{"id":10799,"date":"2025-10-31T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/?p=10799"},"modified":"2026-02-18T13:20:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T18:20:38","slug":"the-riddle-of-grendels-monstrous-mother-echoes-of-scylla-in-beowulf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/2025\/10\/31\/the-riddle-of-grendels-monstrous-mother-echoes-of-scylla-in-beowulf\/","title":{"rendered":"The Riddle of Grendel&#8217;s Monstrous Mother: Echoes of Scylla in <em>Beowulf<\/em>?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grendel\u2019s mother has long been regarded by scholars as the least monstrous of the three\u2014not being an obvious vampire-cannibal like Grendel nor a fire-breathing dragon. Her vengeful response to the death of her son, and her decision to continue the feud between the Grendelkin has been regarded as ethical (within the broader context of warrior ethos), legal (within the context of early medieval Norse and English laws), and even heroic (aligned with the heroism as depicted in the poem).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/substackcdn.com\/image\/fetch\/$s_!A4dN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep\/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F764e387b-1c67-46f7-b058-b002d53131e1_1024x1308.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Grendel\u2019s mother tries to stab Beowulf. Illustration by J.R. Skelton, 1908.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While I would generally agree with this broad characterization of Grendel\u2019s mother, and there is no doubt that her actions mirror those of any avenging warrior in Beowulf, to erase her monstrosity seems to ignore at least some of the evidence. While I do not find her maternity at all indicative of abject horror (indeed quite the opposite as it is her identity as \u201cmother\u201d that humanizes her in my view), certain terms used to describe her and indeed everything from her association as <em>Caines cynn<\/em> \u201cCain\u2019s kin\u201d (107; 1261-65) and the hellish descriptions of her lair suggest some measure of monstrosity embedded in her character. And for this Halloween, we will spend some time unpacking the nature of her monstrosity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I would contend that the main reason scholars argue about Grendel\u2019s mother\u2019s monstrosity and characterization is because of her enigmatic design. As I point out in my dissertation, riddles encode <em>Beowulf<\/em>, and, in my opinion, employ riddling rhetorical strategies, especially imitation, equivocation, esotericism and paradox. These obfuscations help account for the many irregularities observed in the poem the scholars have scratched their heads over for more than a century and help explain why often the heroes looks like the monsters\u2014and the monsters like the heroes. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"476\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Grendels-mother.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10810\" style=\"width:674px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Grendels-mother.jpg 500w, https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Grendels-mother-300x286.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Grendel\u2019s mother battles Beowulf. Illustration by John Howe, 2006. All rights reserved.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because of the influence of riddling rhetorical strategies on <em>Beowulf<\/em>, turning to the Anglo-Latin <em>enigmata<\/em> tradition is an especially fruitful practice, especially in explorations of monstrosity in the poem. Indeed, monsterized riddles have long been a feature starting with the late classical enigmatist, Symphosius, who establishes the Anglo-Latin tradition, includes numerous riddles on wondrous creatures, such as the phoenix (<em>Enigma 31<\/em>). Similarly, Aldhelm\u2019s <em>enigmata<\/em> also feature numerous monsterized riddles, in some cases the solution is a wondrous creature (as with Symphosius\u2019 paradoxical phoenix-riddle), in other cases the mundane is made monstrous through imitation, and the monsterization is another mechanism of obfuscation (as in Aldhelm\u2019s <em>Enigma<\/em> 97 solved <em>nox<\/em>). Even