Comparing Beowulf And Grendel's Mother By Susan Signe Morrison

The previous read is a collection of letters from Brimhild, Grendel’s mother, to her mother Fara that I have adapted from the book Grendel’s Mother. Grendel’s Mother by Susan Signe Morrison is itself an adaptation of the verse Beowulf, which I have studied through the translation done by Seamus Heaney with editing by Daniel Donoghue. My approach to this adaptation is very timid, keeping the letters in line with the plot of Grendel’s Mother and should be read in conjunction with reading Grendel’s Mother in order to fully understand what each letter is about. That said, the letters could also be read on their own, but the reader may miss some key events from the book that are not represented in this adaptation. Readers of Beowulf and/or Grendel by John Gardner should be cautious because this depiction of Grendel’s mother is very different than the character of Grendel’s

Throughout the book, Brimhild being a foreigner only comes up when it is discovered that she has different views than the people of her kingdom. Similarly, it is to my understanding that in these times of self-doubt and feelings of exclusion she looks to her ancestry and wonders if her being foreign is the cause of the differences in her beliefs. For example, when Brimhild is just a young girl she meets Gobban, who tells her the story of Jesus. Brimhild feels pity for Jesus because she knows what it is like to be lost and poor, but her father tells her the stories of Odin and Loki in attempt to explain why they are better gods to look to. As her father explains why revenge is the better option, Brimhild takes in the words of Gobban and decides to try and “turn aside cheek.” It is ironic that the entire story she felt she didn’t belong because she was a foreigner and she didn’t know her roots, when in fact her roots had been closer than she ever could have