Beowulf: My thoughts on the opening scenes

 

Recently I have been reading the classical Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf and this one thought has really been circulating my mind. For anyone who hasn't heard of or read this poem, I would recommend the poem. I'm currently reading the translation done by Seamus Heaney.  I like it because the translation is next to the ancient text. It makes me feel like I'm closer to the flickering fire-lit halls where this tale would have been told in its native tongue. Anyways, Beowulf, chronicles the life of the Scandinavian hero and his various struggles with monsters and humanity that creates those monsters. I have also been reading Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In part because I haven’t read very much poetry of my own volition and partially because of these poet’s fame and influence on much of modern literature. Tolkien often referenced Beowulf as a source of inspiration for his writings. Theodore Roosevelt was an avid reader of Longfellow. Seeing that these are two men that I look up to and am trying to emulate in part in my life, diving into the sources of their personal inspiration seemed like a good place to start. 

 

In my mind, the start of Beowulf is a real tragedy. The story begins with the lineage of the Sheild's and their successful conquests. King Hrothgar and his people build a great hall, "to be a wonder of the world forever..."  Hrothgar's Heorot Hall becomes a place of perpetual party and mirth. The Sheild's conquest and success bless his people. Yet as the very hall becomes the focal point of the land, there is a creature who stalks in the shadows and watches that perpetual party of joy and light. Grendel is that monster. In tone with Danish Christendom, he is referenced as one who is from the mark of Cain. This portion of the first part of the saga is quite interesting to me because the authors blend the Nordic Pagan traditions of giants and trolls and other dark and evil creatures with the scriptures of Christianity, giving the tale both power in the old traditions and in the Christian traditions. Anyways, that is more of a personal aside into the story of Grendel and my thoughts on the blending of culture and faith. 

 

How Grendel acts is of great interest to me, and it seems to be more informative than where his lineage lies. Grendel lurks just outside the party. He watches envious of that hall of song. It seems to me that Grendel becomes the monster because he is either kept from the light of the hall or chooses to be at odds with the good times. However, this happens, it seems instructive to how one should look at the fringes and shadows surrounding a time of wealth, prosperity and relative joy and ease. For just as the parties are at their peak, Grendel the monster from the shadows comes in the night and takes the party goers. No one can stop him and night after night this happens until the parties stop and the king of the Hall asks far and wide for help. I think this interaction between Grendel and the partygoer can be looked at several ways. I have been thinking on two. First from an "in-group" and "out-group" perspective. If your ‘in-group’ is having endless good times and the trials of life seem to have passed you by then maybe a Grendel is lurking. Either a person or group that you have either intentionally or unintentionally pushed to the shadowy margins. They may be harboring dark and ill-willed feelings towards you or your group. History is full of examples of this from the sacking of Rome to the Weimar Republic, when you push people to the margins of a prosperous society, bad actors, and evil thoughts brew and then in the darkest of nights they become a reality. So, look into the fringes of your social circles and reach out with inclusion and openness to break down perceived barriers and build new and deeper friendships. 

 

I think the second is a more individualized approach to this, and that is the thought that there is a Grendel in every one of us. A dark creature or the Shadow as the psychologist Carl Jung called it. A portion of us that sits on the edge of chaos and darkness. It is the portion of us that feels slighted another’s good fortune, health or any other thing that can cause a disparity. It is the portion of us that says, “I deserve that, whatever the cost." It seems to me when I reflect on society at large, our internal Grendel’s are gaining an ever-larger portion of our hearts and minds. This problem is only exacerbated by the increasingly large and glowing halls of Social Media. We can look into the very shiny and bright lives of those around us and see just how “dark” our life is in comparison, then maybe it is time to stop looking from the darkness and fix our own lives so that their brilliance is comparable. I don’t want to get too deep today into the thread of Social Media. That will be a post for a different day. When we feel a growing darkness in our hearts or our communities, we need to bring it into the light and ask the hard questions of ourselves. We need to pursue personal change and responsibility. We should work to fill our lives with thinks that bring meaning to ourselves and our communities. Reach out in service to those you feel slighted by. Forgive others when they exclude you from a good time. Choose to see the good in the humanity around you. I think as we strengthen ourselves, reach out an help to build up others then we as best as we can are trying to push the Grendel-like mindset from ourselves and others. I think this is in part the juxtaposition between Grendel and Beowulf. I'm just starting this reading and I am sure that I will have plenty to discuss and share.

Stay awesome, Stay in the Gain!