- Beowulf returns to Heorot after
the heroic fight with Grendel's mother; and the Danish warriors,
who were unable to stop the monsters' attacks themselves, salute the greatest of Geats.
Beowulf greets Hrothgar and tells him about the war under
water, the failure of Hrunting, and the slaying of Grendel's
mother with the sword he found in the cave: "The sword itself had already melted, its
patterned blade burned away: the blood was too hot for it, the spirit that had died there
too poisonous" ( Norton, p.48). He presents the golden hilt of the giant sword
to Hrothgar, who is grateful to Beowulf for making the land of the Danes free of monsters.
Beowulf also brings Grendel's head as the evidence of his glory.
- Hrothgar then reminds Beowulf about the sin of hubris and tells him the story of Heremod as an example of what happens when that sin
overtakes a man. The king also advises the hero, "Have no care for pride, great
warrior" (Norton, p.49). Then everyone at Heorot enjoys a great feast. The
next day, Beowulf returns Hrunting to Unferth, but says nothing
about the sword's failure.
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