Summary:
The setting of the epic poem is the sixth century, in what is now known today as Denmark and southwestern Sweden. The poem opens with a brief genealogy of the royal dynasty of Scylding (Dane), named after a mythic hero, Scyld Scefing, who reached the tribe’s shores as a castaway baby on a ship packed with treasure. Scyld’s funeral is a memorable ritual in the work, but soon the focus switches to the reign of his great-grandson, Hrothgar, whose prosperous rule is symbolized by the magnificent central mead-hall called Heorot. For 12 years, a huge man-like ogre named Grendel, a descendant of the biblical murderer Cain, has menaced the aging Hrothgar, plundering Heorot and killing the king’s warriors. At night through terror Grendel rules the mead-hall.

Beowulf, a young warrior in Geatland (southwestern Sweden), comes to the Scyldings’ help, together with 14 of his best warriors. Hrothgar once gave shelter to Beowulf’s father during a deadly feud, and Beowulf hopes to return the favor while increasing his own reputation and winning treasure for his king, Hygelac. At a feast before nightfall on the first day of the visit, an obnoxious, drunken Scylding called Unferth insults Beowulf, claiming that the Geat visitor once embarrassingly lost a swimming contest to a boyhood friend Breca and therefore is no match for Grendel. Beowulf answers with dignity while putting Unferth back in his place. In fact, the two swimmers were split up by a storm on the fifth night of the contest, and Beowulf arrived late because he had killed nine sea monsters before finally returning to shore.

While the Danes retire to safer sleeping quarters, Beowulf and the Geats bed down in Heorot, fully aware that Grendel will visit them. Which he does. Enraged by the joy but especially the noise of the men in the mead-hall, the ogre furiously bursts in on the Geats, killing one of them and then reaching for Beowulf. With the strength of 30 men in his grip, Beowulf seizes the ogre’s claw and does not let go. The subsquent battle nearly destroys the great hall, but in the end Beowulf emerges victorious as he rips Grendel’s claw from its shoulder socket, causing the mortally wounded beast to take flight to his mere (pool). The trophy of the claw hangs high under the roof of Heorot.

The Danes rejoice the following day with a huge feast and the entertainment of Hrothgar’s scop, a professional story teller whom accompanies himself on a harp and sings or chants traditional lays, such as an account of the Danes’ victory at Finnsburh. This bard also improvises a song about Beowulf’s victory. Hrothgar’s wife, Queen Wealhtheow, confirms to be a perfect hostess, offering Beowulf a gold collar and her gratitude. Filled with mead, wine, and delicious food, the entire party retires for what they expect to be the first peaceful night in years.

But Grendel’s mother not as powerful as her son, but highly motivated; that night climbs to Heorot and retrieves her son’s claw, and murderously snatches one of the Scyldings warriors (Aeschere) while Beowulf is asleep elsewhere. The next morning, Hrothgar, Beowulf, and an entourage of Scyldings and Geats follow the mother’s tracks into a dark, forbidding swamp and to the edge of her mere. The head of the slaughtered Aeschere’s sits on a cliff by the lake, which conceals the ogres’ underground cave. Carrying a sword called Hrunting, a gift from the chastised Unferth, Beowulf dives into the mere to seek the mother.

Near the bottom of the lake, Grendel’s mother attacks and hauls the Geat warrior to her dimly lit cave. Once inside the dry cavern, Beowulf fights back, but the gift sword, Hrunting, strong as it is, fails to pierce the ogre’s hide. The mother moves to kill Beowulf with her knife, but his armor, made by the legendary blacksmith Weland, protects him. Suddenly Beowulf spots a magical, giant sword and uses it to slice through the mother’s spine at the neck, thus killing her. A holy light unexplainably illuminates the cavern, revealing Grendel’s corpse and a great treasure. Beowulf decapitates the corpse and the magic sword melts to its hilt. Beowulf returns to the surface of the lake, carrying the head and hilt of the sword but leaving the treasure in the cave.

After many celebrations, gifts and a sermon by Hrothgar warning of the dangers of pride and the mutability of time, Beowulf and his men return to Geatland. During this time, he serves his king well until Hygelac is killed in battle and his son dies in a feud. Thus Beowulf is proclaimed king and rules successfully for 50 years. Like Hrothgar, however, peace is shattered in his declining years. Beowulf is called to battle one last demon.

A fiery dragon has become furious because a lone fugitive has inadvertently discovered the dragon’s treasure-trove and stolen a valuable goblet. The dragon terrorizes the countryside at night, burning several homes, including that of Beowulf. Led by the fugitive, Beowulf and eleven of his men seek out the dragon’s barrow. Beowulf insists on fighting the dragon alone, but his sword Naegling, is no match for the monster. Seeing his king in trouble, one thane, by the name of Wiglaf, goes to his assistance whilst the others warriors flee to the woods. Together, Wiglaf and Beowulf manage to kill the dragon, but during the strugle the mighty king is mortally wounded. Dying, Beowulf leaves his kingdom to Wiglaf and requests that his body be cremated on a funeral pyre and buried high up on a seaside cliff, where passing sailors may see the barrow. The dragon’s treasure-hoard is buried with him. It is said, that to this day they still lie there.