Grendel: Monster or Misunderstood Outcast?
Maybe he didn’t kill and eat 30 people
Let’s be real—why would anyone misunderstand Grendel? This question feels like something a teacher would ask to make us “see things from his point of view.” Should we? No. Should Beowulf have killed him? Absolutely.
Grendel heard a noise he didn’t like, murdered the people making it, then ate them. For twelve years. That’s not misunderstood—that’s monstrous. You might as well ask if Vladimir Putin is misunderstood.
So, is Grendel a monster? Yes. He was written to be the monster. That’s his role, his function. Beowulf needed a villain, and Grendel fit the bill. No tragic backstory needed.
Beowulf & Anglo-Saxon Ideals
Now, onto Beowulf—does he reflect Anglo-Saxon ideals? Maybe not in the way we’d expect. He fits the Heroic Agemould more than anything. Think 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger: loyal, brave, insanely strong, and always ready for battle. He fights fair, going unarmed against Grendel because Grendel had no weapons. He accepts fate (Wyrd) without fear. He’s the ultimate warrior, not because he was Anglo-Saxon, but because that’s what a hero was supposed to be.
So, Grendel? Still a monster. Beowulf? An 8th-century action hero.
Life is a constant evolution, a dance with change that shapes who we are and where we’re headed. And just like life, this site is transforming once more. I don’t yet know where this journey will lead, but that’s the beauty of it—each shift brings us closer to where we’re meant to be.
Change is not a sign of uncertainty, but of growth. It’s the path we must take to uncover our true purpose. And while we may not always understand where life is guiding us, it’s in the act of seeking, of embracing the flow, that we discover our direction.
Imagine life as a river, with its tides, currents, and eddies. If we fight against the current, we tire and falter. But if we surrender to it, letting it guide us, we might just find ourselves exactly where we’re meant to be.
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