Chapter XLVIII: Appendix: The Attack in Finnsburg (3)

ll. 2660, 2661. Why not read beadu-scrūd, as at l. 453, = _battle-shirt?_ B. and R. suppose two half-verses omitted between byrdu-scrūd and bām gemǣne. B. reads bȳwdu, = _handsome_, etc. Gr. suggests unc nū, = _to us two now_, for ūrum; and K. and Grundt. read bēon gemǣne for bām, etc. This makes sense. Cf. Ha., p. 89.

l. 2666. Cf. the dat. absolute without preposition.

l. 2681. Nægling; cf. Hrunting, Lāfing, and other famous wundor-smiða geweorc of the poem.

l. 2687. B. changes þonne into þone (rel. pro.) = _which_.--_Beit._ xii. 105.

l. 2688. B. supports the MS. reading, wundum.

l. 2688. Cf. l. 2278 for similar language.

l. 2698. B. (_Beit._ xii. 105) renders: "he did not heed the head of the dragon (which Beowulf with his sword had struck without effect), but he struck the dragon somewhat further down." Cf. Saxo, vi. p. 272.

l. 2698. Cf. the language used at ll. 446 and 1373, where hafelan also occurs; and hȳdan.

l. 2700. hwēne; cf. Lowl. Sc. _wheen_, a number; Chaucer's _woon_, number.

l. 2702. S. proposes þā (for þæt) þæt fȳr, etc., = _when the fire began_, etc.

l. 2704. "The (hup)-seax has often been found in Saxon graves on the hip of the skeleton."--E.

l. 2707. Kl. proposes: feorh ealne wræc, = _drove out all the life_; cf. _Gen._ l. 1385.--_Beit._ ix. 192. S. suggests gefylde,--_he felled the foe_, etc.--_Ibid._ Parentheses seem unnecessary.

l. 2727. dæg-hwīl = _time allotted, lifetime_.

l. 2745, 2745. Ho. removes geong from the beginning of l. 2745 and places it at the end of l. 2744.

l. 2750. R. proposes sigle searogimmas, as at l. 1158.

l. 2767. (1) B. proposes doubtfully oferhīgean or oferhīgan, = Goth, _ufarhauhjan_, p. p. _ufarhauhids_ (Gr. τυφωθείς) = _exceed in value_.--_Tidskr._ viii. 60. (2) Kl. proposes oferhȳdian, = _to make arrogant, infatuate_; cf. oferhȳd.--_Beit._ ix. 192.

l. 2770. gelocen leoðocræftum = (1) _spell-bound_ (Th., Arnold, E.); (2) _wrought with hand-craft_ (G.); (3) _meshed, linked together_ (H., Ho.); cf. _Elene_, ll. 1251, 522.

l. 2778. B. considers bill ... ealdhlāfordes as Beowulf's short sword, with which he killed the dragon, l. 2704 (_Tidskr._ viii. 299). R. proposes ealdhlāforde. Müllenh. understands ealdhlāford to mean the former possessor of the hoard. W. agrees to this, but conceives ǣrgescōd as a compd. = ǣre calceatus, _sheathed in brass_. Ha. translates ǣrgescōd as vb. and adv.

l. 2791. Cf. l. 224, eoletes æt ende; landes æt ende, _Exod._ (Hunt).

l. 2792. MS. reads wæteres weorpan, which R. would change to wætere sweorfan.

l. 2806. "Men saw from its height the whales tumbling in the waves, and called it Whale's Ness (Hrones-nǣs)."--Br. p. 28. Cf. l. 3137.

l. 2815. Wīglāf was the next of kin, the last of the race, and hence the recipient of Beowulf's kingly insignia. There is a possible play on the word lāf (Wīg-_lāf_, ende-_lāf_).

l. 2818. gingeste word; cf. _novissima verba_, and Ger. _jüngst_, lately.

l. 2837. E. translates on lande, _in the world_, comparing _on līfe, on worulde_.

l. 2840. gerǣsde = pret. of gerǣsan (omitted from the Gloss.), same as rǣsan; cf. l. 2691.

l. 2859. B. proposes dēað ārǣdan, = _determine death_.--_Beit._ xii. 106.

l. 2861. Change geongum to geongan as a scribal error (?), but cf. Lichtenheld, _Haupts Zeitschr._ xvi. 353-355.

l. 2871. S. and W. propose ōwēr.--_Beit._ ix. 142.

l. 2873. S. punctuates: wrāðe forwurpe, þā, etc.

l. 2874. H.-So. begins a new sentence with nealles, ending the preceding one with beget.

l. 2879. ætgifan = _to render, to afford_; omitted in Gloss.

ll. 2885-2892. "This passage ... equals the passage in Tacitus which describes the tie of chief to companion and companion to chief among the Germans, and which recounts the shame that fell on those who survived their lord."--Br., p. 56.

l. 2886. cyn thus has the meaning of _gens_ or clan, just as in many Oriental towns all are of one blood. E. compares Tacitus, _Germania_, 7; and cf. "kith and kin."

l. 2892. Death is preferable to dishonor. Cf. Kemble, _Saxons_, i. 235.

l. 2901. The ἄγγελος begins his ἀγγελία here.

l. 2910. S. proposes higemēðe, _sad of soul;_ cf. ll. 2853 and 2864 (_Beit._ ix. 142). B. considers higemēðum a dat. or instr. pl. of an abstract in -u (_Beit._ xii. 106). H. makes it a dat. pl. = _for the dead_. For heafod-wearde, etc., cf. note on l. 446.

l. 2920-2921. B. explains "he could not this time, as usual, give jewels to his followers."--_Beit._ xii. 106.

l. 2922. The Merovingian or Frankish race.

l. 2940 _seq._ B. conjectures:

cwæð hīe on mergenne mēces ecgum
gētan wolde, sumon galgtreowu
āhēawan on holte ond hīe āhōan on þā
fuglum tō gamene.
--_Beit._ xii. 107, 372.

Cf. S., _Beit._ ix. 143. gētan = _cause blood to be shed._

l. 2950. B. proposes gomela for gōda; "a surprising epithet for a Geat to apply to the 'terrible' Ongentheow."--Ha. p. 99. But "good" does not necessarily mean "morally excellent," as a "good" hater, a "good" fighter.

l. 2959. See H.-So. for an explanatory quotation from Paulus Diaconus, etc. B., K., and Th. read segn Higelāces, = H.'s banner uplifted began to pursue the Swede-men.--_Beit._ xii. 108. S. suggests sǣce, = _pursuit_.

l. 2977. gewyrpton: this vb. is also used reflexively in _Exod._ (Hunt), l. 130: wyrpton hīe wērige.

l. 2989. bær is Grundt.'s reading, after the MS. "The surviving victor is the heir of the slaughtered foe."--H.-So. Cf. _Hildebrands Lied_, ll. 61, 62.

l. 2995. "A hundred of thousands in land and rings" (Ha., p. 100). Cf. ll. 2196, 3051. Cf. B., _Beit._ xii. 20, who quotes Saxo's _bis senas gentes_ and remarks: "Hrolf Kraki, who rewards his follower, for the slaying of the foreign king, with jewels, rich lands, and his only daughter's hand, answers to the Jutish king Hygelāc, who rewards his liegeman, for the slaying of Ongenthēow, with jewels, enormous estates, and _his_ only daughter's hand."

l. 3006. H.-So. suggests Scilfingas for Scyldingas, because, at l. 2397, Beowulf kills the Scylfing Ēadgils and probably acquires his lands. Thus ll. 3002, 3005, 3006, would indicate that, after Beowulf's death, the Swedes desired to shake off his hated yoke. Müllenh., however, regards l. 3006 as a thoughtless repetition of l. 2053.--_Haupts Zeitschr._ xiv. 239.

l. 3008. Cf. the same proverb at l. 256; and _Exod._ (Hunt.) l. 293.

l. 3022. E. quotes:

"Thai token an harp _gle and game_
And maked a lai and yaf it name."
--_Weber_, l. 358.

and from Percy, "The word _glee_, which peculiarly denoted their art (the minstrels'), continues still in our own language ... it is to this day used in a musical sense, and applied to a peculiar piece of composition."

l. 3025. "This is a finer use than usual of the common poetic attendants of a battle, the wolf, the eagle, and the raven. The three are here like three Valkyrie, talking of all that they have done."--Br., p. 57.

l. 3033. Cf. Hunt's _Dan._ l. 731, for similar language.

l. 3039. B. supplies a supposed gap here:

[banan ēac fundon bennum sēocne
(nē) ǣr hī þǣm gesēgan syllīcran wiht]
wyrm on wonge...
--_Beit._ xii. 372.

