1 00:00:01,988 --> 00:00:05,348 He is the mythical hero of the Norse world. 2 00:00:06,268 --> 00:00:09,988 Locked in an epic battle of Man against Monster. 3 00:00:10,028 --> 00:00:15,068 Destined to confront not one, but three terrifying beasts 4 00:00:15,108 --> 00:00:17,588 in a quest for undying glory. 5 00:00:18,908 --> 00:00:21,548 This is the legend of Beowulf. 6 00:00:22,828 --> 00:00:25,508 But could it be more than just legend? 7 00:00:26,868 --> 00:00:30,948 Prepare to experience the oldest story in the English language 8 00:00:30,988 --> 00:00:33,388 in an entirely new way. 9 00:00:33,428 --> 00:00:37,308 This is the strange truth behind the fiction... 10 00:00:37,388 --> 00:00:39,508 of Beowulf. 11 00:00:53,188 --> 00:00:57,948 The stench of death permeates Denmark's royal hall. 12 00:00:59,988 --> 00:01:01,788 Headless bodies. 13 00:01:02,588 --> 00:01:04,748 Bloody entrails. 14 00:01:06,468 --> 00:01:09,828 A savage beast is on the rampage. 15 00:01:11,948 --> 00:01:13,468 He is Grendel. 16 00:01:14,348 --> 00:01:17,908 A monstrous outcast banished from society 17 00:01:17,948 --> 00:01:21,028 whose rage has turned to violence. 18 00:01:21,588 --> 00:01:24,788 I always compare Grendel to Predator, 19 00:01:24,828 --> 00:01:29,268 you know, sort of hulking and dark and threatening. 20 00:01:29,548 --> 00:01:34,988 Night after night, the monster's vicious reign of terror continues. 21 00:01:38,188 --> 00:01:40,068 He's killing warriors. 22 00:01:40,108 --> 00:01:43,028 He's tearing them apart limb from limb. 23 00:01:43,028 --> 00:01:44,788 He's decapitating them. 24 00:01:44,788 --> 00:01:47,268 There are body parts all over the place. 25 00:01:47,348 --> 00:01:50,428 Denmark desperately needs a hero, 26 00:01:50,468 --> 00:01:54,868 someone strong enough to face off with the monster, 27 00:01:54,908 --> 00:01:58,188 someone who can take him down. 28 00:01:58,228 --> 00:02:01,668 That hero is Beowulf. 29 00:02:02,628 --> 00:02:06,148 Beowulf is the biggest possible hero you could imagine. 30 00:02:06,188 --> 00:02:09,228 He can do anything. 31 00:02:09,268 --> 00:02:11,868 He's not afraid to lose his life. 32 00:02:11,908 --> 00:02:16,108 This is exactly what a hero in his culture has to be like, 33 00:02:16,108 --> 00:02:19,108 willing to lay down his life for honour, for glory. 34 00:02:19,148 --> 00:02:21,468 Beowulf is no ordinary human being. 35 00:02:21,468 --> 00:02:23,428 He really is a heroic figure. 36 00:02:23,468 --> 00:02:26,948 Like the heroes in Greek mythology, 37 00:02:26,948 --> 00:02:30,788 his powers definitely exceed those of an ordinary man. 38 00:02:34,068 --> 00:02:38,708 In a dark age when terror was everywhere and heroes were few, 39 00:02:38,748 --> 00:02:43,868 the myth of Beowulf resonated as the ultimate clash between good and evil. 40 00:02:46,468 --> 00:02:51,708 Between a valiant warrior and a myriad of monstrous enemies. 41 00:02:54,668 --> 00:02:59,268 The legend of Beowulf is a fictional story inspired by fact. 42 00:03:00,868 --> 00:03:05,348 Today experts are still unsure who created it, 43 00:03:05,388 --> 00:03:07,468 but it's believed to have originated in England 44 00:03:07,508 --> 00:03:10,308 in the seventh or eighth century AD, 45 00:03:10,348 --> 00:03:13,948 making it the oldest story in the English language. 46 00:03:13,988 --> 00:03:19,628 The action of the poem takes place in the sixth century in Scandinavia, 47 00:03:19,668 --> 00:03:22,708 but the poem itself was written in Anglo-Saxon England 48 00:03:22,708 --> 00:03:27,148 after the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons in 665. 49 00:03:28,868 --> 00:03:31,508 Christianity had recently taken root in England 50 00:03:31,508 --> 00:03:34,948 at the time of the writing of Beowulf. 51 00:03:34,988 --> 00:03:39,988 The poem reflects a society that has a deep pagan background 52 00:03:40,028 --> 00:03:44,228 and that has stories that come from its pagan past. 53 00:03:44,268 --> 00:03:49,028 What the poem does is, it recasts these stories in a Christian mold 54 00:03:49,068 --> 00:03:53,708 so that its listeners would be able to keep touch with their past. 55 00:03:53,748 --> 00:03:57,948 They would reinterpret it in a Christian way. 56 00:04:01,108 --> 00:04:06,028 In the myth, Beowulf's first nemesis, the monster Grendel, 57 00:04:06,068 --> 00:04:09,908 has an intriguing link to the Christian Bible. 58 00:04:10,908 --> 00:04:14,708 The text says that he is descended from the line of Cain. 59 00:04:14,748 --> 00:04:18,228 According to the Old Testament, Cain, son of Adam, 60 00:04:18,228 --> 00:04:20,868 was mankind's first murderer. 61 00:04:20,908 --> 00:04:23,388 He slayed his brother Abel out of jealousy 62 00:04:23,388 --> 00:04:27,228 and came to symbolize the worst of human passions. 63 00:04:27,268 --> 00:04:31,548 Grendel inherits that vile legacy. 64 00:04:31,588 --> 00:04:35,668 Grendel resents and is jealous of the humans 65 00:04:35,708 --> 00:04:37,828 who are feasting in the meet halls. 66 00:04:37,868 --> 00:04:40,708 All of the men in the great hall are having a good time, 67 00:04:40,748 --> 00:04:45,108 and they're telling stories, and they're all together and united, 68 00:04:45,148 --> 00:04:46,828 and he seems to envy that. 69 00:04:46,868 --> 00:04:49,668 He seems that he'll never be part of that kind of thing, 70 00:04:49,708 --> 00:04:53,708 and his reaction to that is to attack and destroy. 71 00:04:54,068 --> 00:04:59,948 In the ancient text, Grendel's physical appearance is left to the imagination. 72 00:04:59,988 --> 00:05:02,668 The only clue is the phrase, 73 00:05:02,708 --> 00:05:05,548 "... a fiend out of hell". 74 00:05:05,588 --> 00:05:09,668 Grendel is described as a demon of the dark, if you like. 75 00:05:09,668 --> 00:05:13,028 Wherever he moves, darkness surrounds him. 76 00:05:14,788 --> 00:05:20,548 In the myth, the monster holds Denmark under siege for 12 years. 