EH 207 Exam 3 Beowulf

After the gifts have been distributed, the king's scop comes forward to sing the saga of Finn, which begins with the ______ losing a bloody battle to Finn, the king of the Frisians, a neighbor tribe to the Danes. The Danish leader, Hnaef, is killed in the combat.

Danes; Hnaef

The narrator opens the poem with a discussion of Shield Sheafson, a great king of the ancient _____ and the _____ of their royal line. He began life as a _____ (an infant abandoned by his parents) but quickly rose to be strong and powerful.

Danes; founder; foundling

After slaying the monster and eight other sea beasts, Beowulf was washed ashore on the coast of _____. Beowulf notes that neither _____ nor Breca could have survived such an adventure and mocks Unferth by pointing out his obvious helplessness against _____.

Finland; Unferth; Grendel

Beowulf strikes the dragon in the head with his great sword _____, but the sword snaps and breaks. The dragon lands a bite on Beowulf's _____, and blood begins to flow. Wiglaf rushes to Beowulf's aid, stabbing the dragon in the belly, and the dragon scorches Wiglaf's _____.

Naegling; neck; hand

Beowulf's confidence cheers the whole hall, and soon the warriors are laughing and drinking happily. Wealhtheow, wife of Hrothgar and queen of the _____, enters with the ceremonial goblet, which she offers to everyone in the room.

Danes

Now, ready to face one last adversary, Beowulf gathers _____ men to investigate the area. They discover the thief who stole the dragon's _____ and press him to take them to the barrow. They wish each other luck in the fight that will follow, and Beowulf has a premonition of his own _____

11; goblet; death

The following night, Grendel struck again, and he has continued to wreak havoc on the Danes for _____ years. He has taken over _____, and Hrothgar and his men remain unable to challenge him.

12; Heorot

The group returns to Heorot in triumph. _____ men impale the heavy _____ of Grendel on a spear and lug it between them. When they arrive at the hall, the _____ gawk at the head in horror and amazement. Beowulf presents the head and the sword hilt to Hrothgar, assuring him of his future security

4; head; Danes

Hrothgar hosts a great banquet in honor of Beowulf. He bestows upon him weapons, armor, treasure, and ______ of his finest horses. He then presents Beowulf's men with rewards and compensates the _____ with gold for the Geatish warrior that Grendel killed.

8; Geats

Sheafson's son, the renowned _____, inherited the kingdom after his father's death. In time, Beow too passed away and _____, his son, became king. After Halfdane, _____ stepped forward to rule the Danes. Under Hrothgar, the kingdom prospered and enjoyed great military success, and Hrothgar decided to construct a _____ to his success—a mead-hall where he would distribute booty to his retainers. The hall was called _____, and there the men gathered with their lord to drink mead, a beerlike beverage, and listen to the songs of the bards.

Beow; Halfdane; Hrothgar; monument; Heorot

Hrothgar tells _____ that he must depend on him a second time to rid Heorot of a demon. He says that he will give him chests of gold if he rises to the challenge. Beowulf agrees to the fight, reassuring Hrothgar that Grendel's mother won't get away

Beowulf

In time, Hygelac is killed in battle with the Shylfings, and the kingdom falls to _____. For _____ years he rules the Geats, becoming a great and wise king.

Beowulf; 50

Hrothgar tells Wulfgar that he remembers ____ from when he was a young boy and recalls his friendship with Beowulf's father, _____. He says that he has heard tales of Beowulf's great prowess—one story holds that the Geat has the strength of _____ men in each of his hands—and hopes that Beowulf has come to help the Danes against Grendel. He orders _____ to welcome the Geats to Denmark.

Beowulf; Ecgtheow; 30; Wulfgar

_____ lies down to wait, while his fearful men lie awake, doubting that any of them will live to see morning. In the dark night outside the hall, Grendel approaches stealthily, creeping toward the small band of _____.

Beowulf; Geats

When _____ hears tales of the destruction wrought by Grendel, he decides to travel to the land of the Danes and help _____ defeat the demon. He voyages across the sea with _____ of his bravest warriors until he reaches Hrothgar's kingdom.

Beowulf; Hrothgar; 14

Soon, _____'s own throne-hall becomes the target of the dragon's fiery breath, and it is burned to the ground. Now an old king, Beowulf grieves and wonders what he might have done to deserve such punishment from God. He begins to plot his revenge. He commissions a mighty shield from the iron-smith, one that he hopes will stand up against the breath of flame. He is too proud to assemble a huge _____ for the fight, and, remembering how he defeated Grendel single-handedly in his youth, feels no fear of the dragon.

