Journal to a Muse

Illustration Friday: Legendary

When Beowulf tore the arm of the marauding monster Grendel, he earned himself a place in Legend and Literature. The Scandinavians told the tale from the mid 500's AD, and a British writer in the Christian era (ca 1100 AD, though there is debate) made it the first piece of literature known to have been written in (old) English.

Beowulf Shrinklit

by Maurice Sagoff

Monster Grendel's tastes are plainish.

Breakfast? Just a couple Danish.
King of Danes is frantic, very.

Wait! Here comes the Malmo" ferry

Bring Beowulf, his neighbor,

Mighty swinger with a saber!

Hrothgar's warriors hail the Swede,

Knocking back a lot of mead;

Then, when night engulfs the Hall

And the Monster makes his call,

Beowulf, with body-slam

Wrenches off his arm, Shazam!

Monster's mother finds him slain,

Grabs and eats another Dane!

Down her lair our hero jumps,

Gives old Grendel's dam her lumps.

Later on, as king of Geats

He performed prodigious feats

Till he met a foe too tough

Non-Beodegradable stuff)

And that scaly-armored dragon

Scooped him up and fixed his wagon.

Sorrow-stricken, half the nation

Flocked to Beowulf's cremation;

Round his pyre, with drums a-muffle

Did a Nordic soft-shoe shuffle.