Boniface, whose riddles center on vices and virtues, monsterizes his vice-riddles in the mode of Prudentius\u2019 <em>Psychomachia<\/em>, a popular classroom text in early medieval English which depicts vices as monsters in an allegorical epic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/antigonejournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/PsychBB2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20212\" style=\"width:674px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Ira\u2019s sword shatters on Patientia\u2019s helmet, then the enraged Ira dies by her own blade (c.900, Bern, Burgerbibliothek, Codex 264, p.79).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But what does this have to do with Grendel\u2019s monstrous mother? Let\u2019s start with her introduction and the complex portrait it paints:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>                       \u00de\u00e6t&nbsp;gesyne&nbsp;wear\u00fe,<br \/>widcu\u00fe&nbsp;werum,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\u00fe\u00e6tte&nbsp;wrecend&nbsp;\u00fea&nbsp;gyt <\/em><br \/><em>lifde&nbsp;\u00e6fter&nbsp;la\u00feum,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;lange&nbsp;\u00ferage,<br \/>\u00e6fter&nbsp;gu\u00f0ceare:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Grendles&nbsp;modor.<br \/>Ides&nbsp;agl\u00e6cwif&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;yrm\u00fee&nbsp;gemunde,<br \/>se&nbsp;\u00fee&nbsp;w\u00e6teregesan&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;wunian&nbsp;scolde,<br \/>cealde&nbsp;streamas,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;si\u00fe\u00f0an&nbsp;Cain&nbsp;wear\u00f0<br \/>to&nbsp;ecgbanan&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;angan&nbsp;bre\u00feer,<br \/>f\u00e6derenm\u00e6ge.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He&nbsp;\u00fea&nbsp;fag&nbsp;gewat,<br \/>mor\u00fere&nbsp;gemearcod,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;mandream&nbsp;fleon,<br \/>westen&nbsp;warode.&nbsp; <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat became manifest, widely known to men, that an avenger still lived after the hostile one, for a long time, after war-grief: Grendel\u2019s mother. A lady, a fearsome woman remembered misery, he who must inhabit the terrible-waters, the cold streams because Cain became the edge-slayer to his only brother, kin of the same father. He then went hostile, marked by murder, fled the joys of men, inhabiting the wilderness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Beowulf<\/em>, 1255-65.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first term used to describe Grendel\u2019s mother emphasizes her desire for vengeance. The narrator names her a <em>wrecend<\/em> \u201cavenger\u201d (1256) \u2014an appropriate title considering her entire characterization is framed by revenge and feuding\u2014and her motive is thrice repeated almost verbatim and with language that could apply equally to avenging heroes in the poem (1276-78, 1339-1340, 1546). Moreover, Grendel\u2019s mother\u2019s is thrice described as&nbsp;<em>wif<\/em> \u201cwoman\u201d (1259, 1519, 2120,) and even twice as an <em>ides<\/em> \u201clady\u201d (1259, 1351) establishing gender as one of the pillars of her characterization, alongside her roles as avenger and mother. Kinship ties are further emphasized when Grendel\u2019s mother is described as <em>Grendles maga<\/em> \u201cGrendel\u2019s female relative\u201d (1391) and twice as <em>Grendles m\u00e6g<\/em> \u201cGrendel\u2019s kinsman\u201d (2006, 2353), which account for her desire for revenge in upholding the warrior ethics and continuing the feud between the Danes and the Grendelkin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.old-engli.sh\/images\/trivia%20images\/Grendel_Mother_Gareth_Hinds.jpg\" alt=\"Beowulf fights Grendels mother Gareth Hinds\" style=\"width:674px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Beowulf fights Grendel&#8217;s mother<\/em>. <em>Illustration fromm Gareth Hinds graphic novel, Beowulf (2007). All rights reserved.