Then the Lord of earls as he sat on the mead-bench gave glorious gifts
to each one of those who had fared with Beowulf over the ocean-ways,
and heirlooms they were; and he bade them atone for that one with gold
whom formerly Grendel had wickedly killed as he would have done more
of them unless Almighty God and the spirit of Beowulf had withstood
Weird. The Creator ruleth all of human kind, as still He is doing. And
good understanding is always the best thing, and forethought of
mind. And he who long enjoys here the world in these strife-days, shall
be biding both pleasant and loathsome fate. Then was there clamour and
singing together in the presence of the battle-prince of Healfdene,
and the harp was sounded and a song often sung, when Hrothgar's scop
would tell forth the hall-mirth as he sat on the mead-bench.
'When Fear was befalling the heirs of Finn, [26] the hero of the
Half-Danes, and Hnaef of the Danes must fall in the slaughter of the
Frisian People. Not in the least did Hildeburh need to be praising the
troth of the Jutes. For sinlessly was she deprived of her dear ones
in the play of swords of children and brothers. By fate they fell,
wounded by arrows. And she was a sad woman. Nor without reason did
the daughter of Hoc [27] mourn their doom. When morning light came,
and she could see under the sky the murder of her kinsmen where she
before in the world had the greatest of joy. For warfare took away
all the thanes of Finn except a mere remnant, so that he could not in
the place where they met fight any warfare at all with Hengest, nor
seize from the Prince's thane the woful leavings by fighting. But they
offered him terms, so that they all made other room for them on the
floor, and gave them halls and a high seat that they might have half
the power with the children of the Jutes; and the son of Folcwalda
[28] honoured the Danes every day with fee-givings, and bestowed
rings on the troop of Hengest, yea, even great treasures plated with
gold, so that he would be making the kin of the Frisians bold in the
beer-hall. Then they swore on both sides a treaty of peace. Finn swore
with Hengest and all without strife that he held in honour the woful
remnant by the doom of the wise men, and that no man there by word or
work should break the treaty, or ever annul it through treacherous
cunning, though they followed the slayers of their Ring-giver, all
bereft of their lord as was needful for them. But if any one of the
Frisians by daring speech should bring to mind the murderous hate
between them, then should the edge of the sword avenge it. Then sworn
was that oath, and massive gold was lifted up from the hoard. Then
was Hnaef, the best of the warriors, of the bold Danes, ready on the
funeral pyre. And the blood-stained shirt of mail was easily seen,
the golden boar, in the midst of the flame, the iron-hard boar, [29]
and many an Atheling destroyed by wounds. Some fell on the field of
death. Then Hildeburh commanded her very own son to be thrust in
the flames of the pyre of Hnaef, his body to be burned and be put
in the fire. And great was the moaning of the mother for her son,
and dirge-like lamenting as the warrior ascended. And the greatest of
slaughter-fires wound its way upwards towards the welkin and roared
before the cavern. Heads were melting, wounds burst asunder. Then
blood sprang forth from the wounds of the body. Flame swallowed
all, that most cruel of ghosts, of both of those folk whom battle
destroyed. Their life was shaken out.