Read Online Beowulf by Frederick Rebsamen - Free Book Online

battle.
 
Then the king of the Danes called for attention—
 
eight fine horses entered the meadhall
 
with gold-laced bridles. On the best was mounted
 
a silver saddle studded with garnets
 
the gleaming battle-seat of gladman Hrothgar
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when that son of Healfdene sallied to warplay
 
rode before his men to the rush of swordswings—
 
he was always in front when they fell around him.
 
To Beowulf then the Battle-Danes’ leader
 
offered all of it urged him to take
 
weapons and horses hold and use them.
 
With royal manners the mighty Dane-lord
 
guardian of that hoard gave from his treasure
 
horses and weapons worthy of his kingdom—
 
no courteous man could quarrel with those gifts.
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Each of the Geats every man of them
 
who crossed with Beowulf the curling sea-road
 
was worthied with gifts by the wise old king
 
honored with heirlooms—then he offered wergild
 
gold for that wretch ravaged by Grendel
 
viciously murdered—as more would have been
 
had not God in his wisdom and one man’s courage
 
withstood wyrd there. The Wielder controlled
 
all of mankind as he always does.
 
Forethought is best future in the mind
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plans for everything. All who are given
 
loan-days in this world life before darkness
 
will suffer and enjoy sorrow and happiness.
    A T THIS POINT Hrothgar’s minstrel celebrates Beowulf’s victory with a highly allusive episode recounting an earlier fight between Danes and Frisians which he calls the Freswael (“Frisian slaughter”). A fragment of a heroic poem about half the length of this episode, printed in 1705 from a manuscript leaf now lost, gives Finnsburuh as the site of the battle. Those two accounts are the only extant versions of an obviously well-known story that has engaged Beowulf scholars for more than a century. From a wilderness of versions, drawing upon both episode and fragment, I summarize as follows:
    A Danish king Hoc has two children, Hnaef and his sister, Hildeburh, who marries Finn Folcwalding, king of the Frisians. Hnaef and sixty retainers visit Hildeburh at Finnsburuh in Frisia. For some reason, the Frisians attack the Danes at dawn in the hall assigned to them and fight for five days with many Frisian casualties (including Hildeburh’s son) but no Danish dead until Hnaef is finally killed, leaving the Frisian forces badly depleted and unable to vanquish the beleaguered Danes.
    As winter approaches, a truce is made between Finn and Hengest (now in charge of the Danes), giving the Danes an honored place in Finn’s hall and equal status with the Frisians, Finn paying wergild for Hnaef and staging a formal cremation for dead warriors, including Hnaef and his nephew, Hildeburh’s son. Some Frisians apparently return to their homes, and Hengest spends an unhappy winter at Finnsburuh, his thoughts turning to vengeance with the coming of spring. Hunlafing (encouraged by Guthlaf and Oslaf) gives Hengest a sword to urge him on. The Danes attack and kill Finn, loot Finnsburuh, then carry Hildeburh back to Denmark.
 
Then sweet strumming silenced the company
 
harpstrings sounded for Healfdene’s son
 
fingers drew notes found story-words
 
hushed mead-benches when Hrothgar’s minstrel
 
mourned a winter-tale matched it with song
 
of the house of Finn that fatal night-visit
 
when that doomed hall-guest Hnaef the visitor
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fell to death-rest in Frisian slaughter.
 
Nor was Hildeburh’s heart rewarded
 
by that hostile truce—tormented queen
 
bereft of loved ones by linden-shield play
 
her brother and son slain in treachery
 
by deep spear-bites—dark was her mourning.
 
With heavy heart-thoughts Hoc’s daughter-child
 
measured destiny when darkness paled
 
when the graylight sky spread before her eyes
 
black murder-bale. Battle-slaughter won
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fetched from