You may have heard the Epic of Beowulf. If not, the basics are: Beowulf was a great warrior, there was a monster Grendel who terrorized a Meadhall. Beowulf fought and killed the monster Grendel and then later was killed by a dragon himself. Sure, great. A white man wins again and history repeats the story for all who will hear.
Except, that's not how it went down at all.
The Epic written has no solid description of Grendel, just a few vague references to existing in the shadows, having scales and claws, horns and spikes that sorta thing. There's a reason for that. Grendel was born a specific way sure, but he has no native shape. Grendel is a shapeshifter of extraordinary skill. Grendel is also, as the story surprisingly tells accurately a descendant of Cain. Who as we know, was cursed for the crime of murder. The first murder and his brother too.
Well, all of Cains offspring and descendants carry a bit of the curse with them. Some subsist of life and blood. Some are twisted things made of the anger and hate that was in Cain's heart that day. Grendel is such a creature. Driven mad through no fault of his own, he was a simple beast who raged at the world because it was his fate to...where is the fairness in that? The divine justice?
Grendel did attack the King Hrothgar and the Meadhall, he did suffer a defeat from Beowulf. But he did not die, for it is very difficult to kill a creature born of Cain's line. Grendel hid, licked his wounds and when they healed...devised a plan.
Grendel was kinda chummy with a local Dragon. Who really wasn't into the whole eating virgins and terrorizing villages. Mostly just wanted to be left alone. So Grendel asked the Dragon for a favor, to leave his cave for a night and let Grendel stay there. The Dragon, mostly bored and partly out of fear of Grendel agreed.
That night, Beowulf came to kill the Dragon but, it was Grendel in the Dragons form. Grendels revenge was had. He devoured Beowulf, licked the flesh from the bones. Though a witch, Hrothgars queen, his wife saw through the illusion. She had a secret love for Beowulf and was driven to hold revenge in her heart. So she cursed the beast three times that night.
The first curse was of Immortality. Grendel would not age, he would watch the world spin for thousands of years and if the fates decreed would stand it's surface as the sun goes out.
The Second curse was of a human soul. One that felt grief and guilt.
The Third and final curse was to relive the murders and terrors Grendel had done until the end of time.
She left Grendel, who was paralyzed by the realization of a soul. And there he remained as far as I know.
And that is the true story of Grendel.
[ edit ]
|