Literatura Inglesa III: Orígenes a la Guerra Civil 2020/2021

Student’s Name: Verónica Molins López

María Vera Reyes

Date 15/10/2021

Beowulf and Grendel’s Mother.

1.THESIS STATEMENT.

The aim of this paper is to analyse how Grendel’s mother is portrayed throughout the
battle against the epic hero Beowulf in the fourth section of the poem as this section
takes an important part of the story.

2.ANALYSIS

1. The characterization of the female monster.

Monsters and their characterization in Beowulf play an important role, it is already

known that the reader is certain about the dual unknown nature of Grendel’s mother,
one of the main antagonists that fight with the epic hero, but it is hard to distinguish
between her female nature and also her part of a monster, as Anglo-Saxon understating
from ‘human’ and ‘monster’ are quite doubtful and may differ from the actual concepts
of it, it is important to point out that she is a direct descendant from Cain that was exiled
by God and became the creator of all the monsters. The narrator’s concept of the
physical appearance of Grendel’s mother is one of a monsters, “dyrnra gāsta”, but also
refers to her as a warrior-woman “ides aglaecwif” and a “idese onlīcnæs” (1260-61),
this different description that narrator gives us, create the reader a doubtful image of this
character. Moving to his personality, she is portrayed as a strong female character,
although evil, as a more calculating character unlike his son Grendel that only kills for
the sake of killing, Grendel’s reasons to act in his way resembles anti-Christian terms,
and so does his mother. In the passage (l.1255) we see an ample variety of women
vocabulary “Grendel’s mother, a monster woman, kept war-grief”, “Grendles modor,

1
ides, aglaec-wit, yrmthe gemund” Somehow, her monstrosity seems to be part of her
woman nature. It is said that she remembers hardship, which shows the decision to
attack the Danes is a will of revenge. Her reasons are not purely linked to evilness, but
rather more specific and personal than just the semi-allegorical idea of being an
embodiment of evil: she wants to take revenge on the killing of her son.

She clearly has this target, is not moving by blind fury, the narrator shows this sense of
vindictiveness when she attacked Sherry, Hrothgar’s dearest companion, knowing that if
she kills Sherry, Hrothgar will suffer, it is important to highlight how she steals
Grendel's arm, that was regarded by warriors as a trophy of their victory and after the
attack, she does the same with Sherry’s head when the army arrives at the lake.

2. The Battle with Grendel’s Mother.

Grendel’s mother went to the court and killed one of Beowulf’s kinsmen. Grendel’s
mother, another demonic descendant of Cain, attempts to avenge her son’s death by
attacking Heorot Hall. Although she manages to kill one man, she is alarmed by the
strength and prowess of the Geatish warriors, and retreats to her lair, a cave underneath
a lake filled with sea monsters.

After Grendel’s mother kills the kinsman, Beowulf goes to her cave, which is
underwater, beneath what is called a “mere” (similar to a swamp or marsh). The mere
can be described as full of muddy and dirty water. He tries to hit her with his sword, but
he cannot pierce her skin. He attacks her with his bare hands and knocks her down.
Grendel’s mother cannot kill Beowulf thanks to his amour. Beowulf then grabs a sword
and kills Grendel’s mother with it.

There’s a difference between the battle of Grendel’s and the one mother, in the first
battle with Grendel, Beowulf fights without armour;

ða he him of dyde isernbyrnan,

helm of hafelan, sealde his hyrsted sweord,

irena cyst, ombihtþegne,

7 gehealdan het hildegeatwe.

2
 (Then he himself doffed his iron-byrnie, the helmet from his head, handed his
studded sword, choicest of irons, to his serving-thane, and ordered to oversee the war-
gear) (670-73)

The narrator affirms that Grendel is a creature that is not able to think or to reason,
but when Beowulf fight against his mother, he is not certain about winning the battle
and also is prepared to fight with a sword;

“Næs þæt þonne mætost mægenfultuma

þæt him on ðearfe lah ðyle Hroðgares.

Wæs þæm hæftmece Hrunting nama.

þæt wæs an foran ealdgestreona.

Ecg wæs iren, atertanum fah,

ahyrded heaþoswate. Næfre hit æt hilde ne swac

manna ængum, þara þe hit mid mundum bewand,

se ðe gryresiðas gegan dorste,

folcstede fara. Næs þæt forma sið

þæt hit ellenweorc æfnan scolde.”

