The treasure hoard guarded by the dragon in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf was a mass of cursed gold, which myth told could only be uncovered by a chosen one of God himself. Even though Heaney's translation states, "The treasure had been won, bought and paid for by Beowulf's death," the gold did not remain buried. Beowulf and Wiglaf's destruction of the dragon did free the gold from the ancient curse. Although it seemed for a moment that the cowardly soldiers who abandoned their leader would enjoy in the spoils of the battle, this was not to be. The citizen mourned the death of a great hero and buried the "useless" treasure. For a narrative centered around the giving and receiving of gold, this is a significant moment. With their "gold-giver" dead, the Danes felt that no one but Beowulf would have been worthy to gift them with this treasure, so it was buried.