University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Faculty Publications English Language and Literatures, Department of Fall 1996 A Metaphor in "Beowulf " 2487a: gūðhelm tōglād Scott wG ara University of South Carolina - Columbia,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/engl_facpub Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Publication Info Published in Studies in Philology, Volume 93, Issue 4, Fall 1996, pages 333-348. Gwara, Scott. (1996). A eM taphor in "Beowulf" 2487a: gūðhelm tōglād. Studies in Philology, 93 (4), 333-348. ©Studies in Philology 1996, University of North Carolina Press This Article is brought to you by the English Language and Literatures, Department of at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Volume XCIII Fall, 1996 Number 4 A Metaphor in Beowulf 2487a: gfthelm toglad by ScottGwara IN many respects the Beowulf-poet'sart defies comparison,as few authors from pre-Conquest England match his linguistic sophisti- cation.' Perhaps one failing of readers has therefore been to define words without serious scrutiny where the sense seems obvious. The poet's depiction of Ongenpeow's death serves as an object lesson, for one half-line in the episode has been misconstrued in dictionaries, glos- saries, and translations. Line 2487a, gi0helm toglad,occurs in a scene describing the death of Ongenpeow, king of the Scylfings: Pa ic on morgne gefragn maegoberne billes ecgum on bonan staelan, PaerOngenpeow Eoforesniosao; guOhelmtoglad, gomela Scylfing hreas <heoro>blac; hond gemunde faehbogenoge, feorhswengene ofteah.