(pg. 48, l 441-443)
"A brilliant
Light burned all around him, the lake
Itself like a fiery flame."
Though short & sweet, this line has a lot going on beneath its orange chicken surface. In the literal, it's just saying that the lake was on fire. Whoosh. It added another crispy element to the story 'cause what's more heroic than beating the snot out of a foe underwater, burning water?
This, though, has a definite deeper meaning. It brings the story of Beowulf to a whole new level. It implies that Beowulf has in fact gone into Hell to fight Grendel's mother. He's a divine hero, sent by God to save the world. Sounds a little Jesus-esque, no?
We know that the Beowulf poet was a Christian, for Christianity had spread in the Angelo-Saxon culture at the time it was penned. There are tons of allusions to God in the piece, & I believe it's might be a retelling of the triumphs of the son of God.
I find it interesting they made the "Devil", Grendel's mother, a woman. Are they really that evil? Like really? Who knows. Maybe they are.
This story is just another epic at face value. A man's man saves the day, but if you dig deeper, you can see a whole new story. I hope I'm not crazy in seeing this. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Either way, Beowulf = Jesus in burly, bear form. End of story.
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