Grendel

Grendel is the monster in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf, feared by all save Beowulf himself.

It is never directly stated in the poem whether Grendel is man or a monster such as a troll or a demon; the story does however relate that Grendel is a descendant of the biblical Cain, the first murderer. If Grendel is indeed a man, he is also a cannibal since he kills men and eats them. Grendel, however, is invulnerable to human weapons, so from this we can at least adduce that he is not entirely human.

Related Works

• Kennings for Grendel in the poem include "powerful monster", "herdsman of evil" and "guardian of crime".
• John Gardner[?]'s Grendel is Beowulf story from Grendel's point of view.
• Marillion have an early epic song named Grendel, which, according to then-singer Fish, was influenced by Gardner's book.