77 00:05:23,388 --> 00:05:25,948 He kills 30 people at a time. 78 00:05:25,988 --> 00:05:27,708 You can't see him coming. 79 00:05:27,748 --> 00:05:32,148 He's bloodthirsty and likes to crunch on bones. 80 00:05:32,188 --> 00:05:35,468 After he decimates the king's warriors, 81 00:05:35,508 --> 00:05:39,388 Grendel turns his rage on innocent civilians. 82 00:05:42,628 --> 00:05:46,308 But there is one person he cannot harm, 83 00:05:46,308 --> 00:05:48,868 the Danish king Hrothgar. 84 00:05:48,908 --> 00:05:52,028 Like many real kings of the dark ages, 85 00:05:52,068 --> 00:05:55,708 he is thought to have the power of god on his side. 86 00:05:55,748 --> 00:05:58,788 Strangely enough, Grendel doesn't attack King Hrothgar. 87 00:05:58,828 --> 00:06:02,628 The King is seated on a throne that's protected by god himself, 88 00:06:02,628 --> 00:06:05,428 and so Grendel has to keep his distance. 89 00:06:07,068 --> 00:06:10,188 All of Hrothgar's warriors have failed him. 90 00:06:11,428 --> 00:06:13,988 But in the nearby kingdom of Geatland, 91 00:06:14,028 --> 00:06:17,908 there is one who will stand above all others. 92 00:06:20,668 --> 00:06:22,988 Beowulf comes from Scandinavia. 93 00:06:22,988 --> 00:06:26,388 He is a warrior descended from great warriors, 94 00:06:26,428 --> 00:06:30,188 and he is a man who has a reputation for his strength, 95 00:06:30,188 --> 00:06:32,788 his courage, and his ambition. 96 00:06:32,788 --> 00:06:35,468 He wants to make a great name for himself. 97 00:06:37,228 --> 00:06:42,668 At the outset of the poem, Beowulf is a well-known warrior. 98 00:06:42,668 --> 00:06:45,748 He's a leader of what seems to be a war band 99 00:06:45,788 --> 00:06:48,708 or a group of men who travel together. 100 00:06:48,748 --> 00:06:50,628 He's not really a mercenary, per se. 101 00:06:50,628 --> 00:06:54,628 It's not as if he is looking for pay. 102 00:06:54,668 --> 00:07:00,268 It's merely along the lines of him looking for a good fight. 103 00:07:00,308 --> 00:07:06,148 Beowulf is primarily seeking glory, what the old English called "lof". 104 00:07:06,148 --> 00:07:09,708 It's this kind of glory that attends a person of high honour 105 00:07:09,748 --> 00:07:13,708 who's lived up to his obligations under the honour code at the time. 106 00:07:13,748 --> 00:07:17,588 It's the kind of glory and status that noblemen of his time 107 00:07:17,628 --> 00:07:20,188 aimed for that really motivates Beowulf. 108 00:07:20,548 --> 00:07:25,148 Beowulf knows there is one way to achieve everlasting distinction, 109 00:07:25,188 --> 00:07:28,548 to do what no man before him has done. 110 00:07:29,068 --> 00:07:31,788 He must slay Grendel. 111 00:07:37,828 --> 00:07:39,348 Night falls. 112 00:07:40,428 --> 00:07:43,908 The hall comes alive with the sounds of celebration. 113 00:07:45,828 --> 00:07:49,908 But this time, it is a trick designed by Beowulf 114 00:07:49,908 --> 00:07:52,868 to lure Grendel from his lair. 115 00:07:53,788 --> 00:07:56,468 He's not going to wait for an attack. 116 00:07:56,508 --> 00:07:58,588 He's going to make sure that an attack will happen, 117 00:07:58,628 --> 00:08:01,388 and he uses, actually, surprisingly, the scientific method. 118 00:08:01,428 --> 00:08:06,668 He recreates the circumstances of the first attack, 119 00:08:06,668 --> 00:08:08,868 and there is singing, and there is merriment, 120 00:08:08,868 --> 00:08:14,548 and Grendel, sure enough, hears this, and he comes to get his meat. 121 00:08:15,468 --> 00:08:18,468 The beast is thirsty for blood. 122 00:08:23,548 --> 00:08:25,748 But Beowulf is ready. 123 00:08:29,228 --> 00:08:33,548 In the dead of night, as the party dies down, 124 00:08:33,548 --> 00:08:35,708 the hero lies in wait. 125 00:08:36,708 --> 00:08:39,828 He will either kill or be killed. 126 00:08:41,588 --> 00:08:45,748 Finally, Grendel makes his move. 127 00:08:46,788 --> 00:08:50,988 Beowulf and his warriors brace for attack. 128 00:08:54,108 --> 00:08:56,348 All the warriors pull out their swords, 129 00:08:56,348 --> 00:09:00,108 and they start to try and hack and hew at Grendel. 130 00:09:00,148 --> 00:09:03,308 But Grendel is impervious. 131 00:09:03,828 --> 00:09:08,508 No sword can harm Grendel, no metal weapon of any kind. 132 00:09:08,548 --> 00:09:11,828 Grendel has put a curse on all such weapons, 133 00:09:11,828 --> 00:09:14,668 preventing them from affecting him. 134 00:09:17,828 --> 00:09:20,148 He grabs one of Beowulf's warriors, 135 00:09:20,148 --> 00:09:24,028 and he rips him in half, drinks down his blood, 136 00:09:24,028 --> 00:09:29,308 throws the body down, and then goes for Beowulf. 137 00:09:29,828 --> 00:09:34,748 This is the myth, but what is the link to reality? 138 00:09:38,948 --> 00:09:43,628 90 miles north of London, England, is a place called Sutton Hoo. 139 00:09:44,708 --> 00:09:49,028 This area was once ruled by powerful Anglo-Saxon kings. 140 00:09:52,108 --> 00:09:57,828 In the 20th century, archaeologists excavated the ancient burial mounds 141 00:09:57,868 --> 00:10:00,628 and made a startling discovery. 142 00:10:02,908 --> 00:10:08,108 Evidence of bodies mangled and murdered in a very brutal way. 143 00:10:09,108 --> 00:10:10,748 The died violently... 144 00:10:10,788 --> 00:10:12,628 suddenly... 145 00:10:15,468 --> 00:10:19,428 almost as if killed by a monster. 146 00:10:19,828 --> 00:10:22,788 Many of them buried face down 147 00:10:22,788 --> 00:10:27,588 or with the heads lopped off, necks broken, 148 00:10:27,588 --> 00:10:32,068 buried in all kinds of strange positions, so they were buried in a shaming way. 149 00:10:32,108 --> 00:10:36,788 It is shocking evidence of violence in a once-prosperous kingdom 150 00:10:36,828 --> 00:10:41,428 in the same era when the myth is thought to have originated. 