Beowulf- CHAPTER: XX THE MOTHER OF GRENDEL

 

CHAPTER: XX

THE MOTHER OF GRENDEL

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SYNOPSIS

• Description of Grendel's Mother's 
• Lineage of Cain
• Grendel's mother's attack
• Return of gloom

ANALYSIS

Here is a line-by-line analysis of the passage from Beowulf focusing on Grendel's mother attacking Heorot:

Lines 1-3:
"They sank then to slumber. With sorrow one paid for
His evening repose, as often betid them
While Grendel was holding the gold-bedecked palace,"

• These lines describe the warriors falling asleep, unaware that one of them will pay a high price for doing so. This has happened often, as Grendel terrorized the hall while claiming the "gold-bedecked palace" (Heorot) for himself.

Line 4:
"Ill-deeds performing, till his end overtook him,"

• Grendel's wicked actions persisted until he met his fate. This refers to Grendel's defeat and eventual death at the hands of Beowulf.

Line 5:
"Death for his sins."

• Grendel’s death is framed as just retribution for his sins, echoing a theme of moral consequence in the epic.

Lines 5-6:
"'Twas seen very clearly,
Known unto earth-folk, that still an avenger"

• The people of the earth know that, despite Grendel’s death, there is another who seeks vengeance—Grendel’s mother.

Line 7:
"Outlived the loathed one, long since the sorrow"

• Grendel's mother, still alive, has survived the death of her hated son, and the grief of her loss fuels her anger.

Line 8:
"Caused by the struggle; the mother of Grendel,"

• Grendel’s mother is introduced here as a figure driven by sorrow and vengeance.

Line 9:
"Devil-shaped woman, her woe ever minded,"

• She is described as "devil-shaped," signifying her monstrous appearance and evil nature. Her "woe ever minded" shows that she is constantly thinking of her grief and revenge.

Lines 10-11:
"Who was held to inhabit the horrible waters,
The cold-flowing currents,"

• Grendel’s mother is said to live in the "horrible waters," a dark, eerie location that symbolizes her monstrous nature and separation from society.

Lines 11-13:
"After Cain had become a
Slayer-with-edges to his one only brother,
The son of his sire;"

• This alludes to the biblical story of Cain and Abel, where Cain killed his brother, marking the beginning of the cursed lineage from which Grendel and his mother descend. This situates Grendel's family as part of a cursed, ancient evil.

Lines 13-14:
"He set out then banished,
Marked as a murderer, man-joys avoiding,"

• After killing Abel, Cain was cursed and banished from society. His descendants, including Grendel and his mother, also live outside the bounds of human joy and community.

Line 15:
"Lived in the desert. Thence demons unnumbered"

• Cain’s exile to the wilderness is where he spawned "demons unnumbered," suggesting that many evil creatures originated from his curse.

Line 16:
"Fate-sent awoke; one of them Grendel,"

• Grendel is introduced as one of the many demonic offspring of Cain’s line, awakened by fate to terrorize Heorot.

Lines 17-18:
"Sword-cursed, hateful, who at Heorot met with
A man that was watching, waiting the struggle,"

• Grendel, who was cursed by weapons, encountered Beowulf, a warrior who was prepared and waiting for battle.

Lines 19-20:
"Where a horrid one held him with hand-grapple sturdy;
Nathless he minded the might of his body,"

• Grendel grabbed Beowulf, but Beowulf, mindful of his own physical strength, resisted.

Lines 21-22:
"The glorious gift God had allowed him,
And folk-ruling Father's favor relied on,"

• Beowulf’s strength is described as a gift from God. He relies on divine favor to overcome the evil of Grendel.

Lines 23-24:
"His help and His comfort: so he conquered the foeman,
The hell-spirit humbled:"

• With God's assistance, Beowulf defeated the "hell-spirit" (Grendel), humbling the demonic creature.

