BEOWULF, GBENDEL AND HIS MOTHER 41 



yet failed anyone who had used it in battle. Then the 

 expedition started : over a steep and stony rise through 

 narrow roads, past precipitous headlands they went, till 

 they came to a bare rock and a cheerless wood, below which 

 lay the water, dreary and troubled. They were maddened 

 with rage when they saw the head of iEschere lying on the 

 ground ; he was the noble taken by Grendel's mother. 



The water of the lake was bubbling with blood ; many 

 strange creatures of the serpent kind glided over the 

 surface, and the men could also see Nixes lying on the 

 headland slopes. Beowulf shot at one of the horrid water 

 creatures with an arrow, wounding it only ; but the King's 

 men pursued it with poles and battle-axes, and killed it. 

 Then Beowulf asked Hrothgar to send back all his 

 presents to Hygelac, if it should happen that he, Beowulf, 

 perished in the water. Hastening away, he plunged into 

 the lake, and it was not very long before Grendel's mother 

 found out that some man from above had invaded her 

 dwelling. She grappled with him in her dreadful grasp, 

 endeavouring to crush him to death, but his chain-mail 

 protected him. Then she dragged him down to her den 

 at the bottom ; but meanwhile many strange beasts with 

 terrible tusks pressed him hard in those depths, one of 

 them even rent his war-shirt with its talons. Beowulf 

 found himself in some kind of dreadful hall, where 

 no water seemed to touch him ; the light of a fire, a 

 glittering ray, lit up the cavern. He could now clearly 

 distinguish the mighty lake-witch, and thrust strongly at 

 her with his war sword, which rang out shrilly on her 

 head. But, alas ! its edge would not bite ; she had 

 probably bewitched it with spells, as often happened in old 

 days. So Beowulf threw away his sword, and came to close 

 grips with her, trusting in his mighty strength. He seized 

 her by the shoulder, but unluckily tripped and fell. In 

 a moment she was upon him, and seized her broad dagger 

 with deadly intent. Then, indeed, had it gone hard with 

 Beowulf but for bis coat of chain-mail, which protected 