Cf. Ha., p. 102. W. and Ho. insert [þǣr] before gesēgan.

l. 3042. Cf. l. 2561, where gryre-giest occurs as an epithet of the dragon. B. proposes gry[re-fāh].

l. 3044. lyft-wynne, _in the pride of the air_, E.; _to rejoice in the air_, Ha.

l. 3057. (1) He (God) is men's hope; (2) he is the heroes' hope; (3) gehyld = the secret place of enchanters; cf. hēlsmanna gehyld, Gr.'s reading, after A.-S. hǣlsere, haruspex, augur.

l. 3060. B. suggests gehȳðde, = _plundered_ (i.e. by the thief), for gehȳdde.

ll. 3063-3066. (1) B. suggests wundur [dēaðe] hwār þonne eorl ellenrof ende gefēre = _let a brave man then somewhere meet his end by wondrous venture_, etc.--_Zachers Zeitschr._ iv. 241; cf. l. 3038. (2) S. supposes an indirect question introduced by hwār and dependent upon wundur, = _a mystery is it when it happens that the hero is to die, if he is no longer to linger among his people_.--_Beit._ ix. 143. (3) Müllenh. suggests: _is it to be wondered at that a man should die when he can no longer live?_--_Zachers Zeitschr._ xiv. 241. (4) Possibly thus:

Wundrað hwæt þonne,
eorl ellen-rōf, ende gefēre
līf-gesceafta, þonne leng ne mæg (etc.),

in which hwæt would = þurh hwæt at l. 3069, and eorl would be subject of the conjectural vb. wundrað: "the valiant earl wondereth then through what he shall attain his life's end, when he no longer may live. ... So Bēowulf knew not (wondered how) through what _his_ end should come," etc. W. and Ho. join þonne to the next line. Or, for hwār read wǣre: Wundur wǣre þonne (= gif), etc., = "would it be any wonder if a brave man," etc., which is virtually Müllenhoff's.

l. 3053. galdre bewunden, _spell-bound_, throws light on l. 2770, gelocen leoðo-cræftum. The "accursed" gold of legend is often dragon-guarded and placed under a spell. Even human ashes (as Shakespeare's) are thus banned. ll. 3047-3058 recall the so-called "Treasury of Atreus."

l. 3070. H.-So. begins a new line with swā.

l. 3073. herh, hearh, _temple_, is conjectured by E. to survive in _Harrow. Temple, barrow_, etc., have thus been raised to proper names. Cf. Bīowulfes biorh of l. 2808.

l. 3074. H.-So. has strude, = _ravage_, and compares l. 3127. MS. has strade. S. suggests stride, = _tread_.

l. 3074. H.-So. omits strādan, = _tread, stride over_, from the Gloss., referring ll. 3174 and 3074 to strūdan, q. v.

l. 3075. S. proposes: næs hē goldhwætes gearwor hæfde, etc., = _Beowulf had not before seen the greedy possessor's favor_.--_Beit._ ix. 143. B. reads, goldhwæte gearwor hæfde, etc., making goldhwæte modify ēst, = _golden favor_; but see _Beit._ xii. 373, for B.'s later view.

l. 3086-3087. B. translates, "that which (i.e. the treasure) drew the king thither was granted indeed, but it overwhelmed us."--_Beit._ xii. 109.

l. 3097. B. and S. propose æfter wine dēadum, = _in memory of the dead friend_.--_Beit._ ix. 144.

l. 3106. The brād gold here possibly includes the iū-monna gold of l. 3053 and the wunden gold of l. 3135. E. translates brād by _bullion_.

l. 3114. B. supposes folc-āgende to be dat. sg. to gōdum, referring to Beowulf.

l. 3116. C. considers weaxan, = Lat. _vescor_, to devour, as a parallel to fretan, and discards parentheses.--_Beit._ viii. 573.

l. 3120. fūs = _furnished with_; a meaning which must be added to those in the Gloss.

ll. 3124-3125. S. proposes:

ēode eahta sum under inwit-hrōf
hilderinca: sum on handa bær, etc.
--_Beit._ ix. 144.

l. 3136. H.-So. corrects (after B.) to æðeling_c_, the MS. having _e_.

l. 3145. "It was their [the Icelanders'] belief that the higher the smoke rose in the air the more glorious would the burnt man be in heaven."-- _Ynglinga Saga_, 10 (quoted by E.). Cf. the funeral pyre of Herakles.

l. 3146-3147. B. conjectures:

... swōgende lēc
wōpe bewunden windblonda lēg

(lēc from lācan, see Gloss.).--_Beit._ xii. 110. Why not windblonda lāc?

l. 3147. Müllenhoff rejected wind-blond gelæg because a great fire raises rather than "lays" the wind; hence B., as above, = "swoughing sported the flame wound with the howling of wind-currents."

l. 3151 _seq._ B. restores conjecturally:

swylce giōmor-gyd sio geō-meowle
[æfter Bēowulfe] bunden-heorde
[song] sorg-cearig, sǣde geneahhe,
þæt hīo hyre [hearm-]dagas hearde on [dr]ēde,
wælfylla worn, [w]īgendes egesan,
hȳ[n]ðo ond hæftnȳd, hēof on rīce wealg.
--_Beit._ xii. 100.

Here geō-meowle = _old woman_ or _widow;_ bunden-heorde = _with bound locks;_ hēof = _lamentation;_ cf. l. 3143. on rīce wealg is less preferable than the MS. reading, heofon rēce swealg = _heaven swallowed the smoke_.--H.-So. B. thinks Beowulf's widow (geōmeowle) was probably Hygd; cf. ll. 2370, 3017-3021.

l. 3162. H.-So. reads (with MS.) bronda be lāfe, for betost, and omits colon after bēcn. So B., _Zachers Zeitschr._ iv. 224.

l. 3171. E. quotes Gibbon's accounts of the burial of Attila when the "chosen squadrons of the Hun, wheeling round in measured evolutions, chanted a funeral song to the memory of a hero."

ll. 3173-3174. B. proposes:

woldon gēn cwīðan [ond] kyning
wordgyd wrecan ond ymb wēl sprecan.
--_Beit._ xii. 112.

l. 3183. Z., K., Th. read manna for mannum.

l. 3184. "It is the English ideal of a hero as it was conceived by an Englishman some twelve hundred years ago."--Br., p. 18.

NOTES TO THE FIGHT AT FINNSBURG.

The original MS. of this fragment has vanished, but a copy had been made and printed by Hickes in his _Thesaurus Linguarum Septentrionalium_, i. 192. The original was written on a single sheet attached to a codex of homilies in the Lambeth Library. Möller, _Alteng. Epos_, p. 65, places the fragment in the Finn episode, between ll. 1146 and 1147. Bugge (_Beit._ xii. 20) makes it illustrate the conflict in which Hnæf fell, _i.e._ as described in _Bēowulf_ as antecedent to the events there given. Heinzel (_Anzeiger f. d. Altert._), however, calls attention to the fact that Hengest in the fragment is called cyning, whereas in _Bēowulf_, l. 1086, he is called þegn. See H.-So., p. 125.

"The _Fight at Finnsburg_ and the lays from which our _Bēowulf_ was composed were, as it seems to me, sung among the English who dwelt in the north of Denmark and the south of Sweden, and whose tribal name was the Jutes or Goths."--Br., p. 101.

l. 1. R. supposes [hor]nas, and conjectures such an introductory conversation as follows: "Is it dawning in the east, or is a fiery dragon flying about, or are the turrets of some castle burning?" questions which the king negatives in the same order. Then comes the positive declaration, "rather they are warriors marching whose armor gleams in the moonlight." --_Alt- und Angels. Lesebuch_, 1861. Heinzel and B. conjecture, [beorhtor hor]nas byrnað nǣfre. So. G.--_Beit._ xii. 22; _Anzeiger f. d. Altert._ x. 229.

l. 5. B. conjectures fugelas to mean _arrows_, and supplies:

ac hēr forð berað [fyrdsearu rincas,
flacre flānbogan], fugelas singað.