Lines 24-25:
"He unhappy departed then,
Reaved of his joyance, journeying to death-haunts,"

• Grendel, having lost all his joy and power, retreated to his death-place, mortally wounded.

Lines 26-27:
"Foeman of man. His mother moreover
Eager and gloomy was anxious to go on"

• Grendel’s mother is introduced as grieving and angry, preparing to avenge her son’s death.

Line 28:
"Her mournful mission, mindful of vengeance"

• Her mission is driven by sorrow and the desire for vengeance, as she sets out to attack Heorot.

Line 29:
"For the death of her son."

• The central motivation for Grendel’s mother is to seek revenge for the death of her son, a powerful theme in the epic.

This passage reflects the ongoing theme of vengeance, the influence of fate, and the contrast between human society and the monstrous world of Grendel and his mother.

Lines 30-31:
"She came then to Heorot
Where the Armor-Dane earlmen all through the building
Were lying in slumber."

• Grendel’s mother arrives at Heorot, where the warriors of the Armor-Danes (a reference to the Danes) are sleeping after their victory over Grendel. This sets the scene for the ambush.

Lines 31-32:
"Soon there became then
Return to the nobles, when the mother of Grendel"

• Chaos and fear return to the hall when Grendel’s mother arrives. The warriors, who thought their troubles ended with Grendel's death, are now faced with a new threat.

Line 33:
"Entered the folk-hall; the fear was less grievous"

• Although the threat is real, the fear is less intense than it was when Grendel attacked. This suggests that the warriors see Grendel's mother as slightly less fearsome than her son.

Lines 34-36:
"By even so much as the vigor of maidens,
War-strength of women, by warrior is reckoned,
When well-carved weapon, worked with the hammer,"

• The threat Grendel’s mother poses is compared to the difference in strength between women and warriors, indicating that she is seen as a lesser threat. This reflects the cultural context in which physical strength was highly valued in men, and women were seen as less powerful in battle.

Lines 37-38:
"Blade very bloody, brave with its edges,
Strikes down the boar-sign that stands on the helmet."

• A sword strikes down the "boar-sign" on a warrior's helmet, referring to the ornamental crest often carved on helmets in Anglo-Saxon culture. This imagery invokes a battle scene, emphasizing the violence and chaos in the hall.

Lines 39-40:
"Then the hard-edged weapon was heard in the building,
The brand o'er the benches,"

• The clash of weapons echoes through the hall. The “brand” refers to a sword being drawn or swung, suggesting a fight breaking out as Grendel’s mother attacks.

Lines 40-41:
"Broad-lindens many
Hand-fast were lifted;"

• The broad shields (lindens) were quickly raised as the warriors attempt to defend themselves.

Lines 41-42:
"For helmet he recked not,
For armor-net broad, whom terror laid hold of."

• The warriors are so overcome by terror that they don't even bother putting on their helmets or armor, showing the suddenness and intensity of the attack.

Lines 43-45:
"She went then hastily, outward would get her
Her life for to save, when some one did spy her"

• Grendel’s mother, realizing that she may not win this fight, tries to flee from Heorot in haste.

Lines 45-46:
"Soon she had grappled one of the athelings
Fast and firmly, when fenward she hied her"

• Before leaving, Grendel’s mother grabs one of the warriors, an "atheling" (a nobleman or hero), and drags him with her as she flees towards the swamp ("fenward"), her home.

Lines 47-48:
"That one to Hrothgar was liefest of heroes
In rank of retainer where waters encircle,"

• The warrior she captures is Hrothgar’s most beloved retainer. He is highly valued and ranks among the best of Hrothgar’s men, making his death particularly painful.

Lines 49-50:
"A mighty shield-warrior, whom she murdered at slumber,
A broadly-famed battle-knight."

• This warrior, a famous and mighty shield-bearer, is murdered by Grendel’s mother while he is asleep, highlighting the dishonorable nature of the attack.

