord to shield, their praised prince, if power were theirs; never they knew, as they neared the foe®, hardy-hearted heroes of war, aiming their swords on every side the accursed to kill, no keenest’ blade. no fairest of falchions® fashioned? on earth, could harm or hurt that hideous!” fiend"! He was safe, by his spells!?, from sword of battle, from edge of iron. Yet his end and parting on that same day of this our life woeful"? should be, and his wandering soul far off flit!’ to the fiends’ domain's, Soon he found, who in former days, harmful in heart" and hated of God, on many a man such murder wrought, that the frame of his body failed him now. For him the keen-souled kinsman”” of Hygelac'® held in hand; hateful alive Was each to other. The outlaw dire’? ‘ook mortal hurt; a mighty wound showed on his shoulder, and sinews”® cracked, and the bone-frame”! burst. To Beowulf now the glory was given, and Grendel thence” death-sick his den in the dark moor sought”, Roisome abode”: he knew too well that here was the last of life, an end of his days on earth. 9, fashion: make 10, hideous: horrendous AL fiend: wicked or cruel being. 12, spell: magic charm 13. woeful: painful 1a.fit: fy 15:(fiends?) domain: hell 16 harmful in heart evi 17.kinsman: relative GLOSSARY 1. ant follower 2. brandish: hold and wave 3 blade ancestral: sword 4. fain: wil willing 5. shield: protect 6. foes en emy, 7 keen: shagp 8. falchion: sword, nore Beowulf Mortally Wounds Grendel mm Q Beowul's warriors brandished many a sword, inheritances from the ancient days, trying to protect their chief, A but that did no good: they could not have known, those brave wartiors as they fought, striking from all sides, seeking to take Grendel’s soul, that 1no battle sword could harm him - 10 he had enchantment against the edges of weapons. ‘The end of Grendel's life was miserable, and he would travel far into the hands of fiends. Grendel, the foe of God, who had long troubled the spirits of men with his crimes, found that his body could not stand against the hhand grip of that warrior. Each was hateful to the other alive. The horrible monster ‘endured a wound: the bone-locks of his shoulder gave way, and his sinews sprang out. ‘The glory of battle went to Beowulf, and Grendel, 2s mortally wounded, sought his sad home under the fen slope. He knew surely that his life had reached its end, the number of his days gone. 15 20 30 18, Hygelac: king of the ‘Gents 19.dire: horrible 20. sinew: cord connecting muscle to bone 21.bone-frame: skeleton 22. thence: from there 23. sought: looked for 24.nolsome abode: dsty ‘and dark homepH 6 FROM THE ORIGINS rom pes Beowulf Kills Grendel’s sagear’ saw he wid! the battles i! sword ot potent, with ede of proof, ar eirloom! weapon unmatched, varriors’ heiTloo! ra than other men ~ save only “OY to bandy*-oFbattle as the giants had wrought” i seized then its chain-hill™ th pokd and battle-geim’, brandished” | or reckless of life", and so wrathfully'? smote” that it gripped her neck and grasped her hard, 10 her bone-tings breaking: the plade pierced through that fated-o1 me's flesh: to floor she sank. Bloody the blade: he was blithe"! of his deed’*. ‘Then blazed forth light. could bear at all = 1, ready and Keen. ne seyldings™ chieftain, ed!” the sword, Twas bright within as when from the sky there shines unclouded 18 heaven's candle. The hall he scanned. ® By the wall then went he; his weapon raised | high by its hilts the Hygelac-thane’®, | angry and eager. That edge was not useless to the warrior now. He wished with speed Grendel to guerdon"” for grim raids many, for the war he waged on Western-Danes oftener far than an only time, when of Hrothgar’s hearth'®-companions he slew!” in slumber”, in sleep devoured, fifteen men of the folk of Danes, ‘ and as many others outward bore, his horrible prey. Well paid for that the wrathful prince! For now prone”! he si Grendel stretched there, spent”? with _ spoiled”? of life, so scathed”* had left tia Heorot’s** battle. The body sprang fat ™ | pose cea it endured the blow, ord-stroke savage, that severed its head. | GLossary 1 Mid (amidy: in the mid Gear 16.thane: lord 9 eee = pay back 2. hattle-gear: Seyld Shefing, founder 17. guerdon: paY 3 rs: maps the Geat dyes seeompenst oa avian ti 9. grim: serious 16. hearth: fe heitloom: object 0, brandish: 19. slew: killed Reistoom: object that randish: hold and wave sleet cen amd et that has Me reckless of 20. slumber: lee? Ve feneration ogee hisown ee 21. prone: lying Mt Mandy: gveandtabe 44 etathfully: ange 2a-spent: exhaes nat TB.smote:hit hard. 25. spoiled: dvoid lt 6. ought: | « eran blithe: hap 1S.deed; action.Beowult 7. Cll MPREHENSION sde the sword that Beowulf found? whom 5 Why did Beowulf want to take further revenge on 4 wy had ther men been unable to cary it into Grendel? ttle? . 6 How many of Hrothgar’s men had Grendel killed? 3 which part of Grendel's mother’s body did 7 Was Grendel still alive at this point? peowwlf strike? ‘8 How did Beowulf mutilate the monster's body? 4s What happened that made it possible for Beowult tpsee the body of Grendel in the cave? ANALYSIS — 1 Find examples of alliteration in the text. 2. Weapons were an essential part of life in the tistorcal period in which Beowulfis set. Only men allowed to have them. They were often personalised with names and handed down from generation to generation, who belonged to the higher classes of society could Find evidence in the text to suggest that weapons possess a weapon. Slaves and servants were not were highly valued by Anglo-Saxon society. J WRITERS’ WORKSHOP Formulae _ Another feature of Anglo-Saxon poetry is the formulae. These were widely used and compound nouns or short phrases that were synonyms for often repeated words like Kennings ‘ship’, ‘sea’, king’ or names, As the poems were often composed on the spot about a recent event, formulae gave the poet time to think. The word ‘king’ for example could be replaced by: beaga brytta = the ring giver sinces brytta = the treasure giver freowine = a gracious friend WEREZST TR 1 What expressions are used in Text B2 to avoid the repetition of: Beowulf: HME 7: nonnsennnsnns§ HN 18: ..j line 29: Grende!’s mother: sword: ; lime 3: . Formulae are not simply synonyms, as each of them stressed a different aspect of the thing described. 2 Look at both the texts you have read so far. Make a lst of the formulae you have found for Beowulf. What characteristics of the hero do they emphasise? The most unusual formulae are known as kennings. These are metaphorical phrases that are used instead of a noun. For example, a ship was a ‘sea-wood’ or a ‘wave-floater’ a body was ‘bone-house’ and blood was 'war-sweat’, 3 Find a kenning in the texts you have read for: ~ body (Text B1, line 25): ~sun (Text B2, line 16): Sammy Write your own kennings for the following: winter, summer, school, love, home, mon teacher, car. : ~ (Guu Example: Christmas = snow-holiday A status cmb