At midnight a great column of water rose in the midst of the sea, and
out of it came a gigantic woman, whose face was as grey as her
garments. Her eyes shone like coals of fire, her bristly hair stood up
on end, and her long bony arms were stretched out as though in search
for prey. It was Grendel’s mother, who had come to avenge her son. She
came up out of the sea, crossed the morass, and entered the great hall;
there she slew one warrior after another, in spite of their resistance,
and slaked her thirst with their warm blood.
Deep was the sorrow of both king and people next day when they heard of
the new misery that had come upon the land. Then Beowulf said that the
cause of all this wretchedness was Grendel’s mother, and that she would
never cease to persecute the Skiöldungs as long as she lived. The only
thing to be done was to seek her out in her own place, and there to
slay her. This he was prepared to do. He begged Hrodgar to send the
treasures that he and the queen had given him to his uncle Hygelak,
king of Gothland, should he fall in his struggle with the giantess.
The whole party then went down to the shore, and Beowulf, wading into
the sea, sought to find the road leading to the monster’s dwelling.
Finding that it was a longer way than he had imagined, he came back to
the shore and took leave of his friends, who one and all entreated him
to give up the enterprise; but in vain.
“Wait for me two days and nights,” he said, “and if I do not then
return, you may know that I have been conquered by the mer-woman; but
that is a matter that is in the hands of the gods alone in whom I
trust.”
Having thus spoken, the hero tore himself away from his weeping
friends, and plunged into the raging sea with all his armour on, and
with Hunford’s good sword at his side.
He swam a long way. At last he saw a light deep down in the water. “Her
dwelling must be here,” he thought; “may the gods have me in their
keeping!” He dived down, down, down to the bottom of the sea. Many a
monster of strange shape snapped at him as he shot past, but his coat
of mail was proof against their teeth. Suddenly he felt himself caught
as though with hooks, and dragged along so swiftly that he could
scarcely breathe. In another moment he found himself in the crystal
hall of a submarine palace, and face to face with the antagonist he had
sought.
Then began a terrible struggle. Beowulf and the giantess wrestled
together for life and death. The walls of the palace shook so that they
threatened to fall. The two wrestlers fell to the ground, Beowulf the
undermost. The mer-woman pulled out a sharp knife to cut his throat,
but Wieland’s armour was too well made to give way, and Beowulf
struggled to his feet again. The giantess then drew a monstrous sword,
so heavy that few mortal men could have wielded it; but, before she
could use it, Beowulf made an unexpected spring upon her, and wrenched
the sword out of her hand. He clutched it firmly in both hands, and,
swinging it with all his strength, cut off the woman’s head. He felt so
exhausted with his labours that he rested awhile, leaning on his sword.
After a few minutes he looked about him, and saw Grendel lying dead on
a couch of sea-weed. He cut off his head, meaning to take it with him
as a sign of victory; but no sooner had he done so than the blood began
to flow from the monster’s body in a great gurgling stream, then it
mixed with that of his mother, and flowed out of the entrance door into
the sea. The blade of the giantess’ sword melted in it, and vanished as
completely as ice in the rays of the sun. The golden hilt of the sword
and Grendel’s head were the only booty that Beowulf brought with him
out of the depths of the sea.
His friends were collected on the shore, their hearts filled with a
deadly anxiety, for they had seen the sea reddened with blood, and knew
not whose it was. So when the hero appeared, they received him with
acclamation.
Hrodgar and his people could find no words that would fitly express
their gratitude to the hero who had saved the land from two such foes
as Grendel and his mother; and when Beowulf and his warriors set out on
their journey home, they were laden with blessings and gifts of all
kinds.
Hygelak received his nephew with great delight, and listened to the
tale of his adventures in speechless amazement and ecstasy.