THE HERO’S FUNERALIf there is one thing on which all human societies agree, it is that a death is not
complete without a funeral. In heroic narrative thousands are killed without
any mention of obsequies, and indeed, as we have seen, the expectation for
many of them is that they will have none but be left abandoned to the
appetites of birds and beasts. But when the greatest heroes die we find in
several traditions an account of the funeral ceremonies that followed. In the
Iliad there are the grand funerals of Patroclus and Hector, and that of Achilles
was described at length in the Aethiopis (cf. Od. 24. 65–92). In the Indian epics
there are a number of relevant passages.^144 In Beowulf, besides the funeral of
the hero himself (3110–19, 3136–82), there are passages about those of other
famous warriors, Scyld (26–52) and Hnæf (1107–24). In the more ballad-like
style of the Eddic poems we would not expect anything of the kind. But in the
Sigurðarkviða (65–70) Brynhild anticipates Sigurd’s funeral (which will also
be her own, as she has stabbed herself ) and gives directions for it that serve
the same poetic purpose as a narrative description. Snorri’s telling of the
story of Baldr, following Úlfr Uggason’sHúsdrápa, includes an account of his
funeral (Gylf. 49). Saxo refers to the royal funeral of Asmund (1. 8. 4 p. 27)
and gives a fuller description of that of Harald Wartooth (8. 5. 1 p. 220).
Baldr and Scyld have untypical obsequies: they are laid in ships and com-
mitted to the sea. We have touched on this in Chapter 10. For the rest, there is
a considerable measure of similarity among the various accounts. There is
prolonged lamentation, especially by women. The hero is cremated on a pyre,
a chieftain having first given the order to gather wood (Il. 23. 110–26, 24. 778;
Rm. 3. 64. 27, 4. 24. 14; Beowulf 3110–14). His armour is committed with
him,^145 and there may be other rich offerings, including animal and human
victims. Patroclus’ pyre receives –– besides many sheep and cattle –– four
horses, two dogs, and twelve Trojan captives (Il. 23. 166–76). Baldr’s receives
the magic, self-reproducing gold ring Draupnir and his horse with all its
harness. A company of servants and maids is to be burned with Sigurd in
addition to Brynhild.
The hero’s burnt remains are gathered in an urn, which is interred in a
tumulus: so it is with Patroclus (Il. 23. 243–56), Achilles (Od. 24. 72–84),
Harald (Saxo 8. 5. 1). In Beowulf ’s case no urn is mentioned; the remains
(^144) MBh. 1. 118–19. 4; 11. 23. 37–42, 26. 25–43; 13. 154; 16. 8. 19–31; Rm. 2. 70; 3. 64. 27–35,
- 1–6; 4. 24. 13–42. Cf. Brockington (1998), 226–9, 435–7.
(^145) Il. 6. 418, Od. 11. 74 ~ 12. 13; MBh. 11. 23. 39, cf. RV 10. 18. 9 with Geldner’s note;
Jordanes, Getica 258 (Attila’s funeral); Beowulf 1110 f., 3139 f., cf. 36–42; Sigurðarkviða 66; Saxo
- 1 p. 220.
496 12. Arms and the Man