Beowulf’s first major battle was against Grendel, a monster that had been terrorizing the Scoldings. Beowulf fights Grendel in a mead hall at Herot and tears off the monster’s arm, mortally wounding it. Grendel’s mother attacks the Danes in revenge but Beowulf follows the monster back to her lair and kills it. Beowulf goes back home to the Geats and becomes their King. Fifty years after his last battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf is forced to fight a dragon and the two finally defeat the dragon. During the battle with the dragon Beowulf was mortally wounded. The hero dies soon after and is buried ceremoniously at sea.