Later on in life, Beowulf ruled over his native Geatland for 50 years until a dragon attacked after a golden goblet was stolen from its cave by a slave. He travels to its cave and successfully slays it, but is severely injured in the melee. He was bitten in the neck, and the venom will kill him. The dying Beowulf then crowns a young warrior called Wiglaf as his successor (as he himself does not have children and all his predecessors have died). Wiglaf is one of the 12 soldiers he took with him to fight the dragon, but the only one who stayed when they saw he was losing. He is then burned on a pyre with all of his gold he won by slaying the dragon. 