He compares Saxo, p. 95, _cristatis galeis hastisque sonantibus instant_, as explanatory of l. 6.--_Beit._ xii. 22. But see Brooke, _Early Eng. Literature_, who supposes fugelas = _raven_ and _eagle_, while grǣg-hama is = _wulf_ (the "grey-coated one"), the ordinary accompaniers of battle.

l. 11. hicgeað, etc.: cf. _Maldon_, l. 5; _Exod._ l. 218.

l. 15. Cf. B. (_Beit._ xii. 25), etc., and Saxo, p. 101, for l. 13.

ll. 18-21. H.-So. remarks: "If, according to Möller and Bugge, Gārulf is one of the attackers, one of Finn's men, this does not harmonize with his character as Gūðlāf's son (l. 33), who (l. 16, and _Bēowulf_, l. 1149) is a Dane, therefore one of Finn's antagonists." B. (_Beit._ xii. 25) conjectures:

þā gȳt Gūðdene Gārulf styrode,
þæt hē swā frēolīc feorh forman sīðe
tō þǣre healle durum hyrsta ne bǣre,
nū hīe nīða heard ānyman wolde;

in which Gūðdene is the same as Sigeferð, l. 24; hē (l. 22) refers to Gārulf; and hīe (l. 21) to hyrsta.

l. 27. swæðer = _either_ (bad or good, life or death).--H.-So.

l. 29. cēlod: meaning doubtful; cf. _Maldon_, l. 283. G. renders "curved board"; Sw. suggests "round"? "hollow"?

l. 30. B. suggests bār-helm, = _boar-helm._ Cf. Saxo, p. 96.--_Beit._ xii. 26.

l. 34. B. conjectures: (1) hwearf flacra hrǣw hræfen, wandrode; (2) hwearf flacra hrǣw hræfen fram ōðrum = _flew from one corpse to another_.--_Beit._ xii. 27.

l. 43. B. supposes wund hæleð to be a Dane, folces hyrde to be Hnæf, in opposition to Holtzmann (_Germania_, viii. 494), who supposes the wounded man to be a Frisian, and folces hyrde to be their king, Finn.--_Beit._ xii. 28.

l. 45. B. adopts Th.'s reading heresceorp unhrōr = _equipments useless_.--_Beit._ xii. 28.

l. 47. "Though wounded, they had retained their strength and activity in battle."--B., _Beit._ xii. 28.

GLOSSARY

A

ac, conj. denoting contrariety: hence 1) _but_ (like N.H.G. sondern), 109, 135, 339, etc.--2) _but_ (N.H.G. aber), _nevertheless_, 602, 697, etc.--3) in direct questions: nonne, numquid, 1991.

āglǣca, āhlǣca, ǣglǣca, -cea, w. m. (cf. Goth, aglo, _trouble_, O.N. agi, _terror_, + lāc, _gift, sport: = misery, vexation, = bringer of trouble_; hence): 1) _evil spirit, demon, a demon-like being_; of Grendel, 159, 433, 593, etc.; of the drake, 2535, 2906, etc.--2) _great hero, mighty warrior_; of Sigemund, 894; of Bēowulf: gen. sg. āglǣcan(?), 1513; of Bēowulf and the drake: nom. pl. þā āglǣcean, 2593.

āglǣc-wīf, st. n., _demon, devil, in the form of a woman_; of Grendel's mother, 1260.

aldor. See ealdor.

al-wealda. See eal-w.

am-biht (from and-b., Goth, and-baht-s), st. m., _servant, man-servant_: nom. sg. ombeht, of the coast-guard, 287; ombiht, of Wulfgār, 336.

ambiht-þegn (from ambiht n. officium and þegn, which see), _servant, man-servant_: dat. sg. ombiht-þegne, of Bēowulf's servant, 674.

an, prep, with the dat., _on, in, with respect to_, 678; _with, among, at, upon_ (position after the governed word), 1936; with the acc., 1248. Elsewhere on, which see.

ancor, st. m., _anchor_: dat. sg. ancre, 303, 1884.

ancor-bend, m. (?) f. (?), _anchor-cable_: dat. pl. oncer-bendum, 1919.

and, conj. (ond is usual form; for example, 601, 1149, 2041), and 33, 39, 40, etc. (See Appendix.)

anda, w. m., _excitement, vexation, horror_: dat. wrāðum on andan, 709, 2315.

and-git, st. n., _insight, understanding_: nom. sg., 1060. See gitan.

and-hātor, st. m. n., _heat coming against one_: gen. sg. rēðes and-hāttres, 2524.

and-lang, -long, adj., _very long._ hence 1) _at whole length, raised up high_: acc. andlongne eorl, 2696 (cf. Bugge upon this point, Zachers Ztschr., 4, 217).--2) _continual, entire_; andlangne dæg, 2116, _the whole day_; andlonge niht, 2939.

and-lēan, st. n., _reward, payment in full_: acc. sg., 1542, 2095 (hand-, hond-lean, MS.).

and-risno, st. f. (see rīsan, surgere, decere), _that which is to be observed, that which is proper, etiquette_: dat. pl. for andrysnum, _according to etiquette_, 1797.

and-saca, w. m., _adversary_: godes andsaca (Grendel), 787, 1683.

and-slyht, st. m., _blow in return_: acc. sg., 2930, 2973 (MS. both times hond-slyht).

and-swaru, st. f., _act of accosting_: 1) to persons coming up, _an address_, 2861.--2) in reply to something said, _an answer_, 354, 1494, 1841.

and-weard, adj., _present, existing_: acc. sg. n. swīn ofer helme and-weard (_the image of the boar, which stands on his helm_), 1288.

and-wlita, w. m., _countenance_: acc. sg. -an, 690.

an-sund, adj., _entirely unharmed_: nom. sg. m., 1001.

an-sȳn, f., _the state of being seen_: hence 1) _the exterior, the form_, 251: ansȳn ȳwde, _showed his form_, i.e. appeared, 2835.--2) _aspect, appearance_, 929; on-sȳn, 2773.

an-walda, w. m., _He who rules over all, God_, 1273. See Note.

atelīc, adj., _terrible, dreadful_: atelīc egesa, 785.

atol, adj. (also eatol, 2075, etc.), _hostile, frightful, cruel_: of Grendel, 159, 165, 593, 2075, etc.; of Grendel's mother's hands (dat. pl. atolan), 1503; of the undulation of the waves, 849; of battle, 597, 2479.--cf. O.N. atall, fortis, strenuus.

attor, st. n., _poison_, here of the poison of the dragon's bite: nom., 2716.

attor-sceaða, w. m., _poisonous enemy, of the poisonous dragon_: gen. sg. -sceaðan, 2840.

āwa, adv. (certainly not the dative, but a reduplicated form of ā, which see), _ever_: āwa tō aldre, _fōr ever and ever_, 956.

Ā

ā, adv. (Goth, áiv, acc. from aiv-s aevum), _ever, always_, 455, 882, 931, 1479: ā syððan, _ever afterwards, ever, ever after_, 283, 2921.--_ever_, 780.--Comp. nā.

ād st. m. _funeral pile_: acc. sg. ād, 3139; dat. sg. āde, 1111, 1115.

ād-faru, st. f., _way to the funeral pile_, dat. sg. on ād-fære, 3011.

ādl, st. f. _sickness_, 1737, 1764, 1849.

āð, st. m., _oath in general_, 2740; _oath of allegiance_, 472 (?); _oath of reconciliation of two warring peoples_, 1098, 1108.

āð-sweord, st. n., _the solemn taking of an oath, the swearing of an oath_: nom. pl., 2065. See sweord.

āðum-swerian, m. pl., _son-in-law and father-in-law_: dat. pl., 84.

āgan, verb, pret. and pres., _to have, to possess_, w. acc.: III. prs. sg. āh, 1728; inf. āgan, 1089; prt. āhte, 487, 522, 533; with object, geweald, to be supplied, 31. Form contracted with the negative: prs. sg. I. nāh hwā sweord wege (_I have no one to wield the sword_), 2253.

āgen, adj., _own, peculiar_, 2677.

āgend (prs. part. of āgan), _possessor, owner, lord_: gen. sg. āgendes, _of God_, 3076.--Compounds: blǣd-, bold-, folc-, mægen-āgend.

āgend-frēa, w. m., _owner, lord_: gen. sg. āgend-frēan, 1884.

āhsian, ge-āhsian, w. v.: 1) _to examine, to find out by inquiring_: pret. part. ge-āhsod, 433.--2) _to experience, to endure_: pret. āhsode, 1207; pl. āhsodon, 423.

āht, st. n. (contracted from ā-wiht, which see), _something, anything_: āht cwices, 2315.