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, like the monstrous vices in Prudentius\u2019 <em>Psychomachia<\/em> and Boniface\u2019s <em>Enigmata<\/em>, the avenger\u2014Grendel\u2019s mother\u2014is clearly wondrous and monstrous in certain descriptions of her. She and her lake monsters are <em>w\u00e6teregesa <\/em>\u201cwater-terrors\u201d (1260). Grendel\u2019s mother is called <em>se<\/em> <em>broga<\/em> \u201cthe terror\u201d (1260), and together with her son, she is described as <em>mihitig<\/em> <em>mansca\u00f0a<\/em> \u201cman-slayer\u201d (1339), <em>micle<\/em> <em>mearcstapa<\/em> \u201cgreat marked-wanderer\u201d (1348), <em>dyrna gast <\/em>\u201csecret spirit\u201d (1357), <em>\u00e6lwiht<\/em> \u201calien thing\u201d (1518), thrice as <em>ellorg\u00e6st<\/em> \u201cforeign spirit\u201d (1349, 1617, 1621) and even <em>deofol<\/em> \u201cdevil\u201d (1680). She is even described as a <em>merewif mihtig<\/em> \u201cmighty mermaid\u201d (1519), <em>agl\u00e6cwif<\/em> \u201cfearsome warrior woman\u201d (1259) or <em>wif unhyre<\/em> \u201cuntamed woman\u201d (2120), <em>grundwyrgenne<\/em> \u201cground wolf\u201d (1518) and twice is characterized with the compound a <em>brimwulf<\/em> \u201csea-wolf\u201d (1506, 1599).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is my contention that descriptions of Scylla\u2014a classical monster, famously featured in the Odyssey and popular in Anglo-Latin literature contemporary with <em>Beowulf<\/em>\u2014likely influence the characterization of Grendel\u2019s mother, a riddle embedded in the poetic compounds used to describe her and in the depiction of her monstrous lair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"415\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Scylla_Louvre_CA1341.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10805\" style=\"width:674px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Scylla_Louvre_CA1341.jpg 500w, https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Scylla_Louvre_CA1341-300x249.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scylla as a maiden with a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cetus_(mythology)\"><em>k\u0113tos<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;tail and dog heads sprouting from her body. Detail from a red-figure bell-crater in the Louvre, 450\u2013425 BC. This form of Scylla was prevalent in ancient depictions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scylla is a monstrous sea creature from Greek mythology, known for inhabiting a narrow strait opposite the whirlpool Charybdis. She often has multiple heads with each head bearing a set of sharp, ravenous teeth. Scylla&#8217;s body is a woman\u2019s often combining serpentine, aquatic and canine features. She emerges from a rocky cliffside and narrow passage where she lives. She preys on passing sailors, snatching them from ships with her many heads and her \u201csea dogs\u201d which accompany her. Once a beautiful nymph, she becomes cursed and exiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scylla is the riddle-subject of Aldhelm\u2019s <em>Enigma<\/em> 95 (solved <em>Scilla<\/em>) and is featured in his prose <em>De uirginitate<\/em> (X). Aldhelm\u2019s <em>Enigma<\/em> 95 describes Scylla as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Ecce, molosorum nomen mihi fata dederunt<br \/>(Argolicae gentis sic promit lingua loquelis),<br \/>Ex quo me dirae fallebant carmina Circae,<br \/>Quae fontis liquidi maculabat flumina uerbis;<br \/>Femora cum cruribus, suras cum poplite bino<br \/>Abstulit immiscens crudelis uerba uirago.<br \/>Pignora nunc pauidi refereunt ululantia nautae,<br \/>Tonsis dum trudunt classes et caerula findunt.<br \/>Uastos uerrentes fluctus grassante procella,<br \/>Palmula qua remis succurrit panda per undas,<br \/>Auscultare procul quae latrant inguina circum.<br \/>Sic me pellexit dudum Titania proles,<br \/>Ut merito vivam salsis in fluctibus exul.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLook, the Fates gave me the name of dogs\u2014thus does the language of the Greeks render it in words\u2014ever since the incantations of dread Circe, who stained the waters of the flowing mountains with her words, deceived me. Weaving words, the cruel witch deprived me of thighs together with shins, and calves, together with knees. Terrified mariners relate that, as they impel their ships with oars and cleave the sea, sweeping along the mighty wave while the tempest rages, where the broad blade of howling offspring that bark about my loins. Thus the daughter Titan [<em>scil<\/em>. Circe] once tricked me, so that I should live as an exile\u2014deservedly\u2014in the salty waves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lapidge and Rossier, <em>Aldhelm: The Poetic Works<\/em>, 91.