Beowulf; army

The following morning, the Danish warriors are amazed at _____'s accomplishment. They race around on horseback in ______, following the tracks of Grendel's retreat to the marshes. Beowulf's renown begins to spread rapidly.

Beowulf; celebration

_____ hacks with his sword against the dragon's thick scales, but his strength is clearly not what it once was. As the flames billow, Beowulf's companions run in _____. Only one, Wiglaf, feels enough loyalty to come to the aid of his king.

Beowulf; terror

She expresses her hope that _____ too will act as a friend to them and offer them protection and guidance. She presents Beowulf with a _____ (a collar or necklace) of gold and a suit of mail armor, asking again that he guide her sons and treat them kindly. That night, the warriors sleep in _____, unaware that a new danger lurks in the darkness outside the hall.

Beowulf; torque; Heorot

When night falls, the Danes leave the hall to _____ and his men. Beowulf lays aside his weapons and removes his armor, restating his intention to fight Grendel _____. He says that he considers himself to be as dangerous as Grendel.

Beowulf; unarmed

Beowulf then tells the story of his encounter with _____ . He particularly emphasizes the monster's ferocity and the rewards that he received from Hrothgar. He relates the battle with Grendel's mother as well.

Grendel

They make offerings at pagan shrines in hopes of harming _____, but their efforts are fruitless. The _____ endure constant terror, and their suffering is so extreme that the news of it travels far and wide

Grendel; Danes

Terrified like a cornered animal, _____ longs to run back to the safety of the _____. He tries to escape, but Beowulf wrestles him down. The combatants crash around the hall, rattling the walls and smashing the mead-benches. Grendel begins to shriek in pain and fear; the sound terrifies all who hear it.

Grendel; swamplands

The watchman guides Beowulf and his men from the coast to the mead-hall, _____, where he takes his leave. A herald named _____, who is renowned for his wisdom, stops Beowulf and asks him to state his business with Hrothgar. Beowulf introduces himself and requests to speak to the king. Wulfgar, impressed with the group's appearance and bearing, takes Beowulf's message immediately to Hrothgar.

Heorot; Wulfgar

Gleefully imagining the destruction that he will wreak, Grendel bursts into _____. He tears the door from its hinges with his bare hands and immediately devours a Geatish warrior while Beowulf carefully observes. When Grendel reaches out to snatch up Beowulf, he is stunned to find his arm gripped with greater _____ than he knew possible.

Heorot; strength

Hrothgar praises Beowulf's goodness, evenness, and loyalty, contrasts him with the evil King _____, and predicts a great future for him. He delivers a long speech about how to be a good and wise ruler by choosing eternal rather than earthly rewards. ______ then promises to shower Beowulf with treasure the following morning.

Heremod; Hrothgar

_____ enters the mead-hall to see the trophy. He thanks God for finally granting him relief from Grendel. He then praises Beowulf, promises him lavish rewards, and says that he has adopted the warrior in his heart as a son. Beowulf receives Hrothgar's gratitude with modesty, expressing _____ that he did not kill Grendel in the hall so that all could have seen the demon's corpse

Hrothgar; disappointment

Despite his urgings that Beowulf return to Denmark soon, _____ knows that he will never see Beowulf again. The Geats return to the coast, where they grant a reward to the _____ who has guarded their ship. They then sail back to Geatland and return to the hall of _____.

Hrothgar; watchman; Hygelac

Another banquet ensues, with great feasting and revelry. Afterward, Beowulf retires to get some much-needed rest. In the morning, he has _____ returned to Unferth and tells Hrothgar that he and his men long to return home to _____. Hrothgar praises Beowulf again, saying that he has united the Geats and the Danes in ties of friendship and loyalty. He presents Beowulf with _____ treasures.

Hrunting; Geatland; 12

Beowulf wields _____, the sword lent to him by Unferth, and lashes at Grendel's mother's head, but even the celebrated blade of Hrunting is _____ to pierce the monster's skin. Beowulf tries to fight the sea-witch using only his bare hands, but she matches him blow for blow. At last, he notices a _____ hanging on the wall, an enormous weapon forged for giants

Hrunting; unable; sword

Beowulf and his men return to the magnificent hall of King Hygelac and to Queen _____, who is beautiful and wise, though very young. The narrator tells the story of the legendary Queen _____, who "perpetrated terrible wrongs" against her subjects, torturing and even killing many innocent people who she imagined were offending her. Modthryth's behavior improved, we are told, once she was married to the great king of the Angles, Offa.

