he Worm Burns Beowulf's House, and Beowulf Gets Ready
to Go Against Him. Beowulf's Early Deeds in Battle With
the Hetware Told of.

XXXIV. Beowulf Goes Against the Worm. He Tells of Herebeald
and Haethcyn.

XXXV. Beowulf Tells of Past Feuds, and Bids Farewell to His
Fellows: He Falls on the Worm, and the Battle of Them
Begins.

XXXVI. Wiglaf Son of Weohstan Goes to the Help of Beowulf:
Naegling, Beowulf's Sword, Is Broken on the Worm.

XXXVII. They Two Slay the Worm. Beowulf Is Wounded Deadly: He
Biddeth Wiglaf Bear Out the Treasure.

XXXVIII. Beowulf Beholdeth the Treasure and Passeth Away.

XXXIX. Wiglaf Casteth Shame on Those Fleers.

XL. Wiglaf Sendeth Tiding to the Host: the Words of the
Messenger.

XLI. More Words of the Messenger. How He Fears the Swedes
When They Wot of Beowulf Dead.

XLII. They Go to Look on the Field of Deed.

XLIII. Of the Burial of Beowulf.

Persons and Places

The Meaning of Some Words

ARGUMENT

Hrothgar, king of the Danes, lives happily and peacefully, and bethinks
him to build a glorious hall called Hart. But a little after, one
Grendel, of the kindred of the evil wights that are come of Cain, hears
the merry noise of Hart and cannot abide it; so he enters thereinto by
night, and slays and carries off and devours thirty of Hrothgar's
thanes. Thereby he makes Hart waste for twelve years, and the tidings of
this mishap are borne wide about lands. Then comes to the helping of
Hrothgar Beowulf, the son of Ecgtheow, a thane of King Hygelac of the
Geats, with fourteen fellows. They are met on the shore by the
land-warder, and by him shown to Hart and the stead of Hrothgar, who
receives them gladly, and to whom Beowulf tells his errand, that he will
help him against Grendel. They feast in the hall, and one Unferth, son
of Ecglaf, taunts Beowulf through jealousy that he was outdone by Breca
in swimming. Beowulf tells the true tale thereof. And a little after, at
nightfall, Hrothgar and his folk leave the hall Hart, and it is given in
charge to Beowulf, who with his Geats abides there the coming of
Grendel.

Soon comes Grendel to the hall, and slays a man of the Geats, hight
Handshoe, and then grapples with Beowulf, who will use no weapon against