Beowulf the king of the Danes, whose mead hall in Heorot has been under attack by a monster known as Grendel. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel's mother attacks the hall and is then also defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland (Götaland in modern Sweden) and later becomes king of the Geats. After a period of fifty years has passed, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is mortally wounded in the battle. After his death, his attendants cremate his body and erect a tower on a headland in his memory. The full story survives in the manuscript known as the Nowell Codex.
Wayland the Smith back on this promise. The saga also tells of the birth of a son, Wideke/Viðga, to Wayland and Nidung's daughter. This son goes on to become one of Thidrek/Didrik's warriors. The Old English poem "Deor", which recounts the famous sufferings of various figures before turning to those of Deor, its author, begins with "Welund": Weland had fashioned the mail shirt worn by Beowulf according to lines 450–455 of the epic poem of the same name: The Franks Casket is one of a number of other Old English references to Wayland, whose story was evidently well known and popular, although no