17 January 2022 Over-the-Top Celebration

 And You Thought the Romans Could Party?

 
As you will see, the party continues; the goodfellows keep slapping one another on the back; the cup of awards and treasure runneth over.

And what a cup it is, and what a part it plays in this segment of the epic poem. What is in that fills the warriors’ cups? Mead.

Mead, it turns out, is very ancient, probably the first alcoholic drink that human beings ever quaffed. It’s also a pretty universal drink. The tribes that settled Europe certainly all drank mead. Vikings loved mead so much, they wrote a whole saga about it – Kvasir and the Mead of Poetry. It’s a story that has dwarves, giants, the god Odin, thievery, murder, and various other bits and bobs. A shaggy dog story if ever I heard one, good to while away those long Nordic nights while quaffing mead. The bottom line of the saga is that mead can turn you into a poet or a scholar: a feeling that I’m sure all of us have had when we have drunk too much alcohol; a feeling we normally have just before we are sick or pass out, or both. And much of Beowulf, that Anglo-Saxon poem greatly revered by lovers of the English language, takes place in a mead hall; it was in these specially-built halls that chieftains and their retinue of warriors drank mead, listened to long, long – long – sagas, and generally wassailed the nights away, before collapsing onto the benches or even onto the floor in a drunken stupor.

The fantastical mead hall of Heorot forms an integral part of the epic, serving as both the setting and instigation of the action. It is the carousing of Heorot’s denizens as they slug back mead in the hall which awakens the terrible ire of the monster Grendel – with predictably gruesome results. The solution to the problem – in typical Old English style – was not to put down the mead horns and cease partying, but to slay the monster (and his mother) before throwing an even bigger and more mead-soaked party to celebrate. 

The Danes Party On . . . .
There was less tampering and big talk then
From Unferth the boaster, less of his blather    980
As the hall-thanes eyed the awful proof 
Of the hero’s prowess, the splayed hand Up under the eaves. 

Every nail,
Claw-scale and spur, every spike
And welt on the hand of that heathen brute 
Was like barbed steel. Everybody said 
There was no honed iron hard enough
To pierce him through, no time-proofed blade 
That could cut his brutal, blood-caked claw.

Then the order was given for all hands    990
 
To help refurbish Heorot immediately:
Men and women thronging the wine-hall,
 Getting it ready. Gold thread shone
In the wall-hangings, woven scenes
That attracted and held the eye’s attention. 
But iron-braced as the inside of it had been,
 The bright room lay in ruins now.
The very doors had been dragged from their hinges. 
Only the roof remained unscathed
By the time the guilt-fouled fiend turned tail    1000
In despair of his life. 

But death is not easily Escaped from by anyone:
All of us with souls, earth-dwellers
And children of men, must make our way 
To a destination already ordained
Where the body, after the banqueting, 
Sleeps on its deathbed.
Then the due time arrived
For Halfdane’s son to proceed to the hall.
The king himself would sit down to feast.
No group ever gathered in greater numbers    1010
Or better order around their ring-giver. 
The benches filled with famous men 
Who fell to with relish; round upon round
Of mead was passed; those powerful kinsmen,
 Hrothgar and Hrothulf, were in high spirits
In the raftered hall inside Heorot
There was nothing but friendship. 
The Shielding nation 
Was not yet familiar with feud and betrayal.
Then Halfdane’s son presented Beowulf
With gold standards as a victory gift,    1020
An embroidered banner; also breast-mail
 And a helmet; and a sword carried high,
That was both precious object and a token of honor. 
So Beowulf drank his drink, at ease;
 
It was hardly a shame to be showered with such gifts
 In front of the hall-troops. 
There haven’t been many Moments, I am sure, when men have exchanged Four such treasures at so friendly a sitting.
An embossed ring, a band lapped with wire
Arched over the helmet: head-protection    1030
To keep the keen-ground cutting edge 
From damaging it when danger threatened 
And the man was battling behind his shield. 
Next the king ordered eight horses
With gold bridles to be brought through the yard 
Into the hall. The harness of one
Included a saddle of sumptuous design, 
The battle-seat where the son of Halfdane
Rode when he wished to join the sword-play:
Wherever the killing and carnage were the worst,    1040
He would be to the fore, fighting hard.
The Danish prince, descendent of Ing, 
Handed over both the arms and the horses, 
Urging Beowulf to use them well.
And so their leader, the lord and guard
Of coffer and strong room, with customary grace
 Bestowed upon Beowulf both sets of gifts.
A fair witness can see how well each one behaved.

The chieftain went on to reward the others:
Each man on the bench who had sailed with Beowulf    1050
And risked the voyage received a bounty,
Some treasured possession. 
And compensation,
 A price in gold, was settled for the Geat 
Grendel had killed cruelly earlier--
As he would have killed more, had not mindful God
And one man’s daring prevented that doom. 
Past and present, God’s will prevails.
Hence, understanding is always best
 
And a prudent mind. 
Whoever remains
For long here in this earthly life    1060
Will enjoy and endure more than enough.

