{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/beo/beo33.htm","path":"neu/beo/beo33.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/beo/beo33.htm","text":"THE fall of his lord he was fain to requite\nin after days; and to Eadgils he proved\nfriend to the friendless, and forces sent\nover the sea to the son of Ohtere,\nweapons and warriors: well repaid he\nthose care-paths cold when the king he slew.[1]\nThus safe through struggles the son of Ecgtheow\nhad passed a plenty, through perils dire,\nwith daring deeds, till this day was come\nthat doomed him now with the dragon to strive.\nWith comrades eleven the lord of Geats\nswollen in rage went seeking the dragon.\nHe had heard whence all the harm arose\nand the killing of clansmen; that cup of price\non the lap of the lord had been laid by the finder.\nIn the throng was this one thirteenth man,\nstarter of all the strife and ill,\ncare-laden captive; cringing thence\nforced and reluctant, he led them on\ntill he came in ken of that cavern-hall,\nthe barrow delved near billowy surges,\nflood of ocean. Within 'twas full\nof wire-gold and jewels; a jealous warden,\nwarrior trusty, the treasures held,\nlurked in his lair. Not light the task\nof entrance for any of earth-born men!\nSat on the headland the hero king,\nspake words of hail to his hearth-companions,\ngold-friend of Geats. All gloomy his soul,\nwavering, death-bound. Wyrd full nigh\nstood ready to greet the gray-haired man,\nto seize his soul-hoard, sunder apart\nlife and body. Not long would be\nthe warrior's spirit enwound with flesh.\nBeowulf spake, the bairn of Ecgtheow:--\n\"Through store of struggles I strove in youth,\nmighty feuds; I mind them all.\nI was seven years old when the sovran of rings,\nfriend-of-his-folk, from my father took me,\nhad me, and held me, Hrethel the king,\nwith food and fee, faithful in kinship.\nNe'er, while I lived there, he loathlier found me,\nbairn in the burg, than his birthright sons,\nHerebeald and Haethcyn and Hygelac mine.\nFor the eldest of these, by unmeet chance,\nby kinsman's deed, was the death-bed strewn,\nwhen Haethcyn killed him with horny bow,\nhis own dear liege laid low with an arrow,\nmissed the mark and his mate shot down,\none brother the other, with bloody shaft.\nA feeless fight,[2] and a fearful sin,\nhorror to Hrethel; yet, hard as it was,\nunavenged must the atheling die!\nToo awful it is for an aged man\nto bide and bear, that his bairn so young\nrides on the gallows. A rime he makes,\nsorrow-song for his son there hanging\nas rapture of ravens; no rescue now\ncan come from the old, disabled man!\nStill is he minded, as morning breaks,\nof the heir gone elsewhere;[3] another he hopes not\nhe will bide to see his burg within\nas ward for his wealth, now the one has found\ndoom of death that the deed incurred.\nForlorn he looks on the lodge of his son,\nwine-hall waste and wind-swept chambers\nreft of revel. The rider sleepeth,\nthe hero, far-hidden;[4] no harp resounds,\nin the courts no wassail, as once was heard.\n[1] That is, Beowulf supports Eadgils against Onela, who is slain by Eadgils\nin revenge for the \"care-paths\" of exile into which Onela forced him.\n[2] That is, the king could claim no wergild, or man-price, from one son\nfor the killing of the other.\n[3] Usual euphemism for death.\n[4] Sc. in the grave.","title":"Beowulf: Part XXXIV","type":"page"}