WEBVTT 1 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:16.160 Hello, and welcome to mythic mind. We pursue wisdom of 2 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:18.839 the past between primary and secondary worlds. I'm your host, 3 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:30.839 Angreh Schnyder, and I am always grateful for your company. Okay, 4 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:33.439 so today we are continuing with our series on Tolkien's 5 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:37.200 translation of Beowulf. First, let's do a quick recap. So 6 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:40.560 Rothgar of the Spear Danes had established the Great Mead 7 00:00:40.600 --> 00:00:43.520 Hall of Herout, which is where his loyal and valiant 8 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:47.119 knights gather together following a night of celebrations of their 9 00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:51.119 feats and of extolling the goodness that is embedded in 10 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:55.880 this world. The fell Beast, the Helrunin Grendel, emerged miss 11 00:00:55.960 --> 00:01:00.000 Layer in Hatred of the world of Man. With ignoble stealth, 12 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:03.119 he sneaked into Herot and killed many of Rothgar's men. 13 00:01:03.479 --> 00:01:07.599 He continued to plugue the Danes Unhlted, and eventually he 14 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:10.640 claimed Herot for his own, setting himself up as a 15 00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:13.640 kind of counterfeit king. Even as he himself is a 16 00:01:13.959 --> 00:01:17.640 counterfeit human of sorts, he is a creature of perversion 17 00:01:17.959 --> 00:01:21.359 of disorder. After the shadow brooded over the land for 18 00:01:21.480 --> 00:01:24.640 some time, word of the Danish Plight made its way 19 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:28.239 to Beowulf of the Giats. Beowulf set sail across the 20 00:01:28.280 --> 00:01:31.040 sea with his mighty men, and he cleansed herot of 21 00:01:31.079 --> 00:01:34.599 this specter, defeating Grendel in hand to hand combat. He 22 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:37.920 ripped Grendel's arm off, dealing a mortal blow to the 23 00:01:37.959 --> 00:01:40.799 demon as he fled back to his lair to die. 24 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:44.319 Feasting and merriment abounded, and Beowulf was laden with honor 25 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:47.599 and riches for his valiant deeds. However, we know that 26 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:51.439 this cannot last long. Remember that in the Northern Mythos, 27 00:01:51.799 --> 00:01:55.040 the days of light and warmth are limited. Now they 28 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:58.200 should be embraced. They absolutely must be embraced when they come, 29 00:01:58.599 --> 00:02:00.799 but they should not be embraced as things that are 30 00:02:00.840 --> 00:02:03.959 meant to last. We see this a lot in Tolkien 31 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:08.879 as well, that peace, victory, and wholesome festivities are very 32 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:13.319 often immediately followed by a resurgence of the shadow. For example, 33 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:16.120 there's this line in the Silmarillion that has always stood 34 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:19.240 out to me as Tolkien rites. In those days there 35 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:22.240 is joy beneath the new sun and moon, and all 36 00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:26.080 the land was glad, but still the shadow brooded in 37 00:02:26.120 --> 00:02:29.840 the north. There is always a looming threat around the corner, 38 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:31.919 and it would be no different for the Danes here. 39 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:34.680 But before their next threat arrives, I want to point 40 00:02:34.719 --> 00:02:37.360 something out here. Even though they are in a mindset 41 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:40.400 of celebration in victory, these knights have not let the 42 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:43.719 guard down, which is easy to do. I just recently 43 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:46.199 reread The Horse and His Boy, which is a Narni 44 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:49.560 book if you're not familiar with your Lewis and Shasta, 45 00:02:49.639 --> 00:02:52.400 one of the main characters tell some of the Narnians 46 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:55.159 that Arkinland is about to be attacked by the Klormans, 47 00:02:55.479 --> 00:02:57.919 and the first Narnians are barely phased. In fact, they 48 00:02:57.919 --> 00:03:00.240 actually go back to sleep, And we're told that they 49 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:03.280 did this because they had become complacent because of the 50 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:06.120 great peace and security that had been granted to them 51 00:03:06.439 --> 00:03:09.840 by their wise kings and queens. And we should definitely 52 00:03:09.879 --> 00:03:13.439 be grateful for peace when it comes, but this complacency 53 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:16.639 is not good. We always need to be vigilant because 54 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:20.159 there's always a new threat brooding in the shadows. As 55 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:22.680 Tolkien said in a letter to his son Christopher, the 56 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:26.879 future is impenetrable, especially to the wise, for what is 57 00:03:26.960 --> 00:03:30.879 really important is always hid from contemporaries, and the seeds 58 00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:33.879 of what is to be are quietly germinating in the dark, 59 00:03:34.199 --> 00:03:37.439 in some forgotten corner, while everyone is looking at Stalin 60 00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:41.120 or Hitler. And so the knights of Hrothgar do what 61 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:44.240 they can to be prepared for the return of the Shadow. 