34 BEOWULF, GRENDEL AND HIS MOTHER 



of enormous strength and size ; for we read later in the 

 story that it required four men to carry his head when 

 he was dead. He lived an evil life, and wandered 

 about, a lone dweller in moors, marshes, and in the 

 wilderness. Savage and fierce as he was, nothing 

 exasperated him more than that the King and his people 

 should be so happy ; the sound of joy and revelry within 

 the Palace was to him as gall and wormwood. That 

 very night, therefore, when the skald recited his ominous 

 poem, Grendel loft his fens and marshes, and came 

 silently to the Palace, where he found the Danes all asleep. 

 Thirty of them he killed, devouring fifteen in the hall 

 itself, and carrying off the rest to the marshes. Despair 

 there was and lamentation in the morning when the other 

 Danes arose from sleep ; but none knew, or could even 

 suggest, what was best to be done. For twelve years 

 were the people grievously afflicted by the cruel Grendel, 

 ' the grim stranger, the mighty haunter of . the marshes, 

 the dwelling of this monster race.' He persecuted them 

 right sorely, nor would he have peace with any man of 

 the Danish power. A dark, deadly shadow, he attacked 

 alike tried warriors and youths, he ambushed and plotted, 

 roaming the night long over the misty moors, contriving 

 evil in his heart continually. 



Matters, then, were at this pass, w r hen a neighbouring 

 King called Hygelac heard of the Danes' misfortunes. 

 Hygelac reigned over the Jutes in- Gotland, and he had 

 a nephew called Beowulf, who, in common with the 

 King and the rest of the people, was distressed to 

 think of Hi'othgar's troubles. So Beowulf made him ready 

 a good sea-boat, took fourteen of the bravest men-at- 

 arms as his comrades, and set sail to help Hrothgar and 

 the Danes. When the Danish King was told of Beowulf's 

 arrival, he was, as you may well suppose, only too de- 

 lighted, and hailed him as a heaven-sent champion, for 

 he already knew all about him, how valiant he was, and 

 how strong; ' for,' said Hrothgar to his people, ' it used to 



