Creatures Caves

This is a short poem based on the epic poem Beowulf, only it has been ?nornified?. I must give credit to Susan Wise Bauer?s version of the poem, of which I?ve based mine off of (none of the lines have been directly copied). This is a far simpler version than the original Beowulf, where the Grendel Mother comes back to avenge her son. I?ve ended when the Grendel has been destroyed.

Hrothgar the Hand had a set of Hardmen(*),
That fought for him again and again.
Their strength and their courage was well known by all,
So Hrothgar built them a metaroom hall.
On its sides were paintings, brilliant like stars,
And its door was sealed with great iron bars.
Each night of the week, the Norns gathered there,
To eat and to talk and to put away care.
When they got weary, they slept next to the flames,
While torchlight flowed from the hall?s long frames.
This hall of the Hand stood on high, solid ground,
With safe little fields and great trees all around.
But far, far away, over swampland and heath,
Lived a beast known as Grendel, with great nails and teeth.
He was scaly and hideous, with red eyes like blood,
His fangs were all drippy and colored of mud.
His claws were like razors, his teeth sharp like spikes,
His tail was strong like hard, metal pikes.
He roared deafening cries much like a banshee?s wail,
That trembled Norns from head to tail.
He slinked to the door while the tired Norns slept,
He opened the door, and he silently crept.
He grabbed a Norn and ate it right then,
He picked up some more and ran to his den.
Some Norns tried to follow his great prints on the ground,
But they came to a creek where no prints could be found.
Early next day, they grieved their dead friend,
And vowed they would fight the beast to the end!
Although during the day they desired to fight,
Their bravery slipped away in the night.
For many nights after, Grendel broke through the door,
Jumped into the throng and gobbled some more
Of the Norns hanging out there. And for many a day,
Hrothgar?s Hardman Norns couldn?t keep Grendel away.
They were exhausted and scared and have lost all their pride,
As word of their predicament stretched far and wide.
Then Beonorn, mightiest Norn on the ship,
A very fierce warrior, with a tail like a whip,
Heard that Grendel attacked Hrothgar?s hall each night,
And that the Hrothgar?s warriors were too frightened to fight.
He assembled his group, with their swords and their spears,
And journeyed to the hall, where the Norns harbored their fears.
Hrothgar was thankful to see all the tough men!
He gave them all thanks, many again.
He said to them, ?Welcome, Beonorn and all!
This night all of you shall rest in my hall.
When Grendel comes with his thoughts set on sin,
He will see you here along with your kin.
You can fight him then. Would you need sharper spears and,
Some swords?? But then Beonorn replied to the Hand,
?No need! We?ll stay here with not even a care!
In fact, I certainly doubt it?d be fair
To use swords to defeat the monster from the heath,
He has no weapons?just nails and teeth.
So I?ll take off my armor and put down my sword,
And fight with my hands. No need for reward!?
Beonorn and his pals then lay down on the floor,
They put out the lights and they closed the great door.
They waited for Grendel, faking their sleep,
Then out of the night, so dark and so deep,
Came the noise of the creature, approaching the place,
He bellowed, striking fear to their face.
The door, made of metal, was shut, fastened, and locked,
He barged right through and inside he walked.

Beonorn faces the Grendel

Grendel lifted a chubby Norn, prepared to feast?
Then Beonorn grabbed the arm of the beast.
And started to bend it with all his might,
Then Grendel turned on him, faced crumpled with fright.
But Beonorn twisted the arm again,
And Grendel howled with horrible pain.(**)
He roared and he hissed, and yet couldn?t flee?
Beonorn?s power was something to see!
Beonorn then pulled once more on the arm,
And it popped right off?causing the beast great harm.
Shreiking, it escaped right through the door,
Leaving its arm behind on the floor.
When the warriors saw what Beonorn had done,
They applauded, and then pursued footprints to where Grendel had run.
It let them down to a great, slimy pool,
Where the wet mists just cleared up, all slick and cool,
Over the water?s surface. Right there they found,
The Grendel?s body, for he leaped in and drowned.
?He died!? They shouted, ?Let us now have a feast!
Never again will we fear the return of the beast!?
So with cheer and great glee they came back to the hall,
And Hrothgar added Grendel?s arm to the wall.
They ate, drank, and talked ?till sunset grew old,
Then Hrothgar bestowed upon Beonorn armor of gold.
A poet sang about Beonorn, strong of hand,
And his deed was evermore sung in that land.

*"Hardmen" is supposed to be "Hardman Norns".
**"Pain" and "Again" supposedly rhymed way back when.

Hawksight