A hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hroðgar, the king
of the Danes, whose mead hall in Heorot has been under attack by a monster
known as Grendel. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel's mother attacks the hall
and is then also defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland (Götaland
in modern Sweden) and later becomes king of the Geats. After a period of fifty
years has passed, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is fatally wounded in the
battle. After his death, his attendants bury him in a tumulus, a burial mound,
in Geatland.
Beowulf's battle between Grendel:
Beowulf and his men spend the night in Heorot. Beowulf
refuses to use any weapon because he holds himself to be the equal of Grendel.During
the battle, Beowulf has been feigning sleep and leaps up to clench Grendel's
hand. The two battle until it seems as though the hall might collapse.
Beowulf's retainers draw their swords and rush to his aid, but their blades
cannot pierce Grendel's skin. Finally, Beowulf tears Grendel's arm from his
body at the shoulder and Grendel runs to his home in the marshes and slowly
dies.
(The second battle is between Grendel's mother and the third battle was the slaying of the dragon.)
