gāst-bona is
regarded
by Ettmüller and G.
Beowulf
ll. 257, 473, 1004, 1420, 1806, etc. Cf. tō + inf. at ll. 316, 2557.
ll. 175-188. E. regards this passage as dating the time and place of the
poem relatively to the times of heathenism. Cf. the opening lines, _In days
of yore_, etc. , as if the story, even then, were very old.
l. 177.
gāst-bona is regarded by Ettmüller and G. Stephens (_Thunor_, p.
54) as an epithet of Thor (= _giant-killer_), a kenning for Thunor or Thor,
meaning both _man_ and _monster_. --E.
l. 189. Cf. l. 1993, where similar language is used. H. -So. takes both
mōd-ceare and mǣl-ceare as accus. , others as instr.
ll. 190, 1994. sēað: for this use of sēoðan cf.
