Beowulf ond Godsylla Translation

Beowulf ond Godsylla

Meanehwæl, baccat meaddehæle, monstær lurccen;
Fulle few too many drincce, hie luccen for fyht.
Ðen Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,
Æsccen æwful jeork to steop outsyd. Þhud! Bashe! Crasch! Beoom! Ðe bigge gye
Eallum his bon brak, byt his nose offe;
Wicced Godsylla wæld on his asse.
Monstær moppe fleor wyþ eallum men in hælle.
Beowulf in bacceroome fonecall bamaccen wæs;
Hearen sond of ruccus sæd, "Hwæt ðe helle?"
Graben sheold strang ond swich-blæd scharp
Stond feorth to fyht ðe grimlic foe. "Me," Godsylla sæd, "mac ðe minsemete."
Heoro cwyc geten heold wiþ fæmed half-nelson
Ond flyng him lic frisbe bac to fen
Beowulf belly up to meaddehæle bar,
Sæd, "Ne foe beaten mie færsom cung-fu."
Eorderen cocca-cohla yce-coeld, ðe reol þyng.

Translation:
Meanwhile, back at the mead-hall, the monster lurks;
Full of a few too many drinks, he's lookin' for a fight.
Then Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,

Beowulf Questions

I worked on these questions in a group.  Due to some planning issues, I actually contributed to two groups.  These particular answers are from a group with Kris Green, Justin Thompson, Jason Reinwald, Will Veroski, Ryland Towne, and myself.  From start to end, my questions took me about two hours to complete, but that was while working with group members on other questions as well.  The total time I actually spent working on my own problems was probably close to forty-five minutes.  None of it was done in person.  Text messages were used throughout the day to coordinate efforts, and we ended up meeting on Skype to solve some of the more difficult problems and get everybody's work organized.

[Prologue: The Rise of the Danish Nation] (lines 1-85, pp. 33-34)

1. The way Shield became ruler of the Danes was unusual because he was an orphan that was adopted by the king of the Danes. Shield’s funeral was one of the most magnificent and noteworthy for a king because he was laid to rest on a ship covered in gold and treasure. Shield is Hrothgar’s great grandfather.

Notes: Beowulf Textbook Excerpts

The Wrath of Grendel

• Contrast of merriment inside the hall and evil lurking outside
• Twelve years of torment by Grendel
• Grendel is described as "mankind's enemy"
• interesting way of emphasizing Grendel's monstrosity

The Coming of Beowulf

• quality over quantity: Beowulf picks out the best men, which only amounts to fourteen
• especially small when considering Grendel killed thirty on his first attack
• the watchman is quick to grant entrance to the Geats after learning of their objective; testament to the terror Grendel caused
• "My lord Higlac might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were afraid to,if I hid behind some broad linden shield."
• classical heroic ideal of courage and honor

Notes: Beowulf Prologue-Chapter X

Prologue

• "Famed was this Beowulf: far flew the boast of him..."
• Beowulf's introduction
• "weeds of battle"
• what is this referring to?

Chapter I

• "Then, one after one, there woke to him, to the chieftain of clansmen, children four: Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave..."
• setting the stage: Hrothgar is constructing "a master mead-house"
• "...til one began to fashion evils, that field of hell.  Grendel this monster grim was called."
• antagonist's origins

Chapter II

• atheling: a prince or lord in Anglo-Saxon England
• wassail: a salutation wishing health to a person
• Basically, Grendel is terrorizing Hrothgar and his people over the course of several years
• still more of background information than the core of the story