Beowolf and Erebus

Luke Leoni '29

Scotland 560 A.D-There lurked a dark, mysterious monster that haunted the Damnoii  in the Clyde Valley. Every night in October, this specter would kill anyone caught outside of their dwellings around midnight. This monster, Erebus, was only a floating torso. Its skull and skeleton arms had a trail of smoky fog and mist that shadowed it. When Erebus was about to approach, the temperature would plummet, a foggy mist would shroud the entire village and the scent of petrichor would permeate.

 Meanwhile, over on the Scandinavian peninsula lived a young brave hero named Beowulf. He was as strong as 10 oxen, nimble as a hare, swift as a deer and had a heart as gentle as a lamb. One day, Beowulf challenged his friend to a swim across the North Sea. They swam for 3 days and 3 nights with their swords in hand. A powerful storm separated them. The crashing waves somersaulted Beowulf repeatedly toward the shores of Scotland. He was scraped and cut by jagged rocks. While under, he saw a big mysterious creature. When he surfaced he saw a brachiosaurus type head with a long neck. He was pulled under again as the sea creature darted towards him. Luckily he still had his sword in his hand and decapitated the monster.

The next day a fisherman was dragging his cart along the beach when he came upon the headless Loch Ness monster and a young man lying unconscious still gripping his sword in his big, strong hand. He put him in his cart taking him home. While Beowulf recovered, he soon became the hero of the village, having slayed Loch Ness Monster. Beowulf noticed the villagers becoming more observant of when darkness was near and hurrying to be in their homes before dark. He asked what they were afraid of? He was told about the monster Erebus and the 10th month. 

On the 31st night of October it was very foggy and misty and the temperature dropped. Beowolf knew the monster was near and started the many fires the villagers had set up for the month. As this night continued it started to get difficult to see through the thick fog. The temperature continued to drop. Beowulf  then heard a sound of something moving swiftly over his head like a missed sword strike. He knew Erebus was close and got into a ready to fight position. Beowulf saw a skeleton hand swiping at him. He was able to dodge the attack. Multiple times the beast would swipe at him with its boney sharp fingers until Beowulf was able to grab the hand, reach towards the fire, grasp a firebrand and light Erebus on fire. As Erebus burned, so did all the fog and mist. As the scene cleared, the sky could not have been more clear with a bright full moon……. For many centuries after, the villagers of the Clyde Valley continued to celebrate that night when their nemesis was destroyed. In remembrance, villagers still today hang the grim reaper out on their porches on the 31st of October, this night known as Halloween.