who is the wanderer and what happened to him
eardstapa ( line 6a ) , usually translated as `` wanderer '' ( from eard meaning ' earth ' or ' land ' , and steppan , meaning ' to step ' ) , who roams the cold seas and walks `` paths of exile '' ( wræclastas ) . He remembers the days when , as a young man , he served his lord , feasted together with comrades , and received precious gifts from the lord . Yet fate ( wyrd ) turned against him when he lost his lord , kinsmen and comrades in battle -- they were defending their homeland against an attack -- and he was driven into exile