Beowulf [Remake]
A. J. F. Link
Disclaiming Notification: I do not own the rights to the original Beowulf by any means. The following version is more modernized in terms of dialect and, in a sense, darker.
A powerful monstrosity lies in vexed wait
As music rang loud in a guest-hall.
Hrothgar's men lived happy day by day
In that lively and song-filled hall;
Until Grendel, the monster, came
From that murky moor called its home,
As night no longer yielded to the day,
To feast on the flesh of Herot's warriors, young and old.
At daybreak, the halls of Herot are filled
With laments of those slaughtered dead.
Hrothgar and his still living men are filled with hatred
Toward that vile demon killing those sleeping in beds.
Fighting the righteous and one against many,
Grendel won. He ruled with fear
And seeks unrighteous reparation from any
Of those who try to outlive the living terror.
However, the creature would not dare touch the throne
Protected by God. Hrothgar and his council sought Satin's aid
To drive off Grendel where God has not. Hearing this told,
Beowulf, the strongest of the Geats, went to the king by sail
To seek the reprisal of Grendel, a fiend.
Healfdane's son, Hrothgar, was desperate.
This, Beowulf, sought to aid with for this king.
He sailed to the Danish shore to end this horrendous laments.
Beowulf, the strongest of the Geats, went to Herot
With his men to seek the audience of Hrothgar, the king.
Beowulf sought to vanquish the loathsome Grendel from Herot
To bring solace in the land which harbors a death-bringer.
Destiny called Beowulf to fight against the demon
After having already legend-worthy feats of slaying beasts.
However, Beowulf shall not use a weapon
Of which Grendel does not feel or fear.
Hrothgar saw that Beowulf comes in friendship.
He saw a similarity possessed by that man's father.
Great was Beowulf and his father's fellowships.
Within Beowulf, Hrothgar saw a great warrior.
Grendel's voracious bloodlust must not stand—
The devouring of Herot's men and atrocities—
In order for there to be solace upon this land.
A feast was given to Beowulf for his victories.
Unferth, Ecgalf's son, spoke harshly and sharp at Beowulf
Out of his pride and lack of notable wisdom.
The man went on a rant about Beowulf
And how he will not survive the encounter with the demon.
Beowulf commented back at Unferth—
A man filled with arrogance about strength—
In which he states that he is unmatchable.
Beowulf survived an encounter with a creature of the sea by God's grace.
The strongest of the Geats was once terrorized at sea by monsters,
Fighting them off with his sword at hand.
For human flesh, these beasts hungered.
Beowulf heard nothing of Unferth when he came to land,
Except for having murdered his brothers, his own kin.
Grendel finds no sporting at Herot's halls,
Only food, for no normal man has harmed him.
However, Grendel shall no longer feast on the men of these halls.
Hrothgar, gray-haired and brave, was at last confident
That Grendel could be killed because of this man's confidence
And the firmness of spirit. Those gathered in the hall feasted.
When the sun was gone, Grendel was sure to come again
To feast upon the flesh of humans
As the halls of Herot filled with slumber
And day turned to night, an unholy time for those sleeping men.
This night, however, Grendel will no longer endure.
Coming out of the marsh was Grendel,
Hoping to kill anyone on his way to Herot.
Angered by the increase of defenses,
Grendel ripped off the door of Herot.
Grendel saw all to be asleep.
He hungered from his voracious thoughts,
To slaughter these morsels as they sleep.
However, Grendel was being watched.
Grendel took the life of his first victim,
Preparing to feast upon another.
As he was about to perform his evil
Rite upon the man, Grendel was grasped by a strong-hearted man.
Beowulf had Grendel in his grip.
Grendel knew this man, whose grip cracked his claws, was not normal
And for once it was Grendel who felt fear's iron-grip
Nevertheless, he attempted to flee from this human, who was not normal.
The fight between Beowulf and Grendel caused Herot to tremble;
Yet, nevertheless, the building endured.
