Media Check!

Simply stated, chivalric romances have their own amount of importance. Were they a little bit cheesy? (More than a little…) Yes. But that doesn’t change the fact they have shaped our views on love & relationships.

If it wasn’t for chivalry, we wouldn’t have the rules for relationships that we do now. Men are expected to respect & swoon ladies & ladies are supposed to be gentle, kind souls with hot, hot bodies. Okay, that was a bit hyperbole-d, but they did have a lot of expectations on both ends. For example, check how they describe Lanval’s “hot elf lover”:

“This was how the maiden dressed up:
Of white linen, her camisole
Was made so that it showed both whole
Sides, shining where it laced up.
Her body was slim, long-waisted, tall,
Her neck was whiter than fresh snow-fall.
Grey were her eyes, white her face,
Lovely her mouth, nose in the right place,
Brown eyebrows, forehead smooth and fair,
Bright blond, crisply curling hair--
The radiant light of pure gold thread
Fades by the brightness of her head.”


Um… if you ask me, she sounds pretty disgusting but hey, everyone needs love. It later talks about how all the men did basically everything but hoop, holler & pat Lanval on the back for scoring such a babe.

Looking beyond that though, I would say that this scene can be tied back to our culture today. Even in those times, the rules were set for women. They had a social standard that they were expected to meet. The media affects how we view ourselves, & weren’t the minstrels a form of media? Songs & stories about thin, ghostly, blonde women with perfect noses are no different that images of skin & bones, orange tanned, blonde women with straight hair & perfect noses. Just think about it: w many girls think they need to be thinner? That they are fat lards who should throw up every meals & that no man will ever love her for her “full figured” self?

I’d say, if it weren’t for chivalry, & chivalric romances specifically, we wouldn’t have such self image problems. We might, just might, be happier with who we are, inside & out.

Demons in our closet...erm...lake?

(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.

Here Grendel, Grendel. Hereeeeeeeee Grendel, Grendel.

I have to say, I sure do feeling pretty awful for Grendel…not. He is honestly an evil, disgusting person. The Beowulf poet makes it clear that we should hate such a character. He’s described as a filthy beast, a low down no-good person… erm, I mean… thing. He lives in a swamp, the lowest part of the area. A mucky, yucky swamp, festering & ranking of death & evil. No respect, no respect I tell you.

I must admit though, I can’t blame him for having the urge to attack human beings. He’s been completely shut out of society. The Danes & the Geats treat him like a disease, as if they’ll catch the depravity leaking from his soul. He has no home here... well ... there. He isn’t accepted by any means.

For example, look at the way God has treated him. He has been barred from the heart of God. He isn’t worthy of the love of the Almighty Creator. Grendel is quite simply a fiend. He’s ugly & has huge claws. He’s more self-conscious than a bulimic in the plumbing section at Lowe’s. He’s a sad, sad soul, with nobody to relate. It honestly reminds me of that song, you know, the one that goes “Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen, nobody knows my sorrows,” or something like that.

I’d imagine he’s angry. Not just angry, but “Hulk madddddddd. Hulk break stuff” angry. & jealous. Don’t forget jealous. Picture having to sit at home & listen to an amazing party that you weren’t invited to going on right next door? & they aren’t even considerate enough to keep it down! Not cool. Not cool at all.

In my professional opinion [I am 6 days into my psychology class], Grendel is acting out. Maybe for attention, maybe for release; definitely for emotional release. I personally don’t find murdering hairy Viking-esque men to be a stress release, but those were different times. I’m more of a whole, cry in my room to Good Charlotte, write poetry more crimson than a blood bank, watch the Food channel for comfort & text my woes to all of my “bfflz.” Though I don’t have the skills to rip someone apart, I have no choice but to relate. He looks nothing like a human, but he has the emotions of one. He has a heart, no matter how hard & stale it has become.

Who says Beowulf had to rip off Grendel’s arm? Maybe Grendel just needs a lady friend. I’m guessing he’s a boy, right? In all seriousness, people need love. Even horrendous creatures that have swamp breath. Whether it’s from a deity or a foxy lady, we all have a need to be accepted. Grendel has no love, no family, no friends, nothing to live for. So I’m asked, why does Grendel attack human beings? To me, he’s looking for attention. He is destroying the world to match the one he lives/lived in: lonely, empty, dark & negative.