Beowulf & Grendel 2006

As the sun sank beneath the horizon of 500 CE, Denmark’s King Hrothgar bravely led his seasoned warriors in pursuit of a massive figure, believed to be a troll, along with his youthful companion, who was already sporting facial hair. In a moment of desperation, Hrothgar’s companion advised his son Grendel to hide from the relentless attackers. In an unfortunate turn of events, arrows rained down, tragically claiming the father’s life as his body tumbled onto the jagged rocks below. In a revealing twist of fate, Hrothgar, seeing young Grendel, resolved to spare him. The years rolled on, igniting a flame of vengeance within Grendel upon discovering the grisly mummified head of his father, now left as a grotesque centerpiece inside a crude memorial cave. The once-slim boy had morphed into a towering giant, consumed with an unquenchable desire for retribution.

The gloom settled over Hrothgar’s grand hall as the Danes awakened to find twenty of their own mercilessly slaughtered. Overwhelmed by grief and despair, the beleaguered king felt the burdens of sorrow weighing heavily upon him. In this agonizing moment, Beowulf, with the blessing of Hygelac, set sail from Geatland, accompanied by thirteen valiant warriors, with the intent to eliminate Grendel and restore dignity to Hrothgar. The arrival of this noble band was met with heartfelt gratitude by the Danish monarch, who viewed them as a glimmer of hope in a dire situation. However, the specter of despair lingered, compounded by the rising presence of Christianity among the pagan villagers, incited by an Irish monk, as Grendel’s night raids continued to plague Hrothgar’s fortifications. Despite the presence of Beowulf’s party, Grendel opted for retreat instead of making an appearance. This hesitation would later be unveiled by Selma the witch, who revealed to Beowulf that Grendel’s reluctance was rooted in a profound aversion to harm an innocent.

As tragedy unfolded with the death of a baptized villager, the Geats, led by Beowulf, lacked the means to ascend the steep cliff near Grendel’s lair. The silence that enveloped the hall was shattered with the grim discovery of the villager’s corpse, driving Beowulf and his companions to return, armed with a makeshift rope to explore the ominous cave. Within this dark abyss, one of Beowulf’s men committed an act of desecration by mutilating the mummified head of Grendel’s father. That very night, Grendel retaliated by attacking Hrothgar’s hall, killing a Geat who had disrespected his father’s remains. In a fierce struggle, Beowulf managed to ensnare the beast, but Grendel, refusing to be captured, tore his way free, collapsing onto the beach where an otherworldly hand dragged him into the depths. Hrothgar then revealed to Beowulf that he had previously executed Grendel’s father for petty theft and spared Grendel out of compassion. Meanwhile, Selma shared the tragic story of how Grendel had once attacked her, which led her to shield him; touched by her tale, Beowulf became her lover. In their moments of glory, the Danes famously hung Grendel’s severed arm from the rafters as a gruesome yet proud trophy.

As night enveloped the hall, a sudden onslaught occurred at the hands of the Sea Hag, Grendel’s vengeful mother, who wreaked havoc and reclaimed her son’s arm. Venturing back into Grendel’s shadowy lair for a third exploration, Beowulf and his band of warriors uncovered an elusive underwater passage inside a pond deep within the cavern. Plunging into this eerie abyss filled him with trepidation, but there he was confronted by the lifeless form of Grendel. In a climactic encounter, Beowulf faced off against the Sea Hag, ultimately vanquishing her with a sword taken from her treasure hoard. As calm returned, Beowulf noticed Grendel’s young child silently observing him with unblinking eyes. Later, as the child watched, Beowulf bestowed honors upon Grendel in a solemn burial ceremony. Shortly thereafter, he and his Geatish warriors prepared to return home, urging Selma to keep her child hidden to shield him from potential retribution by the Danes.