Section Four – Summary and Analysis: Beowulf Battles Grendel’s Mother

The people of Denmark are relieved that Grendel has been killed. They do not suspect that they will soon be attacked by Grendel’s mother, seeking revenge for her son’s death. So far, the poem had described Grendel as a lonely creature battling with a deep-seated sense of alienation.

Beowulf treats Grendel’s mother in two ways. She is not given an identity of her own: her name is never mentioned. On the other hand, though she possesses the nature of a monster, she is also a typical mother who is hurt by the killing of her son and seeks to avenge it. She comes to Heorot to reclaim Grendel’s arm and to attack its inmates. Her maternal instinct makes her take on a hall full of warriors even though she is unarmed. She even takes one of the warriors hostage as she leaves Heorot.

Beowulf is conscious that he is an outsider in Denmark, and so he pursues Grendel’s mother only after being permitted to do so by Hrothgar. Waiting for Hrothgar’s permission is also a way for Beowulf to express respect for Hrothgar. King Hrothgar gathers his warriors and Beowulf and informs them of a rumor claiming that there is another monster in the swamp, and that the monster is female. The poem does not explain why the Danes did not know about Grendel’s mother until Grendel’s killing.

Hrothgar leads Beowulf and his warriors to the lake in which Grendel’s mother lives, even though the warriors could simply have followed her footprints. The lake wears an eerie look, and Beowulf, being a competent swimmer and vastly experienced in combating water monsters, decides to deal with Grendel’s mother all by himself. This time, he carries his sword and wears his armor. He might have sensed that Grendel’s mother could be difficult to defeat because she seems to have ruled this place for a century. He also suspects that she might be stronger than him underwater. Unferth makes up for having taunted Beowulf earlier by presenting him a sword named Hrunting. Before leaving, Beowulf reminds Hrothgar of how he would like his body to be dealt with if he does not survive. After he dives into the lake, Grendel’s mother ensnares him in a tight grip, preventing him from drawing Hrunting. She takes him to her underwater cave, which though it is underwater, is not submerged in it; it is also by flaming torches. The place also suggests an association with hell: Grendel and his mother are after all descendants of Cain and, in the poem, are posited against God.

In the cave, Beowulf realizes the true extent of Grendel’s mother’s strength. Even Hrunting, Beowulf’s sword, does not cause significant wounds on her. She overpowers him easily, and sitting astride him, stabs him. Fortunately, his armor saves him. Ultimately, he locates a sword in her cave and kills her with it.

It is a matter of striking coincidence that the sword he finds in her cave is meant exclusively for slaying giants. The presence of the sword makes readers wonder if God favored Beowulf. It is unlikely that Grendel’s mother would keep a weapon that could be detrimental to her. The sword’s presence is better explained by divine intervention.

After Grendel’s mother is killed, the cave is illuminated by a new, radiant light, which lends further heft to the divine interference argument. The light reveals Grendel’s corpse to Beowulf, and he duly beheads the corpse. The sword Beowulf had used to cut off Grendel’s head melts away; only the hilt remains intact, and Beowulf takes the hilt and Grendel’s severed head to Hrothgar as a trophy. Though severing the head of a dead person amounts to a defiance of Christian values, Beowulf’s decision to do so nonetheless indicates Grendel’s status as a humanoid and a Pagan.

When the surface of the lake turns bloody during the battle, Hrothgar and his warriors assume that Beowulf is likely to lose and return to Heorot. However, Beowulf’s retainers stay back until Beowulf emerges from the lake, showing their dedication to their master and strong adherence to comitatus. Displaying his extraordinary strength, Beowulf carries Grendel’s head to Heorot all by himself; the poem states that it would otherwise have required four people to carry the head.

Beowulf is not displeased to learn that Hrothgar and his warriors had abandoned him at the lake. Boastfully, he gives them a detailed account of his fight with Grendel’s mother when he reaches Heorot. He declares that the mead hall is secure, forgetting that he had said the same thing after slaying Grendel. Meanwhile, Hrothgar finds himself pondering his past and marveling at the now secure fate of Denmark. He believes there must be something beyond him that protects his kingdom. Therefore, he not only recognizes Beowulf’s contribution in slaying the monsters but also attributes the victories to God.

Hrothgar also wonders what could have made Grendel and his mother so intolerant of humans. He thinks of the great flood that had allegedly killed many giants. During the Medieval times, Christians regarded floods as God’s punishment for the wicked. Judeo-Christian traditions were adopted by many races, most of which are not described in the Bible, especially giants who had co-opted the tradition, but were ostracized for being the alleged descendants of Cain or Lilith, Adam’s first wife. This ostracism could account for their hostility toward humans. The sword found in Grendel’s cave could have been a weapon used by one of the extinct giants.

Hrothgar’s own life and his detour into this history foretells the danger that Beowulf will face in his later years. Hrothgar was a reputed warrior in his younger days, and as he grows older, his reputation also fades away. As an old man, he is also unable to protect his kingdom from Grendel and his mother. It is divine intervention in the form of Beowulf that saves his kingdom. Hrothgar warns Beowulf of the dangers of being proud by quoting the story of King Heremod who was unkind to his subjects. Heremod was banished from his kingdom because he was extremely proud and had treated his people poorly.

Hrothgar thus finds it prudent to attribute Beowulf’s victories to God as he advises him of the dangers of pride. Nonetheless, he also acknowledges Beowulf’s bravery and rewards him with gifts. Beowulf pays heed to Hrothgar’s words of wisdom. The relationship between Beowulf and Hrothgar represents the Germanic code of honor by which a warrior fights for his master with loyalty and the master recognizes his services.

Since Beowulf’s father is long dead, Beowulf’s uncle serves as his role model. In addition, Beowulf also sees Hrothgar as a father figure. In his farewell speech to Beowulf, Hrothgar praises Beowulf as a fine person who has the potential to be an able ruler.