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this riddle, solved Scylla (Scilla), Aldhelm emphasizes her canine connection, and gives a reference to her origin in Greek mythology and her transformation at the hands of the witch, Circe. There is also mention of the danger she poses to any who sail by her watery abode, alongside her \u201chowling offspring that bark\u201d about her an further threaten wayward travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.mythopedia.com\/7DuFDlJFxNyKs9W6cZdfNt\/aa7fbb728e8d3dae0bf21b14b084a5fd\/scylla-and-glaucus-peter-paul-rubens-ca-1636.jpg?w=1920&amp;q=50&amp;fit=crop&amp;ar=3:2&amp;crop=faces,focalpoint&amp;auto=compress,format\" alt=\"Scylla and Glaucus by Peter Paul Rubens (ca. 1636)\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Scylla and Glaucus<\/em>&nbsp;by Peter Paul Rubens (ca. 1636). <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Peter_Paul_Rubens_-_Scylla_et_Glaucus.JPG\">Mus\u00e9e Bonnat-Helleu<\/a>. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scylla also appears twice in the <em>Liber monstrorum <\/em>(I.14, II.19), where she is described in detail. This first mention from <em>Liber monstrorum<\/em> I.14 in the section on humaniod monsters is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Scylla monstrum nautis inimicissimum in eo freto quod Italiam et Siciliam interluit fuisse perhibetur capite quidem et pectore uirginali sicut sirenae, sed luporum uterum et caudas delfinorum habuit. Et hoc sirenarum et Scyllae distinguit naturam quod ipsae morifero carmine mauigantes decipiunt et illa per uim fortitudinis marinis succinta canibus miserorum fertur lacerasse naufragia.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is reckoned that Scylla has been the monster most hostile to sailors in that channel which washes between Italy and Sicily, having indeed the head and chest of a maiden (like the sirens), but the belly of a wolf and the tail of dolphins. And what distinguishes the nature of the sirens from Scylla is that they deceive seamen by their deadly song, whilst she with the strength of her force, girt about with sea-dogs, is said to have mangled the wrecks of the unfortunate .\u201d <br \/><br \/>Orchard, <em>Pride and Prodigies<\/em>, 266-67.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This description emphasizes her superlative hostility [<em>inimicissimum<\/em>]\u2014similar to Grendel\u2019s mother\u2019s characterization as an <em>agl\u00e6cwif<\/em> \u201cfearsome warrior woman\u201d (1259) or <em>wif unhyre<\/em> \u201cuntamed woman\u201d (2120). Emphasis on the narrow channel where Scylla resides shifts to her hybrid representation with \u201cthe head and chest of a maiden (like sirens) but the belly of a wolf and the tail of a dolphins\u201d (<em>fuisse perhibetur capite quidem et pectore uirginali sicut sirenae, sed luporum uterum et caudas delfinorum habuit<\/em>). This establishes Scylla as a woman-canine-marine creature, combining \u201cmaiden\u201d (<em>virgo<\/em>), \u201cwolf\u201d (<em>lupus<\/em>), and \u201cdolphin\u201d (<em>delphinus<\/em>) parts. Moreover, she is twice compared to the treacherous sirens, while explaining that unlike the sirens, who use song to ensnare their victims, Scylla uses force, violence and her mighty strength, with her \u201csea-dogs\u201d (<em>marinis canibus<\/em>) to take down unfortunate sailors who enter her domain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Screen-Shot-2025-10-31-at-12.04.07-PM-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10814\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Screen-Shot-2025-10-31-at-12.04.07-PM-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Screen-Shot-2025-10-31-at-12.04.07-PM-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Screen-Shot-2025-10-31-at-12.04.07-PM-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/Screen-Shot-2025-10-31-at-12.04.07-PM.jpg 1520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Scylla, relief sculpture on a pair of terracotta plaques with glass inlays, late 4th century&nbsp;BCE; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, Sandra Brue Gift, 1998 (accession no. 1998.210.1, .2); www.metmuseum.org.