62 00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:48.199 As we are told thereupon each bench, which plain to 63 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:50.919 see above each night, the helm that he had borne 64 00:03:50.919 --> 00:03:54.000 aloft in battle, and his coat of ringed mail, his 65 00:03:54.120 --> 00:03:57.319 spear valiant in the press of war. Their manner was 66 00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:00.520 it that, seldom were they unprepared for the onslaught, be 67 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:03.800 it at home or amid the host, or in either case, 68 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:06.879 even at all such times as upon their liege Lord 69 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:11.319 need should come. A worthy company, was that? And so 70 00:04:11.479 --> 00:04:13.520 there it is, as if it were not clear. The 71 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:16.600 poet tells us that this is a noble company. This 72 00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:19.759 is a worthy company because they are always prepared to 73 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:23.800 defend themselves, and more importantly, to defend their lord in 74 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:26.680 the case of an attack. And of course we should 75 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:30.720 be prepared as well. Maybe a felbeast, a literal helunin 76 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:34.720 might not await you in the darkness, but something surely does, 77 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:37.800 whether it be something in your own heart or an 78 00:04:37.800 --> 00:04:41.120 external threat against you, your family, or others that you 79 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:45.120 are duty bound to protect. Yet even the most vigilant, 80 00:04:45.399 --> 00:04:50.040 the most prepared soldier must sleep eventually, And this is 81 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:52.759 when the next threat will present itself, when the next 82 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:56.879 nightmare will descend. We are told quote plained wasn't made 83 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.600 and publish abroad among men that in an adventure to 84 00:04:59.639 --> 00:05:02.879 succes seed their foe lived. Yet long while after that 85 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:07.759 woeful strife, Grendel's mother Ogress, fierce destroyer in the form 86 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:10.800 of woman, misery was in her heart, she who must 87 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:14.000 abide in the dreadful waters in the cold streams. Since 88 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:17.079 Cain with the sword, became the slayer of his only brother, 89 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:20.920 his kinsmen, by his father's blood end quote. And so 90 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:23.720 we get a recap here of where Grendel and his 91 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:26.959 brood come from. They are descended from Cain, the father 92 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:29.839 of kinslayers. And as a reminder, this is where all 93 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:34.199 the monsters originated in this mythos. Because Cain so betrayed 94 00:05:34.279 --> 00:05:37.199 the family bond, which is the most basic human bond, 95 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:41.360 he actually was severing himself from the human race, and 96 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:44.439 he became the progender of all kinds of fell creatures 97 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:47.480 that lived as mockeries of man, and we are then 98 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:50.839 reminded of how God bestowed on Beowulf the strength to 99 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:53.319 defeat Grendel. And so the poet is very clearly setting 100 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:57.680 up a cosmic conflict here between heaven and hell, God 101 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:00.800 and his devilish enemies, and we might even say between 102 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:05.680 reason and nonsense. Well, Grendel's mother sneaks into Heroes at 103 00:06:05.759 --> 00:06:08.439 night and kills one of the men, a Shara, who 104 00:06:08.519 --> 00:06:11.360 is Rothgar's right hand man, and when the others become 105 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:14.480 alert to what is happening, she flees with a Sharer's corpse, 106 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:17.879 because unlike Grendel, she doesn't seem to be completely impervious 107 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:21.720 to blades. And unfortunately, Beowulf was not present for this attack, 108 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:24.360 as he was gifted with other lodgings because of his 109 00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:27.600 last victory. And so the next morning, Beowulf strolls down 110 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:30.160 to Herolt and asks Rothgar if he had good rest 111 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:33.920 that night, to which Rothgar responds asks not for news 112 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:37.519 of happy hours. Sorrow is come anew upon the people 113 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:40.319 of the Danes. He goes on to explain what happened, 114 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:42.279 and he says that there have