A Bloody Enterprise: The Power of Treasure Over Men in Beowulf

While many issues of dominance that can be observed throughout Beowulf, one of the central power struggles represented is between men and the treasure that their feudal society pushes them to seek. Clare Lees writes her 1994 article that this epic "is arguably as much preoccupied with the ways in which aristocratic warriors dominate other men as they do monstrous Others" ("Men and Beowulf," p.142). This idea that a single group of people can dominate the rest is somewhat limiting when one investigates the notion that the warriors, kings, and monsters are all subjected to a power struggle which is centered around one thing-treasure. This story illustrates how greed and jealousy over treasure are inevitable in a society that holds it in such high esteem. As the poem reminds us, ..."gold can easily/ Triumph, defeat the strongest of men,/ No matter how deep it is hidden" (2764-66). Treasure is the one "Other" that not only dominates men, but cannot be defeated.

Lees writes that "Beowulf ritualizes aggression both physically and verbally to enforce obedience of the dominated to the dominant. Aggression is central to the maintenance of power..." ("Men and Beowulf," pp.142-43). Lees, however, does not mention that this power could also be ritualized physically in the form of treasure as it passes hands. In a society in which much is based on gaining wealth through warfare, it is not surprising that much of this treasure actually exists in the very objects that protect and kill the warriors who covet them. The warriors must bring these golden helmets, famous swords, and armor to their kings, who must repay them as Hilgac repays Beowulf with land and another great sword. Whoever possesses treasure has power in a society like this As the story of Shild's son demonstrates in the prologue, "...young men build/ The future, wisely open-handed in peace,/ Protected in war; so warriors earn /Their fame, and wealth is shaped with a sword," (22-25).

As this poem so tragically illustrates, the treasure itself can sustain a feud when treasured swords, shields, and armor have so much meaning not only to the men who wear them, but also to the brothers or sons of the men who probably lost them as they lost their lives. The treasure takes the place of a trophy which will always be coveted by the defeated, giving them even more of a reason to seek vengeance. Although Hrothgar gives his daughter to the Hathobards, hoping to end their feud, the peace is not likely to last. Beowulf recognizes that when Hathobard soldiers see the armor worn by Danish soldiers who stripped it from their slain ancestors in battle, the flames of the feud will no doubt be rekindled (pp.86-87). In this cycle of domination, the power moves along with the treasure, always leaving grief and jealousy behind to spark retaliation.

Not only can the actions of these warriors affect their entire country, but a lowly servant brings about the demise of a king by attempting to gain power from treasure that was not his own. The dragon had been still for hundreds of years when a beaten servant took a jeweled cup that he thought would restore his master's favor. Responsibility for the servant's theft is passed up the hierarchy along with the cup, "The cup had come to [Beowulf], traveled/ From dragon to slave, to master, to king,/ And the slave was their guide, had begun the Geats'/ Affliction, and now, afraid of both beast/ And men, was forced to lead them to the monster's/ Hidden home" (2404-09). Although the dragon's great treasure was only short one little cup, he ended up dying in return for the revenge that he sought. This shows how unprofitable it can be to put one's life at stake for monetary gain.

Although Grendel never steals any concrete treasure from the Danes, it was his jealousy of the great tower of Herot that tempted him to attack the people there. They flaunted their success, and he began to kill them nightly until they were dominated by fear, to the point that the tower was deserted, belonging to Grendel instead of the Danes (p.26). Another feud started by jealousy was fueled by revenge, and ended in treasure. Beowulf never came out empty-handed when he fought and killed these monsters. He first had Grendel's arm to show as proof of his success, which was hung up as if it were a treasure. When Beowulf sought out Grendel's mother after she killed Esher, he not only brought back her head, but also a great old sword that the monster had hanging in her cave (p.75). It is very symbolic that immediately after Beowulf presents the sword to Hrothgar, the king warns him not to be overcome by pride (p.78).

The king's warning foreshadows that any warrior who commits himself to such difficult tasks, gaining such valuable treasure, may some day set his sights on a task too impossible, a treasure too great for one man to seek. When Hrothgar tells Beowulf the story of Hermod, he reminds him how that king "clung to the rotting wealth/ Of this world, how he clawed to keep it... how he forgot the future glory/ God gave him at his birth, and forgetting did not care./ And finally his body fails him" (1748-53). The king tells this story at this crucial point in the poem, just after a young Beowulf has killed a powerful monster, but the tale can also apply to the end of the poem, when an older Beowulf must kill another beast. The "rotting wealth" mentioned in Hermod's story could represent the ancient treasure that is guarded by the dragon, which is later described as "Encrusted and rotting"... (3048). It seems that Beowulf wanted something that was better left alone, and reaching too high, lost his balance.

When he bids farewell to his men before the battle, he does not talk of revenge for the lives taken by the dragon, but only mentions the treasure and fame he wants to gain (p.101). Although Beowulf is still honored at the end of the poem, it does seem that his s great self-confidence grew into a dangerous level of pride and self-righteousness. This is obvious when he declares that ..."no man but me/ Could hope to defeat this monster. No one/ Could try. And this dragon's treasure, his gold/ And everything hidden in that tower, will be mine/ Or war will sweep me to a bitter death!" (2533-37). When it turns out that Beowulf did need help to slay the dragon, his last requests as he dies involve mainly the material goods that were so important to him. He asks to see the treasure that he won and to have a great tower erected in his name so that his fame would never die. He passes the treasures that adorn him on to Wiglaf. He says, "I sold my life/ For this treasure, and I sold it well"... (2798-99). Although he dies happy that he had led such an honorable life, Beowulf left his country leaderless and vulnerable to attack as he sought more treasure and fame (p.108).

In the end, the treasure Beowulf is so proud to leave behind will do his people no good. Wiglaf wisely orders:

..."The fire must melt more

Than his bones, more than his share of treasure:

Give it all of this golden pile,

This terrible, uncounted heap of cups

And rings, bought with his blood. Burn it

To ashes, to nothingness. No one living

Should enjoy these jewels"...

(3010-16)

In doing this, Wiglaf makes the important point that a man's life, especially a man on whom an entire country depends, is "worth more than gold" (p.118). Although many men can rule and dominate each other, this greed for wealth and fame is what finally dominates over all, and ends the hero's life. Although the people burn the treasure that brought about this particular tragedy, their country will still fall apart as a result of Beowulf's final battle. There is imminent danger that when word of Beowulf's death spreads, old enemies will come back to reclaim treasures taken by Geats before (p.113). As the Geats' kingdom and treasures pass into enemy hands, they will continue to be dominated by the limited source of wealth that rules them all as long as lives are lost in exchange for riches.

The greed for treasure in Beowulf's culture was not only inevitable, but necessary for a kingdom to exist. Society valued treasure, and a king with none would not last be king for long. Without treasure a king would have no way to pay his warriors, and without warriors, a kingdom would be defenseless in an invasion which would no doubt take place. In these ruthless and unstable societies, a delicate balance existed. Although success and power were synonymous with the accumulation of treasure, the greed and pride that grew from such a notion could easily lead to demise, just as it did for Beowulf, the great warrior who was defeated by a need for treasure.