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Beowulf
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In the poem Heorot, the palace of Hrothgar, king of Danes, is visited nightly by a monster named Grendel.
It devours the king's thanes as they sleep. Beowulf, the nephew of Hygelac, king of the Geats, comes across
the sea with 14 followers to free Danes from this scourge. Grendel enters and devours one of the sleeping Geats.
Though invulnerable to weapons, Grendel is seized by Beowulf and held in a mighty grip, for which he breaks free
and flees into his cavern beneath the lake and dies. Grendel's mother still lives and comes to avenge his death.
Beowulf pursues the monster to the depths of the lake. She grapples with Beowulf and drags him into the cavern
beneath the water. A desperate struggle ensues in which Beowulf loses his sword, but the hero finds a magic sword
in the cave and kills Grendel's mother. He decapitates her and returns to the shore. A long interval ensues in which
the kingdom is left to Beowulf, who rules it for 50 years. Then a dragon with fiery breath devastates the kingdom.
Going out with 12 followers to kill the beast, Beowulf is wounded and deserted by all but one of his comrades. He finally
kills the dragon but at the cost of his own life. His body is burned by the Geats on a funeral pyre, the ashes are enclosed
in a barrow.
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For more information on Beowulf and Grendel click here.
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