Author Archives: Ruth

Apart from the narrator, three voices have the last say about the death of Beowulf.  Wiglaf is still trying to revive the old king with water a third time when the other ten warriors come back, probably drawn by the … Continue reading →

The worst part of Beowulf’s neck wound turns out to be a serpent-like poison that immediately makes the wound burn and swell.  Beowulf knows that death is only a matter of minutes; he sits down by the wall so that … Continue reading →

Among the waiting eleven men who can all see the progress of the fight, one is a close kinsman of Beowulf.  We do not know the exact relationship they have; Wiglaf (wee-lahf) is not of Hrethel’s family, but he is … Continue reading →

Beowulf, King of the Geats, is now about 75 years old.  He becomes entangled with the dragon by means of the dragon’s flight of vengeance.  Among other buildings, Beowulf’s royal hall was burnt to the ground.  We are not told … Continue reading →

How do we know what dragons do?  Ancient sources all around the world (but chiefly in Europe and China) speak of dragons, those rare creatures that are combinations of serpent and lizard.  Little detail is provided, though, in old sources.  … Continue reading →

Fifty years passes by in one line:  Beowulf held the kingdom for fifty winters.  In line 2210, he is the “old guardian of his homeland,” no longer the young hero.  With no further prologue, the monster of the last conflict … Continue reading →

Perhaps the most compressed transition in literature is the set of ten lines between 2200 and 2210.  In the space of these lines, Hygelac dies, and Beowulf not only takes charge but ages fifty years.  Kierney (1981) has speculated that … Continue reading →

When it comes to treasure, Beowulf is less laconic.  His main points in telling about his treasure have to do with political relationships, though.  He wants to make two points very clear:  he thinks Hrothgar did the noble thing and … Continue reading →

The first thing Beowulf does on returning to his homeland is to sit at a feast with his uncle King Hygelac and narrate the story we have just read.  On first glance, it seems like it only reiterates the familiar … Continue reading →

Beowulf’s re-entry to his homeland does not read smoothly.  Perhaps it worked better as a live recitation and to an audience who loved the side stories that feel like digressions to us.  The first view of Hygelac’s hall, right by … Continue reading →