ān, num. The meaning of this word betrays its apparent demonstrative character: 1) _this, that_, 2411, of the hall in the earth mentioned before; similarly, 100 (of Grendel; already mentioned), cf. also 2775.--2) _one_, a particular one among many, a single one, in numerical sense: ymb āne niht (_the next night_), 135; þurh ānes cræft, 700; þāra ānum, 1038; ān æfter ānum, _one for the other_ (Hrēðel for Herebeald), 2462: similarly, ān æfter eallum, 2269; ānes hwæt, _some single thing, a part_, 3011; se ān lēoda duguðe, _the one of the heroes of the people_, 2238; ānes willan, _for the sake of a single one_, 3078, etc.--Hence, again, 3) _alone, distinguished_, 1459, 1886.--4) _a_, in the sense of an indefinite article: ān ... fēond, 100; gen. sg. ānre bēne (or to No.2[?]), 428; ān ... draca, 2211--5) gen. pl. ānra, in connection with a pronoun, _single_; ānra gehwylces, _every single one_, 733; ānra gehwylcum, 785. Similarly, the dat. pl. in this sense: nemne fēaum ānum, _except a few single ones_, 1082.--6) solus, _alone_: in the strong form, 1378, 2965; in the weak form, 145, 425, 431, 889, etc.; with the gen., āna Gēata duguðe, _alone of the warriors of the Gēatas_, 2658.--7) solitarius, _alone, lonely_, see ǣn.--Comp. nān.

ān-feald, adj., _simple, plain, without reserve_: acc. sg. ānfealdne geþōht, _simple opinion_, 256.

ān-genga, -gengea, w. m., _he who goes alone_, of Grendel, 165, 449.

ān-haga, w. m., _he who stands alone_, solitarius, 2369.

ān-hȳdig, adj. (like the O.N. ein-rād-r, _of one resolve_, i.e. of firm resolve), _of one opinion_, i.e. firm, brave, decided, 2668.

ānga, adj. (only in the weak form), _single, only_: acc. sg. āngan dōhtor, 375, 2998; āngan eaferan, 1548; dat. sg. āngan brēðer, 1263.

ān-pæð, st. m., _lonely way, path_: acc. pl. ānpaðas, 1411.

ān-rǣd, adj. (cf. under ān-hȳdig), _of firm resolution, resolved_, 1530, 1576.

ān-tīd, st. f., _one time_, i.e. the same time, ymb ān-tīd ōðres dōgores, _about the same time the second day_ (they sailed twenty-four hours), 219.--ān stands as in ān-mod, O.H.G. ein-muoti, _harmonious, of the same disposition_.

ānunga, adv., _throughout, entirely, wholly_, 635.

ār, st. m., _ambassador, messenger_, 336, 2784.

ār, st. f., 1) _honor, dignity_: ārum healdan, _to hold in honor_, 296; similarly, 1100, 1183.--2) _favor, grace, support_: acc. sg. āre, 1273, 2607; dat. sg. āre, 2379; gen. pl. hwæt ... ārna, 1188.--Comp. worold-ār; also written ǣr.

ār-fæst, adj., _honorable, upright_, 1169; of Hunferð (with reference to 588). See fæst.

ārian, w. v., (_to be gracious_), _to spare_: III. sg. prs. w. dat. nǣnegum ārað; of Grendel, 599.

ār-stæf, st. m.,(elementum honoris), _grace, favor_: dat. pl. mid ārstafum, 317.--_Help, support_: dat. pl. for ār-stafum, _to the assistance_, 382, 458. See stæf.

āter-tēar, m., _poisonous drop_: dat. pl. īren āter-tēarum fāh (steel which is dipped in poison or in poisonous sap of plants), 1460.

Æ

æðele, adj., _noble_: nom. sg., of Bēowulf, 198, 1313; of Bēowulf's father, 263, where it can be understood as well in a moral as in a genealogical sense; the latter prevails decidedly in the gen. sg. æðelan cynnes, 2235.

æðeling, st. m., _nobleman, man of noble descent_, especially the appellation of a man of royal birth; so of the kings of the Danes, 3; of Scyld, 33; of Hrōðgār, 130; of Sigemund, 889; of Bēowulf, 1226, 1245, 1597, 1816, 2189, 2343, 2375, 2425, 2716, 3136; perhaps also of Dæghrefn, 2507;--then, in a broader sense, also denoting other noble-born men: Æschere, 1295; Hrōðgār's courtiers, 118, 983; Heremōd's courtiers, 907; Hengest's warriors, 1113; Bēowulf's retinue, 1805, 1921, 3172; noble-born in general, 2889. --Comp. sib-æðeling.

æðelu, st. n., only in the pl., _noble descent, nobility_, in the sense of noble lineage: acc. pl. æðelu, 392; dat. pl. cyning æðelum gōd, _the king, of noble birth_, 1871; æðelum dīore, _worthy on account of noble lineage_, 1950; æðelum (hǣleþum, MS.), 332.--Comp. fæder-æðelu.

æfnan, w. v. w. acc., _to perform, to carry out, to accomplish_: inf. ellen-weorc æfnan, _to do a heroic deed_, 1465; pret. unriht æfnde, _perpetrated wrong_, 1255.

ge-æfnan, 1) _to carry out, to do, to accomplish_: pret. pl. þæt geæfndon swā, _so carried that out_, 538; pret. part. āð wæs geæfned, _the oath was sworn_, 1108.--2) _get ready, prepare_: pret. part. geæfned, 3107. See efnan.

æfter (comparative of af, Ags. of, which see; hence it expresses the idea of _forth, away, from, back_), a) adv., _thereupon, afterwards_, 12, 341, 1390, 2155.--ic him æfter sceal, _I shall go after them_, 2817; in word æfter cwæð, 315, the sense seems to be, _spoke back, having turned_; b) prep. w. dat., 1) (temporal) _after_, 119, 128, 187, 825, 1939, etc.; æfter beorne, _after the_ (death of) _the hero_, 2261, so 2262; æfter māððum-welan, _after_ (obtaining) _the treasure_, 2751.--2) (causal) as proceeding from something, denoting result and purpose, hence, _in consequence of, conformably to_: æfter rihte, _in accordance with right_, 1050, 2111; æfter faroðe, _with the current_, 580; so 1321, 1721, 1944, 2180, etc., æfter heaðo-swāte, _in consequence of the blood of battle_, 1607; æfter wælnīðe, _in consequence of mortal enmity_, 85; _in accordance with, on account of, after, about_: æfter æðelum (hǣleþum, MS.)frægn, _asked about the descent_, 332; ne frīn þū æfter sǣlum, _ask not after my welfare_, 1323; æfter sincgyfan grēoteð, _weeps for the giver of treasure_, 1343; him æfter dēorum men dyrne langað, _longs in secret for the dear man_, 1880; ān æfter ānum, _one for the other_, 2462, etc.--3) (local), _along_: æfter gumcynnum, _throughout the races of men, among men_, 945; sōhte bed æfter būrum, _sought a bed among the rooms of the castle_ (the castle was fortified, the hall was not), 140; æfter recede wlāt, _looked along the hall_, 1573; stone æfter stāne, _smelt along the rocks_, 2289; æfter lyfte, _along the air through the air_, 2833; similarly, 996, 1068, 1317, etc.

æf-þunca, w. m., _anger, chagrin, vexatious affair_: nom., 502.

ge-æhtan, w. v., _to prize, to speak in praise of_: pret. part. geæhted, 1866.

ge-æhtla, w. m., or ge-æhtle, w. f., _a speaking of with praise, high esteem_: gen. sg. hȳ ... wyrðe þinceað eorla geæhtlan, _seem worthy of the high esteem of the noble-born_, 369.

æglǣcea. See āglǣcea.

æl-fylce (from æl-, Goth. ali-s, ἄλλος, and fylce, O.N. fylki, collective form from folc), st. n., _other folk, hostile army_: dat. pl. wið ælfylcum, 2372.

æl-mihtig (for eal-m.), adj., _almighty_: nom. sg. m., of the weak form, se æl-mihtiga, 92.

æl-wiht, st. m., _being of another species, monster_: gen. pl. æl-wihta eard, of the dwelling-place of Grendel's kindred, 1501.

æppel-fealu, adj., _dappled sorrel_, or _apple-yellow_: nom. pl. æppel-fealuwe mēaras, _apple-yellow steeds_, 2166.

ærn, st. n., _house_, in the compounds heal-, hord-, medo-, þrȳð-, win-ærn.

æsc, st. m., _ash_ (does not occur in Bēowulf in this sense), _lance, spear_, because the shaft consists of ash wood: dat. pl. (quā instr.) æscum and ecgum, _with spears and swords_, 1773.

æsc-holt, st. n., _ash wood, ashen shaft_: nom. pl. æsc-holt ufan grǣg, _the ashen shafts gray above_ (spears with iron points), 330.

æsc-wiga, w. m., _spear-fighter, warrior armed with the spear_: nom. sg., 2043.

