The Tale of Beowulf by Anonymous
Chapter 1 AND FIRST OF THE KINDRED OF HROTHGAR.
What! we of the Spear-Danes of yore days, so was it
That we learn'd of the fair fame of kings of the folks
And the athelings a-faring in framing of valour.
Oft then Scyld the Sheaf-son from the hosts of the scathers,
From kindreds a many the mead-settles tore;
It was then the earl fear'd them, sithence was he first
Found bare and all-lacking; so solace he bided,
Wax'd under the welkin in worship to thrive,
Until it was so that the round-about sitters
10 All over the whale-road must hearken his will
And yield him the tribute. A good king was that,
By whom then thereafter a son was begotten,
A youngling in garth, whom the great God sent thither
To foster the folk; and their crime-need he felt
The load that lay on them while lordless they lived
For a long while and long. He therefore, the Life-lord,
The Wielder of glory, world's worship he gave him:
Brim Beowulf waxed, and wide the weal upsprang
Of the offspring of Scyld in the parts of the Scede-lands.
20 Such wise shall a youngling with wealth be a-working
With goodly fee-gifts toward the friends of his father,
That after in eld-days shall ever bide with him,
Fair fellows well-willing when wendeth the war-tide,
Their lief lord a-serving. By praise-deeds it shall be
That in each and all kindreds a man shall have thriving.
Then went his ways Scyld when the shapen while was,
All hardy to wend him to the lord and his warding:
Out then did they bear him to the side of the sea-flood,
The dear fellows of him, as he himself pray'd them
30 While yet his word wielded the friend of the Scyldings,
The dear lord of the land; a long while had he own'd it.
With stem all be-ringed at the hythe stood the ship,
All icy and out-fain, the Atheling's ferry.
There then did they lay him, the lord well beloved,
The gold-rings' bestower, within the ship's barm,
The mighty by mast. Much there was the treasure,
From far ways forsooth had the fret-work been led:
Never heard I of keel that was comelier dighted
With weapons of war, and with weed of the battle,
40 With bills and with byrnies. There lay in his barm
Much wealth of the treasure that with him should be,
And he into the flood's might afar to depart.
No lesser a whit were the wealth-goods they dight him
Of the goods of the folk, than did they who aforetime,
When was the beginning, first sent him away
Alone o'er the billows, and he but a youngling.
Moreover they set him up there a sign golden
High up overhead, and let the holm bear him,
Gave all to the Spearman. Sad mind they had in them,
50 And mourning their mood was. Now never knew men,
For sooth how to say it, rede-masters in hall,
Or heroes 'neath heaven, to whose hands came the lading.
Chapter 1 AND FIRST OF THE KINDRED OF HROTHGAR.
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Chapter 2 CONCERNING HROTHGAR, AND HOW HE BUILT THE HOUSE CALLED HART. ALSO GRENDEL IS TOLD OF.
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Chapter 3 HOW GRENDEL FELL UPON HART AND WASTED IT.
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Chapter 4 NOW COMES BEOWULF ECGTHEOW'S SON TO THE LAND OF THE DANES, AND THE WALL-WARDEN SPEAKETH WITH HIM.
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Chapter 5 HERE BEOWULF MAKES ANSWER TO THE LAND-WARDEN, WHO SHOWETH HIM THE WAY TO THE KING'S ABODE.
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Chapter 6 BEOWULF AND THE GEATS COME INTO HART.
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Chapter 7 BEOWULF SPEAKETH WITH HROTHGAR, AND TELLETH HOW HE WILL MEET GRENDEL.
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Chapter 8 HROTHGAR ANSWERETH BEOWULF AND BIDDETH HIM SIT TO THE FEAST.
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Chapter 9 UNFERTH CONTENDETH IN WORDS WITH BEOWULF.
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Chapter 10 BEOWULF MAKES AN END OF HIS TALE OF THE SWIMMING. WEALHTHEOW, HROTHGAR'S QUEEN, GREETS HIM; AND HROTHGAR DELIVERS TO HIM THE WARDING OF THE HALL.
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Chapter 11 NOW IS BEOWULF LEFT IN THE HALL ALONE WITH HIS MEN.
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Chapter 12 GRENDEL COMETH INTO HART OF THE STRIFE BETWIXT HIM AND BEOWULF.
