Distortion In Beowulf

“And over and over they swore that nowhere on earth or under the spreading sky or between the seas, neither south nor north, was there a warrior worthier to rule over men” (lines 539-542). The story of Beowulf was translated from Anglo-saxon, or Old-English, and began as an oral tradition that was passed down for generations, earning some distortion along the way. The first written manuscript is thought to be from around the year 1,000 A.D. J.R.R. Tolkien’s translation was written in 1922, but remained as a manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library after many refusals by various publishers. Tolkien’s son, Christian Tolkien, edited the manuscript and tried once again to get it published. To his delight, the manuscript was approved and was published

“I have heard moreover that the monster scorns in his reckless way to use weapons, therefore; to heighten Hygelac’s fame and gladden his heart, I hereby renounce sword and the shelter of the broad shield, the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand is how it will be, a life-and-a death fight with the fiend” (lines 433-440). When Beowulf heard of Hrothgar’s assailant, he left to rescue the Danes, risking his own life. Once he descended upon the land of the Danes and learned about the monster’s terrorism, he planned his attack. When Grendel enters Herot, Beowulf pretended to be asleep, watching as Grendel ate one of his men. Beowulf’s bravery is the reason he left to help the Danes. Without his bravery, Grendel would have wiped out the entire country, then moved on to the next. Risking one's own life for others is brave, but to fight a Hellion without strength is a death sentence. Luckily for Beowulf, he had the strength,

In the book, it was stated that Beowulf had the strength of thirty men in one arm. Beowulf’s strength gave him the ability to rip off Grendel’s arm during their fight at Herot and unsheathe the sword in the Sea Witch’s, which is also Grendel’s mother, underwater cave that no man had had the strength to do so before. Beowulf’s strength alone was enough to defeat Hrothgar’s tyrant, and the Sea Witch, who sought vengeance for her son. When an epic hero is triumphant in battle, they want to have proof they did so. Beowulf made sure he claimed a symbol of his victory in all three battles he took