Reading Notes: Beowulf (Readings A & B)

I'm excited to read Beowulf because it is the full story, rather than a portion of a story.

This story takes place in modern day Sweden, referred to as the "Land of the Geats" in this tale
The people of seats are "war-like"

Often facing intruders who would try to burn their farms and steal their livestock

There are monsters in the seas, forests, and caves of Geatsland
The great warriors of the land are fierce in battle but jovial among the company of their kinsmen
Beowulf is large and strong, but awkward and clumsy
An old man prophesies Beowulf's greatness
Grendel is a monster that is terrorizing Daneland

This is very descriptive writing; not a ton of dialogue
Beowulf volunteers to go and engage in mortal combat with Grendel
The king demands that Beowulf is companied by 14 earls. King Hygelac places Beowulf in charge of them
Pretty sentence: "As the first streaks of dawn began to touch the dim sky, the company reached the shore."
There is a guardian of the beach who questions Beowulf's troupe as they disembark onto Daneland
Beowulf and his warriors are celebrated by the king of Danesland

However, the king is sad because he believes these youths will die by the hand of the monster

Beowulf calls out Unferth, who is the cowardly warrior of Danesland. Unferth then has a few choice words to say about Beowulf and his clumsiness

Beowulf is ticked because Unferth is a liar and a coward
Grendel is a giant and has the ability to cast spells
While Beowulf is fighting Grendel the rest of his troupe sleeps soundly due to Grendel's sleeping curse
Beowulf tears off the fiend's arm with his bare hands and kills Grendel
Now this ticked off Grendel's mom, who is a Medussa-esque sea witch
Grendel jumps into a really terrifying lake filled with monsters and phosphorous fires

He keeps sinking and is either really good at holding his breath or this is a plot hole

Beowulf kills the mother-monster and returns to the shore with her and Grendel's heads
He is celebrated and praised by the Daneland King
He and his troupe return home
Beowulf eventually becomes the king of Geatsland
A servant comes to Beowulf's castle and tells the king of a great dragon and its treasure

Of course the dragon follows the servant to Geatsland and now the whole city is burning
Beowulf leads 11 soldiers to the cave of the dragon, hoping their retreat to the dragon's lair will lure it away from the town
10/11 of the earls are too scared to stand with Beowulf and flee in terror
The dragon kills Beowulf but Wiglaf kills the dragon
They throw a grand funeral celebration for Beowulf

Bibliography: The Story of Beowulf by Strafford Riggs

Shield, Sword, and Horn. Web Source: Beowulf

Mythology and Folklore