Comparing Grendel's Mother And Wealtheow

This paper will endeavor to examine archetypal representations of the female in Beowulf as evidenced through both Grendel’s mother and Wealtheow. Traditional scholarship holds that Grendel’s mother is a monstrous female—either a “swamp hag” or some other form of hideous beast. However, examination of the work of contemporary scholars such as Christine Alfano, as well as a close reading of the original Old English text reveal that Grendel’s mother is not portrayed in monstrous terms whatsoever. While she is depicted as a warrior and a mother bent on revenge, she is not portrayed as a beast. Converse to this active female, lies the passivity of Wealtheow, who is commonly accepted as the archetypal Anglo-Saxon wife, a producer of male heirs and a quiet confident of the aged-warrior king, Hrothgar. It is my notion that, rather than representing a dichotomy

Historical primary sources as well as historical analyses will need to be assessed in order to gain proper and substantial insight into the shifting nature of Anglo-Saxon culture during the establishment of “mead hall allegiances.” Furthermore, I wish to examine the nature and extent of mistranslations associated with Grendel’s mother, with specific focus on the translations of John Mithcell Kemble, Benjamin Thorbe, Francis B. Gummere, Michael Alexander, and Howell D. Chickering. Attention will also be given to Tolkein’s recently released translation as well as the Seamus Heaney translation. While I will offer my own translation of certain of certain phrasings in the original text, I will be working with the R.M. Liuzza translation. Focus will also be placed upon the ambiguous usage of several Old English phrases when used to describe Grendel’s mother, especially the title ides. Consultation with the Oxford English Dictionary, Elly van Gelderen’s History of English, and other Norse primary texts will be