[lines 194-224a in section III and 8th line from the bottom of folio 134r to 4th line from the bottom of folio 134v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{Beowulf hears about Grendel and decides to travel from his home in Geatland (southern Sweden) to Heorot (in northeast Denmark) to see if he can help out.
}
Now, one night in early spring, when Hygelac's thanes, young and old, sat late by the fire talking of Hrothgar's woes, a great thought came like a flash of summer lightning into the mind of young Beowulf. "I am strong, and I have a braver spirit than they know here in Geatland," he thought. "I will go and help Hrothgar and give him back his great hall Heorot. For honor and for pity I will do it, and ask for no reward except a kind word from my own king and queen." And at once, while his heart and hopes were high, he went around Hygelac's hall and asked his young companions to come with him. Nor did those friends fail him. Fourteen promised to sail in a carved boat across the sea and to fight Grendel at Beowulf's side, even to the death.
The light wind drove them over the springtime water. The ship met no misfortune. She flew to Daneland like a bird. There on the coast of Hrothgar's kingdom, on the beach under the gray cliffs, they took their weapons out of the vessel and gave thanks to God who had brought them there so luckily and so soon.
[lines 791-819a in section XII and 8th line from the top of folio 147r to 13th line from the top of folio 147v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{At this moment Beowulf and Grendel are fighting and Grendel is howling and screaming and wishing to escape but Beowulf has grabbed Grendel's arm and is using his incredible hand-strength to hold on to him.
}
--- Then it reached again for the next of the good companions, but by this time Beowulf had himself in hand. He sprang up and gripped the devilish creature's paw. For the first time, Grendel felt terror. Never in his evil life had he felt such a grip. There was no courage in him when he was brought to the test. At once he tried to get away, but no matter how hard he shook and dragged he could not pull loose from the iron-strong hand.
Then the young hero did not fear the foul breath and the fiery eyes. He did not seek to keep himself from the hairy beast. He grappled with the creature brow to brow and knee to knee. And their grappling was so fierce that they turned over benches and cracked wall timbers and pillars.
By this time the others were awake. Armed, they came to their chieftain's help, laying about them in the blackness with swords. But swords could do nothing against the monster. Only the grip of Beowulf, still holding him fast, could bring him harm.
In that grip Grendel threw himself about so wildly that it was a wonder he did not bring Heorot down. Surely the hall would have been shattered if it had not been held by the iron bands. And, just as Beowulf began to feel mortal weariness, just as the flesh began to split at his knuckles from the hardness of his grip, the monster uttered a blood-freezing yell. A crack had opened in Grendel's shoulder. The sinews there sprang wide. The covering of his bones spread into the night. But he left something behind him. His hairy paws, his forearm, his upper arm as high as the shoulder remained at Heorot, held fast in Beowulf's gripping hand.
[lines 1537-1569 in sections XXII and XXIII and 5th line from the bottom of folio 163v, through folio 164r to 4th line from the top of folio 164v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD] Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here. Note: there is a discussion of the word eaxle in line 1537a on my page on Shoulder Grabbing vs. Hair Pulling
{At this moment Beowulf has just failed to hurt Grendel's mother with the sword Hrunting and he tries to wrestle her as he had done with Grendel.
}
Now that his feet were solid on the paved floor of her mansion, Beowulf heaved hard and broke her grasp. Quickly he went at her evil head with Unferth's sword. But that ancient blade, trusty as it had proved itself in the world of men, was useless here. It rang again and again on her head but made no cut, and at last he threw it aside. Once again, he knew, he must trust to his own strength. He grappled with the mother as he had grappled with the son, brow to brow and knee to knee. She was weaker than he had expected-- the force in her was less than half the force of Grendel. And after a short struggle, he toppled her backward on the floor.
But then was seized by mortal weariness from wrestling and long swimming and the weight of the water that had pressed for hours upon him. He grew dizzy and passed his hand over his eyes, and when he took it away he saw that she was up again and coming at him with a flashing blade. Easily she flung him backward and sat on his legs, thrusting at him again and again with her short evil knife. He had reason to be thankful then for his ringed mail coat. Without that good armour, he would surely have been stabbed to death.
Suddenly, while she thrust at him and he gasped for breath, the eerie yellow fire flared up and he saw, hanging on the wall of that vast room, a tremendous sword with a bright blade and a golden hilt. Hope strengthened him then. He heaved her up, struggled from under her, pushed her aside. He darted past her and grasped the giant's weapon by its precious hilt.
She cringed, and he struck her with fury full on the neck. Her black blood spurted out-- this sword had power to pierce her hide. She fell at once and died without a sound. ---
[lines 1584b-1590 in section XXIII and 7th line from the bottom of folio 164v to first half of the last line of folio 164v on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{At this moment Beowulf has just discovered Grendel's lifeless body lying in the cave.
}
--- In his wanderings he came upon a bed, and on the bed was the body of the dead Grendel. With the tremendous sword he smote off the monster's head, and the blood gushed out and ran over the floor and between the door and the doorsill, so that the water beyond the door was stained a purplish red.
[lines 2672b-2708a in sections XXXVI and XXXVII and 8th line from the bottom of folio 189A197r, through folio 189A197v to 3rd line from the top of folio 189r on Kevin S. Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf CD]
Images of the original manuscript text of this section, and an mp3 file of Ben Slade reading it in Old English, are here.
{At this moment, Wiglaf has just run into the flames to be by Beowulf's side and the dragon has charged at them both, incinerating Wiglaf's shield.
}
