In the barrow of Skalunda in Sweden, just a hundred years after the great king and hero known as Beowulf have died, a loud howl was heard from beneath the earth. In this place of mourning, as this is where the great hero has been buried, an event of great mystery is happening. Beneath the barrow, the creature where the sounds came from was still howling and moaning from the pain he had obtained from his suffering. It is as big as a man and is lightly covered in shiny black fur from head to foot. Its paws are that of a large lion.
It has a tail as long as a tiger’s and is as slick and powerful. Covered just under its fur, are rainbow colored scales. Its body is big, thick, and powerful. Its hind legs look as strong as that of a horse or an ox. As it starts to rise from the corner of the chamber, its head becomes visible. Its ears look like that of a wolf’s, sharp, pointed, and very sensitive. Its muzzle is long with his nose at the tip. Its teeth are sharp and beamingly white. And its eyes are like that of a human, a white ball with a black center. But its eyes are not human. It seems human but it has a deeper stare. His eyes show the strength of his spirit. A spirit which used to be a man’s but has now been transformed into an animal. It is a wolf. It is Beowulf.
Above the shaking creature, another creature covered in light hovers and waits. As the source of howling starts to open its eyes, the light emitting figure started to speak. Though no sound is coming from the creature of light, in the mind of Beowulf, the words are as clear as water in a lake. He says he is a messenger of the gods, a spirit with no exact figure. One who dwells on the earth to bring new life to those who have already died.
As Beowulf sits up, the light explains how he cannot tell him about his past. But he does tell him how he was summoned and created into being. He narrates how he was reassembled from the bones of his last body and was given flesh and blood. After the introduction, he tells Beowulf of his new name and the purpose as to why he was given life again. He tells him that his name is now “ Nyearlathops” and he is to cross the North Sea to Britain where he is to dwell. There he will guide the spirits of those near death and when they are dead, he will escort them to the gates of the netherworld. The creature then vanished and Nyearlathops finds himself on top of the barrow. Shaking his head to the chill winds, he heads for Britain to fulfill his purpose set by the gods for him.
Works cited:
Lovecraft, H. P. Nyarlathotep. 01 Sept. 2007. http://www. mythostomes. com/index. php? option= com_content&task= view&id= 23&Itemid= 99999999&limit= 1&limitstart= 0
MedBib. com. Skalunda. 01 Sept. 2007. http://www. medbib. com/Skalunda
Slade, B. Liber Monstrorum: Monsters of Beowulf. 01 Sept. 2007. http://www. heorot. dk/monstrorum. html