æt, prep. w. dat., with the fundamental meaning of nearness to something, hence 1) local, a) _with, near, at, on, in_ (rest): æt hȳðe, in _harbor_, 32; æt symle, _at the meal_, 81, æt āde, _on the funeral-pile_, 1111, 1115; æt þē ānum, _with thee alone_, 1378; æt wīge, _in the fight_, 1338; æt hilde, 1660, 2682; æt ǣte, _in eating_, 3027, etc. b) _to, towards, at, on_ (motion to): dēaðes wylm hrān æt heortan, _seized upon the heart_, 2271; gehēton æt hærgtrafum, _vowed at_ (or _to_) _the temples of the gods_, 175. c) with verbs of taking away, _away from_ (as starting from near an object): geþeah þæt ful æt Wealhþēon, _took the cup from W_., 630; fela ic gebād grynna æt Grendle, _from Grendel_, 931; æt mīnum fæder genam, _took me from my father to himself_, 2430.--2) temporal, _at, in, at the time of_: æt frumsceafte, _in the beginning_, 45; æt ende, _at an end_, 224; fand sīnne dryhten ealdres æt ende, _at the end of life, dying_, 2791; similarly, 2823; æt feohgyftum, _in giving gifts_, 1090; æt sīðestan, _finally_, 3014.

æt-grǣpe, adj., _laying hold of_, prehendens, 1270.

æt-rihte, adv., _almost_, 1658.

Ǣ

ǣdre, ēdre, st. f., _aqueduct, canal_ (not in Bēow.), _vein_ (not in Bēow.), _stream, violent pouring forth_: dat. pl. swāt ǣdrum sprong, _the blood sprang in streams_, 2967; blōd ēdrum dranc, _drank the blood in streams_(?), 743.

ǣdre, adv., _hastily, directly, immediately_, 77, 354, 3107.

ǣðm, st. m., _breath, gasp, snort_: instr. sg. hreðer ǣðme wēoll, _the breast_ (of the drake) _heaved with snorting_, 2594.

ǣfen, st. m., _evening_, 1236.

ǣfen-gram, adj., _hostile at evening, night-enemy_: nom. sg. m. ǣfen-grom, of Grendel, 2075.

ǣfen-lēoht, st. n., _evening-light_: nom. sg., 413.

ǣfen-ræst, st. f., _evening-rest_: acc. sg. -ræste, 647, 1253.

ǣfen-sprǣc, st. f., _evening-talk_: acc. sg. gemunde ...ǣfen-sprǣce, _thought about what he had spoken in the evening_, 760.

ǣfre, adv., _ever, at any time_, 70, 280, 504, 693, etc.: in negative sentences, ǣfre ne, _never_, 2601.--Comp. nǣfre.

ǣg-hwā (O.H.G. ēo-ga-hwër), pron., _every, each_: dat. sg. ǣghwǣm, 1385. The gen. sg. in adverbial sense, _in all, throughout, thoroughly_: ǣghwæs untǣle, _thoroughly blameless_, 1866; ǣghwæs unrīm, _entirely innumerable quantity_, i.e. an enormous multitude, 2625, 3136.

ǣg-hwæðer (O.H.G. ēo-ga-hwëdar): 1) _each_ (of two): nom. sg. hæfde ǣghwæðer ende gefēred, _each of the two_ (Bēowulf and the drake) _had reached the end_, 2845; dat. sg. ǣghwæðrum wæs brōga fram ōðrum, _to each of the two_ (Bēowulf and the drake) _was fear of the other_, 2565; gen. sg. ǣghwæðres ... worda and worca, 287.--2) _each_ (of several): dat. sg. heora ǣghwæðrum, 1637.

ǣg-hwǣr, adv., _everywhere_, 1060.

ǣg-hwilc (O.H.G. ēo-gi-hwëlih), pron., unusquisque, _every_ (one): 1) used as an adj.: acc. sg. m. dǣl ǣghwylcne, 622.--2) as substantive, a) with the partitive genitive: nom. sg. ǣg-hwylc, 9, 2888; dat. sg. ǣghwylcum, 1051. b) without gen.: nom. sg. ǣghwylc, 985, 988; (wæs) ǣghwylc ōðrum trȳwe, _each one_ (of two) _true to the other_, 1166.

ǣg-weard, st. f., _watch on the sea shore_: acc. sg. ǣg-wearde, 241.

ǣht (abstract form from āgan, denoting the state of possessing), st. f.: 1) _possession, power_: acc. sg. on flōdes ǣht, 42; on wæteres ǣht, _into the power of the water_, 516; on ǣht gehwearf Denigea frēan, _passed over into the possession of a Danish master_, 1680.--2) _property, possessions, goods_: acc. pl. ǣhte, 2249.--Comp. māðm-, gold-ǣht.

ǣht (O.H.G. āhta), st. f., _pursuit_: nom. þā wæs ǣht boden Swēona lēodum, segn Higelāce, _then was pursuit offered to the people of the Swēonas, (their) banner to Hygelāc_ (i.e. the banner of the Swedes, taken during their flight, fell into the hands of Hygelāc), 2958.

ǣled (Old Sax. eld, O.N. edl-r), st. m., _fire_, 3016.

ǣled-lēoma, w. m., _(fire-light), torch_: acc. sg. lēoman, 3126. See lēoma.

ǣn (oblique form of ān), num., _one_: acc. sg. m. þone ǣnne þone..., _the one whom_..., 1054; oftor micle þonne on ǣnne sīð, _much oftener than one time_, 1580; forð onsendon ǣnne, _sent him forth alone_, 46.

ǣne, adv., _once_: oft nalles ǣne, 3020.

ǣnig, pron., _one, any one_, 474, 503, 510, 534, etc.: instr. sg. nolde ... 0nige þinga, _would in no way, not at all_, 792; lȳt ǣnig mearn, _little did any one sorrow_ (i.e. no one), 3130.--With the article: næs se folccyning ... ǣnig, _no people's king_, 2735.--Comp. nǣnig.

ǣn-līc, adj., _alone, excellent, distinguished_: ǣnlīc ansȳn, _distinguished appearance_, 251; þēah þe hīo ǣnlīcu sȳ, _though she be beautiful_, 1942.

ǣr (comparative form, from ā): 1) adv., _sooner, before, beforehand_, 15, 656, 695, 758, etc., _for a long time_, 2596; eft swā ǣr, _again as formerly_, 643; ǣr nē siððan, _neither sooner nor later_, 719; ǣr and sīð, _sooner and later_ (all times), 2501; nō þȳ ǣr (_not so much the sooner_), _yet not_, 755, 1503, 2082, 2161, 2467.--2) conjunct., _before, ere_: a) with the ind.: ǣr hīo tō setle gēong, 2020. b) w. subjunc.: ǣr gē fyr fēran, _before you travel farther_, 252; ǣr hē on hwurfe 164, so 677, 2819; ǣr þon dæg cwōme, _ere the day break_, 732; ǣr correlative to ǣr adv.: ǣr hē feorh seleð, aldor an ōfre, ǣr hē wille ..., _he will sooner_ (rather) _leave his life upon the shore, before_ (than) _he will_ ..., 1372.--3) prepos. with dat., _before_ ǣr dēaðe, _before death_, 1389; ǣr dæges hwīle, _before daybreak_, 2321; ǣr swylt-dæge, _before the day of death_, 2799.

ǣror, comp. adv., _sooner, before-hand_, 810; _formerly_, 2655.

ǣrra, comp. adj., _earlier_; instr. pl., ǣrran mǣlum, _in former times_, 908, 2238, 3036.

ǣrest, superl.: 1) adv., _first of all, foremost_, 6, 617, 1698, etc.--2) as subst. n., _relation to, the beginning_: acc. þæt ic his ǣrest þē eft gesægde (_to tell thee in what relation it stood at first to the coat of mail that has been presented_), 2158. See Note.

ǣr-dæg, st. m. (_before-day_), _morning-twilight, gray of morning_: dat. sg. mid ǣrdæge, 126; samod ǣrdæge, 1312, 2943.

ǣrende, st. n., _errand, trust_: acc. sg., 270, 345.

ǣr-fæder, st. m., _late father, deceased father_: nom sg. swā his ǣrfæder, 2623.

ǣr-gestrēon, st. n., _old treasure, possessions dating from old times_: acc sg., 1758; gen. sg. swylcra fela ǣrgestrēona, _much of such old treasure_, 2233. See gestrēon.

ǣr-geweorc, st. n., _work dating from old times_: nom. sg. enta ǣr-geweorc, _the old work of the giants_ (of the golden sword-hilt from Grendel's water-hall), 1680. See geweorc.

ǣr-gōd, adj., _good since old times, long invested with dignity_ or _advantages_: æðeling ǣrgōd, 130; (eorl) ǣrgōd, 1330; īren ǣrgōd (_excellent sword_), 990, 2587.