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the second section,  centered on bestial monsters, there is an entry on the sea-beasts of Scylla. <em>Liber monstrorum<\/em> II.19 reads as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>fingunt quoque poetae inmari Tyrrheno ceruleos esse canes, qui posteriorem corporis partem cum piscibus habent commune. Ipsis quoque Scyllam ratem Ulixis lacerans marinis succincta canibus describitur.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cthe poets also image that there are azure dogs in the Mediterranean, the hind parts of whose bodies they share with fish; also girt round with these same sea-dogs Scylla is described tearing apart the ship of Ulysses\u201d<br \/><br \/>Orchard,<em> Pride and Prodigies<\/em>, 266-67.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This entry focuses on the \u201cazure dog\u201d (<em>ceruleos canes<\/em>) or \u201csea dogs\u201d (<em>marinis canibus<\/em>) of Scylla, which are described as featuring canine heads and legs, but \u201cthe hind parts of whose bodies they share with fish\u201d (<em>qui posteriorem corporis partem cum piscibus habent commune<\/em>) making them a canine-marine hybrid creature. Scylla is directly mentioned in connection with her accompanying sea-monsters, and the passage directly references the struggles of Odysseus [i.e. Ulysses] when he encounters Scylla on his epic journey home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.mythopedia.com\/6xQut7hXL9SO7W5pIcYc8d\/2754dad8d743378b06b672d15486f595\/795px-Asteas_-_RFVP_2-129_-_Europa_on_the_bull_-_Dionysos_with_satyrs_and_maenads_and_Pan_-_Montesarchio_MANdSC_-_05.jpg?w=1920&amp;q=60&amp;auto=compress,format\" alt=\"Asteas - Europa on the bull - Dionysos with satyrs and maenads and Pan - Montesarchio \" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Paestan red figure calyx-crater showing Scylla wielding a trident (ca. 350 BCE). Museo Archeologico Nazionale del Sannio Caudino, Montesarchio.&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key features of Scylla\u2019s narrow channel are present also in the monster-mere found in Beowulf which is the home and hall of the Grendelkin. Grendel\u2019s Mother\u2019s lair is described in the poem as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">                                <em>Hie dygel lond<br \/>warigea\u00f0, wulfhleo\u00feu,&nbsp;&nbsp; windige n\u00e6ssas,<br \/>frecne fengelad,&nbsp;&nbsp; \u00f0\u00e6r fyrgenstream<br \/>under n\u00e6ssa genipu&nbsp;&nbsp; ni\u00feer gewite\u00f0,<br \/>flod under foldan<\/em>.<br \/><br \/>\u201cThey [Grendelkin] inhabit the secret land, the wolf-slopes, the windy narrows, the dangerous fen-path, where the mountain stream cascades downward under the cover of cliffs, the flood under the land.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Beowulf<\/em>, 1357-61.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This description emphasizes the dangerous narrows and the crafty cliffs surrounding the monstrous abode and in this way echoes Scylla\u2019s watery domain. In this passage are numerous references to the steep and narrow geography, especially in descriptions of the <em>wulfhleo\u00feu<\/em> <em>windige n\u00e6ssas<\/em> \u201cwolf-slopes (and) windy narrows\u201d (1358), and <em>fyrgenstream under n\u00e6ssa genipu,<\/em> \u201ca mountain river under the cover of cliffs\u201d (1359-60). As Beowulf enters the waves, he finds himself, like those caught by Scylla in the <em>Odyssey<\/em>, in a violent struggle for his life at the hands of a ferocious woman who pulls him to the depths of her haunted lake. The narrator explains how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>B\u00e6r \u00fea seo brimwylf,&nbsp;&nbsp; \u00fea heo to botme com,<br \/>hringa \u00feengel&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; to hofe sinum,<br \/>swa he ne mihte,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; no he \u00fe\u00e6s modig w\u00e6s,<br \/>w\u00e6pna gewealdan,&nbsp;&nbsp; ac hine wundra \u00fe\u00e6s fela<br \/>swencte on sunde,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; s\u00e6deor monig<br \/>hildetuxum&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; heresyrcan br\u00e6c,<br \/>ehton agl\u00e6can.