Hygd; Modthryth

At this time, Beowulf, nephew of the Geatish king _____, is the greatest hero in the world. He lives in _____, a realm not far from Denmark, in what is now southern _____

Hygelac; Geatland; Sweden

Beowulf explains that he is the son of Ecgtheow and owes his loyalty to _____. He says that he has heard about the monster wreaking havoc on the Danes and has come to help Hrothgar. The watchman gives his consent and tells Beowulf that he believes his story. He tells the _____ to follow him, mentioning that he will order one of the Danes to watch Beowulf's ship for him.

Hygelac; Geats

Beowulf and his men approach the hall, where the Geats, who have heard that their hero has returned, are preparing for his arrival. _____ extends a formal greeting while Hygd pours mead for the warriors. Hygelac asks Beowulf how he fared in the land of _____, recalling that he had known that Beowulf's task would be a fearsome one and that he had advised Beowulf not to face such a dangerous foe.

Hygelac; Hrothgar

The poet recounts the death of King _____ in combat in Friesland. Hygelac fell while Beowulf survived thanks to his great strength and swimming ability. Upon returning home, Beowulf was offered the throne by the widowed _____, who knew that her own son was too young and inexperienced to be an effective ruler.

Hygelac; Hygd

A Danish bard sings Beowulf's story to honor him and also recites the story of _____, a great hero who slew a terrible _____. The dragon was the guardian of a treasure hoard, which Sigemund won by slaying the dragon. The bard also sings of, and contrasts Beowulf with, ______, an evil Danish king who turned against his own people.

Sigemund; dragon; Heremod

He expresses concern about the _____ as well, who have a long-held grudge against the Geats; he relates the history of their feud and tells how the Geats secured the last victory. Without Beowulf to protect them, the messenger predicts, the _____ risk invasion by Swedes. The poet confirms that many of the messenger's predictions will prove true.

Swedes; Geats

Beowulf, "indifferent to death," prepares himself for combat by donning his armor and girding himself with weapons (1442). _____ loans him the great and seasoned sword Hrunting, which has never failed in any battle. Beowulf speaks, asking Hrothgar to take care of the Geats and return his property to _____ if he, Beowulf, should be killed. He also bequeaths his own sword to Unferth.

Unferth; Hygelac

At the feast, a Dane named _____, envious of his kinsmen's admiration of Beowulf, begins to taunt the Geat. He claims that Beowulf once lost a _____ match against _____ and that Beowulf will meet with defeat for a second time when he faces Grendel in the mead-hall

Unferth; swimming; Breca

When the scop finishes recounting the saga, _____ enters, wearing a gold crown, and praises her children, Hrethric and Hrothmund. She says that when Hrothgar dies, she is certain that the children will be treated well by their older cousin, _____, until they come of age

Wealhtheow; Hrothulf

Beowulf begins his tale by describing the courteous treatment that he received from Hrothgar and ______. He then prophesies an unhappy outcome to the peace-weaving _____ of Freawaru, Hrothgar's daughter, to Ingeld the Heathobard.

Wealhtheow; engagement

Beowulf lies dead, and Wiglaf is bowed down with grief at the loss of his lord. The dragon, too, lies slain on the ground. The poet briefly commemorates the beast's end. Slowly, the Geatish warriors who had fled from the battle straggle back to the barrow to find _____ still vainly trying to revive their fallen leader

Wiglaf

_____ chides the other warriors, reminding them of their oaths of loyal service to Beowulf. Now the time has come when their _____ will be tested, Wiglaf declares, and he goes by himself to assist his lord.

Wiglaf; loyalty

Hrothgar sent treasure to the _____ to mend the feud, and Beowulf's father pledged his allegiance to Hrothgar. Hrothgar then accepts Beowulf's offer to fight Grendel, though he warns him that many heroes have died in the _____ trying to battle the monster. He invites the _____to sit and enjoy a feast in Heorot with the Danish warriors.

