Grendel's Journal

A certain, different individual has begun living amongst Hrothgar and his fools. The king’s younger brother, Hrothulf, was given shelter following the death of the boy’s parents. After observing both his and Wealhtheow’s actions, I have come to the conclusion that every action has an equal and an opposite reaction. While Wealhtheow brought peace and love to the mead hall, Hrothulf “cleans his knife” (113). Unlike the others in the mead hall, he is not there to live under Hrothgar; rather, he seeks to overthrow his older brother (Unferth would most certainly disapprove). He is a wolf, hidden among the sheep. He is not working alone, either. He often meets a strange old man who goes by the name “Red Horse.” Red Horse smells, yells and spits when he speaks, and his eyes are constantly bulging. The old man fills Hrothulf’s head with unconventional yet interesting political ideas. Red Horse scorns the idea that government can be good. He does not even believe that they can be ...

Twelve years since they began, my attacks on Hrothgar’s mead hall continue. I make sure not to cause to much destruction, lest I create the situation of “what will we call the Hrothgar-wrecker when Hrothgar has been wrecked” (91). After all, what would become of me without the race that tells my story? I would most likely cease to exist meaningfully. In my second year of attacks, I came close to losing the meaning to my existence, as I came close to stopping my attacks. Hrothgar’s queen, Wealhtheow, was the reason for this. I first laid eyes on her when she was used by her people as a peace offering. Her bright red hair and silver robes bewitched me. She was beyond beautiful, and I could not bring myself to attack Hrothgar with her at his side. Yet, I continued to observe the mead hall. Wealhtheow brought an unexpected benevolence to the mead hall. With only a few words, she could soothe the souls of troubled individuals. To Unferth, she said, regarding him murdering his b...

Get a load of this! The old Dragon told me that I have a predetermined purpose, and that purpose is to scare humanity, which will force them to improve. The craziest part is that he knows absolutely everything that can be known, or so he claims. I for one am finding this incredibly hard to believe. As if the Dragon wasn't being enough of a headache, he had the nerve to put a charm on me. Weapons cannot hurt me anymore. Way to rob me of the thrill of a good fight, rotten know-it-all scaly sack of bones. Unfortunately, I cannot simply shake off with scorn his words as I can with the Shaper. The Shaper tells his own version of events. The other day, a particular song of his caught my ear. He sang of how the "heroes were brave" (77). He must be stupid and/or immoral if he thinks Hrothgar's merrily murderous band of plunderers are brave heroes. A few nights later, I was introduced to Unferth, one of Hrothgar's most well-renowned thanes. He is pathetic, a ...