Lines 50-51:
"Beowulf was absent,
But another apartment was erstwhile devoted"

• Beowulf is not present in the hall during the attack. He has been given another room in the palace, likely as an honor for his deeds.

Lines 52:
"To the glory-decked Geatman when gold was distributed."

• This suggests Beowulf was given a separate space, possibly as part of a reward after Grendel’s defeat.

Line 53:
"There was hubbub in Heorot."

• The hall is now filled with noise and confusion after the attack. The warriors are alarmed and in disarray.

Lines 53:
"The hand that was famous
She seizes a favorite liegemen of Hrothgar's."

• Grendel’s mother seizes Hrothgar’s most loyal retainer, a warrior known for his strength and valor, intensifying the sense of loss.

"Beowulf was asleep in another part of the palace."

• Beowulf, the hero, was not present during the attack as he was sleeping in a different area of the palace.

Lines 53-54:
"She grasped in its gore;
Grief was renewed then"

• Grendel’s mother leaves with blood on her hands, having murdered one of Hrothgar’s men. This reignites the grief the Danes have already suffered with Grendel’s previous attacks.

Lines 55-56:
"In homes and houses: 'twas no happy arrangement
In both of the quarters to barter and purchase"

• Grief spreads throughout the land. The situation is described as an unfortunate “arrangement,” where human lives are being lost in exchange for peace.

Line 57:
"With lives of their friends."

• The Danes feel the sorrow of losing their friends and comrades in the ongoing conflict.

Lines 57-58:
"Then the well-aged ruler,
The gray-headed war-thane, was woful in spirit,"

• Hrothgar, the old and experienced king, is filled with sorrow and grief after losing another trusted warrior. His age and experience only amplify his sadness, as he is unable to protect his people from this new threat.

Lines 59-60:
"When his long-trusted liegeman lifeless he knew of,
His dearest one gone."

• Hrothgar’s most trusted retainer is now dead, and this loss devastates him. The phrase "dearest one gone" emphasizes how deeply he cared for this warrior.

Lines 60:
"Quick from a room was Beowulf brought, brave and triumphant."

• Beowulf is quickly summoned to the hall. His bravery and past triumphs are emphasized, suggesting that the Danes turn to him for help once again.

Lines 62-63:
"As day was dawning in the dusk of the morning,
Went then that earlman, champion noble,"

• Beowulf, described as a noble champion, goes to meet Hrothgar at the break of dawn, reflecting the imagery of light following the darkness of grief and attack.

Lines 64-65:
"Came with comrades, where the clever one bided
Whether God all gracious would grant him a respite"

• Beowulf and his men arrive to meet Hrothgar, who is anxiously awaiting to see if God will grant them relief from their suffering.

Line 66:
"After the woe he had suffered."

• Hrothgar hopes for a respite from the sorrow and tragedy that have befallen his people.

Lines 66-67:
"The war-worthy hero
With a troop of retainers trod then the pavement"

• Beowulf, along with his warriors, walks through the hall, determined and ready to face this new challenge.

Line 68:
"(The hall-building groaned), till he greeted the wise one,"

• The hall, symbolically "groaning," reflects the weight of grief and trouble that has overtaken Heorot. Beowulf greets Hrothgar, who is referred to as “the wise one,” emphasizing his wisdom as a ruler.

Line 69:
"The earl of the Ingwins;"

• Hrothgar is referred to here as the earl of the Ingwins, another name for the Danes.

Line 69-70:
"Asked if the night had
Fully refreshed him, as fain he would have it."

• Beowulf inquires if Hrothgar has found any rest during the night, knowing well that the king must have been burdened by sorrow.

This passage highlights the return of chaos and grief to Heorot, with Grendel’s mother attacking in the night and taking Hrothgar’s most trusted warrior. It sets the stage for Beowulf’s next challenge as he steps forward to confront this new threat. The theme of vengeance and the impact of loss on a community are central in these lines.