been tails, maybe even 115 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:45.199 just rumors that are in these myths of Grendel and 116 00:06:45.240 --> 00:06:47.959 his mother and their layer. And he describes it as 117 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:52.720 a hidden land, high upon highlands, wolf haunted and windy cliffs, 118 00:06:52.920 --> 00:06:55.639 and the perilous passes of the fens, where the mountain 119 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:58.639 stream goes down beneath the shadows of the cliffs, a 120 00:06:58.759 --> 00:07:02.360 river beneath the earth. There's an overgrown forest and waters 121 00:07:02.360 --> 00:07:05.000 that are continually set of flame. And really, what we're 122 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:09.000 getting here is a kind of Anglo Saxon vision of Hell, 123 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:12.639 this realm of chaos and desolation. And remember that the 124 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:16.240 poet in Herot earlier in the story was celebrating a 125 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:19.279 world that was designed for the habitation of men. Well, 126 00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:22.240 this location that we are now describing is very clearly 127 00:07:22.279 --> 00:07:24.720 the opposite of that. It is a perversion of the 128 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:28.319 created order. It's a Beowulf here. He must march into 129 00:07:28.360 --> 00:07:31.879 Hell and do battle with this she devil. And at 130 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:34.399 this point Rothgar is so wearied by sorrow that he 131 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:37.959 begins to fall into despair, and Beowulf rebukes him for this, saying, 132 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:41.879 grieve not o wise. One better is it for every 133 00:07:41.959 --> 00:07:44.680 man that he should avenge his friend, that he should 134 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:47.439 lament to each one of us shall come in time 135 00:07:47.720 --> 00:07:50.240 the end of life in the world. Let him who 136 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:54.079 may earn glory air his death. No better thing can 137 00:07:54.120 --> 00:07:57.720 brave Knight leave behind when he lies dead. Arise, O, 138 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:00.759 Lord of this realm, swiftly let let us go and 139 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:04.279 look upon the footprint of Grendel's kin. This I vow 140 00:08:04.360 --> 00:08:07.959 to thee in no refuge shall he ever hide, neither 141 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:11.279 in bosom of earth, nor in mountain forest, nor in 142 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:14.160 the deeps of his sea. Go where he will, for 143 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:17.759 this day have patience in every woe, even as I 144 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:21.800 know thou wilt. And this rouses Roathgar, leading him to 145 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:24.600 rise up and to give thanks to God for using 146 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:29.600 Beowulf's words to restore his valiance and his vigor. Beowulf 147 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:31.720 in a band of warriors make their way to the 148 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:34.799 layer of Grendel's mother, And definitely make sure that you 149 00:08:34.840 --> 00:08:37.960 read this account yourself, because because it really reads as 150 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:41.159 a pretty profound thriller. As they make this journey into 151 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:43.960 the nether world, so to speak, well, they eventually make 152 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:46.320 their way to this pool of water where she lives, 153 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:49.879 and they find it infested with serpent with dragons, which 154 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:52.360 of course are symbolic of the chaos that typifies this 155 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:56.279 devilish brood. And we're told that Unfirth gave Beowulf his sword, 156 00:08:56.559 --> 00:08:59.879 fronting recognizing Beowulf to be a worthier swordsman than he, 157 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:03.039 And so we see some character development on Unforth's part. 158 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:06.000 He originally scoffed at Beowulf before the fight with Grendel. 159 00:09:06.120 --> 00:09:08.960 I assume out of envy that Beowulf may be able 160 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:11.919 to accomplish what he cannot. Well, now there's no questioning 161 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:15.279 that Beowulf was surely the more valiant man, and so 162 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:19.960 Unfirth surrendered unto Beowulf his sword, this great heirloom that 163 00:09:20.039 --> 00:09:23.120 had known many victories in battle. Then Beowulf gave a 164 00:09:23.159 --> 00:09:26.240 short speech explaining that this is the adventure that awaits 165 00:09:26.279 --> 00:09:28.639 him and that he is okay with the outcome, whether 166 00:09:28.679 --> 00:09:31.720 he live or die. And here's a major, perhaps the 167 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:34.840 most important theme of this entire story of Beowulf, and 168 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:38.879 that is our relationship with mortality. All mortals have the 169 00:09:38.919 --> 00:09:42.440 same fate. We will all die. The only question is 170 00:09:42.519 --> 00:09:45.799 how will we live. And this is how you form 171 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:50.240 a healthy and intentional relationship with death. You begin by 172 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:54.039 recognizing that you will