SeamusHeaney Index

  • P.3 0:00
  • (lines 1-3) 0:00-0:19 introduction
  • (lines 4-11) 0:19-0:49 description of ancestors of

Hrothgar (ScyldSheafson)

  • (lines 12-22) 0:49-1:26 description of Beow’s greatness
  • Page five 1:26
  • (lines 23-25) 1:26-1:36 death of Scyld
  • (lines 26-52) 1:36-3:04 death ceremony of Scyld
  • (line 53) 3:07-3:09 Beow’s rule
  • Page seven 3:09
  • (lines 54-63) 3:09-3:41 heirs of Scyld described
  • (lines 64-85) 3:43-4:56 Hrothgar’s rise to power, and the

building of Heorot

  • Page nine 4:58
  • (lines 86-98) 4:58-5:38 description of God’s making of

the earth and the description of

Grendel’s ancestors, Cain

  • (lines 99-114) 5:40-6:30 start of Grendel’s evil
  • (lines 115-116) 6:32-6:37 Grendel’s attacks
  • Page eleven 6:38
  • (lines 117-125) 6:38-7:05 Grendel’s attacks
  • (lines 126-143) 7:07-8:05 description of morning after

a Grendel attack

  • (lines 144-147) 8:08-8:21 description of effect of a Grendel

attack

  • Page thirteen 8:22
  • (lines 148-163) 8:22-9:12 twelve winters of grief for

Hrothgar

  • (lines 164-169) 9:14-9:34 Grendel’s war continues, but he

cannot touch Hrothgar’s throne

  • (lines 170-178) 9:37-10:05 Hrothgar very upset, his advisors

give him advice on how to deal

also, they pray to the pagan Gods

  • Page fifteen 10:05
  • (lines 179-188) 10:05-10:39 description of God and his

graciousness to those who do not

sin

  • (lines 189-193) 10:41-10:55 description of the Dane’s terror of

Grendel

  • (lines 194-209) 10:58-11:52 Beowulf decides to face Grendel
  • Page seventeen 11:54
  • (lines 210-228) 11:54-12:57 Beowulf prepares for his journey
  • (lines 229-236) 12:59-13:21 Geats arrive in Denmark and

confront the watchman

  • (lines 237-240) 13:22-13:32 watchman confronts Beowulf,

asks him why he is in Denmark

  • Page nineteen 13:34
  • (lines 241-257) 13:34-14:27 continuation of confrontation with

the watchman, he asks Beowulf

where he is from

  • (lines 258-272) 14:30-15:20 Beowulf responds to the

watchman, he states where he is

from and asks to speak to

Hrothgar

  • Page twenty-one 15:21
  • (lines 273-285) 15:21-16:02 Beowulf asks if Grendel threat is

true and offers help

  • (lines 286-300) 16:05-16:52 watchman tells Beowulf to keep

his boasts and says he will

take him to Hrothgar

  • (lines 301-303) 16:54-17:05 journey to meet Hrothgar
  • Page twenty-three 17:06
  • (lines 304-319) 17:06-17:57 watchman takes his leaveof the

Geats

  • (lines 320-331) 17:59-18:41 the arrival of the Geats at Heorot
  • (lines 332-334) 18:41-18:53 Wulfgar asks where the Geats

came from

  • Page twenty-five 18:54
  • (lines 335-339) 18:54-19:12 Wulfgar continues to talk
  • (lines 340-347) 19:14-19:40 Beowulf responds, says who he is

and where he is from

  • (lines 348-355) 19:42-19:56 Wulfgar replies, says he will

(skips lines 352-355) inform Hrothgar of their arrival

  • (lines 356-363) 19:58-20:16 Wulfgar tells Hrothgar of Geats

(skips lines 357-359) arrival

  • Page twenty-seven 20:17
  • (lines 364-370) 20:17-20:41 Wulfgar continues to tell Hrothgar

of the Geats

  • (lines 371-389) 20:43-21:31 Hrothgar talks of Beowulf, and (skips lines 374-376, and skips lines 387-388) he tells Wulfgar to tell him to enter
  • (lines 389-394) 21:34-21:51 Wulfgar delivers Hrothgar’s word
  • Page twenty-nine 21:52
  • (lines 395-398) 21:52-21:57 Wulfgar says Hrothgar will meet (skips lines 397-398) them
  • (lines 399-426) 21:59-23:09 Beowulf goes to metHrothgar,

(skips lines 419-426) says who he is and states his

purpose

  • Page thirty-one 23:10
  • (lines 427-455) 23:10-24:06 Beowulf requests to fight Grendel

(skips lines 442-454) and says he won’t use any

weapons, if he dies, it is fate

  • (lines 456-458) 24:07-24:19 Hrothgar replies to Beowulf’s

request

  • Page thirty-three 24:20
  • (lines 459-479) 24:07-24:19 Hrothgar’s reply continues

