In Beowulf , why did the Danes bury the treasure that Beowulf and But this next conflict will prove even more difficult: as well as swords being useless, the strong sword (Hrunting) given to Beowulf by Unferth will also be powerless against Grendels mother. Although the Beowulf dragon exhibits many existing motifs common to Germanic tradition, the Beowulf poet was the first to combine features and present a distinctive fire-breathing dragon. SparkNotes PLUS The treasure also brings about Beowulfs death. Possibly the poems Christian narrator sees greed for treasure as a kind of spiritual death, suffered by pagans who value treasure over Heaven. The dragon hoards his treasure in a barrow, that is, a grave. The pattern is the establishment of the house of the Geats, the rescue of the house of Heorot by destroyng the house of Grendel, and the end of the house of the Geats with Beowulf. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Why did the Danes bury the treasure that Beowulf and Wiglaf recovered from the dragon? When the monster appears, Beowulf and his men attack the troll-like monster with their swords. | The final encounter, with the dragon years later, will prove the most difficult of all and although he is successful and overcomes the monster, he will pay the ultimate price: victory will come at the cost of his own life. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Instant PDF downloads. Which passages might reflect a specifically Anglo-Saxon philosophy of life? swift roan Horses played an important role among the royalty, but most of the fighting was executed on foot. eNotes Editorial, 16 Sep. 2016, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-happens-dragons-hoard-330006. Only when Hygelacs son met his end in a skirmish against the Swedes did Beowulf ascend the throne. The dragon is the final test for Beowulf, a test of his wisdom as well as his courage. [45], J. R. R. Tolkien used the dragon story of Beowulf as a template for Smaug of The Hobbit; in each case, the dragon awakens upon the hoard being disturbed by one stealing a chalice and goes into a wrathful rampage until slain by another person. Central Idea Essay: Honor Codes & Heroism. He ignores the vast treasure in the cave, instead choosing to carry the magnificent, huge head as symbolic of his victory over both ogres. The dragon chanced upon the hoard and has been guarding it for the past three hundred years. The dragon's treasure-trove poignantly represents the vanity of human wishes as well as the mutability of time. He burns vast amounts of territory and the homes of the Geats: "the dragon began to belch out flames / and burn bright homesteads". 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The poem gives no place of origin for the dragon, only an explanation of why it guards the hoard of gold. What are the Christian elements in "Beowulf"? Beowulf: The Dragon (Lines 22002323) Summary Reblogged this on cjheries and commented: Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. It seems logical that the "noble" race who originally mined the gold and created the treasure could not be the race which wasted away and left only this man. Continue to start your free trial. Instant PDF downloads. They placed in the barrow rings and jewels, All such ornaments as erst in the treasure. Beowulf and a troop of men leave to find the dragon's lair. Well start with a brief summary ofBeowulfbefore proceeding to some textual analysis and critical reading. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. The hall is a home for the warriors who sleep there and functions as a seat of government. Beowulf and Wiglaf (Lines 27112845). Yet one responsibility of a king is a stable succession. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Ive read Beowulf many times over the years (was introduced to the Old-English version back in High School) and youve provided an excellent summary. But this much constitutes a reasonably complete summary of the plot ofBeowulf. Once the dragon found out that a piece of his treasure was missing, he left his shelter where his treasures were and flew out over the land, burning things as he rested. In fact, gold can be seen as a symbol of social interaction: a lord rewards The poem ends with Beowulfs burial at sea, which is described in much detail why this might be is discussed below. I certainly realize that it is not perfectly clear whether the treasure was owned by one people or two. Under the heroic code, grief is something to be purged through vengeance, but vengeance here would mean the death of another sonan excruciating and unsatisfying prospect. [6] Beowulf preserves existing medieval dragon-lore, most notably in the extended digression recounting the Sigurd/Fafnir tale. The film being referenced in the comment above by poetmcgonagall, is a film adaptation of Michael Crightons excellent Eaters of the Dead which gives a facinating take on the Beowulf/Grendel legend. The poet recounts the death of King Hygelac in combat in Friesland. Beowulf describes the treasure as his final gift to his people, and passes on his kingship to Wiglaf, who is clearly the most deserving and competent of the Geats. Beowulf also takes pains to protect his fame even in death through the creation of his barrow. He is the protector of his people and almost immediately begins preparations to fight the dragon. (including. Like Beowulf, the dragon uses its strength to accrue a huge mound of treasure, but in