Hrothgar, king of the Danes, lives happily and peacefully, and bethinks
him to build a glorious hall called Hart. But a little after, one
Grendel, of the kindred of the evil wights that are come of Cain, hears
the merry noise of Hart and cannot abide it; so he enters thereinto by
night, and slays and carries off and devours thirty of Hrothgar's
thanes. Thereby he makes Hart waste for twelve years, and the tidings of
this mishap are borne wide about lands. Then comes to the helping of
Hrothgar Beowulf, the son of Ecgtheow, a thane of King Hygelac of the
Geats, with fourteen fellows. They are met on the shore by the
land-warder, and by him shown to Hart and the stead of Hrothgar, who
receives them gladly, and to whom Beowulf tells his errand, that he will
help him against Grendel. They feast in the hall, and one Unferth, son
of Ecglaf, taunts Beowulf through jealousy that he was outdone by Breca
in swimming. Beowulf tells the true tale thereof. And a little after, at
nightfall, Hrothgar and his folk leave the hall Hart, and it is given in
charge to Beowulf, who with his Geats abides there the coming of
Grendel.
Soon comes Grendel to the hall, and slays a man of the Geats, hight
Handshoe, and then grapples with Beowulf, who will use no weapon against
him: Grendel feels himself over-mastered and makes for the door, and
gets out, but leaves his hand and arm behind him with Beowulf: men on
the wall hear the great noise of this battle and the wailing of Grendel.
In the morning the Danes rejoice, and follow the bloody slot of Grendel,
and return to Hart racing and telling old tales, as of Sigemund and the
Worm. Then come the king and his thanes to look on the token of victory,
Grendel's hand and arm, which Beowulf has let fasten: to the hall-gable.
The king praises Beowulf and rewards him, and they feast in Hart, and
the tale of Finn and Hengest is told. Then Hrothgar leaves Hart, and so
does Beowulf also with his Geats, but the Danes keep guard there.
In the night comes in Grendel's Mother, and catches up Aeschere, a thane
of Hrothgar, and carries him off to her lair. In the morning is Beowulf
fetched to Hrothgar, who tells him of this new grief and craves his
help.
Then they follow up the slot and come to a great water-side, and find
thereby Aeschere's head, and the place is known for the lair of those
two: monsters are playing in the deep, and Beowulf shoots one of them to
death. Then Beowulf dights him and leaps into the water, and is a day's
while reaching the bottom. There he is straightway caught hold of by
Grendel's Mother, who bears him into her hall. When he gets free he
falls on her, but the edge of the sword Hrunting (lent to him by
Unferth) fails him, and she casts him to the ground and draws her sax to
slay him; but he rises up, and sees an old sword of the giants hanging
on the wall; he takes it and smites off her head therewith. He sees
Grendel lying dead, and his head also he strikes off; but the blade of
the sword is molten in his venomous blood. Then Beowulf strikes upward,
taking with him the head of Grendel and the hilts of the sword. When he
comes to the shore he finds his Geats there alone; for the Danes fled
when they saw the blood floating in the water.
They go up to Hrothgar's stead, and four men must needs bear the head.
They come to Hrothgar, and Beowulf gives him the hilts and tells him
what he has done. Much praise is given to Beowulf; and they feast
together.
On the morrow Beowulf bids farewell to Hrothgar, more gifts are given,
and messages are sent to Hygelac: Beowulf departs with the full love of
Hrothgar. The Geats come to their ship and reward the ship-warder, and
put off and sail to their own land. Beowulf comes to Hygelac's house.
Hygelac is told of, and his wife Hygd, and her good conditions, against
whom is set as a warning the evil Queen Thrytho.
Beowulf tells all the tale of his doings in full to Hygelac, and gives
him his gifts, and the precious-gemmed collar to Hygd. Here is told of
Beowulf, and how he was contemned in his youth, and is now grown so
renowned.
Time wears; Hygelac is slain in battle; Heardred, his son, reigns in his
stead, he is slain by the Swedes, and Beowulf is made king. When he is
grown old, and has been king for fifty years, come new tidings. A great
dragon finds on the sea-shore a mound wherein is stored the treasure of
ancient folk departed. The said dragon abides there, and broods the gold
for 300 years.
Now a certain thrall, who had misdone against his lord and was fleeing
from his wrath, haps on the said treasure and takes a cup thence, which
he brings to his lord to appease his wrath. The Worm waketh, and findeth
his treasure lessened, but can find no man who hath done the deed.
Therefore he turns on the folk, and wars on them, and burns Beowulf's
house.
Now Beowulf will go and meet the Worm. He has an iron shield made, and
sets forth with eleven men and the thrall the thirteenth. He comes to
the ness, and speaks to his men, telling them of his past days, and
gives them his last greeting: then he cries out a challenge to the Worm,
who comes forth, and the battle begins: Beowulf's sword will not bite on
the Worm. Wiglaf eggs on the others to come to Beowulf's help, and goes
himself straightway, and offers himself to Beowulf; the Worm comes on
again, and Beowulf breaks his sword Nægling on him, and the Worm wounds
Beowulf. Wiglaf smites the Worm in the belly; Beowulf draws his ax, and
between them they slay the Worm.
Beowulf now feels his wounds, and knows that he is hurt deadly; he sits
down by the wall, and Wiglaf bathes his wounds. Beowulf speaks, tells
how he would give his armour to his son if he had one; thanks God that
he has not sworn falsely or done guilefully; and prays Wiglaf to bear
out the treasure that he may see it before he dies.
Wiglaf fetches out the treasure, and again bathes Beowulf's wounds;
Beowulf speaks again, rejoices over the sight of the treasure; gives to
Wiglaf his ring and his armour, and bids the manner of his bale-fire.
With that he passes away. Now the dastards come thereto and find Wiglaf
vainly bathing his dead lord. He casteth shame upon them with great
wrath. Thence he sends a messenger to the barriers of the town, who
comes to the host, and tells them of the death of Beowulf. He tells
withal of the old feud betwixt the Geats and the Swedes, and how these,
when they hear of the death of the king, will be upon them. The warriors
go to look on Beowulf, and find him and the Worm lying dead together.
Wiglaf chooses out seven of them to go void the treasure-house, after
having bidden them gather wood for the bale-fire. They shove the Worm
over the cliff into the sea, and bear off the treasure in wains. Then
they bring Beowulf's corpse to bale, and they kindle it; a woman called
the wife of aforetime, it may be Hygd, widow of Hygelac, bemoans him:
and twelve children of the athelings ride round the bale, and bemoan
Beowulf and praise him: and thus ends the poem.