(skips lines 459-475, starts from the middle of line 476)

  • (lines 480-488) skips
  • Page thirty-five 24:35
  • (lines 489-490) 24:35-24:40 Hrothgar tells Beowulf and Geats

to sit down to feast

  • (lines 491-499) 24:43-25:10 Merriment in Heorot
  • (lines 499-519)skips
  • Page thirty-seven (skips-lines 520-551)
  • Page thirty-nine(skips-lines 552-582)
  • Page forty-one 25:12
  • (lines 583-606) skips
  • (lines 607-614) 25:12-25:40 Merriment in Heorot, Wealtheow

arrives

  • Page forty-three 25:40
  • (lines 615-631) 25:40-26:17 Wealtheow serves mead and

(skips 616 to middle of 622) welcomes Beowulf

  • (lines 632-638) 26:17-26:43 Beowulf responds to Wealtheow,

he states his purpose, to kill

Grendel or die

  • (lines 639-641) 26:45-26:55 Wealtheow is happy with

Beowulf’s boasts

  • (lines 642-644) 26:57-27:05 merriment in Heorot, and time to

retire

  • Page forty-five 27:06
  • (lines 645-661) 27:06-28:05 Hrothgar says if Beowulf defeats

Grendel, Heorot will be his and

then Hrothgar and company retire

  • (lines 662-676) 28:08-28:58 Hrothgar departs, Beowulf takes

off weapons

(In line 665, “King of Glory” is changed to “King of Heaven”)

  • Page forty-seven 29:00
  • (lines 677-687) 29:00-29:34 Beowulf says he will not fight with

weapons and hopes that God will

protect him

  • (lines 688-702) 29:37-30:24 Beowulf rests, and lies in wait
  • (lines 702-707) 30:26-30:47 Grendel is approaching Heorot

(In line 706, “God disallowed it” is changed to “the Lord forbade it”)

  • Page forty-nine 30:48
  • (lines708-709) 30:48-30:54 Beowulf is alert and waiting
  • (lines 710-735) 30:56-32:24 Grendel arrives, greedy for blood
  • (lines 736-738)32:26-32:35 Beowulf is watching Grendel,

ready to fight

  • Page fifty-one 32:36
  • (lines 739-771) 32:36-34:19 Grendel eats one Geat, ready to

attack Beowulf, Beowulf rises and

attacks, start of the struggle

  • Page fifty-three 34:20
  • (lines 772-789)34:20-35:24 praises Heorot, very sturdy, more

description of the struggle between Grendel and Beowulf

  • (lines 790-802) 35:26-36:05 struggle continues, Geats try to help

leader

  • Page fifty-five 36:06
  • (lines 803-807) 36:06-36:22 Grendel is untouchable by swords,

and he is a damned monster

  • (lines 808-834) 36:24-37:56 Grendel weakens and is over-

whelmed

  • Page fifty-seven 37:56
  • (lines 835) 37:56-37:59
  • (lines 836-851) 38:01-38:55 everyone comes out and they all

look at Grendel’s last steps

  • (lines 852-862)38:57-39:30 Everyone go home and on the way

there they all praise Beowulf

  • (lines 863-864) 39:32-39:37 The Danes are happy because

Grendel is defeated

  • Page fifty-nine 39:38
  • (lines 865-873) 39:38-40:04 The Shaper sings songs for

Beowulf’s victory

  • (lines 873-894) skips
  • Page sixty-one 40:06
  • (lines 895-914)skips
  • (lines 915-923)40:06-40:32 It is a new day, and Hrothgar goes to

(skips line 915, then starts in the middle of 916) Heorot with his queen

  • (line 924) 40:32-40:35 Hrothgar makes speech at Heorot
  • Page sixty three 40:36
  • (lines 925-955) 40:36-42:21 Hrothgar talks of his relief in his

speech, and thanks Beowulf

  • (line 956) skips
  • Page sixty-five(skips-lines 957-988)
  • Page sixty seven (skips-lines 989-1018)
  • Page sixty-nine 42:23
  • (lines 1019-1048) 42:23-44:06 Hrothgar presents treasure to

Beowulf

(In line 1031, “keen-ground” is changed to “keen-honed”.)

  • (lines 1049-1050) 44:08-44:14 Hrothgar rewards the other Geats
  • Page seventy-one 44:15
  • (lines 1051-1061) 44:15-44:52 Hrothgar also gives treasure to

compensate for the lost Geat.