151 00:10:41,468 --> 00:10:45,948 Experts theorize that these victims were Anglo-Saxon criminals 152 00:10:45,988 --> 00:10:49,428 sentenced to death for defying the king. 153 00:10:49,428 --> 00:10:53,028 These seem to be criminals who were executed and buried in this place, 154 00:10:53,068 --> 00:10:58,148 which had apparently gone from being a place of worship to a place of terror. 155 00:10:58,188 --> 00:11:01,308 And the connection to Beowulf simply could be 156 00:11:01,348 --> 00:11:05,188 that these kinds of violent public executions 157 00:11:05,188 --> 00:11:09,268 were a way that a king could maintain order within his kingdom. 158 00:11:09,588 --> 00:11:13,228 Could these gruesome deaths have inspired the story of carnage 159 00:11:13,268 --> 00:11:15,228 in the court of King Hrothgar? 160 00:11:15,228 --> 00:11:18,988 The hunt for clues leads back to the myth. 161 00:11:27,748 --> 00:11:32,308 The monster Grendel is terrorizing the blood-soaked hall of the King. 162 00:11:32,348 --> 00:11:36,028 No sword can pierce his skin, 163 00:11:36,068 --> 00:11:38,868 but Beowulf refuses to give in. 164 00:11:38,908 --> 00:11:44,028 He has one weapon left: his bare hands. 165 00:11:44,468 --> 00:11:48,308 It is a classic struggle between David and Goliath, 166 00:11:48,308 --> 00:11:50,668 monster versus man. 167 00:11:50,708 --> 00:11:54,668 The future of Denmark's people hangs in the balance, 168 00:11:54,708 --> 00:11:59,628 and Beowulf is their last line of defence. 169 00:12:06,908 --> 00:12:10,988 It's mayhem in the Danish court of King Hrothgar. 170 00:12:11,388 --> 00:12:16,948 Beowulf and the monstrous giant Grendel are locked in a death match. 171 00:12:19,188 --> 00:12:22,708 Suddenly, our hero gains the advantage. 172 00:12:24,028 --> 00:12:27,868 Beowulf grabs Grendel's arm, and he twists it. 173 00:12:27,908 --> 00:12:31,428 Beowulf, the world's strongest warrior, 174 00:12:31,428 --> 00:12:34,548 pulls at the monster's arm with all his might. 175 00:12:34,588 --> 00:12:40,388 Grendel howls, and, you know, his shoulder is dislocated, 176 00:12:40,428 --> 00:12:45,868 and Beowulf twists it again and twists it again and then pops it right off. 177 00:12:45,908 --> 00:12:48,828 And the bone splits from the sinew. It springs apart. 178 00:12:48,828 --> 00:12:51,148 The muscle rips away. 179 00:12:52,068 --> 00:12:55,228 Agonized cries flood the hall. 180 00:13:00,628 --> 00:13:05,148 Grendel tears off into the night, haemorrhaging blood. 181 00:13:08,988 --> 00:13:12,548 There was Grendel, armless, the life draining out of his arm, 182 00:13:12,548 --> 00:13:17,668 heading back to his marshy home, knowing he has very little time left. 183 00:13:17,708 --> 00:13:22,268 Deep in the woods, the wounded monster stumbles to the ground... 184 00:13:23,428 --> 00:13:26,548 and draws his last breath. 185 00:13:30,948 --> 00:13:33,028 Beowulf has slain the beast. 186 00:13:33,068 --> 00:13:38,388 He holds high his prized trophy, Grendel's bloody arm. 187 00:13:40,908 --> 00:13:44,468 News of Grendel's death spreads fast across the land, 188 00:13:44,508 --> 00:13:47,908 and Beowulf is celebrated as a superhero. 189 00:13:47,908 --> 00:13:52,628 He has achieved the glory and honour he set out to find. 190 00:13:57,868 --> 00:14:01,148 But a grim reality soon sets in. 191 00:14:02,508 --> 00:14:06,748 There are scores of slain warriors to bury. 192 00:14:10,748 --> 00:14:15,348 The Beowulf text describes how the warriors were laid to rest. 193 00:14:15,348 --> 00:14:18,068 The description matches what is now known 194 00:14:18,108 --> 00:14:22,028 about real funerals in the ancient Norse world. 195 00:14:22,068 --> 00:14:26,748 In a ship burial, the person who is going to be buried 196 00:14:26,788 --> 00:14:31,028 and his valuables, gold, silver, 197 00:14:31,028 --> 00:14:33,228 will be put in the ship, 198 00:14:33,268 --> 00:14:37,628 and the ship will be sent out to sea, and it will be burned. 199 00:14:37,668 --> 00:14:40,908 It was a wanton destruction of valuable goods 200 00:14:40,948 --> 00:14:43,588 in a society that was not awash in goods, 201 00:14:43,628 --> 00:14:47,548 but it's a sign just of the seriousness of the loss 202 00:14:47,548 --> 00:14:51,828 and the prestige and importance of the person who's being buried. 203 00:14:51,868 --> 00:14:55,068 Amazingly, evidence of these ritual burials 204 00:14:55,108 --> 00:14:57,788 the same ones described in Beowulf, 205 00:14:57,788 --> 00:15:02,348 can be found not underwater but underground. 206 00:15:04,868 --> 00:15:10,028 Today there are hundreds of mysterious mounds scattered across northern Europe. 207 00:15:10,068 --> 00:15:13,468 Many are still waiting to be excavated. 208 00:15:14,548 --> 00:15:16,188 At Sutton Hoo in England, 209 00:15:16,228 --> 00:15:20,628 where archaeologists discovered those mysterious mangled bodies, 210 00:15:20,668 --> 00:15:24,028 the burial mounds have yielded more stunning evidence 211 00:15:24,068 --> 00:15:26,588 about the world of Beowulf. 212 00:15:26,868 --> 00:15:31,428 In 1939, excavations turned up a buried ship 213 00:15:31,468 --> 00:15:35,988 dated to the time when the Beowulf myth is believed to have been written. 214 00:15:36,028 --> 00:15:38,388 The wood had completely decayed away, 215 00:15:38,388 --> 00:15:43,108 but you could still see the shapes of all the planks and the ribs 216 00:15:43,148 --> 00:15:45,428 running at right angles across it. 217 00:15:45,468 --> 00:15:48,348 It looked like a complete wooden ship. 218 00:15:48,348 --> 00:15:53,148 But closer examination revealed it was more than just a ship. 219 00:15:53,668 --> 00:15:57,188 It was the tomb of an unknown ruler 220 00:15:57,188 --> 00:16:00,388 teeming with buried treasures. 