They sang then and played to please the hero,
 Words and music for their warrior prince, 
Harp tunes and tales of adventure:
There were high times on the hall benches
And the king’s poet performed his part
With the saga of Finn and his sons, unfolding 
The tale of the fierce attack in Friesland 
Where Hnaef, king of the Danes, met death.

Hildeburh    1070
Had little cause To credit the Jutes:
Son and brother, She lost them both
On the battlefield.
She, bereft
And blameless, they Foredoomed, cut down
And spear-gored. She, The woman in shock,
Waylaid by grief,
Hoc’s daughter--
How could she not Lament her fate
When morning came And the light broke
On her murdered dears?
And so farewell
Delight on earth,
War carried away    1080
Finn’s troop of thanes,
 
All but a few.
How then could Finn Hold the line
Or fight on
To the end with Hengest,
How save The rump of his force
From that enemy chief?
So a truce was offered
As follows: first Separate quarters
To be cleared for the Danes, Hall and throne
To be shared with the Frisians.
Then, second ;
Every day At the dole-out of gifts

Finn, son of Focwald,
Should honor the Danes,    1090

Bestow with an even Hand to Hengest
And Hengest’s men
The wrought-gold rings,
Bounty to match The measure he gave
His own Frisians-- To keep morale
In the beer-hall high.
Both sides then
Sealed their agreement.
With oaths to Hengest
Finn swore Openly, solemnly,
That the battle survivors
Would be guaranteed
Honor and status.
No infringement
By word or deed,
No provocation    1100
Would be permitted.
Their own ring-giver
After all Was dead and gone,
They were leaderless In forced allegiance
To his murderer.
So if any Frisian
Stirred up bad blood With insinuations
Or taunts about this, The blade of the sword
Will arbitrate it.
A funeral pyre
Was then prepared, Effulgent gold
Brought out from the hoard.
The pride and prince
Of the Shieldings lay
Awaiting the flame.    1110

Everywhere There were blood-plastered
Coats of mail.
The pyre was heaped
With boar-shaped helmets Forged in gold,
With the gashed corpses Of well-born Danes--
Many had fallen.
Then Hildeburh
Ordered her own
Son’s body
Be burnt with Hnaef’s,
The flesh on his bones
To sputter and blaze
Beside his uncle’s.
The woman wailed And sang keens,
The warrior went up.
Carcass flame    1120

Swirled and fumed, They stood round the burial
Mound and howled As heads melted,
Crusted gashes Spattered and ran
Bloody matter.
The glutton element
Flamed and consumed The dead of both sides.
Their great days were gone.
Warriors scattered
To homes and forts All over Friesland,
Fewer now, feeling Loss of friends.
Hengest stayed, Lived out that whole
Resentful, blood-sullen
Winter with Finn,    1130

Homesick and helpless.
No ring-whorled prow
Could up then And away on the sea.
Wind and water
Raged with storms,
Wave and shingle Were shackled on ice
Until another year Appeared in the yard
As it does to this day, The seasons constant,
The wonder of light Coming over us.
Then winter was gone,
Earth’s lap grew lovely,
Longing woke In the cooped-up exile
For a voyage home--
But more for vengeance,    1140

Some way of bringing Things to a head:
His sword arm hankered To greet the Jutes.
So he did not balk Once Hunlafing
Placed on his lap Dazle-the -Duel,
The best sword of all, Whose edges Jutes
Knew only too well.
Thus blood was spilled,
The gallant Finn Slain in his home
After Guthlaf and Oslaf Back from their voyage
Made old accusation: The brutal ambush,    1150

The fate they had suffered,
All blamed on Finn.    The wildness in them Had to brim over.
The hall ran red With blood of enemies.
Finn was cut down, The queen brought away
And everything The Shieldings could find
Inside Finn’s walls-- The Frisian king’s
Gold collars and gemstones-- Swept off to the ship.
Over sea-lanes then Back to Daneland
The warrior troop Bore that lady home.
The poem was over,
The poet had performed, a pleasant murmur
Started on the benches, stewards did the rounds    1160

 
With wine in splendid jugs, and Wilhtheow came to sit 
In her gold crown between two good men,
Uncle and nephew, each of whom
Still trusted the other; and the forthright Unferth,
 Admired by all for his mind and courage 
Although under a cloud for killing his brothers, 
Reclined near the king.
The queen spoke:
“Enjoy this drink, my most generous lord;;
Raise up your goblet, entertain the Geats
Duly and gently, discourse with them,    1170

Be open-handed, happy and fond.
Relish their company, but recollect as well
All of the boons that have been bestowed upon you.
 The bright court of Heorot has been cleansed
And now the word is that you want to adopt
This warrior as a son. So, while you may, 
Bask in your fortune, then
bequeath Kingdom and nation to your kith and kin,
Before your decease. I am certain of Hrothulf.
He is noble and will use the young ones well.    1180

He will not let you down. 
Should you die before him,
 He will treat our children truly and fairly.
He will honor, I am sure, our two sons, 
Repay them in kind when he recollects 
All the good things we gave him once,
The favor and respect he found in childhood.”

