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Beowulf

© Linda Casselman

One dark night the fearsome and dreaded monster Grendel burst into the Hall of King Hrothgar in Denmark while everyone slept and savagely ate a poor unsuspecting warrior there. The other warriors were roused by this savagery and attacked the giant creature but their weapons proved useless against it. But in the din and confusion mighty Beowulf seized Grendel in his powerful grasp and the beast could not break away. Finally using all of its power the monster wrenched its arm pulling it out of its socket and leaving it in Beowulf's hands as it fled into the night howling in agony. Grendel retreated to its home in a nearby lake and bled to death.

This was a great victory for Beowulf, and for the king and his people to be rid of the terrible monster. So they hung Grendel's huge detached hairy arm from the vault in the Great Hall as a trophy, and King Hrothgar lavished Beowulf with gifts and riches for his heroic feat.

All, however, was not well. Grendel's mother, a creature even more fearsome and more dreadful than Grendel himself, sought revenge on the Danes for killing her son. She returned to the Hall and there ate another of the king's warriors!

Brave Beowulf started after the gruesome monster and pursued her to her underwater lair, a cavern in the nearby lake. He dove down deep after her and the two were soon locked in a desperate struggle. In the battle, Beowulf lost his trusted sword to the depths of the lake, but he remained calm. He kept his wits and soon found another magical sword in the water which he used to slay the monstrous merwoman.

After these exploits in Denmark, Beowulf returned to his home in southern Sweden where his father was ruler. He lived out his life there with many more brave adventures. Then when Beowulf was an old man a fearsome dragon ravaged his land and terrorized his people. So Beowulf gathered twelve warriors to help him in his hunt for the beast. But as they went on, the warriors each fled in terror of the beast leaving brave Beowulf to stand alone against the dragon. He battled valiantly with the monster and slew it saving his land and his people. But the dragon's razor-like teeth and bone-crushing bite had mortally wounded poor Beowulf. Before he died though, Beowulf saw the dragon's treasure restored to his people.

The copyright of the article Beowulf in Mythology is owned by Wayne Kreger. Permission to republish Beowulf in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.