Hrunting

$12.00

Hrunting is an eye-catching crystal-clear hand-blown glass dip pen with a core of colored glass running through its center. When the pen is made, a process occurs where hundreds of tiny bubbles form between the colored core and the clear exterior, creating a beautiful shimmering effect. The grip area is ergonomically shaped for comfortable writing, and the spiral nib allows for several lines of writing before having to re-dip. Hrunting is presented in an elegant black gift box.

*Our glass dip pens are all hand-blown, so no two are ever alike. There may be slight differences in the length and width of the pens, and they may have small inclusions within the glass that can be seen when looking closely. Like anything handmade, this adds to the unique beauty of the pen.

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Hrunting was a sword given to Beowulf by Unferth in the ancient Old English epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf used it in battle against Grendel's mother.

Beowulf is described receiving the sword in lines 1455–1458 of the poem:

“And another item lent by Unferth / at that moment of need was of no small importance: / the brehon handed him a hilted weapon / a rare and ancient sword named Hrunting / The iron blade with its ill-boding patterns / had been tempered in blood. It had never failed / the hand of anyone who hefted it in battle / anyone who had fought and faced the worst / in the gap of danger. This was not the first time / it had been called to perform heroic feats.”

Although the sword possessed great power and was claimed to have never failed anyone who used it, when Beowulf descended to the bottom of the lake to fight Grendel's mother, the sword proved ineffective. As the "fabulous powers of that heirloom failed", Beowulf was forced to discard it. Unferth's very act of giving Hrunting to Beowulf, and the sword's unexpected failure in the battle against Grendel's mother bear much symbolism in the poem. Given that Unferth shows his dislike for Beowulf early in the story, Unferth's choice to award Beowulf with Hrunting, which means "hunting", can be interpreted as a sign of peace and acceptance. In this light, the giving of the sword seems to be an indication of Unferth's recognition of Beowulf as a capable and powerful warrior.