Grendel's Glove and His Immunity from Weapons

Author(s): E. D. Laborde
Source: The Modern Language Review, Vol. 18, No. 2 (Apr., 1923), pp. 202-204
Published by: Modern Humanities Research Association
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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.
GRENDEL'S GLOVE AND HIS IMMUNITY FROM WEAPONS.
THE GLOVE.
The connexion which has
recently
been established between the
main theme of the Grendel
Fight
and folk-lore
originals explains
the
significance,
not before
understood,
of Grendel's curious
glove
described in
Beowulf,
11. 2085-92.
Stopford
Brooke
says
that the
glove
was
probably
'a kind of
pouch,'
and
Chambers,
following
ten
Brink,
translates
glof
as
'pouch, bag.'
The
glove m,ay
have been used as a
bag-there
is no
definite evidence of its use as
such,-but
a
large glove
was a charac-
teristic
property
of trolls. The feature was
probably
inherited from the
glove episode
of Thor and the
giant Skrynlir
as told
by
the Edda. This
glove
was so
large
that Thor and his
party lodged
in a
part
of it.
Thorpe,
in his Northern
Mythology,
II,
p.
149,
relates the
story
of a troll whose
glove
could hold a barrel of
rye.
In
every
case where the mention of a
glove
has been introduced into a
troll-story,
the reason for its introduc-
tion has been to
emphasise
the
gigantic
stature and terrible nature ot
the
fiend,
and this was also the
scop's
intention in
Beowulf.
From what
is known of trolls and their
gloves,
it is not
impossible
that Grendel
used his
glove
as a
game-bag.
But nevertheless its
significance
as the
special
mark of a troll remains.
THE IMMUNITY FROM WEAPONS.
Grendel's
immunity
from
weapons
is another of his characteristics
which has not hitherto been
sufficiently explained.
The facts as
given
in
Beowulf
are related in an allusive and obscure manner and are
widely
scattered over several
passages.
The first mention of this attribute in
the monster occurs in 11.
433-40,
where Beowulf
says
he has heard that
Grendel cares not for
weapons by
reason of his rashness. This does not
sound like
magic.
It
gives
the idea that Grendel in the
presence
of his
foe is seized with a blind fit of
courage
and
rage,
like a berserker or a
wild
beast,
and hurls himself
fiercely
on his
adversary
without
thought
of the
weapons
which that
enemy might possess.
Beowulf scorns to have
the
advantage
of arms over an
enemy ignorant
of their
very
use,
so at
11. 671-87 he is found
disarming
himself in
preparation
for the
struggle.
So far the
description
is consistent.
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Miscellaneous Notes
But at 11.
794-805,
where the
fight begins,
it is said that Beowulf's
followers
try
to assist him
by striking
at Grendel with their
swords,
but
that no
war-bill,
not even the best of
blades,
could touch the accursed
foe.
Why
not ?
Now,
the next sentence has
usually
been taken as the
explanation:
'because he used enchantment
against conquering weapons,
every
sort of blades'
(Clark
Hall).
But there is a
possibility
that this is
a mistranslation.
He,
the
subject
of
forsworen,
could
according
to the
rules of modern
English syntax
refer
only
to
Grendel,
in which case
Clark Hall's
rendering
would be correct. But O.E.
syntax
allows of such
rapid changes
of
subject
that he
quite possibly
refers to
Beowulf,
and in
that case the
passage merely repeats
Beowulf's resolve to trust to his
hand-grip
alone. Such an
explanation
does not
require
the invention of
a forced
meaning
for
forsvworen.
Nor would the sentence be an irrelevant
reminder of Beowulf's
resolve,
for it would be a
hint,
in the
scop's typical
manner,
that the hero had been wise in
rejecting
the use of
weapons.
Moreover,
this
explanation
fits in with what has been said of the monster's
recklessness, whereas,
if he had laid a
spell
on all
cutting
weapons,
his
disregard
for their blows could
hardly
have been termed reckless.
What then is the
explanation
of the monster's immunity from the
retainers' swords ? This is
given
at 11. 985-90:
'Everyone
said that no
excellent blade
(even)
of the harder sort would touch him or sever the
blood-stained battle-hand of that monster.' It was therefore this
tough-
ness of
skin,
in
keeping
with the steel-like
claws,
of the monster which
protected
him
against
the
weapons
of the Geats. Such a characteristic
would be
highly appropriate
to a
monster,
especially
to one who seems
in
early
versions of the tale
(e.g.
Saxo)
to have had some connexion
with a bear. Nor would mere
toughness
of skin be
incompatible
with the
recklessness of
Grendel,
for
presumably
there was always the
possibility
of his skin
being pierced, just
as his mother's was
pierced
later.
Besides,
there is corroboration in 11. 1518-28 and 1.557-69. Here it
is said that even the well-tried blade of Hunferth failed to
penetrate
the mere-wife's
skin,
and in
consequence
the hero's life was in serious
danger.
But
presently
he saw
hanging
on the wall a
mighty
sword with
which he was able to cut off his
adversary's
head. If the
immunity
of
Grendel and his dam had been due to
magic,
this sword must have
possessed
superior magic power.
But the sword is described at
length
at 11. 1557-62 and
again
at 11.
1688-98,
and in neither
passage
is there
any
mention of
magic properties.
