Hrothgar and Hryllingur, Part XVI
Continuing Somhairle na Dagney's retelling of Beowulf.
If you're new to this serialization, here's the link to the introductory post, which now has the complete table of contents. Or you can read the completed (to date) verses here.
Glad the grey-haired king,
Long lorn, now hearkening to hope.
Loud laughter lifted hearts;
Songs of scáeli’en soared to
Echo in the eaves.
Came then Hrothgar’s queen:
Wealtheow, wine-bringer, golden
And gracious. The goblet given
First to her lord, great guardian
Of Heorot and home.
‘Drink deep’ she bade him,
Delighting as he did. Then all
Assembled accepted mead,
Offered for kind courtesy.
Came she then to Bjarndyr.
The cup she offered.
Battle-wish blazed in the hero,
Desire for danger; glory gained.
Words he wielded, offered an oath
To fair Wealtheow:
‘Chanced I the whale-road
With my warriors. Wholly I
Would war against the fiend, or fall
To Hryllingur, Heorot’s bane,
In battle to the death.’
More next Thursday!
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Nice use of kennings, but it’s particularly fun when “whale-road” gets a chance at a second life! There are so many poetic and rhetorical devices native to English that don’t get much of a chance in contemporary writing, so it’s always nice to see them used again. Thanks for sharing as always!