Beowulf, The Monsters and The Critics by John Ronald Ruel Tolkien

Author:John Ronald Ruel Tolkien [Tolkien, John Ronald Ruel ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: nonf_criticism

APPENDIX

(a) Grendel's Titles

The changes which produced (before a.d. 1066) the mediaeval devil are not complete in Beowulf, but in Grendel change and blending are, of course, already apparent. Such things do not admit of clear classifications and distinctions. Doubtless ancient pre-Christian imagination vaguely recognized differences of 'materiality' between the solidly physical monsters, conceived as made of the earth and rock (to which the light of the sun might return them), and elves, and ghosts or bogies. Monsters of more or less human shape were naturally liable to development on contact with Christian ideas of sin and spirits of evil. Their parody of human form (earmsceapen on weres wæstmum) becomes symbolical, explicitly, of sin, or rather this mythical element, already present implicit and unresolved, is emphasized: this we see already in Beowulf, strengthened by the theory of descent from Cain (and so from Adam), and of the curse of God. So Grendel is not only under this inherited curse, but also himself sinful: manscaða, synscaða, synnum beswenced, he is fyrena hyrde. The same notion (combined with others) appears also when he is called (by the author, not by the characters in the poem) hæþen, 852, 986, and helle hæfton, feond on helle. As an image of man estranged from God he is called not only by all names applicable to ordinary men, as wer, rinc, guma, maga, but he is conceived as having a spirit, other than his body, that will be punished. Thus alegde hæþene sawle: pær him hel onfeng, 852; while Beowulf himself says ðær abidan sceal miclan domes, hu him scir Metod scrifan wille, 978.

But this view is blended or confused with another. Because of his ceaseless hostility to men, and hatred of their joy, his superhuman size and strength, and his love of the dark, he approaches to a devil, though he is not yet a true devil in purpose. Real devilish qualities (deception and destruction of the soul), other than those which are undeveloped symbols, such as his hideousness and habitation in dark forsaken places, are hardly present. But he and his mother are actually called deofla, 1680; and Grendel is said when fleeing to hiding to make for deofla gedræg. It should be noted that feond cannot be used in this question: it still means 'enemy' in Beowulf, and is for instance applicable to Beowulf and Wiglaf in relation to the dragon. Even feond on helle, 101, is not so clear as it seems (see below); though we may add wergan gastes, 133, an expression for 'devil' later extremely common, and actually applied in line 1747 to the Devil and tempter himself. Apart, however, from this expression little can be made of the use of gast, gæst. For one thing it is under grave suspicion in many places (both applied to Grendel and otherwise) of being a corruption of gæst, gest 'stranger'; compare Grendel's title cwealmcuma, 792 = wælgæst, 1331, 1995. in any case it cannot be translated either by the modern ghost or spirit. Creature is probably the nearest we can now get.

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