die, that is your fate, and 173 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:57.519 then you use that to propel a life worth living, 174 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:02.039 a life that makes that death significant. In Contrafoustom, Saint 175 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:04.960 Augustine points out that the real evil of war is 176 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:07.879 not that people die, because again, they're going to do 177 00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:11.399 that anyways. They don't need help for that. He says 178 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:15.039 that the real evils of war are love of violence, hatred, 179 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:18.519 and despairing fear. These are the things that do not 180 00:10:18.679 --> 00:10:20.759 need to be but very often are. And this is 181 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:22.919 the same kind of idea that we see here in Beowulf. 182 00:10:23.320 --> 00:10:26.200 If we die in the adventure pointed to us, then 183 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:29.320 so be it. It is far worse not to take the adventure. 184 00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:32.879 As Sir Balin says in Malory, you must take the 185 00:10:32.919 --> 00:10:36.000 adventure that God will ordain you, or as Prince Willian 186 00:10:36.039 --> 00:10:38.799 says in the Silver Chair, as Land will be our 187 00:10:38.840 --> 00:10:42.080 good Lord, whether he means us to live or die, 188 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:49.399 and all, it's one for that. The realms of fairy 189 00:10:49.399 --> 00:10:52.399 are wild and often dangerous, and one should never embark 190 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:55.799 on a quest unprepared and unarmed. Middleborn Arms is a 191 00:10:55.799 --> 00:10:58.919 family business that uses the best quality materials in crafting 192 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:02.080 the finest wooden sword words on the market. Their Squirely 193 00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:05.639 Armed swords are handcrafted entirely from hickory for the young 194 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.000 princesses and knights in training. Their Nightly Armed swords use 195 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:12.440 hickory and walnut to replicate historical weapons in a marriage 196 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:15.600 of beauty and function. They also take custom requests and 197 00:11:15.639 --> 00:11:19.240 can use exotic woods like bloodwood or purple heart. Every 198 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:22.480 item for Middleborn Arms is unique and equally at home 199 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:26.120 on the mantelpiece or sparring against a dreadful foe. For 200 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:28.480 those who wish to simply adventure within the bounds of 201 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:32.799 a tome, they offer beautiful laser etched hardwood bookmarks. You 202 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:36.679 can choose from growing selection designs on exotic purple heart, walnut, 203 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:39.720 o sage orange, or bloodwood, or if they don't have 204 00:11:39.720 --> 00:11:41.519 a design you like, they would love to work with 205 00:11:41.559 --> 00:11:43.919 you on a custom design. Order a sword or a 206 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:47.279 bookmark today at Middlebornarms dot com and use the code 207 00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:49.879 mythic to get ten percent off your entire order. That's 208 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:53.879 Middlebornarms dot com and code mythic for ten percent off. 209 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:56.840 Don't go it alone, take a middle Born Arms sword 210 00:11:56.919 --> 00:11:59.639 or bookmark with you and now back to the show. 211 00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:07.159 And so with that, Beowulf dives into the water and 212 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:10.440 fights the way down to Grendel's mother. He strikes her 213 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:12.919 head with his sword, but it does not avail him, 214 00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:14.799 and so he casts the sword aside. And so we 215 00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:17.399 are told that he trusted in the strength and the 216 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:20.679 grasp of his own mighty hands. Such shall a man's 217 00:12:20.679 --> 00:12:23.399 faith be when he thinks to win enduring fame and war. 218 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:26.559 No care for his life will trouble him. And so 219 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:30.960 this blade, this heirloom, this tool, this external asset, would 220 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:34.159 not help him. He had to rely on his own strength. 221 00:12:34.399 --> 00:12:37.000 And this is an important point. External goods are only 222 00:12:37.080 --> 00:12:40.519 ever just that they are external. They may be assets 223 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:43.720 at times, but Beowulf's strength was never dependent on such 224 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:47.960 external realities. His strength was internal in his resolve to 225 00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:50.320 do what is right, no matter what it cost him. 226 00:12:50.440 --> 00:12:52.919 And so then with his own hands he cast down 227 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:55.480 the ogress, but she fought back, and she had the 228 00:12:55.559 --> 00:12:59.559 upper hand for a time, and Beowulf himself was cast down. 229 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:02.679 But he got back up. And the poet tells us 230 