ǣr-wela, w. m., _old possessions, riches dating from old times_: acc. sg. ǣrwelan, 2748. See wela.

ǣs, st. n., _carcass, carrion_: dat. (instr.) sg. ǣse, of Æschere's corpse, 1333.

ǣt, st. m., _food, meat_: dat, sg., hū him æt ǣte spēow, _how he fared well at meat_, 3027.

ǣttren (see attor), adj., _poisonous_: wæs þæt blōd tō þæs hāt, ǣttren ellorgāst, se ǣr inne swealt, _so hot was the blood, (and) poisonous the demon_ (Grendel's mother) _who died therein_, 1618

B

bana, bona, w. m., _murderer_, 158, 588, 1103, etc.: acc. sg. bonan Ongenþēowes, of Hygelāc, although in reality his men slew Ongenþēow (2965 ff.), 1969. Figuratively of inanimate objects: ne wæs ecg bona, 2507; wearð wracu Wēohstānes bana, 2614.--Comp.: ecg-, feorh-, gāst-, hand-, mūð-bana.

bon-gār, st. m. _murdering spear_, 2032.

ge-bannan, st. v. w. acc. of the thing and dat. of the person, _to command, to bid_: inf., 74.

bād, st. f., _pledge_, only in comp.: nȳd-bād.

bān, st. n., _bone_: dat. sg. on bāne (on the bony skin of the drake), 2579; dat. pl. heals ealne ymbefēng biteran bānum (here of the teeth of the drake), 2693.

bān-cofa, w. m., "cubile ossium" (Grimm) of the body: dat. sg. -cofan, 1446.

bān-fāg, adj., _variegated with bones_, either with ornaments made of bone-work, or adorned with bone, perhaps deer-antlers; of Hrōðgār's hall, 781. The last meaning seems the more probable.

bān-fæt, st. n., _bone-vessel_, i.e. the body: acc. pl. bān-fatu, 1117.

bān-hring, st. m., _the bone-structure, joint, bone-joint_: acc. pl. hire wið halse ... bānhringas bræc (_broke her neck-joint_), 1568.

bān-hūs, st. n., _bone-house_, i.e. the body: acc. sg. bānhūs gebræc, 2509; similarly, 3148.

bān-loca, w. m., _the enclosure of the bones_, i.e. the body: acc. sg. bāt bānlocan, _bit the body_, 743; nom. pl. burston bānlocan, _the body burst_ (of Grendel, because his arm was torn out), 819.

bāt, st. m., _boat, craft, ship_, 211.--Comp. sǣ-bāt.

bāt-weard, st. m., _boat-watcher, he who keeps watch over the craft._ dat. sg. -wearde, 1901.

bæð, st. n., _bath_: acc. sg. ofer ganotes bæð, _over the diver's bath_ (i.e. the sea), 1862.

bærnan, w. v., _to cause to burn, to burn_: inf. hēt ... bānfatu bærnan, _bade that the bodies be burned_, 1117; ongan ... beorht hofu bærnan, _began to consume the splendid country-seats_ (the dragon), 2314.

for-bærnan, w. v., _consume with fire_: inf. hȳ hine ne mōston ... brondefor-bærnan, _they_ (the Danes) _could not burn him_ (the dead Æschere) _upon the funeral-pile_, 2127.

bǣdan (Goth, baidjan, O.N. beðia), _to incite, to encourage_: pret. bǣdde byre geonge, _encouraged the youths_ (at the banquet), 2019.

ge-bǣdan, w. v., _to press hard_: pret. part. bysigum gebǣded, _distressed by trouble, difficulty, danger_ (of battle), 2581; _to drive, to send forth_: strǣla storm strengum gebǣded, _the storm of arrows sent with strength_, 3118; _overcome_: draca ... bealwe gebǣded, _the dragon ... overcome by the ills of battle_, 2827.

bǣl (O.N. bāl), st. n., _fire, flames_: (wyrm) mid bǣle fōr, _passed (through the air) with fire_, 2309; hæfde landwara līge befangan, bǣle and bronde, _with fire and burning_, 2323.--Especially, _the fire of the funeral-pile, the funeral-pile_, 1110, 1117, 2127; ǣr hē bǣl cure, _ere he sought the burning_ (i.e. died), 2819; hātað ... hlǣw gewyrcean ... æfter bǣle, _after I am burned, let a burial mound be thrown up_ (Bēowulf's words), 2804.

bǣl-fȳr, st. n., _bale-fire, fire of the funeral-pile_: gen. pl. bǣlfȳra mǣst, 3144.

bǣl-stede, st. m., _place for the funeral-pile_: dat. sg. in bǣl=stede, 3098.

bǣl-wudu, st. m., _wood for the funeral-pile_, 3113.

bǣr, st. f., _bier_, 3106.

ge-bǣran, w. v., _to conduct one's self, behave_: inf. w. adv., ne gefrægen ic þā mǣgðe ... sēl gebǣran, _I did not hear that a troop bore itself better, maintained a nobler deportment_, 1013; hē on eorðan geseah þone lēofestan līfes æt ende blēate gebǣran, _saw the best-beloved upon the earth, at the end of his life, struggling miserably_ (i.e. in a helpless situation), 2825.

ge-bǣtan (denominative from bǣte, _the bit_), w. v., _to place the bit in the mouth of an animal, to bridle_: pret. part. þā wæs Hrōðgāre hors gebǣted, 1400.

be, prep. w. dat. (with the fundamental meaning _near_, "but not of one direction, as æt, but more general"): 1) local, _near by, near, at, on_ (rest): be ȳdlāfe uppe lǣgon, _lay above, upon the deposit of the waves_ (upon the strand, of the slain nixies), 566; hæfde be honda, _held by the hand_ (Bēowulf held Grendel), 815; be sǣm tweonum, _in the circuit of both the seas_, 859, 1686; be mæste, _on the mast_, 1906; by fȳre, _by the fire_, 2220; be næsse, _at the promontory_, 2244; sæt be þǣm gebrōðrum twǣm, _sat by the two brothers_, 1192; wæs se gryre lǣssa efne swā micle swā bið mægða cræft be wǣpnedmen, _the terror was just so much less, as is the strength of woman to the warrior_ (i.e. is valued by), 1285, etc.--2) also local, but of motion from the subject in the direction of the object, _on, upon, by_: gefēng be eaxle, _seized by the shoulder_, 1538; ālēdon lēofne þēoden be mæste, _laid the dear lord near the mast_, 36; be healse genam, _took him by the neck, fell upon his neck_, 1873; wǣpen hafenade be hiltum, _grasped the weapon by the hilt_, 1757, etc.--3) with this is connected the causal force, _on account of, for, according to_: ic þis gid be þē āwræc, _I spake this solemn speech for thee, for thy sake_, 1724; þū þē lǣr be þon, _learn according to this, from this_, 1723; be fæder lāre, _according to her father's direction_, 1951.--4) temporal, _while, during_: be þē lifigendum, _while thou livest, during thy life_, 2666. See bī.

bed, st. n., _bed, couch_: acc. sg. bed, 140, 677; gen. sg. beddes, 1792; dat. pl. beddum, 1241.--Comp: deað-, hlin-, læger-, morðor-, wæl-bed.

ge-bedde, w. f., _bed-fellow_: dat. sg. wolde sēcan ewēn tō gebeddan, _wished to seek the queen as bed-fellow, to go to bed with her_, 666.--Comp. heals-gebedde.

bēgen, fem. bā, _both_: nom. m., 536, 770, 2708; acc. fem. on bā healfa, _on two sides_ (i.e. Grendel and his mother), 1306; dat. m. bām, 2197; and in connection with the possessive instead of the personal pronoun, ūrum bām, 2661; gen. n. bēga, 1874, 2896; bēga gehwæðres, _each one of the two_, 1044; bēga folces, of _both peoples_, 1125.

ge-belgan, st. v. (properly, _to cause to swell, to swell_), _to irritate_: w. dat. (pret. subj.) þæt hē ēcean dryhtne bitre gebulge, _that he had bitterly angered the eternal Lord_, 2332; pret. part. gebolgen, 1540; (gebolge, MS.), 2222; pl. gebolgne, 1432; more according to the original meaning in torne gebolgen, 2402.

ā-belgan, _to anger_: pret. sg. w. acc. oð þæt hyne ān ābealh mon on mōde, _till a man angered him in his heart_, 2281; pret. part. ābolgen, 724.

ben, st. f., _wound_: acc. sg. benne, 2725.--Comp.: feorh-, seax-ben.

benc, st. f., _bench_: nom. sg. benc, 492; dat. sg. bence, 327, 1014, 1189, 1244.--Comp.: ealu-, medu-benc.

benc-swēg, st. m., (_bench-rejoicing_), _rejoicing which resounds from the benches_, 1162.

benc-þel, st. n., _bench-board, the wainscotted space where the benches stand_: nom. pl. benc-þelu, 486; acc. pl. bencþelu beredon, _cleared the bench-boards_ (i.e. by taking away the benches, so as to prepare couches), 1240.

bend, st. m. f., _bond, fetter_: acc. sg. forstes bend, _frost's bond_, 1610; dat. pl. bendum, 978.--Comp.: fȳr-, hell-, hyge-, īren-, oncer-, searo-, wæl-bend.

ben-geat, st. n., (_wound-gate_), _wound-opening_: nom. pl. ben-geato, 1122.

bera (O.N. beri), w. m., _bearer_: in comp. hleor-bera.

beran, st. v. w. acc., _to carry_; III. sg. pres. byreð, 296, 448; þone māððum byreð, _carries the treasure_ (upon his person), 2056; pres. subj. bere, 437; pl. beren, 2654; inf. beran, 48, 231, 291, etc.; heht þā se hearda Hrunting beran, _to bring Hrunting_, 1808; up beran, 1921; in beran, 2153; pret. bær, 495, 712, 847, etc.; mandryhtne bær fǣted wǣge, _brought the lord the costly vessel_, 2282; pl. bǣron, 213, 1636, etc.; bǣran, 2851; pret. part. boren, 1193, 1648, 3136.--The following expressions are poetic paraphrases of the forms _go, come_: þæt wē rondas beren eft tō earde, 2654; gewītað forð beran wǣpen and gewǣdu, 291; ic gefrægn sunu Wīhstānes hringnet beran, 2755; wīgheafolan bær, 2662; helmas bǣron, 240 (conjecture); scyldas bǣran, 2851: they lay stress upon the connection of the man with his weapons.

æt-beran, _to carry to_: inf. tō beadulāce (_battle_) ætberan, 1562; pret. þā hine on morgentīd on Heaðorǣmas holm up ætbær, _the sea bore him up to the Heaðorǣmas_, 519; hīo Bēowulfe medoful ætbær _brought Bēowulf the mead-cup_, 625; mægenbyrðenne ... hider ūt ætbær cyninge mīnum, _bore the great burden hither to my king_, 3093; pl. hī hyne ætbǣron tō brimes faroðe, 28.--2) _bear away_: æt līc ætbær, 2128.

for-beran, _to hold, to suppress_: inf. þæt hē þone brēostwylm forberan ne mehte, _that he could not suppress the emotions of his breast_, 1878.

ge-beran, _to bring forth, to bear_: pret. part. þæt lā mæg secgan sē þe sōð and riht fremeð on folce ... þæt þes eorl wǣre geboren betera (_that may every just man of the people say, that this nobleman is better born_), 1704.

oð-beran, _to bring hither_: pret. þā mec sǣ oðbær on Finna land, 579.

on-beran (O.H.G. in bëran, intpëran, but in the sense of carere), auferre, _to carry off, to take away_: inf. īren ǣrgōd þæt þæs āhlǣcan blōdge beadufolme onberan wolde, _excellent sword which would sweep off the bloody hand of the demon_, 991; pret. part. (wæs) onboren bēaga hord, _the treasure of the rings had been carried off_, 2285.--Compounds with the pres. part.: helm-, sāwl-berend.

berian (denominative from bær, _naked_), w. v., _to make bare, to clear_: pret. pl. bencþelu beredon, _cleared the bench-place_ (by removing the benches), 1240.

berstan, st. v., _to break, to burst_: pret. pl. burston bānlocan, 819; bengeato burston, 1122.--_to crack, to make the noise of breaking_: fingras burston, _the fingers cracked_ (from Bēowulf's gripe), 761.

for-berstan, _break, to fly asunder_: pret. Nægling forbærst, _Nægling_ (Bēowulf's sword) _broke in two_, 2681.

betera, adj. (comp.), _better_: nom. sg. m. betera, 469, 1704.

bet-līc, adj., _excellent, splendid_: nom. sg. n., of Hrōðgār's hall, 781; of Hygelāc's residence, 1926.

betst, betost (superl.), _best, the best_: nom. sg. m. betst beadurinca, 1110; neut. nū is ofost betost, þæt wē ..., _now is haste the best, that we..._, 3008; voc. m. secg betsta, 948; neut. acc. beaduscrūda betst, 453; acc. sg. m. þegn betstan, 1872.

bēcn, st. n., _(beacon), token, mark, sign_: acc. sg. betimbredon beadu-rōfes bēcn (of Bēowulf's grave-mound), 3162. See beacen.

bēg. See bēag.

bēn, st. f., _entreaty_: gen. sg. bēne, 428, 2285.

bēna, w. m., _suppliant_, supplex: nom. sg. swā þū bēna eart (_as thou entreatest_), 352; swā hē bēna wæs (_as he had asked_), 3141; nom. pl. hȳ bēnan synt, 364.

ge-betan: 1) _to make good, to remove_: pret. ac þū Hrōðgāre wīdcūðne wēan wihte gebēttest, _hast thou in any way relieved Hrōðgār of the evil known afar_, 1992; pret. part. acc. sg. swylce oncȳððe ealle gebētte, _removed all trouble_, 831. --2) _to avenge_: inf. wihte ne meahte on þām feorhbonan fǣhðe gebētan, _could in no way avenge the death upon the slayer_, 2466.

beadu, st. f., _battle, strife, combat_: dat. sg. (as instr.) beadwe, _in combat_, 1540; gen. pl. bād beadwa ge-þinges, _waited for the combats_ (with Grendel) _that were in store for him_, 710.

beadu-folm, st. f., _battle-hand_: acc. sg. -folme, of Grendel's hand, 991.

beado-grīma, w. m., _(battle-mask), helmet_: acc. pl. -grīman, 2258.

beado-hrægl, st. n., _(battle-garment), corselet, shirt of mail_, 552.

beadu-lāc, st. n., (_exercise in arms, tilting_), _combat, battle_: dat. sg. tō beadu-lāce, 1562.

beado-lēoma, w. m., (_battle-light_), _sword_: nom. sg., 1524.

beado-mēce, st. m., _battle-sword_: nom. pl. beado-mēcas, 1455.

beado-rinc, st. m., _battle-hero, warrior_: gen. pl. betst beadorinca, 1110.

beadu-rōf, adj., _strong in battle_: gen. sg. -rōfes, of Bēowulf, 3162.

beadu-rūn, st. f., _mystery of battle_: acc. sg. onband beadu-rūne, _solved the mystery of the combat_, i.e. gave battle, commenced the fight, 501.

beadu-scearp, adj., _battle-sharp, sharp for the battle_, 2705.

beadu-scrūd, st. n., (_battle-dress_), _corselet, shirt of mail_: gen. pl. beaduscrūda betst, 453.

beadu-serce, w. f., (_battle-garment_), _corselet, shirt of mail_: acc. sg. brogdne beadu-sercean (because it consists of interlaced metal rings), 2756.

beado-weorc, st. n., (_battle-work_), _battle_: gen. sg. gefeh beado-weorces, _rejoiced at the battle_, 2300.

beald, adj., _bold, brave_: in comp. cyning-beald.

bealdian, w. v., _to show one's self brave_: pret. bealdode gōdum dǣdum (_through brave deeds_), 2178.

bealdor, st. m., _lord, prince_: nom. sg. sinca baldor, 2429; winia bealdor, 2568.

bealu, st. n., _evil, ruin, destruction_: instr. sg. bealwe, 2827; gen. pl. bealuwa, 281; bealewa, 2083; bealwa, 910.--Comp.: cwealm-, ealdor-, hreðer-, lēod-, morðor-, niht-, sweord-, wīg-bealu.

bealu, adj., _deadly, dangerous, bad_: instr. sg. hyne sār hafað befongen balwon bendum, _pain has entwined him in deadly bands_, 978.

bealo-cwealm, st. m., _violent death, death by the sword_(?), 2266.

bealo-hycgende, pres. part., _thinking of death, meditating destruction_: gen. pl. ǣghwæðrum bealo-hycgendra, 2566.

bealo-hȳdig, adj., _thinking of death, meditating destruction_: of Grendel, 724.

bealo-nīð, st. m., (_zeal for destruction_), _deadly enmity_: nom. sg., 2405; _destructive struggle_: acc. sg. bebeorh þē þone bealonīð, _beware of destructive striving_, 1759; _death-bringing rage_: nom. sg. him on brēostum bealo-nīð wēoll, _in his breast raged deadly fury_ (of the dragon's poison), 2715.

