Prelude to Beowulf´s Last Fight :: English Epics Literature Anglo Saxon Essays

Prelude to Beowulfs Last FightThe Old incline epic Beowulf depicts Anglo-Saxon warrior culture where muckle (wyrd) governs the actions of the hero. Beowulf, now over seventy years rare 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 Beowulfs 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 busy 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 flee the terrible fate, and so he speaks War-death has taken each manof 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 elsewhereThere is no harp-delight,no mirth of the singing wood, no good hawk flies finished 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 warWhere has the horse gone?