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Why does Beowulf travel from Geatland to Denmark?
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Beowulf
Beowulf preparing to cut off the head of the monster Grendel, illustration from Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race, 1910.
Beowulf travels from Geatland to Denmark because he learns of the troubles facing the Danish King Hrothgar, whose mead hall, Heorot, has been terrorized for 12 years by a monster named Grendel.
Upon hearing of the Danes' plight, Beowulfâa prince of the Geatsâarrives with a small band of retainers to offer his services and rid Heorot of the creature. This act of heroism aligns with the poem's themes of loyalty and the heroic tradition, as Beowulf seeks to defeat an enemy of the community and civilization itself.1