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:06.080 the all seeing Lord, who governeth the heavens on high 231 00:13:06.279 --> 00:13:09.120 with ease, did give decision to the right when Beowulf 232 00:13:09.159 --> 00:13:12.840 again sprang up. Now I find this very interesting. Fate 233 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:14.639 is a major theme of the story, and we're told 234 00:13:14.679 --> 00:13:18.559 that Beowolf's victories are owed to God's decisions. But notice 235 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:21.120 that it does not say here that God determined or 236 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:24.879 predetermined rather to give Beowulf victory. Now it says that 237 00:13:24.919 --> 00:13:28.840 God made his decision when Beowulf sprang up. Now, of 238 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:31.639 course we could delve into a fuller conversation about how 239 00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:35.879 eternal providence works in relation to our experience in time, 240 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:38.919 but that's a better question for Boethius, and so be 241 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:41.039 sure that you sign up for the Beowulf in Boethia's 242 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:43.679 course to get into some of that. But for right now, 243 00:13:43.720 --> 00:13:46.279 I think the important point is that Beowulf had a 244 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:49.000 real decision to make in his deciding to get back 245 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:51.679 up and fight, he made a genuine choice that revealed 246 00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:54.679 God's will for him to achieve victory. And so at 247 00:13:54.679 --> 00:13:57.519 this point, even before the fight is over, we know 248 00:13:57.679 --> 00:13:59.840 how it will end. And this is a important point. 249 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:02.840 I've mentioned this in previous episodes, but it's worth noting again. 250 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:05.639 This story has a lot of exciting scenes, but the 251 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:08.440 story is not about that kind of excitement, which is 252 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:11.480 why some of these scenes get spoiled, as we might say, 253 00:14:11.559 --> 00:14:14.360 before they are over makes me think of Tolkien with 254 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:17.399 the Silmarillion, when he kicks it off by saying, this 255 00:14:17.480 --> 00:14:19.759 is the story of the Simmaroles, and they were lost. 256 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:23.039 This is not a story about things happening, even though 257 00:14:23.080 --> 00:14:26.039 a lot of things happen. This is principally a story 258 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:30.279 about our relationship with fate, and especially our relationship with 259 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:34.039 the fate of our mortality. Well, at this point, Beywolf 260 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:36.559 spots some war gear in the layer, and in particular 261 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:39.759 he spots a sword of the Giants, this great Nephelin blade, 262 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.799 which he uses to kill Grendel's mother, and then seeing 263 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:45.000 Grendel's body, he cuts his head off to take it 264 00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:48.159 back as a trophy. Now, I find it interesting that 265 00:14:48.200 --> 00:14:51.039 the noble sword Hunting could not harm Grendel's mother, but 266 00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:53.440 this sword of the Giants could. I think that this 267 00:14:53.519 --> 00:14:56.440 is a commentary on the nature of evil, that is 268 00:14:56.440 --> 00:15:00.639 that it is self consuming. Evil isn't really a thing privation. 269 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:05.159 It's an emptying out and nothingness withdrawing away from the good. 270 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:09.039 And so the more evil something is, the less substantial 271 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:12.279 it is, and so evil tends to be its own undoing. 272 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:15.519 I think of Huron saying to Morgoth that he wasted 273 00:15:15.559 --> 00:15:18.679 his strength on his own emptiness. So too the blade 274 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:21.840 of the giants, these monsters that fall into the same 275 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:26.120 class that Grendel's mother belonged to. This is the undoing 276 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:29.639 of this particular beast. And then shortly after the fight 277 00:15:29.759 --> 00:15:33.440 was over, the blade melted away, which again I assume 278 00:15:33.480 --> 00:15:35.919 says something about the tendency of evil to be its 279 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:38.840 own undoing. And I think of in Perilandra, when the 280 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:42.080 demonic unman is glorying in the phenomenon of death that 281 00:15:42.120 --> 00:15:44.360 he has wrought on the world. And then Ransom asked 282 00:15:44.360 --> 00:15:47.039 how it went for him when Meldel or Christ became 283 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:50.399 acquainted with death. Evil is its own undoing in the end, 284 00:15:50.759 --> 00:15:53.720 Now Bail forsook the wealth that he found in the layer, 285 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:56.480 taking for his plunder only the head of Grendel and 286 00:15:56.519 --> 00:15:59.120 the hilt of the sword, which served as trophies of 287 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:02.399 the victory of the good over the evil. His people 288 00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:05.279 on the surface were despairing to this point, surely convinced 289 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:08.440 of Beowulf's demise. But up he arose from the waters, 290 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:11.919 now purged of the Helroudant's blight and brought back into 291 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:15.120 proper order, And then with much cheer and good heart. 