Student Question
How long did Grendel reign with terror over the Danes?
Quick answer:
Grendel terrorized the Danes for 12 years, repeatedly attacking King Hrothgar's hall and killing many warriors. He was immune to weapons, allowing him to continue his brutal assaults until Beowulf confronted him. Grendel, along with his mother, is depicted as a descendant of Cain, the biblical figure who killed his brother Abel, marking them as embodiments of evil in the epic.
For 12 long years, Grendel attacks the dining hall of King Hrothgar and kills countless Danes. Grendel, an evil demonic monster, tears his victims limb from limb and devours them each night. Grendel can't be harmed by any weapons or swords. He is destined to continue his rampage until Beowulf, the hero, challenges him to a wrestling match. The anonymous writer of Beowulf describes Grendel and Grendel's mother as descendants from Cain who in the Bible kills his brother, Abel. In the biblical story, Cain is exiled to wander the earth and his descendants are considered evil. Grendel is just one of the monsters formed by Cain's sin of killing his own brother.
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