She turned then to the bench where her boys sat, 
Hrethric and Hrothmond, with other nobles’ sons, 
All the youth together; and that good man,
Beowulf the Geat, sat between the brothers.    1190

The cup was carried to him, kind words
Spoken in welcome and wealth of wrought gold 

Graciously bestowed; two arm bangles,
A mail shirt and rings, and the most resplendent 

Torque of gold I have ever heard tell of 

Anywhere on earth or under heaven.
There was no hoard like it since Hama snatched 

The Brosings’ neck-chain and bore it away 

With its gems and settings to his shinning fort,
Away from Eormenric’s wiles and hatred,    1200

And thereby ensured his eternal reward. 
Hygelac the Geat, grandson of Swerting, 
Wore this neck-ring on his last raid;
At bay under his banner, he defended the booty, 
Treasure he had won. Fate swept him away
Because of his proud need to provoke
A feud with the Frisians. 
He fell beneath his shield, 
In the same gem-crusted , kingly gear 
He had worn when he crossed the frothing wave-vat.
So the dead king fell into Frankish hands.    1210

Hey took his breast-mail, also his neck-torque,
 And punier warriors plundered the slain
When the carnage ended; Geat corpses 
Covered the field.

Applause filled the hall.
Then Wealhtheow pronounce in the presence of the company:
“Take delight in this torque, dear Beowulf,
Wear it for luck and also wear this mail
From our people’s armory: may you prosper in them!
 Be acclaimed or strength, for kindly guidance
To these two boys, and your bounty will be sure.    1220

You have won renown: you are known to all men 
Far and near, now and forever.
Your sway is wide and the wind’s home, 
As the sea around cliffs. 
So, my prince, I wish you a lifetime’s luck and blessings 
To enjoy this treasure. Treat my sons 
With tender care, be strong and kind.
Here each comrade is true to the other

Loyal to lord, loving in spirit.
The thanes have one purpose, the people are ready:    1230

Having drunk and pledged, the ranks do as I bid.”

She moved then to her place. Men were drinking wine
 At that rare feast, how could they know fate,
The grim shape of things to come, 
The threat looming over many thanes
As night approached and king Hrothgar prepared
To retire to his quarters 
Retainers in great numbers 
Were posted on guard as so often in the past.
Benches were pushed back, bedding gear and bolsters 
Spread across the floor, and one man 
Lay down to his rest, already marked for death.  

Background – Literary Focus
Codes and Values: Tensions Between the Heroic Code and Other Value Systems
Much of Beowulf is devoted to articulating and illustrating the Germanic heroic code, which values strength, courage, and loyalty in warriors; hospitality, generosity, and political skill in kings; ceremoniousness in women; and good reputation in all people. Traditional and much respected, this code is vital to warrior societies as a means of understanding their relationships to the world and the menaces lurking beyond their boundaries. All of the characters’ moral judgments stem from the code’s mandates. Thus, individual actions can be seen only as either conforming to or violating the code.

The poem highlights the code’s points of tension by recounting situations that expose its internal contradictions in values. The poem contains several stories that concern divided loyalties, situations for which the code offers no practical guidance about how to act. For example, the poet relates that the Danish Hildeburh marries the Frisian king. When, in the war between the Danes and the Frisians, both her Danish brother and her Frisian son are killed, Hildeburh is left doubly grieved. The code is also often in tension with the values of medieval Christianity. While the code maintains that honor is gained during life through deeds, Christianity asserts that glory lies in the afterlife. Similarly, while the warrior culture dictates that it is always better to retaliate than to mourn, Christian doctrine advocates a peaceful, forgiving attitude toward one’s enemies. Throughout the poem, the poet strains to accommodate these two sets of values. Though he is Christian, he cannot (and does not seem to want to) deny the fundamental pagan values of the story.

Consider this passage: 
But death is not easily 
Escaped from by anyone:
All of us with souls, earth-dwellers
And children of men, must make our way 
To a destination already ordained
Where the body, after the banqueting, 
Sleeps on its deathbed.

Exploration 1: Do you find death as a theme in Beowulf? If so, why so much emphasis? Or is it normal?

Exploration 2: Amidst all the goodwill and gift-granting, do you sense something dark just around the corner? What is it? Can things be so good for very long? Is there a caution here for all of humanity’s history.

Exploration 3: Does the writer of the epic successfully combine the dark and the light of this part of the narrative? What concrete images and elements create (or not) these effects.