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; \u00f0a se eorl ongeat<br \/>\u00fe\u00e6t he in ni\u00f0sele&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; nathwylcum w\u00e6s,<br \/>\u00fe\u00e6r him n\u00e6nig w\u00e6ter&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; wihte ne sce\u00feede,<br \/>ne him for hrofsele&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; hrinan ne mehte<br \/>f\u00e6rgripe flodes;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; fyrleoht geseah,<br \/>blacne leoman,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; beorhte scinan.<br \/>Ongeat \u00fea se goda&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; grundwyrgenne,<br \/>merewif mihtig .<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen she came to the bottom, the sea-wolf bore the prince of rings to her hall, so he could not, no matter how brave he was, wield weapons, but so many wonders afflicted him while swimming, many a sea-beast poked the battle-armor with battle-tusks, harassed the fearsome assailant (Beowulf). Then the man perceived that he was in some kind of hostile-hall, where no water could harm them at all, nor could the sudden grasps of the flood touch them because of the roofed-hall.&nbsp; He saw firelight, pale illumination brightly shining. Then the good one (Beowulf) perceived the bottom-wolf, the mighty sea-woman.&#8221;<br \/><br \/><em>Beowulf<\/em>, 1506-1519.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"622\" height=\"998\" src=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/henry-justice-ford-beowulf-battles-with-grendels-mother-c1899-862431-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10819\" style=\"width:674px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/henry-justice-ford-beowulf-battles-with-grendels-mother-c1899-862431-1.jpg 622w, https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/files\/2025\/10\/henry-justice-ford-beowulf-battles-with-grendels-mother-c1899-862431-1-187x300.jpg 187w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 622px) 100vw, 622px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Henry Justice Ford &#8220;Beowulf battles with Grendels Mother&#8221; (1899).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In reading this passage from the poem, we can observe numerous parallels between Grendel\u2019s mother and Scylla, which I believe suggests that the classical monster, frequently featured in Anglo-Latin texts, may have influenced the depiction and characterization of Grendl\u2019s mother. Just like with Scylla\u2019s channel, the monster-mere in <em>Beowulf<\/em> includes sea-creatures that attack anyone who enters their watery lair. Both Scylla and Grendel\u2019s mother are ancient, cursed and exiled monsters, the former as a result of a witch\u2019s curse, the latter is prediluvian, cursed and marked as kin of Cain. Grendel\u2019s mother seems to travel with sea-beasts<em> (nicoras<\/em>) which resemble Scylla&#8217;s sea-dogs. Both Scylla and Grendel\u2019s mother are hybrid women monsters\u2014featuring both canine or lupine characteristics (as indicated by her description as <em>brimwulf<\/em> &#8220;sea-wolf&#8221; and <em>grundwyrgenne<\/em> &#8220;bottom-wolf&#8221;) characteristics and piscine or serpentine characteristics (as indicated by her description as <em>merewif<\/em> &#8220;mermaid&#8221;). And, both Scylla and Grendel\u2019s mom occupy a craggy narrow passage that is terrifying and dangerous for sailors or sea-men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While I would not push so far as to contend that Grendel\u2019s mother is intended as a literal representation of Scylla, and while I agree with others who have observed her ethically complex characterization, it seems plausible\u2014even probable\u2014that the famous Scylla could have influenced her enigmatic monsterization. At the very least, many counted among the learned audiences of <em>Beowulf<\/em> in early medieval England would likely have discerned the numerous and noteworthy parallels between these two monstrous women.