Nægling

right|thumb|Beowulf fights the dragon, wielding Nægling.

Nægling () is the name of one of the swords used by Beowulf in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem of Beowulf. The name derives from "nægl", or "nail", and may correspond to Nagelring, a sword from the Vilkina saga. It is possibly the sword of Hrethel, which Hygelac gave to Beowulf (ll. 2190–2194). Nægling is referenced many times as a fine weapon—it is "sharp", "gleaming", "bright", "mighty", "strong", and has a venerable history as an "excellent ancient sword", "ancient heirloom", and "old and grey-coloured". However, the sword does not survive Beowulf's final encounter with the dragon, snapping in two—not because of the dragon's strength, but because of the hero's strength: