Comparing Beowulf And Herebeald's

The story of Beowulf is ancient. The first manuscript was penned sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries, but the poem itself dates back to 500 CE. What’s even more remarkable is the age of the stories and histories that comprise the interludes of the text. Arguably, the most famous of these interludes is the Finnsburg Episode. Another, lesser acknowledged interlude is Beowulf’s recount of Herebeald’s death and the Father’s Lament. When reading various translations of this interlude, speculation can be brought forth as to the true innocence of Herebeald’s death. Analysis of both Heaney and Meyer’s translations of Beowulf present evidence and links to the past that suggest Herebeald’s death was not accidental, but rather the result of a …show more content…
While the entire poem of Beowulf is a salute to our own history, the allusions within it reach further into the past and bring forth new ideas and knowledge. Both Heaney and Meyer’s translations contain references and links to the past that give the poem an extended depth and meaning. Heaney’s translation of the poem contains references to Christianity. One major Christian story that is heavily referenced during the Grendel conflict is the story of Cain and Abel. In the bible, Cain makes an offering to God that is rejected. His brother, Abel’s offering is accepted, however. This leads Cain to grow jealous and kill Abel, making him the first murderer and Abel the first killed. This results in Cain and his lineage becoming cursed. Cain’s murder of Abel is often referred to as an offence against God. “That offence was beyond redress” (Heaney, ll. 2441). Here, in Heaney’s translation, Haethcyn’s killing of his own brother is also labeled an “offence”. Like Cain’s jealousy of Abel, one can come to the conclusion that Haethcyn was jealous of Herebeald. This is a logical explanation seeing as Herebeald was next in line to become king. In Meyer’s translation, the allusions are a little different. Instead of referencing the bible, Meyer chooses to go back to the roots of Beowulf and introduce Norse mythology to the poem. In his version, Meyer directly compares Haethcyn and Herebeald to Hothr and Baldr (Meyer, pg. 206). According to the myth, Baldr was the most beloved of all the gods. Seeking to protect him, his mother, Frigga, went to all nine realms and to all things in the cosmos and obtained oaths not to harm Baldr. While the rest of the gods were testing Baldr’s newfound invincibility, Hothr, who was blind, was left behind. Loki, who was jealous of Baldr, saw that Hothr was feeling left out and tricked him into shooting Baldr with a dart