the end all the treasure does is bring about its death. The treasure also brings about Beowulfs death. Possibly the poems Christian narrator sees greed for treasure as a kind of spiritual death, suffered by pagans who value treasure over Heaven. The claw is hung high beneath Heorot's roof (most likely on the outside beneath the gables) as a symbol of Beowulf's victory. When the angry dragon mercilessly burns the Geats' homes and lands, Beowulf decides to fight and kill the monster personally. [7], Beowulf scholar J. R. R. Tolkien considered the dragon in Beowulf to be one of only two real dragons in northern European literature, writing of it, "dragons, real dragons, essential both to the machinery and the ideas of a poem or tale, are actually rare. Hygelac fell while Beowulf survived thanks to his great strength and swimming ability. The tragic story of the death of Hrethels son at the hands of his own brother offers an echo of the earlier case of divided loyalty in the Finnsburg episode. WebThe Danes bury the treasure because this was one of Beowulf's last commands before dying after fighting the dragon. They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. The poet relates that many centuries earlier, the last survivor of an ancient race buried the treasure in the barrow when he realized that the treasure would be of no use to him because he, like his ancestors, was destined to die. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. The dragon chanced upon the hoard and has been guarding it for the past three hundred years. Beowulfs call for the dragon to face him on open ground has the same primal feel to it as his youthful decision to fight Grendel unarmed. Fantastic article, it was education and entertaining all at once. cant even agree on what the first line of the poem means, Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell, Lewis Carrolls nonsense masterpiece, Jabberwocky, Christopher Bookers phrase for this type of narrative, Happy Tolkien Reading Day! Beowulf declined, however, not wanting to disturb the order of succession. Talking of Tolkien, it was his influential 1936 essay, Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics, which was really responsible for a shift in the way that people read Beowulf. When Wiglaf enters the dragon's tower, he sees piles of gold, precious gems, and priceless tableware strewn about. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. In the following post, we offer a short summary ofBeowulf, and an introduction to its main themes. Pay particular attention to his treatment of the Dragon which is all the more horrifying for not being a giant lizard. Battle-Scylfings Swedes. 98-100. Gold, Treasure, and Gifts Symbol in Beowulf | LitCharts xxiii-xxxvii. He repeatedly tells us that Beowulf is about to meet his death. [35] Conversely, Kemp Malone writes in "The Kenning in Beowulf" that Beowulf's fight with the dragon receives much critical attention, but that commentators fail to note that "the dragon was no fighter. I have often wondered why the Beowulf story was lost for so long. [5], The dragon with his hoard is a common motif in early Germanic literature with the story existing to varying extents in the Norse sagas, but it is most notable in the Vlsunga saga and in Beowulf. The cave itself represents a world alien to Heorot. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Both monsters have now been slain, and Beowulf is a hero. The problem starts when a fugitive, apparently a runaway slave, stumbles across the By declining the throne and taking on the guardianship of the young heir until the heir comes of age, Beowulf shows that his attitude toward power is neither ambitious nor mercenary. The second part passes rapidly over King Hygelacs subsequent death in a battle (of historical record), the death of his son, and Beowulfs succession to the kingship and his peaceful rule of 50 years. But now a fire-breathing dragon ravages his land and the doughty but aging Beowulf engages it. [33] Ultimately, as Tolkien writes in Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics (1936), the death by dragon "is the right end for Beowulf," for he claims, "a man can but die upon his death-day". The Arthurian story was passed down for generations, but Beowulf and his bravery forgotten. As poetry, one of the most moving passages in the epic is the Keeper's invocation as he leaves the gold and other items in the barrow (2247-2266). . Interestingly, Beowulf's initial reaction is a feeling of guilt. False pride? [43] Joan Acocella states in The New Yorker that "unlike Grendel and his mother, [the dragon] is less a monster than a symbol. Grendel's head, which he is able to find after a strange, perhaps holy brilliance illuminates the dimly lighted cave, is much more impressive. The ancient treasures in the hoard once belonged to a regional tribe of warriors who were killed in battle some 300 years previously. [2] Within the plot structure, however, the dragon functions differently in Beowulf than in Tolkien's fiction. He also put up quite a fight when Hygelac died in Frisia; Beowulf escaped by defeating many of the enemy in close combat, carrying off the war gear of 30 men. Well, yes though for a while the chances of Beowulf triumphing are looking less and less likely. Hrethels grief at the accident is great, but because of the peculiar circumstances surrounding his sons death, Hrethel is locked in inaction. