XVI

Then to each of Beowulf's company,
those who walked the sea-paths with him,
Hrothgar gave a mort of treasure,
and set the gold price for the warrior
killed so gruesomely by Grendel,
since murder might have met them all
had Beowulf's courage burned less hot.
Those who live in this strife-torn world
must navigate love as well as hatred;
Fate is the measure of every life,
and it's always best to act with foresight.

Song and music lifted to please
Half-Dane's son, the battle-plotter:
Hrothgar's bard then told a tale
he often sang before the mead bench,
of how doom crushed the sons of Finn
after the Frisians ambushed the Danes.
Hnaef the Scylding, the Half-Dane hero,
died in that battle. Finn's wife Hildeburh
had little need to praise the honour
of giant-cruel Jutes who tore from her side
her brother and son, fated to fall there,
gashed by spears. Sorrowful queen!
Hnaef's sister had reason for grief
when the sky that had smiled on all her joys
lightened to morning and showed the slaughter
of her dear kinsmen.
                        Hengest's defence
left Finn few men, and he was forced
to abandon the battle. They made a deal:
Finn would clear a hall and high seat
for Hengest's sons, and share its rule,
and every day, when treasure was dealt,
the king would gift the Danish men
with rings and precious plated gold
as richly as he treated his own.
Then both sides pledged a pact of peace:
Finn proclaimed an earnest oath
to hold the Battle-Danes in honour,
and swore that neither word nor deed
would break the treaty, although the men,
leaderless now, followed the killer
of their loved lord. If any thane
spitefully sought to redden the feud,
a sword would answer.

Then the funeral fire was made
and mighty treasures drawn from the hoard.
Hnaef was laid on that bitter bed,
best battle-man of the War-Scyldings.
All could see the blood-stained mailshirt,
the gilded boars, as hard as iron,
that topped his helm, and round him lay
mighty warriors, marred by wounds.
Many good men died in that slaughter.
Hildeburh set her own son's body
onto the pyre, to burn with his uncle.
Wretched she stood by her kinsman's shoulder
and sang her sorrow. The corpse-smoke spiralled
into the clouds from that great burning.
Heads melted, wounds burst open
and blood sprang out from hate-bitten flesh:
but the greedy flames swallowed it all,
the dead of both peoples, all their valour.


Note: the story of Finn is the second of the ancillary tales. This is
a little opaque here (but still a little clearer than in the original
- I've tried to make it a little clearer who is who). Basically Hnaef
the Scylding - a relative of Hrothgar's - goes to visit his sister
Hildeburh in Frisia. Hildeburh is married to Finn, the king of the
Frisians, and has a son by him. For reasons that are not clear, Finn
treacherously attacks the Scyldings in their sleeping hall. Hnaef dies
in the conflict, as does his nephew, Hildeburh's son, and his second
in command, Hengest, takes over the battle (which is described in
another poem) and fights Finn to a standstill. The two foes then make
a truce. To be continued...
-- 
Editor, Masthead:  http://www.masthead.net.au
Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
Home page: http://www.alisoncroggon.com