221 00:16:00,428 --> 00:16:05,628 Sutton Hoo is the richest grave from England and is, well, 222 00:16:05,668 --> 00:16:08,908 the richest grave from the Dark Ages from Northern Europe. 223 00:16:08,908 --> 00:16:13,428 It's telling us about the elite of Dark Age society. 224 00:16:13,468 --> 00:16:17,388 The actual artifacts that were dug out of Sutton Hoo 225 00:16:17,428 --> 00:16:19,908 look like the things that are described in Beowulf. 226 00:16:19,948 --> 00:16:21,788 There are helmets with boar crests on them. 227 00:16:21,828 --> 00:16:25,908 There are swords with decorated, twisted handles and so forth, 228 00:16:25,948 --> 00:16:28,228 and so there seems to be some kind of connection 229 00:16:28,268 --> 00:16:32,388 between what's described in Beowulf and what we've found in Sutton Hoo. 230 00:16:32,428 --> 00:16:35,988 The Sutton Hoo excavation proved, for the first time, 231 00:16:35,988 --> 00:16:40,228 that the legend of Beowulf is more than just a fictional thriller, 232 00:16:40,668 --> 00:16:46,788 but it's not the only site yielding evidence of the truth behind the myth. 233 00:16:53,428 --> 00:16:55,468 In the Danish countryside, 234 00:16:55,508 --> 00:16:59,268 archaeologists have made an unusual discovery: 235 00:17:00,548 --> 00:17:04,468 evidence of a real ancient hall. 236 00:17:04,468 --> 00:17:07,948 The wooden superstructure rotted away centuries ago, 237 00:17:08,388 --> 00:17:11,548 but, based on the location of its post holes, 238 00:17:11,588 --> 00:17:14,948 it once stretched 150 feet long, 239 00:17:14,948 --> 00:17:19,108 making it one of the largest halls of its kind ever found. 240 00:17:19,148 --> 00:17:23,828 Could this be the mythical hall of King Hrothgar? 241 00:17:26,828 --> 00:17:31,828 In the story of Beowulf, the scene of Grendel's attack is called "Heorot", 242 00:17:31,828 --> 00:17:34,668 which means "hall of the stag". 243 00:17:35,308 --> 00:17:38,108 It is both a throne room and a banquet hall 244 00:17:38,108 --> 00:17:41,988 where the King's warriors gather to celebrate victory. 245 00:17:42,508 --> 00:17:45,068 Heorot is described as this great hall 246 00:17:45,108 --> 00:17:48,068 which is comparable to none other in the world. 247 00:17:48,068 --> 00:17:51,068 It's a sign of civilization, a sign of sophistication, 248 00:17:51,068 --> 00:17:54,948 and becomes kind of a wonder of the world of this culture. 249 00:17:54,948 --> 00:17:57,988 The hall recently uncovered in Denmark 250 00:17:58,028 --> 00:18:02,508 is in the same area its ancient kings once called home. 251 00:18:02,948 --> 00:18:07,708 Radio carbon testing dates the site to the sixth century AD, 252 00:18:08,908 --> 00:18:12,468 the same period when the myth was said to have taken place, 253 00:18:13,628 --> 00:18:15,268 but there's more. 254 00:18:15,308 --> 00:18:18,068 Excavations in the area around the ancient hall 255 00:18:18,108 --> 00:18:20,068 have yielded precious artifacts 256 00:18:20,108 --> 00:18:23,628 that could only have belonged to a powerful king. 257 00:18:23,668 --> 00:18:28,348 Some are for daily life - knives, needles, and so on - 258 00:18:28,388 --> 00:18:33,188 but there are also rather beautiful jewelry made of gold and silver, 259 00:18:33,188 --> 00:18:36,428 coins and so on that give the impression 260 00:18:36,428 --> 00:18:39,788 that this is a site of some importance. 261 00:18:40,108 --> 00:18:43,388 But who was the king behind this hall, 262 00:18:43,908 --> 00:18:46,828 and could he be connected to the myth? 263 00:18:54,108 --> 00:18:57,348 An intriguing clue can be found in a series of stories 264 00:18:57,388 --> 00:19:00,868 collectively called the legendary sagas. 265 00:19:00,908 --> 00:19:04,908 They are fact-based accounts about the Norse world 266 00:19:04,908 --> 00:19:09,348 that were written between 1100 and 1400 AD. 267 00:19:09,348 --> 00:19:13,428 Many of the Norse sagas are based on family histories, 268 00:19:13,428 --> 00:19:16,868 and we find this very engaging combination 269 00:19:16,868 --> 00:19:20,908 of historical material and mythological traditions. 270 00:19:23,588 --> 00:19:26,828 The sagas tell of a Danish king named Hrothgar 271 00:19:26,868 --> 00:19:30,268 who lived around the fifth or sixth century AD. 272 00:19:31,388 --> 00:19:36,828 If Hrothgar was a real king, could Beowulf have been a real hero? 273 00:19:48,948 --> 00:19:53,468 Deep in the marshes, a mother mourns the death of her son. 274 00:19:54,708 --> 00:19:57,188 Her son is Grendel. 275 00:19:59,308 --> 00:20:01,348 Her grief becomes rage. 276 00:20:03,548 --> 00:20:07,668 This is the second of Beowulf's three monstrous enemies. 277 00:20:08,268 --> 00:20:09,908 He's defeated Grendel. 278 00:20:09,948 --> 00:20:13,348 Now he must take on Grendel's mother. 279 00:20:14,908 --> 00:20:19,228 She's quick, cunning, and out for blood. 280 00:20:20,828 --> 00:20:24,948 Grendel's mother is a very, very enigmatic figure in the text. 281 00:20:24,948 --> 00:20:28,388 She certainly seems more bestial than Grendel. 282 00:20:28,428 --> 00:20:31,548 Her emotions are more beast-like. 283 00:20:31,548 --> 00:20:33,708 She's just bent on revenge. 284 00:20:35,588 --> 00:20:38,148 Revenge for the death of her son, 285 00:20:38,148 --> 00:20:43,628 whose severed arm has become a trophy, a mockery. 286 00:20:47,068 --> 00:20:50,188 Grendel's mother feels a mother's pain 287 00:20:50,188 --> 00:20:53,388 when her son is killed by Beowulf. 288 00:20:55,108 --> 00:20:59,788 So she enters into a feuding frenzy to attack Heorot, 289 00:20:59,828 --> 00:21:03,428 and she goes without much regard for her own safety. 290 00:21:05,468 --> 00:21:07,828 As the warriors sleep, 291 00:21:07,828 --> 00:21:11,588 Grendel's mother enters the hall. 292 00:21:23,188 --> 00:21:28,308 She pounces, killing with brutal efficiency. 