List of artistic depictions of Grendel
Encyclopedia
This list of artistic depictions of Grendel refers to the figure of Grendel
Grendel
Grendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendel's mother and the dragon, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf . Grendel is usually depicted as a monster, though this is the subject of scholarly debate. In the poem, Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf.-Story:The poem Beowulf is contained in...
. He is one of three antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s (along with Grendel's mother
Grendel's mother
Grendel's mother is one of three antagonists in the work of Old English literature of anonymous authorship, Beowulf . She is never given a name in the text....
and the dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
) in the Anglo-Saxon
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
epic poem Beowulf
Beowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
(c. 700-1000 AD).
Grendel
Grendel
Grendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendel's mother and the dragon, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf . Grendel is usually depicted as a monster, though this is the subject of scholarly debate. In the poem, Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf.-Story:The poem Beowulf is contained in...
has been adapted in a number of different media including film, literature, and graphic/illustrated novels or comic books.
1999 Baker adaptation
Vincent Hammond portrayed Grendel in Graham BakerGraham Baker
Graham Baker is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for Southampton, Manchester City and Fulham.-Southampton:...
's film Beowulf
Beowulf (1999 film)
Beowulf is a 1999 film loosely based on the Old English epic poem Beowulf. Unlike most film adaptations of the poem, this version is a science-fiction/fantasy film that, according to one film critic, "takes place in a post-apocalyptic, techno-feudal future that owes more to Mad Max than Beowulf."...
. Among the artistic liberties taken in this version set in a post apocalyptic future, Grendel is stated to be the son of Hrothgar and he is shown to be capable of rendering himself partially invisible in a Predator
Predator (alien)
The Predator is a fictional extraterrestrial species featured in the Predator science-fiction franchise, characterised by its trophy hunting of other dangerous species for sport, including humans and its fictional counterparts, Aliens....
-like manner. His manner of death also differs from the original source. As with the poem, Beowulf tears off Grendel's arm during their first battle, though Grendel survives the wound in the film. Beowulf kills Grendel later on by stabbing his stump.
2007 Zemeckis adaptation
Crispin GloverCrispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...
portrayed Grendel in the 2007 Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis
Robert Lee Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future film series, as well as the Academy Award-winning live-action/animation epic Who Framed Roger Rabbit ,...
film, Beowulf
Beowulf (2007 film)
Beowulf is a 2007 American animated fantasy film written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary inspired by the Old English epic poem of the same name. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film was created through a motion capture process similar to the technique he used in The Polar Express...
. This version changes elements of the poem by introducing a relationship between Grendel's mother
Grendel's mother
Grendel's mother is one of three antagonists in the work of Old English literature of anonymous authorship, Beowulf . She is never given a name in the text....
and Hrothgar which results in the birth of Grendel, much like Graham Baker's adaptation eight years prior.
Eardrum
The eardrum, or tympanic membrane, is a thin membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear in humans and other tetrapods. Its function is to transmit sound from the air to the ossicles inside the middle ear. The malleus bone bridges the gap between the eardrum and the other ossicles...
which causes him pain whenever the singing in Heorot
Heorot
Heorot is a mead hall described in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf as "the foremost of halls under heaven." It served as a palace for King Hroðgar, a legendary Danish king of the sixth century. Heorot means "Hall of the Hart"...
echoes in his lair. This weakness, an attempt to explain Grendel's ability to hear the singing in the original poem despite his cave being many miles from the hall, is exploited by Beowulf in his battle with the monster. When frightened or weakened, Grendel is shown to shrink in size. When not attacking the Danes, he is shown to be a timid, child-like creature who speaks in Old English in the presence of his mother.
Philosophy professor Stephen T. Asma
Stephen T. Asma
Stephen T. Asma is Professor of Philosophy and Distinguished Scholar at Columbia College Chicago,He works on the philosophy of the life sciences, and the theme of Religion and Science .-Publications:...
argued in the December 7 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education that, "Zemeckis's more tender-minded film version suggests that the people who cast out Grendel are the real monsters. The monster, according to this charity paradigm, is just misunderstood rather than evil. The blame for Grendel's violence is shifted to the humans, who sinned against him earlier and brought the vengeance upon themselves. The only real monsters, in this tradition, are pride and prejudice. In the film, Grendel is even visually altered after his injury to look like an innocent, albeit scaly, little child. In the original Beowulf, the monsters are outcasts because they're bad (just as Cain, their progenitor, was outcast because he killed his brother), but in the newer adaptation of Beowulf the monsters are bad because they're outcasts [...] Contrary to the original Beowulf, the new film wants us to understand and humanize our monsters."
