Prelude to Beowulf´s Last Fight

Prelude to Beowulf´s Last Fight

The Old English epic Beowulf depicts Anglo-Saxon warrior culture where fate (wyrd) governs the actions of the hero. Beowulf, now over seventy years old and king of the Geats, has earned his respect and glory on the battlefields as a great warrior. The honorable old king has ruled for fifty years, and according to the author, "he was a wise king, an old guardian of the land" (Norton, 55), when the dragon attacks Beowulf's Hall, assaulting Geats at night.

The dragon - "the worm" - as he is referred to sometimes by the poet, while guarding the treasure in the depth of his cave, is awakened by a slave who steals the cup from his hoard. The dragon, being greedy, is infuriated: "the hoard-guard waited restless until evening came; then the barrow keeper was in rage: he would requite that precious drinking cup with vengeful fire."(Norton, 56)

The treasure, that is now guarded by the worm, once (over three hundred years ago) belonged to a tribe of great warriors. Many have died over the years on the battlefields; only one, the Last Survivor, has escaped the terrible fate, and so he speaks:

" War-death has taken each man

of my people, evil, dreadful and deadly,

each of those who has given up this life,

the hall-joy of men. I have none

who wears sword or cleans the plated cup,

rich drinking vessel.

The company of retainers has gone elsewhere…

There is no harp-delight,

no mirth of the singing wood,

no good hawk flies through the hall,

no swift horse stamps in the castle court.

Baleful death has sent away

many races of men." (Norton, 56)

Parallel to this speech is the ubi sunt passage from Old English poem "The Wanderer." The old warrior, the wanderer or, as the poet calls him, "the earth-walker," who has lost his comrades in the battles, talks about the loneliness of exile and the aimlessness of war:

"Where has the horse gone?