Beowulf and Grendel Comparison of Heroes

How can a sword, after only being used twice, vanish right before someone’s eyes. Does the sword mean something in the story or is it just added for effect. I believe that the sword disappearing is an important part of Beowulf and it significance is still talked about today. After all Beowulf is believed to be the oldest and most translated piece of Old English literature. During the tale of Beowulf we see him go through several swords including Hrothgar’s gift, which is given to Beowulf after he has defeated Grendel by king Hrothgar. In order to beat Grendel’s mother Beowulf is given Hrunting be Unferth but is easily broken when Beowulf tries to fight Grendel’s Mother. After Hrunting is broken and Beowulf tries to fight Grendel’s Mother with his bare hand he discovers a sword with the engraved hilt, and this sword is believed to have magic powers because he is able to kill Grendel’s Mother be cutting off her head and then later used to decapitate Grendel. The last sword we see in Beowulf is Naegling that King Hygelac gives Beowulf after defeating Grendel’s Mother and is most likely the sword he uses in his last battle against the dragon. The Questions that immediately come to mind after reading this story is why did Grendel’s Mother have the one Sword that could kill her and why did it vanish after killing Grendel’s Mother. It is covered in engravings of the great flood and destruction of the giants, the same Giants that are believed to have created the sword. “It was engraved all over and showed how war first came into the world and the flood destroyed the tribe of giants. They suffered a terrible severance from the Lord; the Almighty made the waters rise, drowned them in the deluge for retribution. (1687-1693) The sword that Beowulf uses to kill Grendel’s mother is a sword that he discovers after his breaks in battle. The sword is believed to been have created by Giants and have magic powers. What is significant about this sword is the fact that Beowulf originally brought Hrunting to fight Grendel’s Mother but it breaks shortly after the fight begins and there just happens to be a sword laying around. What is even more significant about this sword just laying around Grendel’s Mother’s cave is the fact that it is the only sword that could kill Grendel’ Mother. Who in their right mind would have the one weapon that kill them in their house other then to keep it from being used on them. The question that I want to know the answer to is why did the Sword disappear after being used only twice, once to kill Grendel’s Mother and twice to decapitate Grendel’s dead body. Did Grendel’s Mother know that the sword she had was the only sword that could kill her. More importantly did she know it would disappear after it came i contact with her blood and if so why didn’t she use that to her own advantage. If the sword would disappear could she not make a small cut on her own body and use her poisonous blood to make the sword disappear before it could be used to kill her. According to scholars we have no proof the Grendel was even a woman. Even tho our natural tendencies to translate the Old English word mordor into modern words such as dam or bitch. The only proof that Grendel’s Mother even is a girl is on hearsay from King Hrothgar’s men. “About that I heard land-dwellers, my people, hall-counselors tell, that they had seen two such ones, mighty mark-steppers holding the moors, alien spirits. Of those the second one was, as far as they might most certainly ascertain, the likeness of a woman” (1347-53.) After the first eye-witness accounts, Grendel’s Mother is referred to as Brimwylf meaning “sea-shewolf.’’ What we do know that Grendel’s Mother is to be a descendant of Cain, the first murder who was banished by god from the heavens, who seeks revenge after her son, Grendel, is killed by Beowulf. She goes to and attacks Heorot in revenge. After this Beowulf tracks her down to the Lake of Monsters and descends down to her cave at the bottom of the lake. Grendel’s Mother was to win the fight after Beowulf’s sword is destroyed, but beowulf is able to find the one sword that is able to kill Grendel’s Mother hanging on her wall. With the blood of the decapitated head floating up to the top of the lake Hrothgar and his men can only think of the worst and leave the scene. Out of nowhere Beowulf comes out from the lake holding the hilt of the sword and Grendel’s decapitated head. “Hail Hrothgar, let what is left of this sword be a token of my deeds for I have done what I said I would do.” That is all we see of the sword the disappeared after only being used twice. It obviously has some significance since he gives it to King Hrothgar has token of his doing. “Now that the sword began, from blood of the fight, in battle-droppings, war-blade, to wane: ‘twas a wondrous thing that all of it melted as ice is wont when frost fetters the Father loosens.” Some scholars would argue that the significance in the swords shows the real life struggle between the mythologies of Anglo-Saxons and Christianity. The fact that the sword made of magic is melted, by what is believed to be god, because of the poison in Grendel’s Mother’s blood. What I find funny about this whole battle is that both Beowulf and Grendel’s Mother start the fight with a sword, or dagger, that can’t hurt their opponent. We see how after Beowulf’s sword breaks she takes control of the fight and strikes several times at Beowulf only to find out she can not penetrate his iron armor. And Beowulf goes into battle with Hrunting. We see the significance of Hrunting as it is a sword given to Beowulf by Unferth to help Beowulf in his journey to kill Grendel’s Mother after she killed one of Hrothgar’s men. ‘And another item lent by Unferth at that moment of need was of no small importance: the brehon handed him a hilted weapon, a rare and ancient sword named Hrunting. The iron blade with its ill-boding patterns had been tempered in blood. It had never failed the hand of anyone who hefted it in battle, anyone who had fought and faced the worst in the gap of danger. This was not the first time it had been called to perform heroic feats.” (1455-1458) Although Hrunting was to claimed to have never failed anyone who used it and was possessed with great power, it ultimately failed after the first strike on Grendel’s mother during combat. Swords have always been seen to have a great significance in the ages of Anglo-Saxon culture due to the constant war and battle.