What is
emphasised
is its
great
size
and its excellence. It was so
big
that no other man than Beowulf
could
wield it in
battle,
and it was said to have been the work of
giants,
those
203
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Mliscellaneous Notes Mliscellaneous Notes
legendary
smiths to whose skill all excellent swords were attributed.
Hence,
it would seem that the success of the blade was due to
material,
and not to
magical, properties.
To sum
up then,
one of the characteristics of Grendel was a
tough-
ness of skin which
protected
him
against weapons.
Beowulf realised the
futility
of
attacking
him with his sword and
preferred
to trust to his
muscular
strength.
When the monster's arm and shoulder were dis-
played,
the Danes understood
why
all their efforts to rid themselves of
their foe had been in vain. The same
protective toughness
of skin-
though possibly
in a less
degree-was
also an attribute of Grendel's
mother, but,
by
the fortunate
acquisition
of a sword of
special
excellence,
the hero was able to overcome her.
E. D. LABORDE.
LONDON.
BLAKE'S INDEBTEDNESS TO THE 'EDDAS.'
In Ellis and Yeats' The Works
of
Williamt
Blake, I,
p.
336,
we
read,
'Vala,
a Scandinavian
prophetess, may
have
given
her name to Albion's
wife.' Even in this over-elaborate edition of Blake I find
only
the above
rather tentative statement
bearing
on Blake's
probable
indebtedness to
the Eddas. Other critics
have, however,
been reminded of Norse
mytho-
logy
in
reading
the
Prophetic
Books. In Irene
Langridge's
William
Blake,
p.
129,
we
find,'
Looking through
the
pages
of
"
Jerusalem,"
vague
memories of Norse
sagas...come
to one and cause a
delightfill
and
yet
fearfil shudder.' In P.
Berger's
William Blake
(London
edition of
1914),
p.
157,
'From this first
great
labour we
get
the
myth
of Los the Black-
smith,
a sort of
Thor,
standing
hammer in
hand...';
and
p.
347,
'We
must not
compare
it
(Vala)
with the Iliad or the Divine
Comedy,
but
rather read it as we should read some northern
Saga....
He
(the
student)
must
regard
Urizen, Los, Enitharmon, Tharmas,
and all the
rest as
demigods,
of
protean shapes
and
subject
to no
logical
rules;
as
gigantic
heroes of a
prehistoric age;
as
beings
like
Odin,
Balder or
Siegfried.'
But all of this is rather
vague.
Can it be made more definite ?
It is of some interest to note that Blake refers to Odin three
times,
to
Frigga
four
times,
and to Thor five times. One of the references
to Odin is to
Wodan;
and
Frigga's
name is
spelled Friga
in all four
instances. The contexts in which these three names occur do
not,
how-
ever,
make it evident that Blake had more than a
very
general
knowledge
of Norse
mythology.
Of more
importance
is the fact that Blake seems to
adopt
several
legendary
smiths to whose skill all excellent swords were attributed.
Hence,
it would seem that the success of the blade was due to
material,
and not to
magical, properties.
To sum
up then,
one of the characteristics of Grendel was a
tough-
ness of skin which
protected
him
against weapons.
Beowulf realised the
futility
of
attacking
him with his sword and
preferred
to trust to his
muscular
strength.
When the monster's arm and shoulder were dis-
played,
the Danes understood
why
all their efforts to rid themselves of
their foe had been in vain. The same
protective toughness
of skin-
though possibly
in a less
degree-was
also an attribute of Grendel's
mother, but,
by
the fortunate
acquisition
of a sword of
special
excellence,
the hero was able to overcome her.
E. D. LABORDE.
LONDON.
BLAKE'S INDEBTEDNESS TO THE 'EDDAS.'
In Ellis and Yeats' The Works
of
Williamt
Blake, I,
p.
336,
we
read,
'Vala,
a Scandinavian
prophetess, may
have
given
her name to Albion's
wife.' Even in this over-elaborate edition of Blake I find
only
the above
rather tentative statement
bearing
on Blake's
probable
indebtedness to
the Eddas. Other critics
have, however,
been reminded of Norse
mytho-
logy
in
reading
the
Prophetic
Books. In Irene
Langridge's
William
Blake,
p.
129,
we
find,'
Looking through
the
pages
of
"
Jerusalem,"
vague
memories of Norse
sagas...come
to one and cause a
delightfill
and
yet
fearfil shudder.' In P.
Berger's
William Blake
(London
edition of
1914),
p.
157,
'From this first
great
labour we
get
the
myth
of Los the Black-
smith,
a sort of
Thor,
standing
hammer in
hand...';
and
p.
347,
'We
must not
compare
it
(Vala)
with the Iliad or the Divine
Comedy,
but
rather read it as we should read some northern
Saga....
He
(the
student)
must
regard
Urizen, Los, Enitharmon, Tharmas,
and all the
rest as
demigods,
of
protean shapes
and
subject
to no
logical
rules;
as
gigantic
heroes of a
prehistoric age;
as
beings
like
Odin,
Balder or
Siegfried.'
But all of this is rather
vague.
Can it be made more definite ?
It is of some interest to note that Blake refers to Odin three
times,
to
Frigga
four
times,
and to Thor five times. One of the references
to Odin is to
Wodan;
and
Frigga's
name is
spelled Friga
in all four
instances. The contexts in which these three names occur do
not,
how-
ever,
make it evident that Blake had more than a
very
general
knowledge
of Norse
mythology.
Of more
importance
is the fact that Blake seems to
adopt
several
204 204
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