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Chapter 13 BEOWULF HATH THE VICTORY GRENDEL IS HURT DEADLY AND LEAVETH HAND AND ARM IN THE HALL.
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Chapter 14 THE DANES REJOICE; THEY GO TO LOOK ON THE SLOT OF GRENDEL, AND COME BACK TO HART, AND ON THE WAY MAKE MERRY WITH RACING AND THE TELLING OF TALES.
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Chapter 15 KING HROTHGAR AND HIS THANES LOOK ON THE ARM OF GRENDEL. CONVERSE BETWIXT HROTHGAR AND BEOWULF CONCERNING THE BATTLE.
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Chapter 16 HROTHGAR GIVETH GIFTS TO BEOWULF.
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Chapter 17 THEY FEAST IN HART. THE GLEEMAN SINGS OF FINN AND HENGEST.
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Chapter 18 THE ENDING OF THE TALE OF FINN.
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Chapter 19 MORE GIFTS ARE GIVEN TO BEOWULF. THE BRISING COLLAR TOLD OF.
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Chapter 20 GRENDEL'S DAM BREAKS INTO HART AND BEARS OFF AESCHERE.
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Chapter 21 HROTHGAR LAMENTS THE SLAYING OF AESCHERE, AND TELLS OF GRENDEL'S MOTHER AND HER DEN.
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Chapter 22 THEY FOLLOW GRENDEL'S DAM TO HER LAIR.
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Chapter 23 BEOWULF REACHETH THE MERE-BOTTOM IN A DAY'S WHILE, AND CONTENDS WITH GRENDEL'S DAM.
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Chapter 24 BEOWULF SLAYETH GRENDEL'S DAM, SMITETH OFF GRENDEL'S HEAD, AND COMETH BACK WITH HIS THANES TO HART.
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Chapter 25 CONVERSE OF HROTHGAR WITH BEOWULF.
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Chapter 26 MORE CONVERSE OF HROTHGAR AND BEOWULF THE GEATS MAKE THEM READY FOR DEPARTURE.
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Chapter 27 BEOWULF BIDS HROTHGAR FAREWELL THE GEATS FARE TO SHIP.
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Chapter 28 BEOWULF COMES BACK TO HIS LAND. OF THE TALE OF THRYTHO.
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Chapter 29 BEOWULF TELLS HYGELAC OF HROTHGAR ALSO OF FREAWARU HIS DAUGHTER.
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Chapter 30 BEOWULF FOREBODES ILL FROM THE WEDDING OF FREAWARU HE TELLS OF GRENDEL AND HIS DAM.
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Chapter 31 BEOWULF GIVES HROTHGAR'S GIFTS TO HYGELAC, AND BY HIM IS REWARDED. OF THE DEATH OF HYGELAC AND OF HEARDRED HIS SON, AND HOW BEOWULF IS KING OF THE GEATS THE WORM IS FIRST TOLD OF.
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Chapter 32 HOW THE WORM CAME TO THE HOWE, AND HOW HE WAS ROBBED OF A CUP; AND HOW HE FELL ON THE FOLK.
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Chapter 33 THE WORM BURNS BEOWULF'S HOUSE, AND BEOWULF GETS READY TO GO AGAINST HIM. BEOWULF'S EARLY DEEDS IN BATTLE WITH THE HETWARE TOLD OF.
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Chapter 34 BEOWULF GOES AGAINST THE WORM. HE TELLS OF HEREBEALD AND H THCYN.
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Chapter 35 BEOWULF TELLS OF PAST FEUDS, AND BIDS FAREWELL TO HIS FELLOWS HE FALLS ON THE WORM, AND THE BATTLE OF THEM BEGINS.
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Chapter 36 WIGLAF SON OF WEOHSTAN GOES TO THE HELP OF BEOWULF N GLING, BEOWULF'S SWORD, IS BROKEN ON THE WORM.
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Chapter 37 THEY TWO SLAY THE WORM. BEOWULF IS WOUNDED DEADLY HE BIDDETH WIGLAF BEAR OUT THE TREASURE.
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Chapter 38 BEOWULF BEHOLDETH THE TREASURE AND PASSETH AWAY.
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Chapter 39 WIGLAF CASTETH SHAME ON THOSE FLEERS.
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Chapter 40 WIGLAF SENDETH TIDING TO THE HOST THE WORDS OF THE MESSENGER.
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