293 00:21:30,748 --> 00:21:34,468 Terror grips the King's court again, 294 00:21:35,668 --> 00:21:38,428 but Beowulf is not there to save it. 295 00:21:39,428 --> 00:21:45,308 He is spending the night away from Heorot, unaware of the unfolding terror. 296 00:21:47,868 --> 00:21:51,988 With her hands stained by the blood of Denmark's warriors, 297 00:21:52,028 --> 00:21:55,988 Grendel's mother vanishes into the night. 298 00:21:57,748 --> 00:22:01,308 Beowulf is enraged when he learns of the carnage. 299 00:22:02,388 --> 00:22:07,468 Just days ago, he heroically saved the warriors who now lay dead, 300 00:22:07,788 --> 00:22:10,348 but the King is alive. 301 00:22:10,948 --> 00:22:16,148 He sits protected on his untouchable throne, despondent. 302 00:22:16,148 --> 00:22:22,428 Hrothgar is humiliated by the fact that so many of his men 303 00:22:22,428 --> 00:22:25,708 have been killed by Grendel and also now his mother, 304 00:22:25,708 --> 00:22:29,588 and he is not able to be a shield, and Beowulf says to him, 305 00:22:29,628 --> 00:22:34,348 "It's better to act than to sit in mourning. " 306 00:22:35,148 --> 00:22:40,468 Once again, Beowulf knows he must look death in the eye. 307 00:22:40,508 --> 00:22:44,028 He has built his reputation through heroic deeds. 308 00:22:44,028 --> 00:22:46,988 Now he must maintain it. 309 00:22:49,668 --> 00:22:52,468 With Hrothgar and his men by his side, 310 00:22:52,468 --> 00:22:55,948 Beowulf will hunt down Grendel's mother. 311 00:22:57,748 --> 00:23:01,548 They follow the blood trail along a winding path. 312 00:23:06,108 --> 00:23:10,868 Grendel's mother and Grendel live at the bottom of the haunted mere. 313 00:23:13,828 --> 00:23:19,468 The mere is an icy lake swarming with poisonous snakes and sea dragons. 314 00:23:23,388 --> 00:23:28,828 The only way to get to Grendel's mother is to go through them first. 315 00:23:30,148 --> 00:23:33,388 To the early Christian writers who recorded this myth, 316 00:23:33,428 --> 00:23:38,588 these serpents represented something equally threatening in the real world: 317 00:23:39,628 --> 00:23:40,948 pagans. 318 00:23:48,228 --> 00:23:50,948 The hunt for Grendel's mother has led Beowulf 319 00:23:50,988 --> 00:23:54,708 to an icy lake teeming with venomous serpents. 320 00:23:54,748 --> 00:23:58,868 To get to her, he'll have to go through them. 321 00:24:01,788 --> 00:24:05,708 This will be a decisive battle in the fight for Denmark 322 00:24:05,748 --> 00:24:09,628 between a warrior hero and a wicked mother 323 00:24:09,628 --> 00:24:14,948 who is descended from the Bible's most infamous murderer, Cain. 324 00:24:15,028 --> 00:24:18,508 Grendel's mother is never named in the poem. 325 00:24:18,548 --> 00:24:20,388 She just is Grendel's mother, 326 00:24:20,388 --> 00:24:24,748 but she is a very fearsome creature in her own right, 327 00:24:24,748 --> 00:24:27,388 perhaps in some ways even more dangerous, 328 00:24:27,428 --> 00:24:29,468 because now that her son has been killed, 329 00:24:29,468 --> 00:24:33,068 she has the rage of a bereaved mother. 330 00:24:34,508 --> 00:24:37,508 Before Beowulf plunges beneath the ice, 331 00:24:37,508 --> 00:24:40,468 his men give him a special sword. 332 00:24:43,508 --> 00:24:46,468 Its iron blade is tempered in blood 333 00:24:46,468 --> 00:24:49,828 and has never failed in battle before. 334 00:24:52,628 --> 00:24:56,428 Beowulf's comrades cannot bring themselves to go further. 335 00:24:56,468 --> 00:25:00,308 The hero must brace for battle alone. 336 00:25:10,508 --> 00:25:14,508 Under the surface, deadly serpents lie in wait. 337 00:25:15,828 --> 00:25:18,948 Beowulf tries to use his sword against them. 338 00:25:20,868 --> 00:25:24,868 But no human weapon can harm these supernatural beasts. 339 00:25:26,788 --> 00:25:28,308 He manages to break away 340 00:25:28,348 --> 00:25:31,908 and find the entrance to the lair of Grendel's mother. 341 00:25:40,308 --> 00:25:45,348 For a second time, man will confront monster. 342 00:25:54,508 --> 00:25:57,028 Grendel's mother comes in, and she attacks him. 343 00:26:05,348 --> 00:26:08,828 He grabs her hair, grabs her shoulder, throws her down, 344 00:26:09,948 --> 00:26:15,948 and she's up in a shot, and she snags him with her filthy claws, 345 00:26:15,948 --> 00:26:17,828 and he tumbles back on the floor. 346 00:26:22,228 --> 00:26:24,708 Beowulf is in grave danger, 347 00:26:24,708 --> 00:26:28,348 and his sword again proves useless. 348 00:26:29,508 --> 00:26:32,748 It's supposed to be very powerful and very strong, 349 00:26:32,748 --> 00:26:36,068 but it actually has no effect on Grendel's mother at all. 350 00:26:36,108 --> 00:26:38,908 It can't penetrate her scaly hide. 351 00:26:40,908 --> 00:26:44,668 Suddenly, something catches Beowulf's eye. 352 00:26:44,708 --> 00:26:50,308 He sees on the wall or nearby an ancient sword forged by giants, 353 00:26:50,308 --> 00:26:52,108 which is not of mortal making. 354 00:26:52,108 --> 00:26:54,788 It's really a magic weapon. 355 00:26:57,868 --> 00:27:00,188 In one resolute arc, 356 00:27:00,188 --> 00:27:06,268 he strikes Grendel's mother and severs her head. 357 00:27:12,148 --> 00:27:17,588 It is the death of a second evil, dawn of a new hope. 358 00:27:17,668 --> 00:27:20,708 Beowulf has proven his bravery again, 359 00:27:20,708 --> 00:27:24,228 but this is more than a mythical triumph. 360 00:27:24,268 --> 00:27:26,388 It is a reflection of the changing world 361 00:27:26,428 --> 00:27:29,268 in which the Norse people framed the myth, 362 00:27:29,268 --> 00:27:34,828 a world where paganism had eroded and Christ had risen. 363 00:27:34,868 --> 00:27:39,668 We might see the death of Grendel's mother as a religious metaphor. 