‘So this bad blood between us and the Swedes,
this vicious feud, I am convinced,
is bound to revive; they will cross our borders
and attack in force when they find out
that Beowulf is dead.’
– Beowulf, Seamus Heaney (trans.)
Lines 2999-3003: At the end of Beowulf, a Geatish messenger predicts that another blood feud will erupt between the Geats and Swedes now that Beowulf is dead. Such feuds were a traditional part of early medieval life.