Topic: Is Sepuku the only way for me?

[-The Reaper-]

Is it true? am i that foolish and naieve?

02:30 this morning i was on my doorstep with Hellboy (the alcohol flowing free). We got around to the usual subject 40k, the talk had turned to the primarchs and the great crusade.

I spoke about Russ, confident in my knowledge of the space wolves. Hellboy searched wide on the subject, connecting russ to the ledgends of Beowulf. Beowulf?? who is this Beowulf flashed in my mind. I spoke it aloud, the response was not as i expected...

"Who is beowulf?!!!!!" The Shocked expression on Hellboy's face was plain to see.

I repeated the question.

"you should be killed" i heard utter from under his breath

Head bowed low i waited patiently for the fatal strike, 5 seconds my head hung there waiting for the gentle caress of death. Looking up i saw the raised hand of Hellboy quivering. The look of anger and pitty spreading accross his face...

"foolish Reaper. As penance for your failings you will speak to a council of your peers, let there judgement be your fate."


So here i present myself before you on bended knee. I pose the same question to you.

Who is Beowulf??

Do not be leanient on me, my dues have been long in coming.

[TheOnlySpiral]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf

It is an epic poem about a great warrior. 

[Findecano]

big inspiration for other stories too.... Lotr to speak of one.

[Invidious]

Yeah, it's an Epic poem.  Beowulf is a king/ leader of some norse fighters, they go and whop up on a demon named Grendel who is devourering the populace and generally creating a nusaince of himself.  Its really a very good book, just about any library ought to have it, read it sometime.

If you're not the reading type, the movie The 13th Warrior is based off of the Beowulf story.. with some changes.. but you'll get the general idea.  A good movie too.

[Jesper]

Don't read it if you can't stomach fancy language. If you can, read it because it is really interesting, and if you like it, pick up some Chaucer as well.

[Grand Master Rex Nihilo]

Is it true? am i that foolish and naieve?

Yes, more foolish and naieve than you think! As a Brit you should be ashamed of NOT knowning your heritage.

"Who is beowulf?!!!!!" The Shocked expression on Hellboy's face was plain to see.

Hellboys expression of shock and likely dismay represents more than just hellboys responce but of many of your peers in this forum also.

"you should be killed" i heard utter from under his breath

This may be true but your humbling on this thread is more suitable! Well done Hellboy!

"foolish Reaper. As penance for your failings you will speak to a council of your peers, let there judgement be your fate."

After a few more dressing downs you will be redeemed for acknowledging your weakness and ignorance only to be exalted in to the ranks of the learned!

Rob

- great bit of fun mates!

[chaos0xomega]

I say, forgive this poor whelp named Reaper. He had no idea to the better, and his failings in literature can be overlooked. Clearly Reaper was so zealous in his studies of the Warhammer 40k universe that he overlooked the source material itself.

[Irandrura]

Yes, more foolish and naieve than you think! As a Brit you should be ashamed of NOT knowning your heritage.

Beowulf was Danish, wasn't he? Danish or Swedish or German or something like that. The Geats, whoever they were.

[Findecano]

well, it is a norse epic of origin. It however is the first piece of literature made/copied in Britain I believe, from influence of the vikings...

[Chuckles, The Space Marine Clown]

It was originally written in Old English I believe, and has been a famous poem of the english language for a helluva long time.

[Findecano]

thats it. its a norse poem but is the first literature in old english. at least... thats how I remember it from school last year

[Full Metal Geneticist]

Its a big ass saga/poem. A very spiffy read and muchly cool. It ends i believe when beowulf kills a dragon and ends up snuffing it himself. He fits the eptiome of heroic over the top deeds.

[Chuckles, The Space Marine Clown]

Yeah, happens at sea. He is such an awesome ass-kickery guy.

[Crosscheck42]

I suggest reading the Seamus Heaney translation as it is very good.  It also won the former Whitbread Award for excellence in British writing.

Once you've read Beowulf, you must also read Grendel.  Grendel is the Beowulf story told from the perspective of the monster and it is a fantastic book.

[Hellboy]

ha ha, good work reaper. thats what i like to see. i will lift my sword from your neck this once. you slipped but your shame and penance broke your fall. mild flagellation should suffice for now.

im supprised you still posted about it though dude, i thought we had that conversation years ago when you reminded me, i suppose a litre of scotch will do that to a man!! i still dont believe you that we went to a pikey camp or that i let loose a blood curdler in front of your house at 2am though!! (more like i dont want to *lowers head*

@ everyone -

i recentlty found a translation of the original balad from old english to modern, but its still in a balad format. ive been re-writting it in story format for reaper to email it to him and i will also give a copy of it to my little brother as i feel its one of those stories that should never be lost to time or ignorance *glares at reaper* its going to be around 20,000 words and im going to try my hardest not to kill it as its more of a legend than a story, poem or balad. where should i post it once its finished?

cheers

HB

[pathfinder]

It was originally written in Old English I believe, and has been a famous poem of the english language for a helluva long time.

nope, it only got famous in the early 20th centuary as the only piece of true english mythology

and what is this doing with marines

[-The Reaper-]

My penance:

7 days have past, my flagellation has yet to truly begin.

For sorrow and for shame, i have dwelt in my punishement. Recitals of Saga's have run my voice raggid, a cloak of nettles adorns my shoulders, the stinging whip, my ever hated companion.

I have fallen to darkness, it surrounds me, although now i see the path i must take, the light glows bright. I fear it...

For what feels an eternity my soul teetered on the edge of the very abyss i sought to fill. Hatred and ignorance, the ever flowing sea.... it consumes me. I stay by the Bouys now, the endless bobbing my friend. The flickering light my sanity.

It has only just begun.......

True to the test, i have found myself thus far, but the resiliance i once flaunted so crudely has crumbled, the power i hold dear depleated. With mine own eyes have i witnessed my betrayal, for no man can feel hate in the way one feels for thyself.

Before the Sundering of my mind it was strong, the questions i contemplated nourished it, the faith in which i held it kept it alive.

But now my mind, my one kingdom, has shattered, the foundations creak with the weight i have borne apon it. At one time i considered my mind a fortress, now in the light i see the truth, for it be not a fortress, but a prison..

A prison with open doors.

It has only just begun.....

[Hellboy]

and what is this doing with marines

it started last thursday night when i got stupidly drunk and made an ass of myself (which is beside the point) and like countless times before ended up smoking on reapers front door step talking about 40k fluff and the like. i dont know the full details of the conversation as i thought the conversation took place years ago (i was that drunk!) but we ended up talking about how leman russ fought the kraken with his bare hands and defeated it. i then went on to say (apparantly) that it wasnt unlike the stories of beowulf which took place in denmark god knows how many years ago. the end of the story ends up at the top of this thread.

basicly this is a thread about primarch fluff that has a weird story interwoven so people can rip reaper for not knowing that the primarch for his space wolves army has huge similarities to a popular norse/dane/british legend.