bearhtm (see beorht): 1) st. m., _splendor, brightness, clearness_: nom. sg. ēagena bearhtm, 1767.--2) _sound, tone_: acc. sg. bearhtm ongeāton, gūðhorn galan, _they heard the sound, (heard) the battle-horn sound_, 1432.

bearm, m., gremium, sinus, _lap, bosom_: nom. sg. foldan bearm, 1138; acc. sg. on bearm scipes, 35, 897; on bearm nacan, 214; him on bearm hladan bunan and discas, 2776.--2) figuratively, _possession, property_, because things bestowed were placed in the lap of the receiver (1145 and 2195, on bearm licgan, ālecgan); dat. sg. him tō bearme cwōm māððumfæt mǣre, _came into his possession_, 2405.

bearn, st. n., 1) _child, son_: nom. sg. bearn Healfdenes, 469, etc.; Ecglāfes bearn, 499, etc.; dat. sg. bearne, 2371; nom. pl. bearn, 59; dat. pl. bearnum, 1075.--2) in a broader sense, _scion, offspring, descendant_: nom. sg. Ongenþēow's bearn, of his grandson, 2388; nom. pl. yldo. bearn, 70; gumena bearn, _children of men_, 879; hæleða bearn, 1190; æðelinga bearn, 3172; acc. pl. ofer ylda bearn, 606; dat. pl. ylda bearnum, 150; gen. pl. niðða bearna, 1006.--Comp.: brōðor-, dryht-bearn.

bearn-gebyrdu, f., _birth, birth of a son_: gen. sg. þæt hyre ealdmetod ēste wǣre bearn-gebyrdo, _has been gracious through the birth of such a son_ (i.e. as Bēowulf), 947.

bearu, st. m., (_the bearer_, hence properly only the fruit-tree, especially the oak and the beech), _tree_, collectively _forest_: nom. pl. hrīmge bearwas, _rime-covered_ or _ice-clad_, 1364.

bēacen, st. n., _sign, banner_, vexillum: nom. sg. beorht bēacen godes, _of the sun_, 570; gen. pl. bēacna beorhtost, 2778. See bēcn.

ge-bēacnian, w. v., _to mark, to indicate_: pret. part. ge-bēacnod, 140.

bēag, st. m., _ring, ornament_: nom. sg. bēah (_neck-ring_), 1212; acc. sg. bēah (the collar of the murdered king of the Heaðobeardnas), 2042; bēg (collective for the acc. pl.), 3165; dat. sg. cwōm Wealhþēo forð gān under gyldnum bēage, _she walked along under a golden head-ring, wore a golden diadem_, 1164; gen. sg. bēages (of a collar), 1217; acc. pl. bēagas (rings in general), 80, 523, etc.; gen. pl. bēaga, 35, 352, 1488, 2285, etc.-- Comp.: earm-, heals-bēag.

bēag-gyfa, w. m., _ring-giver_, designation of the prince: gen. sg. -gyfan, 1103.

bēag-hroden, adj., _adorned with rings, ornamented with clasps_: nom. sg. bēaghroden, cwēn, of Hrōðgār's consort, perhaps with reference to her diadem (cf. 1164, 624.

bēah-hord, st. m. n., _ring-hoard, treasure consisting of rings_: gen. sg. bēah-hordes, 895; dat. pl. bēah-hordum, 2827; gen. pl. bēah-horda weard, of King Hrōðgār, 922.

bēah-sele, st. m., _ring-hall, hall in which the rings were distributed_: nom. sg., of Heorot, 1178.

bēah-þegu, st. f., _the receiving of the ring_: dat. sg. æfter bēah-þege, 2177.

bēah-wriða, w. m. _ring-band_, ring with prominence given to its having the form of a band: acc. sg. bēah-wriðan, 2019.

bēam, st. m., _tree_, only in the compounds fyrgen-, glēo-bēam.

bēatan, st. v., _thrust, strike_: pres. sg. mearh burhstede bēateð, _the steed beats the castle-ground_ (place where the castle is built), i.e. with his hoofs, 2266; pret. part. swealt bille ge-bēaten, _died, struck by the battle-axe_, 2360.

beorh, st. m.: 1) _mountain, rock_: dat. sg. beorge, 211; gen. sg. beorges, 2525, 2756; acc. pl. beorgas, 222.--2) _grave-mound, tomb-hill_: acc. sg. biorh, 2808; beorh, 3098, 3165. A grave-mound serves the drake as a retreat (cf. 2277, 2412): nom. sg. beorh, 2242; gen. sg. beorges, 2323.--Comp. stān-beorh.

beorh, st. f., _veil, covering, cap_; only in the comp. hēafod-beorh.

beorgan, st. v. (w. dat. of the interested person or thing), _to save, to shield_: inf. wolde fēore beorgan, _place her life in safety_, 1294; here-byrne ... sēo þe bāncofan beorgan cūðe, _which could protect his body_, 1446; pret. pl. ealdre burgan, 2600.

be-beorgan (w. dat. refl. of pers. and acc. of the thing), _to take care, to defend one's self from_: inf. him be-beorgan ne con wom, _cannot keep himself from stain_ (fault), 1747; imp. bebeorh þē þone bealontð, 1759.

ge-beorgan (w, dat. of person or thing to be saved), _to save, to protect_: pret. sg. þæt gebearh fēore, _protected the life_, 1549; scyld wēl gebearg līfe and līce, 2571.

ymb-beorgan, _to surround protectingly_: pret. sg. bring ūtan ymb-bearh, 1504.

beorht, byrht, adj.: 1) _gleaming, shining, radiant, shimmering_: nom. sg. beorht, of the sun, 570, 1803; beorhta, of Heorot, 1178; þæt beorhte bold, 998; acc. sg. beorhtne, of Bēowulf's grave-mound, 2804; dat. sg. tō þǣre byrhtan (here-byrhtan, MS.) byrig, 1200; acc. pl. beorhte frætwe, 214, 897; beorhte randas, 231; bordwudu beorhtan, 1244; n. beorht hofu, 2314. Superl.: bēacna beorhtost, 2778. --2) _excellent, remarkable_: gen. sg. beorhtre bōte, 158. --Comp.: sadol-, wlite-beorht.

beorhte, adv., _brilliantly, brightly, radiantly_, 1518.

beorhtian, w. v., _to sound clearly_: pret. sg. beorhtode benc-swēg, 1162.

beorn, st. m., _hero, warrior, noble man_: nom. sg. (Hrōðgār), 1881, (Bēowulf), 2434, etc.; acc. sg. (Bēow.), 1025, (Æschere), 1300; dat. sg. beorne, 2261; nom. pl. beornas (Bēowulf and his companions), 211, (Hrōðgār's guests), 857; gen. pl. biorna (Bēowulf's liege-men), 2405.--Comp.: folc-, gūð-beorn.

beornan, st. v., _to burn_: pres. part. byrnende (of the drake), 2273.--Comp. un-byrnende.

for-beornan, _to be consumed, to burn_: pret. sg. for-barn, 1617, 1668; for-born, 2673.

ge-beornan, _to be burned_: pret. gebarn, 2698.

beorn-cyning, st. m., _king of warriors, king of heroes_: nom. sg. (as voc.), 2149.

bēodan, st. v.: 1) _to announce, to inform, to make known_: inf. bīodan, 2893.--2) _to offer, to proffer_ (as the notifying of a transaction in direct reference to the person concerned in it): pret. pl. him geþingo budon, _offered them an agreement_, 1086; pret. part. þā wæs ǣht boden Swēona lēodum, _then was pursuit offered the Swedish people_, 2958; inf. ic þǣm gōdan sceal māðmas bēodan, _I shall offer the excellent man treasures_, 385.

ā-bēodan, _to present, to announce_: pret. word inne ābēad, _made known the words within_, 390; _to offer, to tender, to wish_: pret. him hǣl ābēad, _wished him health_ (greeted him), 654. Similarly, hǣlo ābēad, 2419; eoton weard ābēad, _offered the giant a watcher_, 669.

be-bēodan, _to command, to order_: pret. swā him se hearda bebēad, _as the strong man commanded them_, 401. Similarly, swā se rīca bebēad, 1976.

ge-bēodan: 1) _to command, to order_: inf. hēt þā gebēodan byre Wīhstānes hæleða monegum, þæt hīe..., _the son of Wihstan caused orders to be given to many of the men..._, 3111.--2) _to offer_: him Hygd gebēad hord and rīce, _offered him the treasure and the chief power_, 2370; inf. gūðe gebēodan, _to offer battle_, 604.

bēod-genēat, st. m., _table-companion_: nom. and acc. pl. genēatas, 343, 1714.