364 00:27:39,668 --> 00:27:42,508 Just as Grendel's mother dies, 365 00:27:42,508 --> 00:27:46,668 so paganism is dying and Christianity is rising, 366 00:27:46,708 --> 00:27:51,108 and just as Beowulf frees Hrothgar's kingdom 367 00:27:51,148 --> 00:27:53,508 from the threat of Grendel's mother, 368 00:27:53,508 --> 00:27:59,068 so Christianity is bringing light to the world of paganism that preceded it. 369 00:28:04,108 --> 00:28:06,908 600 AD, The British Isles: 370 00:28:07,788 --> 00:28:10,708 A religious revolution is under way. 371 00:28:12,268 --> 00:28:16,588 Roman Christians have come north to convert all nonbelievers. 372 00:28:18,548 --> 00:28:23,788 In the late sixth century, Pope Gregory sent Augustine to England 373 00:28:23,828 --> 00:28:27,108 to convert these Anglo-Saxon pagans. 374 00:28:27,148 --> 00:28:28,868 Augustine was told by Gregory, 375 00:28:28,908 --> 00:28:32,468 "Go to the pagan temples that the Anglo-Saxons already use 376 00:28:32,468 --> 00:28:35,628 "and convert them to Christian use. " 377 00:28:35,628 --> 00:28:41,868 Convert the kings so that the people underneath the king will follow him. 378 00:28:45,388 --> 00:28:48,548 The Anglo-Saxons were ultimately converted, 379 00:28:50,148 --> 00:28:54,628 but their pre-Christian legends lived on in the stories they passed down, 380 00:28:54,668 --> 00:28:58,388 including the legend of Beowulf. 381 00:28:58,468 --> 00:29:03,668 Beowulf attempts to update and bring into the Christian present 382 00:29:03,708 --> 00:29:07,588 some of the old-fashioned heroic values 383 00:29:07,588 --> 00:29:10,508 of the early Norse era, 384 00:29:10,508 --> 00:29:15,708 people who are brave in adversity, people who are loyal to comrades. 385 00:29:17,508 --> 00:29:19,308 When the Christians conquered, 386 00:29:19,308 --> 00:29:25,228 they recast the myth of Beowulf as a metaphor of good versus evil. 387 00:29:31,948 --> 00:29:33,828 The story continues. 388 00:29:34,708 --> 00:29:37,908 At the haunted lake of serpents, 389 00:29:37,908 --> 00:29:40,948 Beowulf surfaces victorious. 390 00:29:43,868 --> 00:29:46,668 He heads for the hall of King Hrothgar. 391 00:29:52,428 --> 00:29:54,908 And arrives triumphant. 392 00:29:59,028 --> 00:30:02,148 Beowulf's return shocks the King's court. 393 00:30:02,188 --> 00:30:05,108 He had been given up for dead. 394 00:30:05,148 --> 00:30:10,948 Hrothgar hails him as the ultimate hero and stages a great celebration. 395 00:30:11,668 --> 00:30:16,548 Beowulf has achieved the glory and honour he came to Denmark to find. 396 00:30:17,828 --> 00:30:23,748 Now he is eager to return to his own kingdom to the north, Geatland. 397 00:30:25,188 --> 00:30:28,628 There more danger awaits. 398 00:30:35,348 --> 00:30:40,388 In the story of Beowulf, the Geats were not a mythical tribe. 399 00:30:40,388 --> 00:30:44,268 They were real warriors from the southern tip of Sweden 400 00:30:44,308 --> 00:30:47,588 well-known to the writers of the myth. 401 00:30:47,588 --> 00:30:51,468 The poem refers to the Geats, and it refers to Swedes. 402 00:30:51,468 --> 00:30:54,468 What we are looking at are two different dynasties. 403 00:30:54,468 --> 00:30:58,228 It is a deep-rooted split that you see actually last 404 00:30:58,228 --> 00:31:01,268 all the way to the end of the Viking age. 405 00:31:01,268 --> 00:31:04,908 This real-life rivalry between the Geats and the Swedes 406 00:31:04,948 --> 00:31:09,028 comes to a head in the next chapter of Beowulf, 407 00:31:09,068 --> 00:31:12,868 and it is up to Beowulf to lead his people to victory 408 00:31:14,748 --> 00:31:19,908 in one epic battle on a giant lake of ice. 409 00:31:24,268 --> 00:31:26,308 This is Lake Vanern. 410 00:31:27,028 --> 00:31:29,788 It is the largest body of water in Sweden, 411 00:31:29,828 --> 00:31:33,468 covering some 2,200 square miles. 412 00:31:34,428 --> 00:31:36,788 In harsh winters, it freezes over, 413 00:31:36,788 --> 00:31:40,788 forming a land bridge between two distant territories. 414 00:31:42,148 --> 00:31:44,668 Today it is peaceful, 415 00:31:45,428 --> 00:31:49,548 but 15 centuries ago, according to the myth of Beowulf, 416 00:31:49,588 --> 00:31:52,268 it was the setting of a bloody battle, 417 00:31:54,508 --> 00:31:57,708 the Swedes against the Geats. 418 00:32:01,868 --> 00:32:05,388 On his return to Geatland, Beowulf discovers 419 00:32:05,388 --> 00:32:09,948 that the Geats are embroiled in the middle of a Swedish feud. 420 00:32:11,588 --> 00:32:14,828 A civil war between members of the Swedish royal family 421 00:32:14,828 --> 00:32:17,748 has spilled over into Beowulf's homeland. 422 00:32:19,908 --> 00:32:22,788 The hero must confront death once again, 423 00:32:22,788 --> 00:32:28,668 but this time, not against monsters but against his fellow man. 424 00:32:45,188 --> 00:32:49,148 Beowulf's forces prevail, and in return for his heroism, 425 00:32:49,148 --> 00:32:52,148 he is granted the throne of Geatland. 426 00:32:52,668 --> 00:32:55,668 His quest for glory is now complete. 427 00:32:56,348 --> 00:32:58,828 It is a decisive moment in the myth, 428 00:32:59,868 --> 00:33:03,348 but could this epic battle have really happened? 429 00:33:06,548 --> 00:33:11,028 According to old Norse sagas which are thought to be based on real history, 430 00:33:11,028 --> 00:33:13,348 a violent battle did occur 431 00:33:13,348 --> 00:33:17,348 on a frozen lake around the year 530 AD. 432 00:33:18,668 --> 00:33:22,988 The battle of Lake Vanern is the decisive battle between the Geats and the Swedes, 433 00:33:22,988 --> 00:33:26,788 and it happens on the frozen water of an enormous fresh water lake. 434 00:33:26,788 --> 00:33:30,388 It's one of the first known giant cavalry battles in the north, 435 00:33:30,388 --> 00:33:34,548 and many, many warriors are slain on both sides. 436 00:33:36,348 --> 00:33:40,348 This real battle was said to have happened near Earnaness, Sweden. 