Other adaptations
- 2009: The Morwen in the film OutlanderOutlander (film)Outlander is a 2008 science fiction film directed by Howard McCain and starring James Caviezel. Caviezel has described Outlander as a light combination of Braveheart and Highlander.-Plot:...
- 2008: Christian BoevingChristian BoevingChristian Boeving is an American actor, writer, producer, fitness model, personal trainer, and former bodybuilding supplement spokesperson. He grew up in Missouri, United States and resides in Los Angeles County in Southern California....
portrayed Grendel in Beowulf: Prince of the Geats. - 2007: GrendelGrendel (film)Grendel is a 2007 film directed by Nick Lyon that is very loosely based on the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. The made-for-television film was produced by the Sci Fi channel as an original movie for broadcasting on the Sci Fi cable television network, and began airing in January 2007 .-Differences...
- a made-for television movie on the Sci Fi Channel (United States)Sci Fi Channel (United States)Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
. - 2005: Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson and Hringur Ingvarsson portrayed Grendel in Beowulf & GrendelBeowulf & GrendelBeowulf & Grendel is a 2005 film loosely based on the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. Filmed in Iceland and directed by Sturla Gunnarsson, it stars Gerard Butler as Beowulf, Stellan Skarsgård as Hrothgar, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson as Grendel and Sarah Polley as the witch Selma...
. - 1999: The Wendol are members of a fictional enemy race in the film The 13th WarriorThe 13th WarriorThe 13th Warrior is a 1999 historical fiction action film starring Antonio Banderas as Ahmad ibn Fadlan and Vladimir Kulich as Buliwyf; it is based on the novel Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton. It was directed by John McTiernan and an uncredited Crichton.The 13th Warrior is regarded as a...
. - 1981: Grendel Grendel GrendelGrendel Grendel GrendelGrendel Grendel Grendel is an Australian animated film based on John Gardner's novel Grendel and starring Peter Ustinov. It was released in 1981....
is an animated film based on the John Gardner novel, GrendelGrendel (novel)Grendel is a 1971 parallel novel by American author John Gardner. It is a retelling of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf from the perspective of the antagonist, Grendel. The novel deals with finding meaning in the world, the power of literature and myth, and the nature of good and evil.Grendel...
. It stars Peter UstinovPeter UstinovPeter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
as Grendel, and is told from the monster's point of view.
Literature
Grendel has appeared in a few works of contemporary literature, one of the most well-known being the 1971 John Gardner novel, GrendelGrendel (novel)
Grendel is a 1971 parallel novel by American author John Gardner. It is a retelling of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf from the perspective of the antagonist, Grendel. The novel deals with finding meaning in the world, the power of literature and myth, and the nature of good and evil.Grendel...
, in which the character is portrayed as a pensive, solitary creature who fears that his life has no objective meaning.
Grendel and "Grendel's ma" or "Grendel's mum" are also characters in Suniti Namjoshi
Suniti Namjoshi
Suniti Namjoshi is an Indian writer and poet, many of whose works explore issues of gender and sexual orientation. She has written several collections of fables, poetry and fantasy fiction. She has also written some children's fiction.-Biography:...
's 1993 postmodern collection of feminist fairytales, St Suniti and the Dragon. Consisting of non-sequential poetry and prose, St Suniti and the Dragon focuses on the adventures of St. Suniti, a female saint-in-training. During these adventures, St. Suniti has a number of encounters with Grendel and Grendel's ma.
Other notable appearances include Grendel (Niven)
Grendel (Niven)
"Grendel" is an English language science fiction short story written in 1968 by Larry Niven. It is the fourth in the series of Known Space stories featuring crashlander Beowulf Shaeffer...
, the 1968 short story by Larry Niven
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
, The Legacy of Heorot
The Legacy of Heorot
The Legacy of Heorot is a science fiction novel written in 1987 by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Steven Barnes. Reproduction and fertility expert Dr Jack Cohen acted as a consultant on the book, designing the novel life cycle of the alien antagonists, the grendels.This is the first book in the...
