Mike’s wonderful carving telling the story of the Beowulf legend are finished, ready for installation in the longhall. The story starts on the bottom left panel, goes up and then across to the top of the right hand panel and down.

1. Beowulf travels by ship from Sweden to visit Hrothgar, King of Denmark

2. Grendel, dweller in the quiet wilderness, takes matters into his own hands after noisy drunken behaviour in Hrothgar’s feasting hall

3. Beowulf arrives and promises Hrothgar and Queen Wealhtheow, that he will rid them of their vigilante neighbour

4. The next time that Grendel comes to complain about the noise Beowulf rips his arm off – a mortal wound

5. When Beowulf slaughters the wildlife in a local beauty spot, the wilderness pool, Grendel’s mother intervenes, but Beowulf kills her too

6. After a slave steals treasure from his barrow, an enraged dragon takes matters into its own claws,  and burns Beowulf’s hall

7. An irate Beowulf slays the dragon, with Wiglaf’s help, after his famous sword Nailing proves not to be all it was cracked up to be

8. Burnt and bitten to death by the dragon, Beowulf is cremated on a huge pyre.

the story in 8 carvings

Grendels mum is shocked at wildlife massacre

vigilante dragon

Beowulf discovers the sword Nailing isn’t all its craked up to be