More Beowulf Questions

(Brady's Portion of the Beowulf Questions 1-25)
[Prologue]
1) Shield came to be the ruler of the Danes by conquering each clan one by one till they all were forced to obey him and worship him as a King, this made him a ‘good king’.
Shield had been very specific on how he wished to be honored at burial.  His body was placed onto a long boat, then all of his treasures of gold and silver, precious gems and chalices, were loaded on top of him, as offering and to pay homage, then came the weapons, many sets of armor and different weapons used by the Danes were loaded onto the boat,  for he was a warrior king. After that the boat was set out to sea, to drift until it sunk, or was salvaged by someone else.
Hrothgar was the great grandson of Shield and a warrior who found great riches and fame in battle.

[Heort is Attacked]
1)  Hrothgar wanted to build a mighty fort like no other, so he went to building the mighty fort of Heort, a massive fort like no other.
 the Beast Grendel  hears the sounds of music and celebration from the fort, and due to its sensitive hearing became enraged and attacked the fort continuously night after night killing every warrior and bard in the fort again and again, however it did not attack Hrothgar or the throne.
The Danes turned to old stone idols and prayed to Gods that hadn’t been worshiped for years in an attempt to be free of the beast Grendel’s ravaging.

[Hero comes to Heort]
1) When Beowulf hears of the Danes problems with Grendel he ordered a ship to be readied and gathered his mightiest warriors to sail with him to Heort to defeat the great beast and help the King of Danes Hrothgar.
2) When the Geats first arrive in Denmark they meet a Danish Watcher that had been patrolling the coast, he confronts the Geats asking their business in Denmark, and why they seem ready for a battle. Beowulf replies by stating their business, they are Geats, he tells the watcher of his lineage his father’s father and his father. He then tells the watcher they have come to slay the beast that haunts the halls of Heort.
3) Hrothgar’s Hearld is a man by the name of Wulfgar, when he hears of Beowulf and his men he asks Hrothgar to give them audience and hear their plans. Hrothgar responds by saying he remembers Beowulf from his youth, and that the Geats are hardy warriors welcome in the halls of Hrothgar.
4)  Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he plans to defeat Grendel in single battle, no lives of any Danes will be risked, only his own and his men,  that he would purge the evil from Heort so that the Danes no longer fear it.
Feast at Heort.
1) Unferth accuses Beoewulf of losing in a swimming race to a lesser man and that Beowulf would surely turn and flee at the sight of Grendel.  Beowulf replies saying that he only lost because he stopped to slay a monstrous fish along the way, and that he could best any man in swimming. This is an important chapter in the poem because it shows that he would give up a race and show that he can take a hit to his pride, if it means slaying an enemy of man, it also show that some doubt the hero and that he must prove himself.
2)  The Queen spent the feasting time passing drink to the guests of Hrothgar, Beowulf and his men, and wished them luck with their coming battle against Grendel.

[Fight with Grendel]
1) Beowulf does little to prepare for the battle with Grendel other then enter Heort, he strips himself of his armor and weapons, wanting to fight Grendel with no armor or weapons, as it fights. This is the opposite of what would be expected, one would expect him to done more armor and weapons to fight the beast but that is not so.
2) Grendel  breaks through the front gates of the fort and immediately set upon one of Beowulf’s men and ate him immediately, upon trying to attack Beowulf the man jumped upon them.
They fought, grappling with each other, trying to tear each other apart with only their arms and bodies. Grendel leaves behind an arm at Heort for Beowulf tore it off as the beast tried to run from the battle.
Though Grendel escaped he bled to death in his mother’s arm.


[Celebration at Herot]
1) Sigemund was a warrior who bravely fought and killed a ferocious dragon that was terrorizing the land. Beowulf is a warrior who bravely fought and killed Grendel who was terrorizing the land. Heremod was a Danish king who betrayed his subjects and was power-hungry. He killed many of his people, to the point where he was exiled and subsequently killed for his many deeds. Beowulf has shown no signs of intending to kill his own subjects, nor of being corrupt.
2) Hrothgar offers to let Beowulf join his family as an adoptive son as thanks for his great deed, which Beowulf accepts.
3)
4)
5) The narrator says Beowulf's king Hygelac, will wear the necklace in his last battle, and the Franks will steal it from his corpse at a later time.  The Queen presents the necklace to Beowulf and asks him to guide and protect her sons and wishes him good luck and fortune.
6) Though Grendel is dead the narrator says at least one of them is marked for death and Grendel’s mother still lives.

[Another Attack]
1) Grendel’s mother attacks to get revenge on the Geats and Danes for her son’s death, rather than an act of rage it is an act of revenge.
2) Grendel’s mother kills soldiers from both tribes, Danes and Geats, as well as kills and steals the body of Hrothgar’s Retainer, one of his dearest companions, a man named Aeschere. He asks Beowulf if he will track down and slay the demon.
3) The mere is a dark lake with seemingly no bottom, filled with sea creatures and monsters, that glows like fire at night, Grendel’s mother supposedly lives on the bottom.
Beowulf fights Grendel’s mother
1) Beowulf says that Hrothgar should come as well, for everyone dies and it is their duty to avenge their loved ones before they die.
2) The Geats and Danes kill a large Sea Monster before Beowulf enters the mere.
3) Beowulf prepares by wearing a golden helmet and chain mail shirt to not be cursed by the sea creatures on his way to Grendel’s mother. He wields a sword called Hrunting, a sword made and tempered in blood, it had never lost a battle and with it Beowulf would be unable to lose.
4) The poem is not very descriptive of it other than that the lair seems to be in a pocket of air under the lake, filled with treasures.
5) During the fight against Grendel’s mother the sword Beowulf borrowed is thrown aside when it cannot seem to harm Grendel’s mother.
6) Beowulf’s chain mail saves him from the knife Grendel’s mother tries to kill him with and is able to throw her off of his body, he heaves a large sword, from the era of giants the poet states, and uses it to cleave into the demon’s neck, killing her.