292 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:18.480 They returned back to Herot. Beowulf opened the doors of 293 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:21.279 the great meat Hall, I assumed like movie Aragorn, entering 294 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:25.039 Helm's deep, dragging the massive head of Grendel by its locks. 295 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:28.720 He then recounted his venture to Hrothgar as follows, Lo 296 00:16:29.080 --> 00:16:31.639 this plunder of the sea, O, son of half Dana, 297 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:35.440 Shielding's prince, we gladly have brought to thee the token 298 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:38.840 of my triumph, which here thou lookest on. Hardly did 299 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:42.360 I save my life therein in war beneath the water perilously? 300 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:45.519 Did dare that deed? Well nigh? Were there my days 301 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:48.879 of battle ended? Were not God my shield? Nor might I, 302 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:52.399 in that combat with Hrunting ought achieve good? Though that 303 00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:56.200 weapon be Nay, the Lord of men vouchsafed to me 304 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:59.320 that on the wall I saw hanging fair, a mighty 305 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:03.480 sword of all. Often again hath he guided those bereptive friends, 306 00:17:03.960 --> 00:17:07.480 And that weapon now I drew slew Then in that strife, 307 00:17:07.640 --> 00:17:10.400 when space was granted to me the guardians of the house, 308 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:14.599 thereupon that blade of war, which woven ornament, was all consumed. 309 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:18.640 Even as the blood sprang out gore most hot in battle, 310 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:22.480 the hilt I bore thence from my foes, their evil deeds, 311 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:26.160 avenged the death and torment of the Danes. Even as 312 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:29.160 was meet this, do I promise thee henceforth, that thou 313 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:32.839 mayest in heralt sleep untroubled, amid the proud host of 314 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:36.079 thy men. Thou in each one of thy knights and captains, 315 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:38.799 the proven and the young, that thou wilt not from 316 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:41.359 that quarter have need to fear for them, King of 317 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:44.759 the shieldings, the bane of good men's lives, as once 318 00:17:44.920 --> 00:17:48.799 thou didst Beowulf then presented the hilt of the giant's 319 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:52.519 sword that fell the hell Dame to Rothgar, demonstrating Boulf's 320 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:56.200 great honor. Unlike the Helrunin, Beowulf does not use his 321 00:17:56.440 --> 00:17:59.079 great strength to consume honor and treasures. He does not 322 00:17:59.240 --> 00:18:01.680 use it for his own sake, but he instead uses 323 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:04.880 his great God given strength to put the world in 324 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:08.720 order to serve and to secure goodness in this world. 325 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:11.880 His job as a great Northern hero is to stoke 326 00:18:11.960 --> 00:18:15.200 the flames of herout and to strengthen the good kink 327 00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:19.000 growth Guard's position, that Prothgar himself might better fulfill his 328 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:21.519 role in turn. And so here we see a hero 329 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:24.039 of great strength and great honor, and one that we 330 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:26.960 would all do well to emulate in our own lives. Now, 331 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:28.720 if you are enjoying this series and you would like 332 00:18:28.759 --> 00:18:31.720 to go through it more extensively, with more commentary and 333 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:34.680 more discussion of Tolkien's notes as well as others, then 334 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:36.839 be sure to sign up for the Life, Death, and 335 00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:40.519 Meaning with Beowulf and Boethia's course that begins August nineteenth. 336 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:43.559 This eight week study will go through Beowulf and Boethius's 337 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:46.839 The Constellation of Philosophy, thereby giving you a profound taste 338 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:50.519 of some of the best of medieval thought, imagination, and storytelling. 