The document is an Old English edition of Beowulf beginning with the poem’s opening lines describing King Scyld. It then discusses Beowulf, a brave warrior who helps the Danes by defeating the monster Grendel. The text describes Grendel’s attacks on the mead hall Heorot and the despair it causes King Hrothgar and his people, setting up Beowulf’s journey to help them by battling Grendel.
BEOWULF
Old English Edition
Notes:
( ) Parenthesis indicate letters visible by modern photography
[ ] Brackets indicate letters provided by transcribers
[i] Italicized letters within brackets indicate emendations
[:] Bracketed colon indicates letters altogether missing
[...] Elispses indicate letters wholly obscured
“ ” Quotes are inserted by the editor, as is most punctuation
| Bar indicates the beginning of a new numbered folio
129r |HWÆT: WE GARDENA IN GEARDAGUM
þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon.
Hu ða æþelingas elle(n) fremedon!
Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþen[a] þreatum
5 monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorl, syððan ærest wear(ð)
feasceaft funden. He þæs frofre geba(d),
weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
oð þæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
10 ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan. Þæt wæs god cyning.
Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned
geong in geardum, þone God sende
folce to frofre. Fyrenðearfe ongeat.
15 Þæt hie ær drugon aldor[le]ase
lange hwile. Him þæs Liffrea,
wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf.
Beowulf wæs breme, blæd wide sprang,
Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in.
20 Swa sceal ge[ong] [g]uma gode gewyrcean,
129v fromum feohgiftum on fæder |[bea](r)me,
þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen
wi(l)gesiþas, þonne wig cume,
leode gelæsten. Lofdædum sceal
25 in mægþa gehwære man geþeon.
Him ða Scyld gewat to gescæphwile
felahror feran on Frean wære.
Hi hyne þa ætbæron to brimes faroðe,
swæse gesiþas. Swa he selfa bæd
30 þenden wordum weold wine Scyldinga.
Leof landfruma lange ahte.
Þær æt hyðe stod hringedstefna,
isig 7 utfus, æþelinges fær.
Aledon þa leofne þeoden,
35 beaga bryttan on bearm scipes,
mærne be mæste. Þær wæs madma fela
of feorwegum frætwa gelæded.
Ne hyrde ic cymlicor ceol gegyrwan
hildewæpnum 7 heaðowædum,
40 billum 7 byrnum. Him on bearme læg
madma mænigo, þa him mid scoldon
on flodes æht feor gewitan.
Nalæs hi hine læssan lacum teodan,
þeodgestreonum, þon[ne] (þ)a d(y)don,
45 þe hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon
130r ænne ofer yðe umborwe|sende.
Þa gyt hie him asetton segen g(y)[l]denne
heah ofer heafod, leton holm ber(an)
geafon on garsecg. Him wæs geomor sefa,
50 murnende mod. Men ne cunnon
secgan t(o) soðe selerædenne,
hæleð under heofenum, hwa þæm hlæste onfeng.
.I.
ÐA wæs on burgum Beowulf Scyldinga
leo(f) leodcyning longe þrage,
55 folcum gefræge. Fæder ellor hwearf,
aldor of earde. Oþ þæt him eft onwoc
heah Healfdene, heold þenden lifde,
gamol 7 guðreouw, glæde Scyldingas.
Ðæm feower bearn forðgerimed
60 in worold wocun: weoroda ræswa,
Heorogar, 7 Hroðgar, 7 Halga til.
Hyrde ic þæt [æþele] [an] [wearð] Elan cwen,
Heaðo-Scilfingas healsgebedda.
Þa wæs Hroðgare heresped gyfen,
65 wiges weorðmynd, þæt him his winemagas
georne hyrdon, oðð þæt seo geogoð geweox
magodriht micel. Him on mod bearn
þæt healreced hatan wolde,
130v |[medo]ærn micel men gewyrcean -
70 þone yldo (b)earn æfre gefrunon -