Wulfings; mead-hall; Geats

The monster panics and flees, still carrying her victim, Hrothgar's trusted _____, Aeschere, in her grasp. Beowulf, having been given other sleeping quarters, is away from Heorot when _____'s mother makes her raid. By the time he arrives at the hall, she is gone. The warriors discover that she has stolen Grendel's ______ as well.

adviser; Grendel; arm

He predicts that the sight of the _____ possessions of each worn by the kin of the other (the result of many years of warring and plundering) will cause memories of the deep and lengthy ______ between the Danes and the Heathobards to surface, so that they will not be able to keep themselves from continuing to fight.

ancestral; feud

The narrator mentions that the trophy _____, which seems to be made of "barbed steel," has disproved Unferth's claims of Beowulf's weakness. Order is restored in ______, and all the Danes begin to repair the great hall, which has been almost completely destroyed.

arm; Heorot

The pyre is built high and decked with _____, according to Beowulf's wishes. The body is laid in and the ____ is lit—its roar competes with the sound of weeping. A Geatish woman laments Beowulf's death and grieves about the war-torn future that she foresees for her people.

armor; fire

Seeing that the newcomers are dressed in _____ and carrying shields and other equipment for combat, the _____ who guards the Danish coast stops Beowulf and his crew and demands to know their business. He admits that he has never seen outsiders come ashore so fearlessly and guesses that Beowulf is a noble hero

armor; watchman

On land, the Danes lose hope when they see _____ well up from the depths. Sure that their champion is lost, they return to _____ in sorrow. Only the small band of Geats, Beowulf's kinsmen, waits on.

blood; Heorot

Beowulf swims downward for the better part of a day before he sees the _____. As he nears the murky lake floor, Grendel's mother senses his approach. She lunges at him and clutches him in her grip, but his _____, as predicted, prevents her from crushing him. She drags Beowulf to her court, while a mass of sea-monsters claws and bites at him.

bottom; armor

The place has a magical quality. The water _____ and the _____ of the mere, or lake, has never been reached. Even the animals seem to be afraid of the water there.

burns; bottom

Devastated with grief over the loss of his friend and _____, _____summons Beowulf and explains what has occurred. He entreats Beowulf to seek out and kill Grendel's mother, describing the horrible, swampy wood where she keeps her lair

counselor; Hrothgar

The bards' songs about God's _____ of the earth angered the monster. Once the men in the mead-hall fell asleep, Grendel lumbered inside and slaughtered _____men. _____'s warriors were powerless against him.

creation; 30; Hrothgar

She thanks God for sending Beowulf to fight Grendel, and Beowulf replies with a formal boast, stating that he will either distinguish himself with a heroic deed or _____ in the mead-hall. Pleased, _____ takes her seat next to Hrothgar.

die; Wealhtheow

The poet relates that many centuries earlier, the last survivor of an ancient race buried the treasure in the barrow when he realized that the treasure would be of no use to him because he, like his ancestors, was destined to _____. He carefully buried the precious objects, lamenting all the while his lonely state. The defeat of his people had left the _____ to deteriorate. The dragon chanced upon the hoard and has been guarding it for the past three hundred years.

die; treasures

The Geats then rise and go to Beowulf's body. They discover also the fearsome, fifty-foot-long corpse of the _____. It is revealed that the hoard had been under a spell, so that no person could open it except by the will of God.

dragon

Beowulf bids farewell to his men and sets off wearing a mail-shirt and a helmet to fight the dragon. He shouts a challenge to his opponent, who emerges from the earth. Man and _____ grapple and wrestle amid sheets of _____

dragon; fire

Waking up to find the goblet stolen, the _____ bursts forth from the barrow to hunt the thief, scorching the earth as it travels. Not finding the offender, the dragon goes on a rampage, breathing _____ and incinerating homes and villages. It begins to emerge nightly from its barrow to torment the _____, still seething with rage at the theft.

dragon; fire; countryside

Unruffled, Beowulf accuses Unferth of _____ and describes his own version of what happened in the swimming match. Carrying swords to defend themselves against sea monsters, he and _____ had struggled in icy waters for five days and five nights when suddenly Beowulf found himself pulled under by a monster

drunkenness; Breca

The men are ashamed, and Wiglaf rebukes them bitterly, declaring that all of Beowulf's _____ has been wasted on them. The cost of their _____, he predicts, will be greater than just the life of a great ruler. He suggests that foreign warlords will be sure to attack the Geats now that Beowulf can no longer protect them.

generosity; cowardice

The warriors mount up and ride into the fens, following the tracks of their enemy. When they reach a cliff's edge, they discover Aeschere's _____ lying on the ground. The scene below is horrifying: in the murky water, serpents and sea-dragons writhe and roil. Beowulf slays one beast with an _____.