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. As Hrothgar warned, and as the Beowulf poet reminds us throughout the epic, all glory is fleeting. Now an old king, Beowulf grieves and wonders what he might have done to deserve such punishment from God. In lines 3151-3155, a woman sings a grief song, in which she says that she fears that the Geats will soon experience invasion, death, slavery, shame, and terror. R. D. Fulk and Joseph Harris, Beowulfs Name, pp. Hidden beneath a treacherous mere in the middle of a dark, forbidding swamp, the cave allows them a degree of safety and privacy in a world that they view as hostile. Unfortunately, the distinguishing feature of Beowulf's death is that his loyal retainers, with the exception of Wiglaf, failed to come to his aid when Beowulf could have used their help. creating and saving your own notes as you read. It towers high and is compared to a cliff. Before he dies, Beowulf gives Wiglaf his golden necklace, rings, mail shirt, and gold-covered helmet. Just as the dead warriors cannot use the treasure, neither can the dragon. Now, ready to face one last adversary, Beowulf gathers eleven men to investigate the area. He takes what he can back with him to Beowulf, making haste At line 3028, it is written that the messenger's predictions eventually came true. There will be no more songs from the scop. WebSomeone accidentally took his treasure Beowulf worries that which of the following is the reason for the dragon's attacks: He offended God How does Beowulf feel as he [38] W. P. Ker criticized the inclusion of Beowulf's fight with the dragon and his subsequent death in the poem, writing "It is as if to the end of the Odyssey there had been added some later books telling in full of the old age of Odysseus, far from the sea, and his death at the hands of Telegonus". The poem continues to enjoy popularity, thanks to a bestselling translation by Seamus Heaney and a translation by J. R. R. Tolkien, which was only published in 2014. But because the specific details of the story are not widely known, numerous misconceptions about the poemabound. Here, the tension is similar but even more frustrating. What is the meaning of the Anglo-Saxon term wyrd? Latest answer posted August 24, 2018 at 7:08:52 AM, Latest answer posted October 27, 2017 at 8:44:42 AM. Here are all of the passages which tell us about the treasure, the barrow, and the two peoples who held the treasure over the past 1,000 years (which could be an indeterminate, "poetical" sort of 1,000 years), before it was discovered by the slave in the Beowulf story (the translation is from Chickering): The following notes on the dragon's treasure are from Frederick Rebsamen, page 70: Now, however, I think that the evidence for two peoples is clearly indicated in lines 2247-2252 and 3047-3057. The treasure hoard, without a people to use and "polish" it, is useless. The foe he faces is no ordinary foe, and conventional weapons are powerless against it. You'll also receive an email with the link. Hygelac is killed in battle. Beowulf gives his life defeating the dragon and gaining this impressive treasure for his people, but they won't benefit from it either. Beowulf is a hero who previously killed two monsters. Beowulf Lines 22112515 Summary & Analysis He carefully buried the precious objects, lamenting all the while his lonely state. The problem is that Beowulf was a young man during those glorious battles. [11] Also, the Beowulf poet created a dragon with specific traits: a nocturnal, treasure-hoarding, inquisitive, vengeful, fire-breathing creature. [39], In his 1936 lecture Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics, J. R. R. Tolkien noted that the dragon and Grendel are "constantly referred to in language which is meant to recall the powers of darkness which Christian men felt themselves to be encompassed. WebIronically, Beowulf dies thinking that the treasure he has won will benefit his people; instead, the Geats burn or bury all of it with Beowulf. As the author of this post writes, the morals, tropes, and figures create a bases for understanding many other English works that were to follow, so its interesting to see how relatively young Britain works with this tale and interprets its own history. Always aware of his battle gear, he orders a new shield to replace his old linden-wood protector; this one is to be covered with the strongest iron. The narrator explains that this particular barrow was the, Without a generous king to give the treasure and loyal warriors to earn it, the treasure is "useless.". After Beowulf dies, his followers show up. In lines 2912-2998, he reminds them of past battles between the Geats and other groups, referred to variously as Franks, Frisians, Merovingian, Swedes and Battle-Scylfings. "[8] Furthermore, Tolkien believes the Beowulf poet emphasizes the monsters Beowulf fights in the poem and claims the dragon is as much of a plot device as anything. Why was the treasure buried with Beowulf instead? The foreshadowing is even more specific immediately after Beowulf orders his new shield; the poet bluntly reveals that the king is "to reach the end of his seafaring days, / his life in this world, together with the serpent" (242-43). CliffsNotes No? Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1725 titles we cover. Is there a work of literature, similar to Beowulf, where the hero fights a monster to save his kingdom? The scene includes extended flashbacks to the Geatish-Swedish wars, a detailed description of the dragon and the dragon-hoard, and ends with intricate funerary imagery. GROUP BEOWULF PASSAGE - Pace University New York The ancient treasures in the hoard once belonged to a regional tribe of warriors; almost the entire tribe was killed in battle some 300 years previously. [14] The characteristics of Beowulf's dragon appear to be specific to the poem, and the poet may have melded together dragon motifs to create a dragon with specific traits that weave together the complicated plot of the narrative. The problem starts when a fugitive, apparently a runaway slave, stumbles across the dragon's treasure-trove. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. Dont have an account? Reblogged this on Storey on a Story Blog and commented: In this anecdote, the Beowulf poet seems to have given the pagan ethos a fairly sympathetic and even-handed treatment. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Despite the odds being stacked against him, he manages to overcome the monster, to borrow Christopher Bookers phrase for this type of narrative. It has been asserted by several commentators that the fact that the treasure was buried, rather than being burned in the funeral fire, is going to result in even more trouble for the Geats, but I cannot see any specific evidence for this in my reading of the story. There, the Danish princess Hildeburh was distressed by the fact that her son and her brother were at war, fighting on opposite sides, and that ultimately both were killed. WebHe tells Wiglaf to look after the Geats when he is gone. WebThe dragon begins to vomit flames, burn houses, and kill everything in his path. Beowulf tells his men to stay outside, that this fight is his alone, but the dragon proves strong and mortally wounds Beowulf. Perhaps someone will (or has) written a history of the treasure and the barrow - it could make a very adventurous tale, in which Beowulf's battle with the dragon, and the reinternment of the treasure in his funeral mound (the gold having gone back into the earth for the third time) might be merely one short chapter. On Beowulf What happens to the dragon and its treasure? Grendel's mother also sees it as a symbol, representing her personal loss and mankind's macabre sense of what might be an appropriate trophy. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. In ending with the tale of a dragon attempting to defend a mound of treasure, the poem prefigures not only the works of J. R. R. Tolkien (who, as well as being the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, was also an influential Anglo-Saxon scholar who translated Beowulfandwrote an important article on it of which more below) but also, more surprisingly, other poems like Lewis Carrolls nonsense masterpiece, Jabberwocky. (For a chronology of the Geats' feuds, see Chickering, pp. Pingback: Happy Tolkien Reading Day! Upon returning home, Beowulf was offered the throne by the widowed Hygd, who knew that her own son was too young and inexperienced to be an effective ruler. The poem ends with his subsequent death and burial at sea. The earnings of earlmen to earth they entrusted, The gold to the dust, where yet it remaineth. Were here to offer a brief overview of the plot ofBeowulf, along with some interpretations of the poem. Queen Hygd offered Beowulf the throne after her husband (Hygelac) died, thinking that her young son (Heardred) was unable to protect the kingdom; Beowulf refused but served the young king faithfully. [36] In his 1935 work Beowulf and the Seventh Century, Ritchie Girvan writes that Beowulf should be seen as having some degree of historical accuracy despite the presence of a dragon in it; he argues that "Tales of dragons as well as a belief in dragons survived till recent times, and the popular mind is apt to accept with credulity stories of water-monsters. It also looks back to Greek and Roman epics like Homers Odyssey and Virgils Aeneid. 20% Not finding the offender, the dragon goes on a rampage, breathing fire and incinerating homes and villages. By virtue of being a hero, Beowulf is set-apart from the society presented in the heroic epic. The producers showed some respect for scholarship by including authentic details, for instance the rituals surrounding the ship burial of a Viking chief. Beowulf then asks that a barrow be built on a cliff overlooking the sea that sea travelers will later call Beowulf's barrow. On his return from Heorot, where he killed Grendel and Grendel's mother, Beowulf becomes king of the Geats and rules wisely for fifty years until a slave awakens and angers a dragon by stealing a jewelled cup from its lair. Beowulfs reminiscences about his glory days and the narrators mention of Beowulfs old age reinforce the reality that every lifeeven that of a legendary warriormust come to an end. "[13], A study of German and Norse texts reveals three typical narratives for the dragonslayer: a fight for the treasure, a battle to save the slayer's people, or a fight to free a woman. It was only rescued from obscurity in 1815, when an Icelandic-Danish scholar named Thorkelin printed an edition of the poem. It left Beowulf to do the seeking out". Beowulf scholar Alexander writes that the dragon fight likely signifies Beowulf's (and by extension, society's) battle against evil. So he does what lesser men would fear to do: he wrestles the monster with his bare hands, eventually tearing off one of its arms.

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