A short story commencing after Wiglaf has ruled for 50 years as Beowulf's successor; the narrative proceeds in part by visionary retrospection on his reign. A footnote at the beginning indicates that the story as published was originally written "as a basis for a theatrical experiment" which, after four months' work by a group of actors, was produced in 1973 by the National Shakespeare Company in New York (283 n.).

After an epigraph from the Beowulf translation of Burton Raffel—11 lines culminating in the poet's first naming of Wiglaf—the story begins:

Old Wiglaf was a mighty king who ruled the North Lands of forests and lakes. He had been king for fifty years, and in that time he had pushed the borders of his kingdom beyond all song and memory. He had brought the faith of Christ to the North Land and forced out the old gods with fire and steel. To some he was Wiglaf the Great, or Wiglaf the Holy, and they told many tales about him.

One tale above all was sung and repeated, again and again, in many ways, and was never worn out with the telling. It recalled how Wiglaf had stood beside Beowulf when the hero had made his last battle. Together they slew a great dragon which had guarded a treasure, and Wiglaf had spread the gold before Beowulf's eyes so the hero died glad in his victory. That was the fiftieth year of Beowulf's reign. (283-84).

And ends:

Then they lay Wiglaf's sword on his breast, and folded his hands on the blade. They carried him down through the forest and to the shore where the longship lay. And all the while they were weeping, and singing the praises of Christ for the wonder they had seen.

There were others who watched them until they were gone. Then they came to the corpse of the Beast and raised it up on the ashwood staff. And the wolves and the deer were among them. And the raven was there, and the bear. They made the Beast a pyre, and they sang and they danced in Odin's great praise. So the animals made the Beast's funeral, and the dark forest rang with their revel. And far off at the oars of the longship, some heard the echoes deep in their minds. (295)

Not in MO2.

BAM (from digital facsimile available via JSTOR).