head; arrow

In desperation Beowulf pulls a _____from his belt and stabs it deep into the dragon's flank. The blow is fatal, and the writhing serpent withers. But no sooner has Beowulf triumphed than the wound on his neck begins to burn and swell. He realizes that the dragon bite is _____ and that he is dying.

knife; venomous

Back in the monster's court, the blade of the giant's sword begins to _____, burned by Grendel's fiery _____. Beowulf seizes its hilt, which remains solid and, grasping Grendel's head in his other hand, swims for the surface

melt; blood;

Beowulf seizes the huge sword and swings it in a powerful arc. The blade slices cleanly through the Grendel's mother's _____, and she falls dead to the floor, gushing with blood. The hero is exultant. A light appears, and Beowulf looks around, his sword held high in readiness. He spies Grendel's ____ lying in a corner. Furious at the sight of the fiend, he decapitates _____ as a final repayment for all of the lives that Grendel took.

neck; corpse; Grendel

For a time, the kingdom enjoyed _____ and prosperity. But, one night, _____, a demon descended from Cain (who, according to the Bible, slew his brother Abel), emerged from the _____ lowlands, to listen to the nightly entertainment at _____

peace; Grendel; swampy; Heorot

Wiglaf recounts Beowulf's last requests and readies the people to build his funeral _____. With seven of the greatest Geatish thanes, Wiglaf returns to the dragon's bier to collect the treasure that Beowulf bought with his life. They hurl the dragon's body into the water.

pyre

Beowulf declined, however, not wanting to disturb the order of _____. Instead, he acted as protector and guardian to the prince and supported his rule. Only when Hygelac's son met his end in a skirmish against the Swedes did Beowulf ascend the _____. Under Beowulf's reign, the _____ with Sweden eventually ceased when Beowulf avenged Hygelac's death.

succession; throne; feuding

Soon it is Geatland's turn to face _____. A great _____lurks beneath the earth, jealously guarding its treasure, until one day a thief manages to infiltrate the barrow, or mound, where the treasure lies. The thief steals a gem-covered _____, arousing the wrath of the dragon. The intruder, a slave on the run from a hard-handed master, intends no harm by his theft and flees in a panic with the goblet.

terror; dragon; goblet

He sends Wiglaf to inspect the dragon's _____ and bring him a portion of it, saying that death will be easier if he sees the hoard that he has liberated. Wiglaf descends into the barrow and quickly returns to Beowulf with an armload of treasure.

treasure

He then presents his king with a large part of the _____ given to him by Hrothgar, including suits of armor and _____ of the great horses. He gives Hygd a priceless _____—the torque given him by Wealhtheow—and three horses. Beowulf is praised throughout Geatland for his valorous deeds and courteousness. Hygelac gives him a great deal of treasure and land of his own to rule.

treasure; 4; necklace

The old king, dying, thanks God for the _____ that he has won for his people. He tells Wiglaf that he must now look after the Geats and order his troop to build him a _____ that people will call "Beowulf's Barrow." After giving Wiglaf the _____ from his own neck, Beowulf dies.

treasure; barrow; collar

All of the clans had to pay him _____, and, when he died, he was honored with an elaborate funeral ceremony. His body was put into a _____, covered with treasures and armor, and cast off to sea. _____ Sheafson's life ended as it began, with him cast adrift on the water.

tribute; boat; Shield

Recognizing their defeat, the Danes strike a _____ with the Frisians and agree to live with them separately but under common rule and equal treatment. _____, a Danish princess who is married to Finn, is doubly grieved by the outcome of the battle: she orders that the corpses of her brother, the Danish leader Hnaef, and her son, a Frisian warrior, be burned on the same bier.

truce; Hildeburh

Beowulf comes before Hrothgar, whom he greets solemnly. Beowulf recounts some of his past glories and offers to fight Grendel _____. Hrothgar recounts a feud during which Beowulf's father killed _____, a member of the Wulfing tribe

unarmed; Heatholaf

He finds that the _____ he passes through are no longer infested now that the demon has been destroyed. When he breaks the surface, the _____ are overjoyed as they advance to meet him and unfasten his armor.

waters; Geats

Beowulf's men heroically hack at the demon as Beowulf fights with him, but no _____ on earth is capable of harming Grendel. Beowulf summons even greater strength and rips Grendel's arm completely out of its socket. Fatally wounded, Grendel slinks back to his swampy home to ______. Back in the mead-hall, Beowulf holds up his gory trophy in triumph. He proudly hangs the _____ high on the wall of Heorot as proof of his victory.

weapon; arm; die