(Nor was that then the lowliest of mighty aids that to him in need Hrothgar's
spokesman [Hunferth] loaned out. The name for that hilted-sword was Hrunting. That
was unique among ancient heirlooms. Its edge was iron, stained with venom stripes,
hardened by battle-blood. It never failed in fights for any heroes, of those who with
hands heaved it, who dared to go on grim ventures, to the folkstead of foes. That was
not the first time that it a courageous work had to complete) ( 1457-66.)

In this episode it can be found two particular swords: one is brought by Beowulf, that
he does not use it in the end. He ends up killing Grendel’s mother with another sword
that is found by him in the most dangerous moment of the fight; a sword with magic
properties that he uses to kill Grendel’s mother by piercing her throat and beheading
her.

After the fight, Beowulf pronounces a typical boasting speech; after this, Hrothgar
advises Beowulf against the dangers of being too proud. This contradicts the typical
hero’s ability to brag about his deeds. Against the Germanic behaviour of boasting,
there is the Christian approach of the king who advises him to not be too prideful.

3
 In l. 1260, Cain being compared to Grendel: "out of that deep and abysm of time
came monsters, spirits. Grendel was one". In 1275 it can be noticed that Grendel's
mother wants to avenge her dead son. In 1280 the poem tells about the fact that
Grendel's mother was a and thus inspired less terror. When she kills a man from the
court, Beowulf is not present; he returns the following day and Hrothgar announces
what has happened. Woman, and thus inspired less terror. When she kills a man from
the court, Beowulf is not present; he returns the following day and Hrothgar announces
what has happened.

In l. 1320 (fit XX) Hrothgar summarizes what has happened and continues his
speech by telling more about the nature of Grendel's mother and about the place where
she lives: "huge, vague borderers, walking the moors, spirits from elsewhere". Hrothgar
tells about Grendel's mother, but nothing is said about his father, which suggests some
hint of illegitimacy, with dark moral connotations. Hrothgar keeps speaking as if
Grendel were still present: "a secret land they guard" (1354). What is translated as
"lake" is called "a mere" in the OE version.

In l. 1365 it is said that each night there can be sinister and uncanny wonders visible
in the water of the mere. "The strong heath runner" refers to someone pursued by dogs,
named 'a stag'. The OE word for 'stag' is 'Heorot', a building that looks like the horns of
a stag: a somewhat degrading description since it is the horns are a symbol of
masculinity and it is said that the stag is pursued to despair. The stag is indeed described
as frightened, afraid to plunge into the waters of the mere.

When the cave is discovered, it is defined as 'sele' (hall) meaning that the cave is
identified as a hall, as the counterpart of Heorot. The mere, as described in Hrothgar's
speech to Beowulf, is an extended metaphor for terror.

3.CONCLUSION

Grendel’s mother should not be regarded as a monster due to his magical resistance
against the attacks of the hero along with her supernatural power, but is difficult to
establish what kind of supernatural creature is she, is still unknown is he is a witch or a
devil, again because the undetermined definition of her personality and physical
appearance, it has been stated that her appearance is one of a woman and her physical
attributes are more alike to the one of a human entity but if she would have been a
monster creature , she would have been described like that, but the poem described this
4
character in a very modest and unclear way, this fact makes the reader think of many
possibilities of the real nature of Grendel’s mother.

WORKS CITED

1. Acker, P. (2006). Horror and the Maternal in Beowulf. PMLA/Publications of

the Modern Language Association of America, 121(3), 702-716.
doi:10.1632/003081206X142832

2. Bammesberger, A. (1995). BEOWULF'S DESCENT INTO GRENDEL'S

MERE. Neuphilologische Mitteilungen, 96(3), 225-227. Retrieved February 21,
2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43346100

3. Kiernan, K. (1984). Grendel’s Heroic Mother. Grendel’s Heroic

Mother.https://ebeowulf.uky.edu/kiernan/HeroicMother/

4. Morgan, G. (1991). Mothers, Monsters, Maturation: Female Evil in

Beowulf. Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, 4(1 (13)), 54-68. Retrieved February
21, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/43308100