8/11/2019 Grendel's Glove and His Immunity from Weapons
1/4
Grendel's Glove and His Immunity from WeaponsAuthor(s): E. D. LabordeSource: The Modern Language Review, Vol. 18, No. 2 (Apr., 1923), pp. 202-204Published by: Modern Humanities Research AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3714596.
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2/4
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'scurious glove described in
Beowulf,
11.
2085-92.
Stopford
Brooke
says
that the
glove
was
probably
'a
kind of
pouch,'
and
Chambers,
ollowing
en
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
nherited
from
the
glove
episode
of
Thor and
the
giant Skrynlir
as told
by
the
Edda.
This
glove
was so
large
that
Thorand his
party
lodged
n 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
nto
a
troll-story,
he reason
for its
introduc-
tion
has
been
to
emphasise
the
gigantic
stature
and terriblenature
ot
the
fiend,
and
this
was also the
scop's
ntention
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
ts
significance
s the
special
mark
of a
troll remains.
THE IMMUNITYFROMWEAPONS.
Grendel's
mmunity
from
weapons
s another
of his
characteristics
which
has not
hitherto
been
sufficientlyexplained.
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
n 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.
Beowulfscorns o
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
or the
struggle.
So
far the
description
s
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,
his
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
liscellaneous
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 swordof 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 swordof 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
20404
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