437 00:33:41,148 --> 00:33:44,948 Modern scholars believe Earnaness was a real settlement 438 00:33:44,988 --> 00:33:48,068 right on the shore of Lake Vanern. 439 00:33:50,548 --> 00:33:55,508 Once again, the historical record seems to match the myth, 440 00:33:56,508 --> 00:33:59,948 a real battle in a real location. 441 00:34:01,748 --> 00:34:04,988 Could there also be evidence of a real hero? 442 00:34:05,148 --> 00:34:09,028 The search for clues leads back to the myth. 443 00:34:16,748 --> 00:34:18,508 After the ice battle, 444 00:34:18,548 --> 00:34:22,868 Beowulf rules Geatland in peace for many decades. 445 00:34:22,868 --> 00:34:26,228 He's no longer that young hero that he was 446 00:34:26,268 --> 00:34:29,228 when he was fighting Grendel and then Grendel's mother. 447 00:34:29,268 --> 00:34:32,708 He's much older. He's no longer in his prime, 448 00:34:32,708 --> 00:34:36,348 but still, he's exemplary. 449 00:34:36,748 --> 00:34:41,388 As a young man, Beowulf had quenched his thirst for glory. 450 00:34:41,428 --> 00:34:45,788 As an aging king, he has no desire for more, 451 00:34:48,388 --> 00:34:52,068 but 50 years after his heroic conquests in Denmark, 452 00:34:52,108 --> 00:34:57,988 the old warrior must face one final showdown with a terrifying monster, 453 00:35:00,788 --> 00:35:03,388 the Dragon of Earnaness. 454 00:35:04,708 --> 00:35:10,428 It stretches 50 feet long and guards a gargantuan hoard of gold. 455 00:35:10,468 --> 00:35:14,588 Dragons represent human greed but really, 456 00:35:14,628 --> 00:35:18,508 you know, amplified, because this is this monstrous creature 457 00:35:18,548 --> 00:35:22,188 whose only interest is in gathering gold and keeping it. 458 00:35:23,708 --> 00:35:27,948 The trouble begins after a young slave escapes from his master 459 00:35:27,988 --> 00:35:30,388 and hides in a cave. 460 00:35:30,428 --> 00:35:35,068 He doesn't realize he's entering the lair of the dragon. 461 00:35:38,908 --> 00:35:40,748 As the monster sleeps, 462 00:35:40,788 --> 00:35:45,508 the slave spots the hoard of gold and succumbs to temptation. 463 00:35:47,668 --> 00:35:51,508 He steals the cup from the dragon's treasure. 464 00:35:53,468 --> 00:35:56,788 Not knowing that this cup is, in fact, 465 00:35:56,788 --> 00:35:59,748 the favourite item of the dragon. 466 00:36:02,068 --> 00:36:05,988 The dragon stirs, finds the golden cup missing, 467 00:36:06,028 --> 00:36:09,388 and sets off for revenge. 468 00:36:23,148 --> 00:36:27,428 So he starts setting farms and fields on fire, 469 00:36:27,428 --> 00:36:31,148 creating much destruction in a very short time. 470 00:36:31,148 --> 00:36:34,228 The dragon wreaks havoc across the land. 471 00:36:34,268 --> 00:36:37,588 Then, the ultimate insult. 472 00:36:40,508 --> 00:36:43,228 Beowulf's own home is burned, 473 00:36:43,268 --> 00:36:46,148 and he prays for restoration of his loss 474 00:36:46,188 --> 00:36:51,468 and seeks some kind of redress and begins to think about revenge. 475 00:36:51,508 --> 00:36:57,148 Once more, the old warrior is called to defend a nation's honour. 476 00:36:57,628 --> 00:37:01,388 It will be his last stand against evil. 477 00:37:02,748 --> 00:37:06,388 He's the kind of hero who's gonna be willing to go out and face, 478 00:37:06,428 --> 00:37:08,588 at this point, certain death. 479 00:37:11,868 --> 00:37:14,668 Beowulf leads his men into battle 480 00:37:14,668 --> 00:37:19,028 with his kingdom and honour hanging in the balance. 481 00:37:24,708 --> 00:37:28,028 This will either be the hero's final triumph 482 00:37:28,988 --> 00:37:31,348 or his tragic end. 483 00:37:37,468 --> 00:37:42,228 A fire-breathing dragon is devastating the kingdom of the Geats. 484 00:37:43,428 --> 00:37:48,948 Beowulf the aging hero-king, dons his battle gear one more time, 485 00:37:48,988 --> 00:37:51,868 and the hunt for a third beast begins. 486 00:37:54,508 --> 00:37:58,028 The bravest soldiers ride alongside Beowulf. 487 00:37:59,588 --> 00:38:03,308 Among them is the young son of a fallen warrior. 488 00:38:03,348 --> 00:38:05,588 His name is Wiglaf. 489 00:38:06,668 --> 00:38:08,828 He's immature. 490 00:38:08,868 --> 00:38:11,068 He's inexperienced. 491 00:38:11,108 --> 00:38:12,988 He's the one that you would probably say 492 00:38:12,988 --> 00:38:17,588 is gonna contribute the least to the actual fight against a dragon. 493 00:38:18,548 --> 00:38:23,028 The men come upon the dragon's lair in the middle of a dense forest. 494 00:38:25,308 --> 00:38:29,268 Beowulf steps cautiously inside... 495 00:38:30,668 --> 00:38:33,228 and finds the monster asleep. 496 00:38:36,028 --> 00:38:41,668 But before the hero can strike, the dragon awakens and attacks. 497 00:38:48,628 --> 00:38:52,068 Beowulf yells to his other warriors for help. 498 00:38:52,468 --> 00:38:56,268 All of Beowulf's other fellows have run away to hide in the woods, 499 00:38:56,268 --> 00:38:58,548 'cause they're too terrified of the dragon. 500 00:38:59,668 --> 00:39:04,468 All except for one, young Wiglaf. 501 00:39:06,468 --> 00:39:10,948 Once mocked for his youth, he now stands out for his bravery, 502 00:39:10,988 --> 00:39:15,388 risking his life to fight alongside the hero he idolizes 503 00:39:15,388 --> 00:39:18,388 as Beowulf confronts his greatest enemy. 504 00:39:19,268 --> 00:39:23,828 So goes the myth, but what is the connection to reality? 505 00:39:29,668 --> 00:39:33,308 The dragon is mythology's ultimate monster. 506 00:39:34,988 --> 00:39:37,068 Within a sort of Christian tradition, 507 00:39:37,068 --> 00:39:40,668 dragons often represent the super serpent, 508 00:39:40,668 --> 00:39:43,788 a gigantic manifestation of Satan. 509 00:39:43,828 --> 00:39:48,628 But if you go back before Christian tradition, dragons seem to represent 510 00:39:48,628 --> 00:39:52,708 something like an ultimate embodiment 511 00:39:52,708 --> 00:39:56,668 of power and ferocity and mystery. 