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Men have told the tale of treasure-hoards carried to earth's keeping by an ancient race.
Wondrous wealth became a worm's guarding.
No man could enter, until one proved worthy.
Beowulf
We have heard of the glory of the kings of the Danes in days gone by, how those princes performed brave deeds.
Of Hrothgar the Mighty, of Heorot - his great hall.
Freely they feasted, fared well as each night fell, forgot all troubles.
No tales of terror or warning did they heed.
- Terror is coming!
- How?
- A creature dwells in darkness near, who hates the smell of human happiness. I have heard it's sound.
- More idle tales. - Unferth, look how the man trembles.
- Demons of darkness! Enough of this! - My lord, I swear!
- Ha-ha-ha-ha! Heorot is strong! It cannot be breached by such a fiend!
- Our banquet beacons! - No more dreaming, friend.
- Treasures are in store! Rings and swords! I'll give rare joys, precious things, a prize for everyone!
The demon from the depths endured that sound.
With cruel torment the creature writhed, roused itself from darkness, raged at joy.
It could not rest until it wrecked this gladness.
With stealth the creature stole upon the slumbering hall-thanes.
Grim and greedy he grabbed them from their beds - thirty warriors! - and he was gone.
The next night and the next brought horrors new and howling, ***!
Maddened with rage, the man-eater came! He'd heard of happiness! He held his spite against Heorot!
The hall was his boundary set by the Heavens.
Against Hrothgar himself he could not rise, yet Grendel became ruler.
Torn by grief, for twelve dark winters Hrothgar the Dane sat under sorrow and fierce affliction.
No warrior dared to ride. No hero from that land came forth in courage.
There was none to champion Hrothgar, until over the whale-road and a white sea word reached a man among the Geats.
His name was Beowulf.
- Grendel... I'll fight this evil.
- What? - I'll rid them of this terror!
- Our warlike neighbors, the noble Danes, can deal with this. Stay by me.
- Can I forget my father's name? Hrothgar saved his life.
- Beowulf, who knows if mortals can succeed? Beware, my friend. - Your blessing's all I ask.
- Then go, great warrior, into the wind's welcome.
So, Beowulf sailed across swan's riding, Denmark his destiny.
- From whence do you bear these burnished shields? - We fare in friendship!
- The man is from the Geats. - Grant them a hearing.
- Cursed enemies, will you trust them? - I have not seen a troop so brave...
...nor champion so mighty in his bearing. This is a chief among men.
- We come from Hygelac's court, companions on his bench! Beowulf is my name.
- Beowulf! I've heard the tales.
- I'll go before your king, Hrothgar, whom I honor. I'll speak to him of Grendel.
- The master of the Danes shall learn of your request.
- Beowulf. I knew him as a child. I gave a hand to his father, Ecgtheow.
- Who knows what treachery lurks behind the helm... The lying tongue!
- Is it Beowulf, truly? - He swears it is.
- Beowulf. His fame has reached me.
- Seafarers say this fighting lord has thirty men in one hand's grasp.
- If Grendel is his aim, then great reward will there be for his courage.
- Health to Hrothgar!
- I put to you now, protector of the Danes, my one request:
that you will allow me with my troop of loyal men to purge your hall, Heorot!
- So, Beowulf, my friend, is it for favors we have done and in the spirit of kindness you come to Denmark?
- Not everyone here is fooled by his fantastic tales.
- My men have often boasted when the beer was drunk, that they would lie in wait...
...and ambush with their weapons of keenest edge the creature, Grendel.
- When morning came, the shining day revealed this royal mead house all smeared with blood.
- Best of my warriors, death has taken them. The rest you've seen.
- But come now to a banquet and we'll banish sorrow. We'll celebrate with song, old tales of victory.
- Beowulf! Beowulf the Braggart!
- What hope has he got of greater fortune?
- I thank my friend, Unferth, for his bold opinions! He unburdened his mind with the aid of a little mead.
- Let him drink deep, sink another draught, open his word-hoard and wag his tongue at Grendel!
- You will not lack for anything you long for, if you live through this great trial of courage.
- I give thanks to the all-wise, bright Lord of Heaven granting me graciously a wish this day to behold true bravery.
- This creature knows no weapon, nor will I. We'll play without. Let the Heavens judge.
Shifting through the shadows came the night prowler. The people slept.
No war-sword under heaven could wound, nor iron halt the huge adversary.
With evil craft the creature wove it's spell around all weapons, walked into Heorot.
The monster was matched, met his doom! Limb was lifted, life torn from Grendel!
He went to his weed shroud, watery grave.
- I have seen today what I deemed impossible. I give thanks.
- My deepest wish was to lay him out here all before you dead.
- Heorot is cleansed, the ring-hall bright again.
- So, give while you may, generous lord, great rewards!
