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Grendel

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grendel as drawn by J.R. Skelton
Beowulf's author often uses substitute phrases for Grendel's name like this one, the mearc stapa ("mark-stepper"), an inhabitant of the borderland.

Grendel is one of the three antagonists in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf (AD 700–1000). Grendel is usually taken to be some kind of monster, but he is like a human in some ways.[1][2]

In the poem, Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf, who kills him and his mother at the end of the poem. He is the descendant of the biblical murderer Cain.[1]

Grendel, a novel by John C. Gardner, was published in 1971. It tells much of the Beowulf story as if Grendel himself were talking.[3]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "Grendel | Monster, Beowulf, Anglo-Saxon | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
  2. "British Library". www.bl.uk. Archived from the original on 2023-07-30. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
  3. "John Gardner | Novelist, Poet, Educator | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-07-17. Retrieved 2023-07-30.