<br \/><br \/>Richard Fahey, PhD<br \/>Medieval Institute<br \/>University of Notre Damme<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><strong>Selected Bibliography<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Acker, Paul. \u201cHorror and the Maternal in <em>Beowulf.<\/em>\u201d <em>Publication of the Modern Language Association<\/em> 121.3 (2006): 702-16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aldhelm. <em>Aldhelm: The Poetic Works<\/em>. Translated by Michael Lapidge and James L. Rosier. Dover, NH: D. S. Brewer, 1985.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014. <em>Aldhelm:<\/em> <em>The Prose Works. <\/em>Translated by Michael Lapidge and Michael Herren. Cambridge, UK: D. S. Brewer, 1979.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fahey, Richard. \u201cEnigmatic Design and Psychomachic Monstrosity in <em>Beowulf<\/em>.\u201d Dissertation: University of Notre Dame, 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hennequin, M. Wendy. \u201cWe\u2019ve Created a Monster: The Strange Case of Grendel\u2019s Mother.\u201d <em>English Studies<\/em> 89.5 (2008): 503-23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Klaeber\u2019s <em>Beowulf<\/em>, 4<sup>th<\/sup> Edition. Edited by Robert D. Fulk, Robert E. Bjork and John D. Niles. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, [reprint] 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kiernan, Kevin S. \u201cGrendel&#8217;s Heroic Mother.\u201d <em>In<\/em> <em>Geardagum<\/em> 6 (1984): 13-33.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lockett, Leslie. \u201cThe Role of Grendel\u2019s Arm in Feud, Law, and the Narrative Strategy of <em>Beowulf<\/em>.\u201d In <em>Latin Learning and English Lore: Studies in Anglo-Saxon Literature for Michael Lapidge&nbsp;<\/em>(I), edited by Katherine O\u2019Brien O\u2019Keeffe and Andy Orchard, 368-88. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Orchard, Andy. <em>A Critical Companion to Beowulf<\/em>. Cambridge, UK: D.S. Brewer, 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2014. <em>Pride and Prodigies: Studies in the Monsters of the Beowulf-Manuscript<\/em>. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 1995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sayers, William. \u201cGrendel\u2019s Mother, Icelandic Gryla, and Irish Nechta Scene: Eviscerating Fear.\u201d <em>Proceedings of the Harvard Celtic Colloquium<\/em> 16 (1996): 256-68.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Grendel\u2019s mother has long been regarded by scholars as the least monstrous of the three\u2014not being an obvious vampire-cannibal like Grendel nor a fire-breathing dragon. Her vengeful response to the death of her son, and her decision to continue the feud between the Grendelkin has been regarded as ethical (within the broader context of warrior &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/2025\/10\/31\/the-riddle-of-grendels-monstrous-mother-echoes-of-scylla-in-beowulf\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;The Riddle of Grendel&#8217;s Monstrous Mother: Echoes of Scylla in <em>Beowulf<\/em>?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1886,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[483881,73957],"tags":[324744,518942,73920,518946,518947,483953,17913,324718,518950,484015,484027,75920,518945,324829,324828,518940,518944,518949,518943,518941,518948],"class_list":["post-10799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-monsters-wonders","category-north-seas","tag-aldhelm","tag-avenger","tag-beowulf","tag-boniface","tag-enigmata","tag-grendels-mother","tag-halloween","tag-heroism","tag-liber-monstrorum","tag-monsterization","tag-monstrosity","tag-old-english-poetry","tag-old-english-riddles","tag-prudentius","tag-psychomachia","tag-scylla","tag-sea-dogs","tag-sea-monster","tag-sea-wolf","tag-vengeance","tag-warrior-ethics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1886"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10799"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11045,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10799\/revisions\/11045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/manuscript-studies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}