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To begin with; the pyre in Beowulf is represented as hung with helmets, bright byrnies, and shields.

The King of Vali council takes, And a sad mistake made he; A name had he gained for courtesy and valour, But he never donned byrnie.

Ay once, and only once; it was that night when Gunnar sat with me in my bower; he crushed me in his arms till his byrnie burst, and then, then——!

While they were busking themselves for the journey, she brought them byrnies and helmets, so strong that iron could not scathe them.

I did so, and in that lay a most beautiful byrnie and helm, if anything better than those we had been choosing from.