Beowulf in Old English (Anglo Saxon) Translation?

Question

Question Details: In the opening lines of Beoulf it says -

"oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,

monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah"

or

"King Scyld was known for stealing enemies mead benches".

But what are mead benches ? Meads the drink I know, but benches. Is it an 11th century pub ?

Answer 1

It's quite possible no one really knows and even scholars guess.

They could be a metaphor not to be taken literally or narrowly, meaning merely "things that are important."

It might also mean that furniture was highly esteemed and worth stealing.

Answer 2

Yeah, I've read a few versions of Beowulf, and I remember the stealing of mead benches line in all of them. I suppose it is a metaphor: mead halls and the feasts that took place in them are an important theme in the poem, and in Dark Age Germanic culture in general. Since feasts at the mead-hall were put on by the king (a way of showing his power and generosity), stealing mead benches would mean that they could no longer put on feasts, thus they would need Scyld to provide feasts for them, thus recognizing Scyld as their benefactor and lord. So Scyld holds the feasts now, signifying that he is king, even over the men who once had kingly power.

Anglo-Saxon poetry is known for its kennings: explaining one thing in terms of something else. The most famous example is that the sea is called the "whale-road". Here is another example: power is expressed in terms of mead benches.

Answer 3

hmm the reason you are getting mead benches is becuase... corect me if i'm wrong you used a translator? translators literally translate the sentence word by word. but if you use common sense and learn a bit about the language you find it actually means.

"King Scyld was kwon for stealing enemies' mead tankards/barrels"