After the children of Healfdene is the rise of Hrothgar and the building of his mead-
Stave Church
hall, Heorot. From an Anglo-Saxon context Heorot means Hart, and is equated
with Kingship (another connection between Anglo-Saxon and Norse symbols found in the Sutton Hoo burial ship). From the description of its high towers and gables it is sometimes compared to old Scandinavian Stave Churches.
I’ve broken what follows into two sections. First the rise of Hrothgar and his desire to build a great mead-hall; second the decoration of the mead-hall and Hrothgar’s Kingship.
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þa wæs Hroðgare heresped gyfen,
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wiges weorðmynd, þæt him his winemagas
georne hyrdon, oðð þæt seo geogoð geweox,
magodriht micel. Him on mod bearn
þæt healreced hatan wolde,
medoærn micel, men gewyrcean
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þonne yldo bearn æfre gefrunon,
ond þær on innan eall gedælan
geongum ond ealdum, swylc him god sealde,
buton folcscare ond feorum gumena.
Literal:
Then was Hrothgar success in battle given. War’s glory, that his own kinsmen readily obeyed him, until that the youthful company increased [and his] band of young retainers [grew] large. On his mind happened to occur the desire for hall-building [and he gave the] command for a great mead-hall, to men to build, that the son’s of men ever [after would] hear about, and there inside [he would to] all deal out, [to] young and old, [that] which God had granted him, except peoples portion (common land) and [the] lives of men.
Like we saw in Maxims II back in a lesson to the young, we have a reference here on how the King should share out his treasure. But we also have how Hrothgar intends to protect the folcscare (peoples share, or common land) and the lives of men.
The next section:
ða ic wide gefrægn weorc gebannan
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manigre mægþe geond þisne middangeard,
folcstede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp,
ædre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð ealgearo,
healærna mæst; scop him Heort naman
se þe his wordes geweald wide hæfde.
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He beot ne aleh, beagas dælde,
sinc æt symle. Sele hlifade,
heah ond horngeap, heaðowylma bad,
laðan liges; ne wæs hit lenge þa gen
þæt se ecghete aþumsweorum
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æfter wælniðe wæcnan scolde.
Literal:
Then I have widely heard [the] task [was] ordered to many clans over this middle-earth to adorn [the] dwelling-place. The in time it happened, yet quickly, with men, that it came to be finished, this greatest of hall-building; “Heor[o]t” [is its] name, said he whose words have power, far and wide. He did not break his promise, [but] dealt our rings, [and] treasure at [his] table. The hall was high towered and gabled, and awaited the attack of hateful flames; but it was not yet at hand when the sword-hate, on account of mortal enmity of in-laws, must arise.
Here the hall is completed by the treasure from all across middengeard (middle-earth, the earth). Hrothgar names the hall Heorot, and is true to his word by giving out rings in the hall. The at the height of this glorious descritption of the completed hall and the benign Kingship of Hrothgar we get a shadow of future destructions.
Sele hlifade,
[the] hall towered
heah ond horngeap, heaðowylma bad
High and Gabled, [and] awaited [the] hostile surge,
laðan liges;
[of] Hateful flames;
And why is Heorot doomed? Because:
ecghete aþumsweorum
[The] sword-Hate [of] father and son in-laws
æfter wælniðe wæcnan scolde.
Because mortal enmity must arise.
This is an early reference that appears again later in the poem to the Danes killing Froda, Ingeld’s father, King of the Heathobards.
My translation:
Hrothgar was lethal in battle,
His glory bound kinsmen to him,
Swelling the ranks of his warband.
Yet his mind dwelt on a prominence,
And he founded a great mead-hall,
That those here after would sing of,
Where he must deal out rings,
And protect the common wealth
And the lives of men.
And so the command flew
To the reaches of this middle-earth,
And to this house of men,
Rich adornment came.
Swiftly, by the hand of men,
It came to be build.
He, whose word is power,
Named it Heorot.
Nor did he break his word,
But dealt out rings,
And the treasure of his table.
This gabled and high towered hall,
Waited the flame and sword-hate,
Born of the malice that dwelt in the blood.
A lot happened in these two sections: the rise of Hrothgar, the building of Heorot, the noble kingship and the foreshadowing of doom.
Next – the coming of Grendel.