, which includes alien predators called "grendels" and the Wendol, members of a fictional enemy race in the Michael Crichton
Michael Crichton
John Michael Crichton , best known as Michael Crichton, was an American best-selling author, producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his work in the science fiction, medical fiction, and thriller genres. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and many have been adapted...
novel Eaters of the Dead
Eaters of the Dead
Eaters of the Dead: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in A.D. 922 is a 1976 novel by Michael Crichton...
. There is also a brief mention of "sea grendels" in The Gripping Hand
The Gripping Hand
The Gripping Hand is a 1993 novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It is a sequel to their multi-award-nominated 1974 work The Mote in God's Eye. The Gripping Hand is, chronologically, the last novel of the CoDominium universe it is set in...
by Niven and Jerry Pournelle
Jerry Pournelle
Jerry Eugene Pournelle is an American science fiction writer, essayist and journalist who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte and has since 1998 been maintaining his own website/blog....
.
Comics and graphic novels
- 1987: Anand, Astrid and Bill Carroll. Beowulf.
- 1975-1976: Beowulf:Dragon Slayer. Issue 2, July 1995. (DC ComicsDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
). - TalesOfLegend Comics is a webcomicWebcomicWebcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
of the story of BeowulfBeowulfBeowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
told from GrendelGrendelGrendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendel's mother and the dragon, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf . Grendel is usually depicted as a monster, though this is the subject of scholarly debate. In the poem, Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf.-Story:The poem Beowulf is contained in...
's perspective. - 2009:In the Secret Six title, Grendel is the spawn of the supervillain Vandal SavageVandal SavageVandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 1 #10 , and was created by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell....
. He is killed by Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
when he tries to eat his half sister Scandal.
Video Games
- Grendel's CaveGrendel's CaveGrendel's Cave is a real-time browser-based role-playing video game. It is published by Grendel Enterprises and runs exclusively on the Internet. It is based on Anglo-Saxon mythology and Beowulf, and is set in the historical medieval period. It is considered both an artistic depiction of Grendel...
: a MUD role playing fantasy game based on the original story. - Skies of ArcadiaSkies of ArcadiaSkies of Arcadia, released in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Overworks for the Dreamcast and published by Sega in 2000. Skies of Arcadia Legends, a port, was released for the GameCube in 2002. Legends was also in development for the PlayStation 2; however, the PS2 version...
features a monster named Grendel. - Grendels are one of the breeds featured in "CreaturesCreatures (artificial life program)Creatures is an artificial life computer program series, created in the mid-1990s by English computer scientist Steve Grand whilst working for the Cambridge computer games developer Millennium Interactive...
", an artificial life program. - Final Fantasy VIIIFinal Fantasy VIIIis a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
features a boss monster, which later becomes an incidental monster, called Grendel which depicts the beast as being four-legged. - Grendel is a Boss character in Too HumanToo HumanToo Human is an action-RPG video game developed by Canadian developer Silicon Knights and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 console...
, known as "GRNDL-1" - Grendel is a monster in the Dragon QuestDragon Quest, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
series - Grendel is a boss mob in the Play Station 2 game Everquest Online Adventures
- Grendel is one of the bosses in the PSP game Lord of ArcanaLord of Arcanais an action game for the PlayStation Portable, developed by Access Games and published by Square Enix.- Gameplay :Lord of Arcana is an action game that allows up to four players to fight monsters and demons some of which make cameo appearances from other Square Enix games.The gameplay is very...
by Square Enix - Grendel is the name of the heavy assault rifle in Crysis 2Crysis 2Crysis 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek, published by Electronic Arts and released in North America, Australia, and Europe in March 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360...
Music
- Grendel: a song on the Diary album by Sunny Day Real EstateSunny Day Real EstateSunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
- Grendel (radio personality)Grendel (radio personality)Cameron Joseph Collins , more popularly known as "Grendel," is an award winning disc jockey and an attorney...
, a former radio DJ on KSCUKSCUKSCU is a radio station broadcasting a Variety format. Licensed to Santa Clara, California, the station serves the San Jose area. The station is currently owned by Santa Clara University. The station plays independent music, varying from indie rock, punk, ska, jazz, blues, reggae, and others...
