Beowulf DJ #17, 18, 19, 20, 21

17.) “Now help depends again on you and you alone. The gap of danger where the demon waits is still unknown to you. Seek it if you dare.” Line 1380

The place that Grendels mother lives, here is in some way is like hell. Especially at night, the descriptions of the “hell like” layer consist of things like “the water burns” and “the mere bottom has never been sounded by the sons of men.” It is also possible that this is a home to all the decedents of Cain who are not accepted by god, which could mean that it is in fact hell, or at least the gateway to hell.

18.) “Let whoever can win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, that will be his best and only bulwark.”  Line 1390

Beowulf has spent the majority of his life trying to build fame for himself. He has no wife, no child; nothing besides the name he has built for himself. Although he has become the strongest warrior of his time, he has way too much pride. He cares way too much about gaining fame and not enough about helping other warriors become great. Which will soon get the best of him.

19.) “The gallant man could see he had entered some hellish turn-hole and yet the water did not work against him because the hall-roofing held off the force of the current; then he saw firelight, a gleam and flare-up, a glimmer of brightness.” Line 1510

Beowulf invading grendels moms lair is a parallel to Grendel attack the Danish Mead-hall. But although they have similar setups, as an outsider invading a “great hall”, they have completely different outcomes. When Grendel invaded the Hrothgars hall Beowulf killed him, but when Beowulf invaded Grendels moms layer he succeeded in beheading her.

20.) “Then he saw a blade that boded well, a sword in her armory, an ancient heirloom from the days of the giants, and ideal weapon, one that any warrior would envy, but so huge and heavy of itself only Beowulf could wield it in a battle.” Line 1560

Beowulf’s sword could not kill Grendels mother because man made it, but a sword made by a giant could kill her. This probably has something to do with the mark of Cain. Just as Beowulf could not directly kill Grendel, he also could not kill Grendels mother with a man made weapon.

21.) “Meanwhile, the sword began to wilt into gory icicles, to slather and thaw. It was a wonderful the way it all melted as ice melts when the father eases the fetters off the frost and unravels the water-ropes.” Line 1610 

When Beowulf beheaded Grendel, the sword melted because it was the end of Grendels line. Grendel and his mother were the last two monsters from there family. The hilt of the sword told stories all about Grendels ancestors from the beginning of the Monsters culture, On the hilt it talked about a flood that destroyed the tribe of giants, the "Almighty" caused the flood to drown the Monsters. This story connects to Noahs Ark in the bible. The flood that Noah built the ark for is possibly the flood that was meant to wipe out the monsters.