Grendel's Mother (Beowulf)

Grendel's mother ( ang, Grendles mōdor) is one of three antagonists in the anonymous Old English poem ''Beowulf'' (c. 700-1000 AD), the other two being Grendel and the dragon. Each antagonist reflects different negative aspects of both the hero Beowulf and the heroic society that the poem is set in. Grendel's mother is introduced in lines 1258b to 1259a as: "Grendles modor/ides, aglæcwif".

Grendel's mother, who is never given a name in the text, is the subject of an ongoing controversy among medieval scholars. This controversy is due to the ambiguity of a few words in Old English which appear in the original ''Beowulf'' manuscript. While there is agreement over the word "modor" (mother), the phrase "ides, aglæcwif" is the subject of scholarly debate.

Story

The poem, ''Beowulf,'' is contained in the Nowell Codex. As noted in lines 106–114 and lines 1260–1267 of ''Beowulf,'' monsters (which include Grendel's mother and Grendel) are descendants of Cain. After Grendel is killed, Grendel's mother attacks Heorot in revenge. Beowulf then ventures into her cave under a lake, and engages in fierce combat with Grendel's mother. She nearly kills him until he sees an ancient sword, with which he kills her, and beheads the dead Grendel. Beowulf then returns to the surface and to his men at the "ninth hour" (l. 1600, "nōn", about 3 pm).

Function in and structure of the poem

Some scholars have argued that the female characters in ''Beowulf'' fulfill certain established roles such as ''hostess'' (Wealhþeow and Hygd) and peace-weaver (Freawaru and Hildeburh). Grendel's mother and Modthryth (before her marriage to Offa), challenge these roles, and therefore represent "monster-women".

Jane Chance argues in "The Structural Unity of ''Beowulf'': The Problem of Grendel's Mother"Nitzsche, Jane Chance (1980). "The Structural Unity of ''Beowulf'': The Problem of Grendel's Mother." ''Texas Studies in Literature and Language'' 22(3): 287–303. that there are two standard interpretations of the poem: one view which suggests a two-part structure (i.e., the poem is divided between Beowulf's battles with Grendel and with the dragon) and the other, a three-part structure (this interpretation argues that Beowulf's battle with Grendel's mother is structurally separate from his battle with Grendel). Chance stated that, "this view of the structure as two-part has generally prevailed since its inception in J. R. R. Tolkien's '' Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics''." In contrast, she argued that the three-part structure has become "increasingly popular". She later developed this argument in ''Woman as Hero in Old English Literature.''

Debates on Grendel's mother

There is ongoing debate among medieval scholars concerning the ambiguity of certain words in Old English (related to Grendel's mother) which appear in the original ''Beowulf'' manuscript. Because these terms are ambiguous, scholars disagree over aspects of her nature and appearance. As her exact appearance is never directly described in Old English by the original ''Beowulf'' poet, part of the debate revolves around what is known, namely her descent from the biblical Cain (who was the first murderer, according to the Abrahamic religions). For some scholars, this descent links her and Grendel to the monsters and giants of the ''Cain tradition,'' while others such as Kevin Kiernan in ''Grendel's Heroic Mother'' argue that there is "plenty of evidence for defending Grendel's mother as a heroic figure" as she "accepted and adhered to the heroic ethic of the blood-feud, the main difference between Grendel's feckless feud with the noise at Heorot and his mother's purposeful one exacting retribution for the death of her son. In heroic terms, her vengeance for the death of her kinsman Grendel."

This lack of consensus has led to the production of some seminal texts by scholars over the past few decades. One important focus of these articles and books concerns the numerous, and at times opposing, translations of especially the Old English compound "ides aglæcwif" (1259a).

Monster or demon

Until the late 1970s, all scholarship on Grendel's mother and translations of the phrase "aglæc-wif" were influenced by the edition of noted ''Beowulf'' scholar Frederick Klaeber. His edition, ''Beowulf and the Fight at Finnsburg'', has been considered a standard in ''Beowulf'' scholarship since its first publication in 1922. According to Klaeber's glossary, "aglæc-wif" translates as: "wretch, or monster of a woman". Klaeber's glossary also defines "aglæca/æglæca" as "monster, demon, fiend" when referring to Grendel or Grendel's mother, or as "warrior, hero" when referring to the character Beowulf.

Klaeber has influenced many translations of ''Beowulf.'' Notable interpretations of "aglæc-wif" which follow Klaeber include "monstrous hell-bride" (Heaney), Heaney, Seamus
Beowulf: A New Verse Translation
'. New York: Norton, 2001. "monster-woman" (Chickering) "woman, monster-wife" (Donaldson), "Ugly troll-lady" (Trask) and "monstrous hag" (Kennedy).