512 00:39:56,668 --> 00:40:00,068 But the great fear that people have always had is that, 513 00:40:00,068 --> 00:40:04,788 despite all of the seemingly regular patterns that you see in nature, 514 00:40:04,788 --> 00:40:08,948 there might also be fantastic, chaotic unknowns, 515 00:40:08,948 --> 00:40:11,668 the monsters that could suddenly leap out. 516 00:40:12,108 --> 00:40:15,868 Dragons play a central role in myths throughout the world. 517 00:40:17,388 --> 00:40:21,908 And despite the thousands of miles and thousands of years that separate them, 518 00:40:21,948 --> 00:40:27,028 the similarities between the stories are more striking than the differences. 519 00:40:27,988 --> 00:40:30,108 Most of them have hard scales, 520 00:40:30,108 --> 00:40:33,508 have these long serpentine bodies with long pointed tails, 521 00:40:33,548 --> 00:40:36,788 long necks ending in a horned head. 522 00:40:36,828 --> 00:40:40,148 Many breathe fire. Many have wings. 523 00:40:40,988 --> 00:40:43,908 Are these shared traits coincidence, 524 00:40:43,948 --> 00:40:49,588 or did ancient storytellers have some common real-world inspiration? 525 00:40:50,748 --> 00:40:54,068 Many wonder whether there were actual dragons. 526 00:40:54,068 --> 00:40:57,868 Given how prevalent the stories about them are in the world's myths, 527 00:40:57,908 --> 00:41:02,068 it would seem that they must be based on something real. 528 00:41:02,068 --> 00:41:04,748 My own theory, which is - other people have it too - 529 00:41:04,788 --> 00:41:08,068 was that at some point, someone was walking through the Gobi desert 530 00:41:08,108 --> 00:41:11,188 or parts of Central Asia where dinosaur bones are exposed, 531 00:41:11,228 --> 00:41:14,268 and they saw a T-Rex-rex skeleton and said, 532 00:41:14,268 --> 00:41:17,908 "Wow, if those are the bones, can you imagine what the thing looked like?" 533 00:41:17,908 --> 00:41:20,148 And from there, you could imagine the creature. 534 00:41:20,188 --> 00:41:22,828 So they're large. They're scary. They're fierce. 535 00:41:23,668 --> 00:41:26,508 Dinosaur fossils have been discovered around the globe 536 00:41:26,508 --> 00:41:29,348 since mankind's earliest days. 537 00:41:30,868 --> 00:41:32,868 In a time before science, 538 00:41:32,908 --> 00:41:36,828 could they have inspired mythology's ultimate monster? 539 00:41:45,268 --> 00:41:46,988 The myth concludes. 540 00:41:47,708 --> 00:41:50,788 Beowulf charges the dragon with his sword. 541 00:41:52,668 --> 00:41:54,388 The dragon strikes back, 542 00:41:55,908 --> 00:41:57,628 wounding Beowulf 543 00:41:58,628 --> 00:42:01,628 but there is still one more chance for victory. 544 00:42:02,828 --> 00:42:05,988 The belly is the beast's Achilles heel. 545 00:42:07,188 --> 00:42:12,628 As Wiglaf looks on, Beowulf manoeuvres his way underneath the dragon 546 00:42:12,628 --> 00:42:15,748 and thrusts his sword into its stomach. 547 00:42:20,468 --> 00:42:22,508 The monster is defeated, 548 00:42:22,508 --> 00:42:27,828 but Beowulf has paid the ultimate price for this final moment of glory. 549 00:42:27,868 --> 00:42:30,548 Beowulf is bitten in the neck by the dragon, 550 00:42:30,548 --> 00:42:34,468 so even as he slays the beast, he himself knows he's going to die 551 00:42:34,508 --> 00:42:37,508 because the wound begins to swell and to burst. 552 00:42:42,748 --> 00:42:45,428 He says, "At least bring me some of the dragon's treasure 553 00:42:45,428 --> 00:42:48,788 "so that I can see what we fought for and what we've won 554 00:42:48,828 --> 00:42:52,628 "and look once more upon the glorious treasure. " 555 00:42:54,308 --> 00:42:57,948 Beowulf says, "I am the last of my line. 556 00:42:57,948 --> 00:43:01,228 "I have no heir. My fathers before me are all dead, 557 00:43:01,268 --> 00:43:03,508 "so because you were brave, Wiglaf, 558 00:43:03,548 --> 00:43:08,348 "I'm giving you my famous chain mail and my sword and my helmet. " 559 00:43:09,628 --> 00:43:13,828 An old hero dies, and a new one is born. 560 00:43:21,148 --> 00:43:25,708 The final stanzas of the epic describe Beowulf's funeral, 561 00:43:26,508 --> 00:43:29,228 his body placed on a pyre... 562 00:43:31,628 --> 00:43:33,188 and set alight. 563 00:43:39,468 --> 00:43:41,268 Beowulf's death at the end of the poem 564 00:43:41,308 --> 00:43:46,228 represents the idea that all men and all their works shall die. 565 00:43:46,748 --> 00:43:50,828 A great hero, the icon of northern warriors, 566 00:43:50,868 --> 00:43:55,588 is dead, but his legend is just beginning. 567 00:43:59,868 --> 00:44:02,828 Today hundreds of ancient burial mounds 568 00:44:02,828 --> 00:44:05,948 still dot the landscape of Scandinavia. 569 00:44:05,988 --> 00:44:10,268 Some have yielded evidence of truth behind the myth, 570 00:44:10,308 --> 00:44:13,268 but many are still unexcavated. 571 00:44:13,308 --> 00:44:16,708 Could one of them be the gravesite of a real Beowulf? 572 00:44:16,748 --> 00:44:19,348 Is it possible that Beowulf was a real person? 573 00:44:19,388 --> 00:44:20,748 Yes, of course it is. 574 00:44:20,748 --> 00:44:24,028 The history surrounding him fits with history, 575 00:44:24,028 --> 00:44:25,668 and the reason why we tend to say 576 00:44:25,668 --> 00:44:28,108 yes, it's possible that he was a real person, 577 00:44:28,148 --> 00:44:32,508 is the very simple fact that there were legends that were kept orally, 578 00:44:32,508 --> 00:44:34,748 that were the basis for this poem, 579 00:44:34,748 --> 00:44:37,948 that tells us there should be some truth to it. 580 00:44:40,188 --> 00:44:45,428 Whether real man or myth, Beowulf is bravery personified. 581 00:44:46,868 --> 00:44:50,188 To the ancients, he embodied the best in Man. 582 00:44:52,388 --> 00:44:54,228 A warrior's life... 583 00:44:56,268 --> 00:44:57,788 and a hero's death.