103.3 FM who won Best DJ in Metro Silicon Valley's 2001 Best of Silicon Valley and Best Celebrity in Metro Silicon Valley's Best of Silicon Valley 2002 - Grendel (band)Grendel (band)Grendel is a Dutch music group formed in 1997. Their music is in the Aggrotech genre. Their name originates from Beowulf.There also exists an unrelated Finnish powermetal band called Grendel, which released three albums so far .-History:Grendel started out with VLRK , and...
, a Netherlands-based dark electro/hard EBM band - Grendel: an opera composed by Elliot GoldenthalElliot GoldenthalElliot Goldenthal is an American composer of contemporary classical music. He was a student of Aaron Copland and John Corigliano, and is best known for his distinctive style and ability to blend various musical styles and techniques in original and inventive ways...
, directed by Julie TaymorJulie TaymorJulie Taymor is an American director of theater, opera and film. Taymor's work has received many accolades from critics, and she has earned two Tony Awards out of four nominations, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design, an Emmy Award and an Academy Award nomination for Original Song...
, and commissioned by Los Angeles OperaLos Angeles OperaThe Los Angeles Opera is an opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center.-Current leadership:...
; it was given its world premiere at the Dorothy Chandler PavilionDorothy Chandler PavilionThe Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center . The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall.The Pavilion has 3,197 seats spread over four tiers, with chandeliers, wide curving stairways and rich décor...
on June 8, 2006, with bass Eric OwensEric Owens (bass-baritone)Eric Owens is an American operatic bass-baritone born July 11, 1970 in Philadelphia. He attended Central High School "247", Temple University's Boyer College of Music, and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia...
starring in the title role. - "Grendel" by MarillionMarillionMarillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
. B side to their first single, "Market Square HeroesMarket Square Heroes"Market Square Heroes" is the debut single of neo-progressive rock band Marillion, released in 1982 with "Three Boats Down From The Candy" as the B-side...
" (1982). The recorded version of the song is 17:15 long, while the live versions regularly ran to over 20 minutes. - Grendels Arm: an American heavy metal band based in Oakland, MD
Television
- Xena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior PrincessXena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
: Grendel appears in several episodes of Xena as Grindl. - 1995: Star Trek VoyagerStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
: In the episode "Heroes and DemonsHeroes and Demons (Voyager episode)"Heroes and Demons" is the 12th episode of Star Trek: Voyager.-Plot:The crew encounters a protostar and Captain Janeway decides to have samples beamed aboard for use as a potential power source. A problem occurs when beaming the samples to Voyager....
", a holographic version of the Beowulf poem malfunctions when the ship encounters a group of non-corporeal life forms, and crew members are taken prisoner by the program's incarnation of Grendel. Ultimately, the DoctorDoctor (Star Trek)The Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I , is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Robert Picardo...
must take the role of Beowulf to rescue them. - In The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
season 20 episode "Four Great Women and a ManicureFour Great Women and a Manicure"Four Great Women and a Manicure" is the twentieth episode of the twentieth season of The Simpsons. It was broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on May 10, 2009. It is the first Simpsons episode in history to have four acts instead of the usual three...
", when Moe sees Selma in the "Queen Elisabeth the First" segment, he says, "Grendel got in again." - Grendel is the nickname of the character Chris Sellers in Chuck Klosterman's book, Downtown OwlDowntown OwlDowntown Owl: A Novel is a novel written by Chuck Klosterman, first published by Scribner in 2008. It is the author's first all-fictional publication.-Plot outline:...
. - In the first season of the Comedy CentralComedy CentralComedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
program BattlebotsBattleBotsBattleBots is an American company that hosts robot competitions. BattleBots is also the name of the television show created from the competition footage. BattleBots Inc...
, Grendel was the name of a green, super-heavyweight robot that used a spiked hammer arm as a weapon. It was subsequently used in the Battlebots remote-controlled toy line.
Military
- A 6.5 mm rifle cartridge is also named for Grendel. The small arms company, Alexander Arms, developed the 6.5 Grendel to serve as an intermediate power round, falling somewhere between the 5.565.56x45mm NATO5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
and 7.62 NATO. They also have a correlative round that is much more powerful, the .50 Beowulf.50 BeowulfThe .50 Beowulf [12.7×42 mm Rb] is a rifle cartridge developed by Alexander Arms for use in a modified AR-15 rifle. The cartridge utilizes a rebated rim, sized to match the rim of the 7.62×39mm and 6.5 mm Grendel rounds...