James Baquet

    Let’s turn to some of the novels and poems that are commonly read in American high schools.

    The earliest of these, before Shakespeare, before even Chaucer, is “Beowulf.” (“The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” by Homer are earlier still, and often read in high schools, but we have covered them sufficiently in previous columns.)

    “Beowulf” is both the name of the epic, and the name of its protagonist. He was a hero of some people called the Geats, who lived in the southern part of Sweden. He came to the aid of Hrothgar, king of the Danes, who was having a little monster problem.

    It seems Hrothgar had built a mead hall named Heorot, a place to drink mead (a liquor made from honey) and celebrate victory in previous battles, as well as mourn the loss of fallen warriors. Unfortunately, a monster named Grendel lived nearby, and was jealous at hearing the songs of celebration. The story says:

    “[T]he hall’s merriment was brought to an end by a grim foe named Grendel. .... This wretched being ... was a descendent of Cain, whom the Lord had banished from mankind for the slaying of Abel.”

    Beowulf comes and pretends to sleep in the hall. He does so without weapons, so he and Grendel can have a fair fight. The monster comes, they fight, and Beowulf rips off Grendel’s arm. The beast then returns home, where he dies.

    But the trouble isn’t over! Grendel’s mother decides to avenge his death, and attacks the hall again, killing another of Hrothgar’s men. Beowulf and his men follow her to the pond where she lives, and Beowulf dives in to battle her in an underwater cavern. Not only does he kill her, but he finds Grendel’s body and cuts off his head as a present to King Hrothgar.

    Now a certified hero, Beowulf returns to his people, where in time he becomes king.

    When Beowulf has grown old, a greedy man stole a cup from a dragon’s hoard, so the dragon begins burning things. Beowulf engages in his third and last battle, killing the dragon, and being killed by it in turn.

    Those who see traces of “Lord of the Rings” might be interested to know that the author, J.R.R. Tolkien, was an expert in the study of these stories and others like them.

    Vocabulary:

    Which word above means:

    1. get revenge for

    2. hints, small remainders

    3. killing

    4. overly wanting money and riches

    5. long poem that tells of a hero

    6. sent away, exiled

    7. dark, savage and cruel

    8. be sad about, grieve

    9. brothers in the Bible

    10. pile of saved-up treasure