339 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:53.200 Each of these eight weeks will include at least one 340 00:18:53.480 --> 00:18:56.559 video on that section of reading that goes into a 341 00:18:56.559 --> 00:18:59.519 commentary that goes into my own analysis and really works 342 00:18:59.519 --> 00:19:02.039 with his idea of life, death, and Meaning as we 343 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.519 see it in those pages. And these are videos that 344 00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:07.440 you will have access to indefinitely, you can watch any 345 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:08.960 time that you want to. And then we will also 346 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:12.400 have weekly live meetings for anyone who's willing and able 347 00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:15.279 to jump on and talk about that section of reading. 348 00:19:15.319 --> 00:19:17.359 And if you aren't able to attend the live meetings. 349 00:19:17.480 --> 00:19:19.519 Then you'll be able to watch the recording, which will 350 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:21.960 be available shortly after they happen, and you can sign 351 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:24.640 up at Andrew Snyder dot Pattia dot com and you 352 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:27.279 can find that link in the show notes. Also this week, 353 00:19:27.319 --> 00:19:30.319 we are wrapping up my first independent public facing course 354 00:19:30.440 --> 00:19:32.920 on the fiction and philosophy of C. S. Lewis. This 355 00:19:33.079 --> 00:19:35.000 was a great experience for me and I get the 356 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:37.720 impression that it was for the participants as well. Although 357 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:39.759 the live course is drawing to a close this week, 358 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:41.640 for the rest of this month, I'm allowing you to 359 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:45.240 enroll at half price to get indefinite access to all 360 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:48.480 of the materials, and this includes course exclusive videos on 361 00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:52.519 the following Lewis text We have Out of the Silent Planet, Perilandra, 362 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:55.839 the Screwtape, Letters, That Hideous Strength, the Abolition of Man 363 00:19:55.839 --> 00:19:58.640 till We Have Faces, the Great Divorce, and all of 364 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:01.200 the Narnia books. Also, there will be a short video 365 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:03.559 on The Dark Tower, which was Lewis's first attempt at 366 00:20:03.559 --> 00:20:05.759 a sequel to Out of the Silent Planet. To get 367 00:20:05.799 --> 00:20:08.000 all of this for half of the normal cost, again, 368 00:20:08.039 --> 00:20:10.759 you can go to Andrew Snyder dot Pattia dot com 369 00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:13.000 or click the link in the show notes. Also, you 370 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:14.960 may have noticed that I did not run the auto 371 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:17.640 populated ads for this episode, and that's because I had 372 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:20.759 my first sponsor with Middleborne Arms, and I would love 373 00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:24.640 to continue providing personalized ads to support real people. And 374 00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:26.480 so if you have a product, a service, or a 375 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:29.079 platform that you would like to advertise with Mythic Mind, 376 00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:31.440 please reach out to me on Twitter or email me 377 00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:34.200 at mythicmindpodcast at gmail dot com and we can work 378 00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:37.279 something out that's very reasonable that works for both of us. 379 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:39.319 And if you're listening on Patreon, then you're going to 380 00:20:39.319 --> 00:20:41.200 find these ads at the end of the episode, because 381 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.599 I still want to make them available to you sharing 382 00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:46.519 these services with you. However, part of the Patreon sell 383 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:48.440 is that you do get the podcast ad free, and 384 00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:50.599 so if you're listening on Patreon, you'll get these ads 385 00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:53.319 at the end of the episode and otherwise they will 386 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:56.160 be spliced into the episode. Lastly, before we go, I 387 00:20:56.200 --> 00:20:58.640 want to sincerely thank all of my patrons in my 388 00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:01.440 Tier three patreons at high by name and so many 389 00:21:01.480 --> 00:21:04.400 thank yous to Mark Aaron, Jeff Paul Aaron Brandon, Andrew 390 00:21:04.440 --> 00:21:08.920 Christopher and Jeremiah, Joscelyn, Joshua Landon, Matthew Steele, and William 391 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:11.079 I have a lot of aspirations, a lot of things 392 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:13.400 that I want to accomplish for us and with us, 393 00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:16.799 including a couple of really cool projects that I've just started, 394 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:19.839 and I'll share more about that as more details are 395 00:21:19.880 --> 00:21:22.079 worked out. But I could not do most of this 396 00:21:22.200 --> 00:21:24.480 without your support. If you would like to help me 397 00:21:24.599 --> 00:21:27.319 to keep going further up and further in, then please 398 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:31.160 consider supporting me on Patreon and joining the Mythic Mindfellowship 399 00:21:31.359 --> 00:21:34.839 at patreon dot com slash Mythic Mind, and whether you 400 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:37.000 support me financially or not, please be sure to give 401 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:39.839