The Sword in Beowulf and in Other Anglo-Saxon Poems
Is the sword mentioned only in Beowulf or is it a common element in all Anglo-Saxon
poetry? Is the sword described the same way as in Beowulf?
In “Beowulf and Archaeology” Catherine M. Hills states: “The most important weapon referred to in Beowulf is the sword” (305). In the poem lines 1557 ff. tell the poet’s description of the sword Beowulf finds in the mere:
Then he saw among the armor a victory-bright blade
made by the giants, an uncracking edge,
an honor for its bearer, the best of weapons,
but longer and heavier than any other man
could have ever carried in the play of war-strokes,
ornamented, burnished, the work of giants.
Attention is now focused on the sword-hilt: “he grabbed the belted hilt” (1563). In the next line is mentioned hringmael or “ring ornamented”/”ring-patterned” as refering to the sword Beowulf found. This might refer to “ring swords” found in Kentish graves of the sixth century and Scandinavian graves of the seventh century (Cramp 125-6). Line 1616 uses broden-mael, “wavy-ornamented”/”wavy-patterned” in reference to the sword which has melted because of the monster’s blood. Whether the translator sees these adjectives as referring to the hilt or to the blade does not matter, archaeologically speaking, because circular and interlacing patterns are found on both blades and hilts throughout the Anglo-Saxon period. These wavey or ring patterns occur from the twistng or weaving of the bands of hard and soft iron.
Lines 1687 ff. describes the Grendel sword hilt:
Hrothgar spoke, examined the hilt,
great treasure of old. There was engraved
the origin of past strife, when the flood drowned,
the pouring ocean killed the race of giants.
Terribly they suffered, were a people strange
to eternal God; their final payment
the ruler sent them by the rushing waters.
On its bright gold facings there were also runes
set down in order, engraved, inlaid,
which told for whom the sword was first worked,
its hair-keen edges, twisted gold
scrolled in the hilt, the woven snake-blade.
Regarding the runes on the sword hilt, G. Stephens in his Handbook of Runic Monuments maintains that the only Anglo-Saxon runic inscription on a sword hilt is on the Gilton sword, and that it is unintelligible (Cramp 128).
The passage that I analyzed spans the action when Beowulf returns to the halls of Heorot after a harsh battle with Grendel’s mother. He returns to king Hrothgar in the great hall of Heorot to say that he has successfully completed his boast and killed Grendel’s mother. Beowulf states that it has been a very difficult underwater battle and that he has barely escaped with his life, “The fight would have been ended straightway if God had not guarded me” (Donaldson, 29). Beowulf mentions this due to the fact that the sword given to him by Unferth, called Hrunting, was powerless against Grendel’s Mother. Hrunting is useless against Grendel’s mother due to the fact that she has the same charm upon her as Grendel did, which is that no normal sword can pierce her skin. Then, by chance, Beowulf finds an ancient sword on a wall during the battle and uses it against the monster. This sword, which was crafted by the giants, is able to pierce the monster's skin and after one swing, the monster was cut in half. After using this ancient sword to murder the monster, Beowulf watches the blade of the sword melt away due to the toxicity of the monster's blood, until only the hilt was left. A hilt is the handle of a weapon or tool. The hilt is decorated with runic symbols and was given to King Hrothgar of the Danes as proof of Beowulf’s exploits. The King is also given the severed head of Grendel as further reassurance that their troubles at the great hall of Heorot is over.
it. Knowing that the sword is powerful enough to cut the skin of Grendel’s mother, Beowulf
Osborn, Marijane. “Translations, Versions, Illustrations.” In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: Uiversity of Nebraska Press, 1997.
First, I will start off with the tale of Beowulf. The poem opens up with a description of the genealogy of the high King Hrothgar of Denmark. This king builds a great mead-hall named Heorot, a place where warriors from all over can gather for a night of drinking and eating. This time of prosperity though soon came to the end. Grendel, a fierce monster with mighty strength, started killing the Danes, some sort of complaint about the noise. Once word gets out of how these warriors are being killed off ruthlessly without any successful attempts at retaliation against this demon, a Geatish warrior named Beowulf steps into the scene. Once Beowulf arrives, he is welcomed warmly by king Hrothgar into his mead-hall. Beowulf’s men were treated to a feast, but during the event, Beowulf was taunted...
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Beowulf looked over on the wall next to them and saw a magnificent sword hanging on the wall adorned with beautiful carvings, it was blessed with magic. No normal man could ever have lifted that sword, but Beowulf was no normal being. He waited for the right moment to go and retrieve the sword, and when he found the perfect opportunity and he ran straight towards the wall. He pulled the sword down with great force and began running towards Grendel’s mother. Beowulf took in a deep breath as he leaned back and heaved the sword forward. Beowulf had sliced straight through Grendel’s mother’s scaly neck, blood began to pour everywhere and he heard her bones cracking as the sword passed through her.
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and all with no effect to Grendel. If Beowulf had used a sword instead of his
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“It was never [Beowulf’s] fortune to be helped in combat by the cutting edge of weapons made in iron. When he wielded a sword, no matter how blooded and hard-edged the blade his hand was too strong, the stroke he dealt would ruin it (lines 2677-2687)”
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