Then, a horrible cry of pain came from the taut throat of Grendel
As he was squeezed painfully in Beowulf's arms in torture.
The beast's power was felt depleting
As he struggled in pain and his body being broken.
Grendel escaped but did not stay among the living.
Grendel died in his murky moor
After losing from his sinews an arm, a claw, and a shoulder.
Beowulf hung these dismembered limbs, as a sign of his victory,
High from the rafters.
No man show any laments for this loathsome creature,
Except for a creature being Grendel's mother.
In her grief and anger she attacks Herot, being unprepared,
And Hrothgar's close friend is carried off by Grendel's mother.
Beowulf was summoned, once again;
This time, however, he is to track down and to slay Grendel's mother.
The creature is found in secret places, none of which are sought by normal man.
She shall be found at a lake where the depth to the bottom
Is not known. A deer hunted by a pack of hounds
Would prefer to die on the shore than to swim across it.
Beowulf is called to save the people of Herot,
Once again, of which he shall be greatly rewarded for it.
Carrying his sword, Hrunting, Beowulf goes to the lake
Where Grendel's mother has her underground lair.
He leaped into the lake and came to the muddy bottom of the lake
Where he finds the greedy she-wolf who attempts to tare
Him apart. Having failed, she carried him to her residence.
Fighting the sea-witch, Beowulf discovered Hrunting could not cut her skin.
The sea-witch and him wrestled viciously with each other as opponents.
Then, Beowulf saw something that may help him to win.
There was a heavy sword, hammered by giants,
Strong and blessed with their magic, which was the best of all weapons.
However, no ordinary man could lift its handle—meant for a giant.
Grapping the sword by the handle and swinging it at the mother of Grendel,
The sword decapitated her causing her to drop down dead.
Beowulf found corpse of Grendel in his corner.
To make sure that the creature stayed dead,
He sliced Grendel's head off his shoulders.
Fifty winters have passed since that day of triumph.
Now there is one final challenge set before Beowulf.
A dragon who was angered by a thief
Who stole a jeweled cup from its treasure horde.
Its breath will burn and tongue is poison to man.
A creature with the ability to breathe a torrent of fire,
Which is too hot for anyone to stand.
The fight with this dragon shall be one to admire.
Beowulf, the prince of the Geats, came with his warriors.
To fight this draconic beast. Beowulf's ancient blade shattered
As it failed to successfully pierce through the scaly skin of the draconic lizard.
Nevertheless, it still drew blood, causing the dragon pain from the dagger.
Beowulf's shield was made useless
For the dragon's fire had made it liquefy.
All of Beowulf's warriors left him fearing that the battle was hopeless,
Except for one brave man who refused to leave and let Beowulf to die.
Wiglaf, Wexstan's son, saw that his king was suffering and burning.
He went with his yellow shield and his sword at hand to help his king.
Beowulf's fight with the dragon seemed to have turned
For the worse, until young Wiglaf gave aiding
To his aged king, Beowulf, to help him fight the dragon.
Together, Beowulf and the young Wiglaf slayed the draconic beast.
However, Beowulf was fatally wounded while fighting the dragon—
A beast that will no longer breath its flaming heat.
Wiglaf brought to his dying king spoils from the dragon's horde.
Beowulf gasped for breath,
While Wiglaf sprinkled water sprinkled water over his dying lord.
Beowulf spoke his final words to Wiglaf.
He wished: for the tower where the dragon was slain to be named Beowulf's tower,
For the brave Geats to build him a tomb near the water's edge,
And he died having his last hour.
This being the Beowulf's end.
Wiglaf berates the faithless warriors who abandoned their king.
With great laments, they cremate the corpse
Of Beowulf, the strongest of the Geats, their greatest king.
Twelve of the bravest Geats rode their horses
Around the tower, telling stories
Of their dead king. His greatness is unmatched.
He lives on in this story.
Beowulf is the Geat who is unequaled.