  • (lines 1062-1069) 44:54-45:20 Merriment in Heorot, for Beowulf’s

benefit

  • (lines 1070-1075) 45:20-45:38 Shaper performs saga of Finn and

his sons

(line 1070 “And his sister Hildeburh suffered cruelly” added. In addition, line 1074 is skipped except for the part with “they”. In line 1075, “the woman” is left out)

  • Page seventy-three 45:39
  • (lines 1076-1092) 45:39-46:31 the saga
  • Page seventy-five 46:32
  • (lines 1093-1108) 46:32-47:14 the saga
  • (lines 1104-1106 skipped)
  • Page seventy-seven 47:15 the saga
  • (lines 1109-1125) 47:15-48:11
  • Page seventy-nine 48:13
  • (lines 1126-1141) 48:13-49:14 the saga
  • Page eighty-one 49:15
  • (lines 1142-1158) 49:15-49:51 the saga

(lines from the middle of line 1142 to 1145 skipped. Also, from the middle of line 1147 to the middle of line 1150 skipped)

  • Page eighty three 49:54
  • (lines 1159-1167) 49:54-50:05 the poem is over, and mead is

served again

(lines from the middle of 1161 to the middle of 1167 skipped)

  • (lines 1167-1186) 50:06-50:46 Queen tells Hrothgar to appreciate

his sons and remember they are his heirs

(line 1167, “the queen spoke to Hrothgar” is added. Also, lines 1179-1186 are skipped)

  • (lines 1186-1187) 50:48-50:51 Wealtheow goes back to her boys

(line 1187is skipped)

  • Page eighty five 50:52
  • (lines 1189-1190) 50:52-50:59 Beowulf sits with Hrothgar’s sons
  • (lines 1191-1214) 51:00-51:20 more treasure is given

(In line 1192, the word “wrought is omitted. In line 1193, instead of the phrase “graciously bestowed”, the phrase “given to the hero” is used. Also, lines 1197-1214 are skipped)

  • (lines 1214-1217) 51:21-51:33 queen presents treasure to Beowulf,

a beautiful torque, specifically

(half of line 1214 is skipped)

  • Page eighty seven 51:34
  • (lines 1218-1231) 51:34-42:25 Wealtheow blesses and thanks

Beowulf, she tells him to treat her

sons kindly

  • (lines 1232-1249) 52:27-53:28Wealtheow returns to her place at

table, and everyone retires to bed

  • Page eighty nine 53:29
  • (lines 1250) 53:29-53:32 Geats are good people.
  • (lines 1251-1278) 53:34-54:43 Grendel’s mother came

(middle of line 1267 to middle of line 1276 skipped)

  • (lines 1279-1280) 54:45-54:52

(In line 1280, the word “endure” is changed to “know”)

  • Page ninety one 54:53
  • (lines 1281-1291) 54:53-55:08 Grendel’s mother is fought,

Danes wake up in horror

(From the middle of line 1282 to line 1287 are skipped)

  • (lines 1292-1299) 55:09-55:35 Grendel’s mother takes Hrothgar’s

best friend

  • (lines 1300-1309) 55:37-56:15 Beowulf is somewhere else resting

Grendel’s mom takes Grendel’s arm,

Which Beowulf tore off

  • Page ninety-three 56:17
  • (lines 1310-1320) 56:17-56:51 Beowulf is called
  • (lines 1321-1341) 56:53-58:05 Hrothgar asks him to kill Grendel’s

mother

line 1341 is skipped)

  • Page ninety five 58:08
  • (lines 1342-1344) skipped
  • (lines 1345-1361) 58:08-59:01 description of Grendel and his

mother’s home

  • (lines 1362-1372) 59:03-59:45 further description of their home
  • Page ninety seven 59:46
  • (lines 1373-1382) 59:46-60:22 more description of their home
  • (lines 1383-1396) 60:24-61:20 Beowulf replies, says he will kill

Grendel’s mother

  • (lines 1397-1403) 61:23-61:45Beowulf says that death is inevitable,

says Hrothgar should cheer up

  • Page ninety nine 61:46
  • (lines 1404-1421) 61:46-62:46 Beowulf and company follow

Grendel’s mother’s tracks, the trip

to her lair

  • (lines 1422-1435) 62:48-63:34 Beowulf and company view the lake

of Grendel and his mother

  • Page one hundred and one 63:35
  • (lines 1436-1441)63:35-63:53Beowulf kills a lake creature
  • (lines 1442-1464) 63:55-65:20Beowulf gets ready for the battle

with Grendel’s mom, takes trustworthy armor, and Unferth’s sword, Hrunting, with him

(In line 1153 the word “adorned” is changed to “embellished”)

  • (lines 1465-1466) skipped
  • Page one hundred and three 65:22
  • (lines 1467-1472) skipped
  • (lines 1473-1491) 65:22-66:36 Beowulf makes a departing

speech to Hrothgar, he tells Hrothgar, if he dies m, to take care of his company, the Geats and to send his earned treasure back to Hygelac