grendel's mother is mothering

A closer analysis of Grendel's mother and her likability

As a Masters of English student, I have read Beowulf more times than I can count for various English survey and Medieval literature courses. My favorite character in the epic poem is Grendel’s mother. I have always been fascinated by her character and her role in the story. Out of the three villains, she stands out. If there ever is a good film adaptation of Beowulf, I am convinced that she could become an iconic character. One that readers and viewers would sympathize or like regardless of her depiction in the story. (Think Medusa or Ursula the Sea Witch. Despite both being deemed as “villains,” they are considered icons among the girlies.) Today, I am discussing what makes her such an interesting character and connecting it back to my post from last week, “and a daughter.” 

First, it is important to note that Grendel’s mother is the only female monster and enemy of Beowulf. The narrator even characterizes the Dragon as masculine. The narrator writes, “To dominate the dark, a dragon on the prowl, From the steep vaults of a stone-roofed barrow, Where he guarded a hoard” (2212-2214) This detail is very important to understand how Grendel’s mother is different from the other two villains. Both Grendel and the Dragon are characterized as masculine. Both of these enemies also kill many men. The narrator writes of Grendel’s slayings by stating, “Greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men” (122). He depicts the Dragon’s murderous nature by writing, “for the vile sky-winger, Would leave nothing alive in his wake” (2314-2315). However, Grendel’s mother only kills ONE of Beowulf’s men. The narrator depicts the killing by stating, “She had done away with a great warrior” (1298). In her plot to revenge, Grendel’s mother only kills one of Beowulf’s men. 

Why is that then? That she only kills one of his soldiers. One could argue that this is because of her womanly a la more reserved or fearful nature. She kills only one because she cannot defeat Beowulf. One could say that because she is a female, she is less powerful than Grendel and not capable of inflicting as much rage as her male son. However, neither of these are true when one is reminded of my favorite scene from Beowulf: the swamp scene. In this scene, Beowulf goes into the swamp to avenge the fallen soldier. During their encounter in the swamp, Grendel’s mother puts up a fair fight. She proves to have much more strength and endurance than what the narrator depicts in her attack on Heorot. Beowulf only manages to slay Grendel’s mother because of DIVINE INVENTION BY GOD. The narrator writes, “It was easy for the Lord, the Ruler of Heaven, to redress the balance” (1554-1555). After God intervenes, Beowulf finds the sword that allows him to pierce through Grendel’s mother. Here, Grendel’s mother showcases her strength and ferocity; it becomes clear that she was capable of killing a sufficient number of men in Heorot. So why only the one soldier, Aeschere? 

In his article entitled, “The Might of Grendel’s Mother,” Mark Puhvel offers an explanation for Grendel’s mother’s pitiful attack on the mead hall. He writes, “Furthermore, it is logically consistent with the heroic tenor of Beowulf, where the female function is to be ‘peaceweaver’ rather than fighter” (82). This claim, which barely touches Puhvel’s main argument, was incredibly insightful for me. THAT’S IT! The reason that Grendel’s mother does such a horrible job at wreaking havoc is because she is attempting to keep the peace and avoid as much conflict as possible. She only wants to avenge one body for her son’s body. Even in her monstrous form, she performs in a way similar to Freawaru through her misguided attempt to avoid a true showdown with Beowulf. I think this is what denotes a feeling of compassion and the need to “stan” deep within me. Unlike her son or the Dragon, she appears to have some sort of moral code and does not ruthlessly kill masses of people. Her misguided attempt at peacekeeping, moral code, and the fact that even SHE (a swamp monster) is incapable of existing outside of the patriarchy make her a likable character and the focus of my mind on Beowulf readings to come. 

My coffee (decaf w pumpkin creamer) is now cold so I’ll see y’all next week! 

Sources: 

Heaney, Seamus, trans. Beowulf, 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 2019.

Puhvel, Martin. “The Might of Grendel’s Mother.” Folklore, vol. 80, no. 2, 1969, pp. 81–88. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1258461. Accessed 20 Jan. 2024.