Notes

entangle To get involved in.
Germanic Of German origin; relating to Germany.
gourmet Expert in judging fine foods.
nomadic Wandering.
revenge Harm done in return for a wrong.
scop An Old English poet.
You must develop many important comprehension skills in order to become a good reader. Many of these skills you have already studied in this unit. These comprehension skills include learning to find the main idea and learning to put events in sequence.

To continue learning about the history of our language, read the following article and story. Then, answer the questions about the author's purpose.

The history of language is very exciting.

Sometime during the nineteenth century (1800's), scholars began tracing the history of the English language. By comparing English root words that expressed the same ideas as Greek, Latin, and German root words, they discovered similarities.

In the search for the history of language, the scholars learned that in very, very early times, people were nomadic. Their travels from place to place to get food eventually led them from Asia into parts of Europe. Small groups settled in different places and each group developed its own language. The English language came from Germanic people. They were Germanic because they originated in the region known as Germany and spread throughout Europe. Approximately fifteen hundred years ago (500 A. D.), Germanic people living in Central Europe, known as the Angles, moved to England. They were joined there by another Germanic tribe known as Saxons. Each tribe had its own language. When the two tribes settled down together, the two languages soon mixed. A new language was born, known as Anglo-Saxon, or Old English.

The oldest epic poem written in English is Beowulf. It may have been composed as early as the eighth century A.D. (700's) and was written down later in Old English. The heroic story itself takes place in an earlier time in Northern Europe--what is now Denmark and Sweden. It concerns two Germanic tribes that eventually spilled over the sea into England: the Danes and the Geats. These were the Anglo-Saxon's ancestors, and the long poem describes the feats of the greatest hero of the time--Beowulf.

THE STORY OF BEOWULF

The story begins when the king of the Danes, King Hrothgar builds a great feasting hall named Heorot, which means hart or deer. In fact, mounted above the entrance to the hall is a large set of antlers. King Hrothgar is a good king, so the people often meet in the "horned house" to feast, fellowship, and listen to stories of the old heroes, set to harp music and told by the scops. But Grendel the monster, half man and half beast, lives nearby in a muddy lake that is surrounded by swampland. Grendel despises sounds of mirth (joy, laughter) that come from the hall each night. Therefore, every night Grendel comes to Heorot and kills as many of Kings Hrothgar's people as he can. King Hrothgar and his thanes (warriors) try to fight, but they are helpless because Grendel is magically protected: swords bounce harmlessly off his skin! The people live in terror.

Twelve winters pass. The walker in the darkness continues to maim the Danes, returning to the swamps at day break. The hoary (gray-or white-haired) old King Hrothgar loses all hope. Heorot stands empty and joyless. Harps are no longer heard.

One day, Beowulf arrives with fourteen thanes from Geatland (Sweden). From across the whale-road (sea), he has heard about King Hrothgar's terrible situation. Beowulf is thane to King Hygelac of the Geats and has a reputation for heroic deeds. He offers to fight Grendel for King Hrothgar and kill him if he can. King Hrothgar gladly accepts, noticing that Beowulf is big, strong, and carries himself with confidence. He holds a gourmet feast, and Heorot is once again filled with merriment and singing. Everyone hopes that Beowulf can rid the land of the evil Grendel.

One of King Hrothgar's advisers, Unferth, scoffs at Beowulf's bravery, pointing out that Beowulf's great sword Naegling cannot hurt Grendel. Beowulf responds by laying aside his weapons; he will fight Grendel with his bare hands! Soon the feasting is over and the Danes leave Heorot. Only Beowulf and his comitatus (band of loyal followers) are left to wait for Grendel's coming.
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Late into the night, all but Beowulf have fallen asleep inside Heorot, waiting for the monster. All fires have burned out and it is extremely dark. Beowulf's eyelids are heavy and he is almost asleep when he suddenly smells the odor of the moors (boggy swamps). Without further warning, Grendel crashes into the hall, pounces on the nearest sleeping warrior, and wreaks havoc. Beowulf springs to his feet and grabs one of Grendel's wrists, seizing it with an iron grip. Grendel screams in pain and fear. He thrashes about madly, doing great damage to the hall, but cannot get free of Beowulf. The two are entangled in a fierce struggle. Eventually, Grendel's struggles are so desperate and Beowulf's steely grip so powerful that the monster's arm separates from his body and comes off at the shoulder, leaving Beowulf holding a hairy arm with a now useless claw at the end. Grendel flees back through the fen-slopes to the lake, mortally wounded. The Danes are once again free from terror!

The next day, a grateful King Hrothgar throws an even bigger feast. Everyone praises Beowulf's courage, cunning, and strength. Even Unferth admits that Beowulf has performed heroically. The king and queen give Beowulf many gifts, including a powerful helmet to protect his head and a strong mail-shirt (an armored shirt made of metal links called chain mail). There is much rejoicing and singing and everyone lays down to sleep in the hall that night, free from the fear of attack.

The next morning they awake to discover that King Hrothgar's closest friend has been snatched away during the night and killed by Grendel's Mother in revenge for the loss of her son. The seahag lives at the bottom of the murky mere (lake), where she has returned to plan further evil for the Danes. Beowulf promises the mournful king that he will pursue Grendel's Mother and exact justice.

Beowulf and his band of shield bearers travel through the misty moor to the edge of the lake. He orders his men to stay behind, he will go in alone. He prepares by putting on his brand-new helmet and mail-shirt. Unferth, who has come along, offers Beowulf the use of his sword Hrunting. Beowulf accepts it and plunges into the depths of the dark, icy water.

Large tentacles immediately grab him and draw him into a dry, underwater den. The tentacles belong to Grendel's Mother, who squeezes Beowulf with brute strength, hoping to crush the life out of him. But the helmet and chain mail are stronger and they withstand the crushing. Beowulf wrestles free and attacks the she-monster with Hrunting, but as with Grendel it merely bounces off her scaly skin. Beowulf remains calm and tries to think of another way to beat the seahag. He spies a great magical sword, made by giants, hanging on the wall of the cave. He grabs it with both hands and swings with all his might. The sword cuts right through the monster, killing her. Her blood is a powerful poison acid, and it melts the blade of the sword. Beowulf emerges triumphantly from the lake carrying the jeweled hilt of the giants' sword.

There is more celebration and feasting before Beowulf sails back over the have-way to his home. Later, Beowulf becomes king and fights and outwits a deadly dragon. But you can read about that on your own. There are several versions of Beowulf written for young readers. Check them out at your library. You will see that Beowulf is one of the earliest and most courageous of heroes.
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