Section XXXII
The fire-dragon discovers that his hoard has been plundered and wreaks terrible vengeance on the Geats.
16 argumentative units
- 01A fugitive warrior seeks refuge in the barrow
The passage establishes that a desperate warrior, fleeing from deadly foes, takes shelter inside an ancient burial mound to escape harm.
- 02Description of the ancient hoard and its origins
The narrator describes the vast treasure lying in the earth-cave: ancient ornaments and jewels that were deliberately deposited there long ago by an illustrious ancestor as a precious legacy.
- 03The last keeper mourns and buries the hoard
The final survivor of his people, left to guard the treasure, entombs it with solemn ceremony, mourning all his fallen kinsmen.
- 04The ring-giver's lament over lost warriors
The burial-master speaks a mournful dirge, entrusting the treasure to the earth and lamenting the death of all his warriors, his craftsmen, and the loss of all earthly joys and martial glory.
- 05The last guardian succumbs to grief and dies
The sorrowing keeper mourns ceaselessly until death itself overwhelms his spirit, leaving the treasure unguarded.
- 06The ancient fire-dragon discovers the open hoard
The old fire-breathing dragon, who has guarded precious hoards for centuries, finds this treasure exposed and accessible.
- 07The dragon's three-hundred-year guardianship of the hoard
The passage establishes that the dragon had maintained possession of this excellent treasure-hall for three centuries until a certain warrior came and disturbed it.
- 08A servant brings the gold cup to his lord and wins forgiveness
The desperate servant brings the treasure to his chieftain, begging forgiveness for his transgression, which leads to the hoard being discovered and removed.
- 09The king's first viewing of the ancient treasure
The lord examines the ancient earthwork and treasure for the first time in its history, unaware this will precipitate disaster.
- 10The dragon awakens and detects the intruder
Upon waking, the dragon immediately smells the scent of an enemy and discovers that someone has ventured perilously close to its head.
- 11The narrator comments on those who might escape the dragon's wrath
The narrator observes that only those blessed with divine favor can escape anguish and exile from such a creature's vengeance.
- 12The dragon hunts for the thief throughout the cavern
The hoard-warden eagerly searches the entire barrow seeking the person who stole from him while he slept, ready for battle.
- 13The dragon takes pleasure in the conflict
Though finding no earthly foe in the desert cavern, the dragon rejoices in the prospect of battle and repeatedly returns to check the treasure.
- 14The dragon perceives that his treasure has been stolen
The dragon discovers clear evidence that someone has found and taken his gold and treasure, confirming his worst suspicions.
- 15The dragon's fury and vow of vengeance
Enraged by the theft of his precious cup, the dragon becomes angry in spirit and vows to exact payment with fire and destruction.
- 16The dragon abandons the barrow and attacks the Geats
The dragon, no longer willing to wait, departs in flames on a mission of vengeance, bringing terrible destruction upon the people and their king.