Doreen M.E. Gillam's 1961 essay, "The Use of the Term 'Æglæca' in ''Beowulf'' at Lines 893 and 2592", explores Klaeber's dual use of the term "aglæca/æglæca" for the heroes Sigemund and Beowulf as well as for Grendel and Grendel's mother. She argues that "aglæca/æglæca" is used in works besides ''Beowulf'' to reference both "devils and human beings". She further argues that this term is used to imply "supernatural", "unnatural" or even "inhuman" characteristics, as well as hostility towards other creatures. Gillam suggests: "Beowulf, the champion of men against monsters, is almost inhuman himself. glæca/æglæcaepitomises, in one word, the altogether exceptional nature of the dragon fight. Beowulf, the champion of good, the 'monster' amongst men, challenges the traditional incarnation of evil, the Dragon: æglæca meets æglæcan."

Ides/dis (lady)

The Old English '' ides'', Old High German ''itis'' and Old Norse '' dís'' are cognates that all mean "lady",The article
Dis
' in ''Nordisk familjebok'' (1907). and ''idisi'' appears as the name of the Valkyries in the only surviving pagan source in Old High German, the '' Merseburg Incantations''. More generally, in Norse mythology, the '' Dísir'' ('ladies') are fate goddesses who can be both benevolent and antagonistic towards mortal people.

Consequently, many have pointed out that ''dís'' is probably the original term for the valkyries (lit. "choosers of the slain"), which in turn would be a kenning for ''dís''.

A few scholars have drawn from the work of Eric Stanley by exploring the term ''ides'' as "lady" when discussing Grendel's mother, such as Temple ("Grendel's Lady-Mother", 1986) and Taylor (who argues in his 1994 essay that the term ''Ides'' indicates that "Grendel's mother is a woman of inherently noble status."). In addition, others have suggested that Grendel's mother may be associated with the Norse figures of the valkyries and of the goddess Gefion who may be an extension of Frigg and Freyja. Freyja, the daughter of the sea god Njörðr, was both a fertility goddess and a goddess of war, battle, death, seiðr, prophecy and was also sometimes associated with the valkyries and disir.

Nora Kershaw Chadwick (1959) and later Helen Damico in two works (''Beowulf's Wealhtheow and the Valkyrie Tradition'' and "The Valkyrie Reflex in Old English Literature") argue that Grendel's mother may refer to the myth of the valkyries. Damico states:

Damico later argues in ''Beowulf's Wealhtheow and the Valkyrie Tradition'' that Wealtheow and Grendel's mother represent different aspects of the valkyries.

Aglæcwif (warrior)

Contemporary scholars have suggested that the use of the term "aglæcwif" indicates that Grendel's mother is a woman warrior. In 1979, ''Beowulf'' scholars Kuhn and Stanley argued against Klaeber's reading of Grendel's mother. In ''Old English Aglaeca-Middle Irish Olach'' Sherman Kuhn questioned Klaeber's translations of both "aglæc-wif" and of "aglæca / æglæca" when referring to Grendel and Grendel's mother, stating that there are Thus Kuhn suggested aglæca should be defined as "a fighter, valiant warrior, dangerous opponent, one who struggles fiercely".Kuhn, S. (1979). "Old English Aglæca – Middle Irish Olach". ''Linguistic Method: Essays in Honor of Herbert Penzl'', p. 218. Mouton Publishers He supported his argument by also stating that "if there were one clear instance of áglæca referring to an unwarlike monster, a peaceful demon, or the like, this definition would fall apart." Kuhn concluded that

Eric Stanley added to the debate by critiquing both Klaeber and Gillam:

Other scholars have offered varying opinions on this topic. Christine Alfano also questioned standard translations related to Grendel's mother. She states that she found a "noticeable disparity between the Grendel's mother originally created by the ''Beowulf'' poet and the one that occupies contemporary ''Beowulf'' translations. Instead of being what Sherman Kuhn calls a 'female warrior', the modern Grendel's mother is a monster. This assumption informs almost all areas of ''Beowulf'' scholarship, although there is little evidence for this characterization in the original Anglo-Saxon work." Melinda Menzer offered a different approach, suggesting that "aglæcwif denotes a woman, a human female, who is also aglæca".

Dictionary of Old English

The ''Dictionary of Old English'', University of Toronto, made the following updates in 1994:
* ''āglāc-wíf'' (noun) is translated as ''female warrior, fearsome woman''.
* ''āglæca'' (adj.) is translated as ''formidable, awe-inspiring''
* ''āglæca'' (noun) is translated as ''awesome opponent, ferocious fighter''

The 1994 DOE translations were supported by George Jack in his 1997 glossary of ''Beowulf'' and Bruce Mitchell in his 1998 glossary of ''Beowulf.'' Mitchell, Bruce, et al. (1998). ''Beowulf: An Edition with Relevant Shorter Texts.'' Oxford, UK: Malden Ma.

Depictions in film, literature, and popular culture

Grendel's mother has been adapted in a number of different media, including film, literature, and graphic novels.

References

{{Beowulf

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