- Take joy in this fair jewel, dear Beowulf.
- Where's my friend, old councilor? Aeschere? - My lord, I'll lie here.
They sank down to sleep. A terrible price one man paid for his night's rest.
Then it became known to all men: another deadly foe, dark spirit, survived within those foul depths.
Loathsome creature living to avenge. Grendel's mother! A she-monster grieving for her dead son.
She sought her recompense, took dearest life, loved friend of Hrothgar!
- I came at your call. - Aeschere is lost, lifted from his bed. My wisest friend...
- Tell me how.
- When the robber Grendel roamed at will gorging on my men, some glimpsed another.
- Not one, but two dark wanderers wending through the mists and one in woman shape.
- This is my promise: no protection will she find, no hiding place in earth's ***, in field or forest.
- As far as the ocean floor I'll find her, go where she will.
- Hrunting, high-esteemed sword of my father. No hero's hand was ever failed by him.
- Her Unferth, have this ancient heirloom. With Hrunting shall I achieve glory or go to my death.
- Be a guardian to my young thanes, oh Shield of Warriors, if war should take me now.
A daring man dived. It seemed for a whole day he swam through the deep, down to the bottom.
Grim and greedy, the guardian of the waters had kept her hundred-winters watch...
...when all at once she spied a human piercing from on high the hall of darkness, domain of the monsters.
Beyond the demon-depths some spirit lay listening to his long endeavors, sword secret.
A weapon she had rested from the ancient race, wisdom long forgotten, wondrous power.
He gave her a gift then, offered her gladly the edge of the sword.
Generous was his thrust into the hag's head. Howling, she was gone.
Grendel was next. He paid his respects in full.
- The one, who upholds justice and truth in the land, ruling as long as many can remember...
...may indeed say this: he was born to be the best of men, most dear Beowulf.
- While I remain on earth, I will be ready for any deed of valor, if I may deserve more of your heart's love.
- Beloved Beowulf, best of warriors, your youthful vigor is flowering now, but soon it will wither.
- Sickness and sword will steal your strength, strip you suddenly.
- How easily I trusted in fortune's smile, slipped from safety, struck blind.
- Beware, Beowulf, and fight this evil, let your life on land be under guard of your good spirit.
Swift sailed the boat, dividing the waves, left the land of Denmark, returned to Hygelac's kingdom.
- Most dear Beowulf.
- I bestow on you an estate of seven thousand cattle, this princely throne and a whole greatest in the land...
...gloriously decked, worthy of praise the portion of an earl.
Now it happened, after many years, that the royal throne at last by right came to Beowulf, king of the Geats.
Fairly he ruled for fifty years.
- Give to me, as I give to you, loyalty for life, heart's obedience.
- Rich rewards we've reaped tonight. - Rewards? No! This is our bond for bold deeds we have yet to do.
Men were drunk, at ease. Dull-spirited, swords slept in their bright hall.
One wretched thief would cost them dear.
- Thief! Thief!!!
Guilt-ridden he ran, reckless fool.
He glimpsed gold, grabbed a relic of that age of foremost glory, marvelous hoard.
Now his greatest foe, fire-breathing, burning through the sky, beating wings came roaring.
The ravager of night.
The accursed man crept, craved mercy from another master. It was not hard to find a buyer for his forbidden ***.
- Who gave you this? - I found it, lord, buried deep! - A dragon's lair!
- The gold is mine by vassal right! - Then you must bear the blame for his crimes!
- The worm has woken! No time for foolishness! Only fighting to the death!
- Fate demands that I ride out as guardian of this people to find true glory.
- Old though I am, my hour has come of heart's desire, highest destiny, which I shall welcome.
- Men in the armor, stand your ground! I must deliver my land from all-consuming hate.
- Only then may I touch this treasure-store, deepest wisdom of worlds long forgotten.
- No force can fight this monstrous being. - Only madmen and fools will try this match.
- Our great lord needs us! We must go, good warriors, and help him now!
- To die is better for any warrior than to live in shame!
- You are my last kinsman. Fate has swept away all those courageous warriors and I must follow.
- My lord... - I thank you, Bright King, eternal ruler, for revealing to me beauty before death, the precious hoard.
- I have offered my old life for this in fair exchange. Wiglaf, serve my people, for now I cannot stay.
- Let brave men build me a tomb over the funeral fires on the headland by the sea...
...which will stand as a memorial of my life, a sign for my people to mark their place of pain or peace at day's ending.
- Let it tower above Hronesness, so that seafarers shall one day name it Beowulf's Barrow...
...steering their tall ships slowly through the mist across the sea.
And so the Geats, companions of his table, mourned their master, took their leave.
They said that of the kings of the world he was the mildest and kindest of all, a friend to his people, pursuer of glory.
