Afternoon of Alterity - Nazareth College

what the proper religion is or can do. If Grendel’s magic is “religious”in a medieval concept, then is the Danes’ Christianity magical? Or,worse yet, is their faith somehow enjoined with Grendel’s, at a singleorigin point of religion?Grendel’s ability to remain “impervious to weapons” (Orchard 47)presents another fearful dimension to his monstrosity. He cannot bekilled in a normal fashion, and therefore cannot exist in a normalfashion. He is completely other, and so divided from how the worldshould function that ending his scourge would seem impossible.Luckily, Beowulf does not require the enhancements of magic for hisown prowess and strength, and can best Grendel without weaponry.Grendel is fearsome in his visage, superficially, but his fearsomequalities which make him monstrous are extensions of medievaltrepidations; the fear of the “other” on the borderlands, abandonmentby God, cannibalism, and dark magic. His existence is an ironic tauntto the Danes who dwell in his shadow, trembling. He is a monstrousfigure bent on death and destruction, but is also a creation of theDanes themselves. He is a metaconglomerate of their deepest fearsand darkest nightmares, given true form and a body. Therefore,they must kill what they have given life, and must destroy their owncreation. They are in turn destroying a part of themselves. Thus, anoutsider such as Beowulf must step in to destroy the monster andreset the balance of life, for he is not slaying his own identity.Grendel is the embodiment of distinctly medieval fears, althoughhis malicious acts are still seen as abhorrent today. The concept ofmonstrosity stays essentially the same, as well as what is feared, but themonster dons a new cloak and emerges from a new set of shadows.His visage will be different, and his execution of his dark intentionswill not be identical, but his eyes will still burn with the same fire,and the same desire to strike fear into the hearts of mortals.100 afternoons of alterity