Beowulf

Excerpt I

[the hall heorot is attacked by grendel]

Then was success in war granted to Hrothgar, glory in battle, so that the men of his house served him willingly, till the young warriors increased, a mighty troop of men.

It came into his mind that he would order men to build a hall, a house of feasting [greater] than the sons of men had ever heard of—and therewithin he would apportion all things to young and old, whatever God have given him, except public land and the lives of men.

Then I heard that orders for the work were given far and wide to many a nation throughout this earth to adorn the people's hall. In time—quickly among men—it befell that it was all ready—the greatest of houses. He who by his word had ruled far and wide devised for it the name of Heorot. He did not break his promise, but gave out rings and treasure at the banquet.

The hall towered high, lofty and wide-gabled—it awaited the hostile surges of malignant fire. Nor was the time yet near at hand that cruel hatred between son-in-law and father-in-law should arise, because of a deadly deed of violence.

Then the mighty spirit who dwelt in darkness bore grievously a time of hardship, in that he heard each day loud revelry in hall —there was the sound of the harp, the clear song of the minstrel.

He who could recount the first making of men from distant ages, spoke. He said that the Almighty made the earth, a fair and bright plain, which water encompasses, and, triumphing in power, appointed the radiance of the sun and moon as light for the land-dwellers, and decked the earth-regions with branches and leaves. He fashioned life for all the kinds that live and move.

So those brave men lived prosperously in joy, until one began to compass deeds of malice.

That grim spirit was called Grendel, the renowned traverser of the marches, who held the moors, the fen and fastness; unblessed creature, he dwelt for a while in the lair of monsters, after the Creator had condemned them. On Cain's kindred did the everlasting Lord avenge the murder, for that he had slain Abel; he had no joy of that feud, but the Creator drove him far from mankind for that misdeed. Thence all evil broods were born, ogres and elves and evil spirits—the giants also, who long time fought with God, for which he gave them their reward.