tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post522385469336541154..comments2023-10-31T07:32:11.739-04:00Comments on Wormtalk and Slugspeak: Michaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07566889846240013567noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-35767474098147999232012-08-08T00:24:41.214-04:002012-08-08T00:24:41.214-04:00You need to look at the various works of S R Jense...You need to look at the various works of S R Jensen on the poem. Jensen argues that Grendel is Agnar, son of Ingeld, who died with his 'lips separated into a smile'. 'Grin' plus 'divid(ed)'. It is suggested that the poem is a tale of Ingeld in its first two parts, monster and mother.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-15318602977268600282012-03-09T23:52:35.605-05:002012-03-09T23:52:35.605-05:00This is an out-of-the-blue-unbased guess on the of...This is an out-of-the-blue-unbased guess on the off-chance that I may be right, but maybe forsworn here denotes (and I make the DANGEROUS assumption it means anything like in modern English) that he has "forsworn the use of weapons" -- something like how King Helm in LOTR was believed to be invincible against swords because he only uses his hands to kill.<br /><br />...And now I need to go to Wheaton. Lots.Montaguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15855928733382673100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-29711606373853497162012-03-09T11:49:58.969-05:002012-03-09T11:49:58.969-05:00Perhaps more metrosexual, N. E. Brigan. :)Perhaps more metrosexual, N. E. Brigan. :)Dr. Viragohttp://quodshe.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-54026188095443327102012-03-08T17:01:11.555-05:002012-03-08T17:01:11.555-05:00Can Grendel's pocket talk? I'm sure I'...Can Grendel's pocket talk? I'm sure I'm not the <a href="http://newboards.theonering.net/forum/gforum/perl/gforum.cgi?post=226550#226550" rel="nofollow">only one</a> to wonder if Tolkien's pursed, pocketed, sack-bearing trolls are meant to echo Grendel. (And if Grendel is carrying a Coach purse, as Dr. Virago imagines, is it perhaps time to reconsider <a href="http://newboards.theonering.net/forum/gforum/perl/gforum.cgi?post=51615#51615" rel="nofollow">this question</a>?)N.E. Brigandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17601573470596905112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-12079885389013693922012-03-08T13:29:05.703-05:002012-03-08T13:29:05.703-05:00Now that you've planted a talking, pocket-savv...Now that you've planted a talking, pocket-savvy Grendel image in my mind, I can't stop imagining him saying to Beowulf, "ach, ssss, what has it got in its pocketses, eh, precious?!"Jason Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05809154870762268253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-77499894553404520362012-03-08T02:03:55.957-05:002012-03-08T02:03:55.957-05:00Dr Drout
So cool that you are blog posting again...Dr Drout <br /><br />So cool that you are blog posting again! Well, I think the question " Did Grendel have Pockets?" has now completely trumped the other burning questions of my life - "Do Balrogs have Wings?" and will delve back into the text!!! looking forward to your book Tower and the Ruin. <br /><br />Best Andy <br /><br />BTW Just recently finished reading Exodus using Peter Lucas and Tolkien texts/notes and your Anglo-Saxon aloud reading was brilliant and very helpful!!!Dr. Andrew Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-91618630206436584382012-03-07T10:02:16.740-05:002012-03-07T10:02:16.740-05:00I have no talent with the linguistic side of this ...I have no talent with the linguistic side of this at all. On the other hand, the analogy with the berserkers seems a very apt one on a cultural level (I can claim a bit of anthropology in my background). However, even if the "translation" of the word does not really mean "put a spell on" per se, the act of forswearing and obtaining immunity to the war-swords/edged weapons of the earth does seem to me to bespeak a level of cognition, ritual, and volition that puts Grendel into a category of being who might use language. I mean, if anything that did not use weapons was immune to them, hunting would be a problem. Gredel has to commit some affirmative act to forswear the weapons and obtain the benefit. Commonly, we would expect that to involve language, though perhaps some wordless ritual might be conceivable. Still, the monster Grendel seems both more human, and more monstrous for being so like and unlike humans by looking at this.<br /><br />As far as the pockets issue, I'm not sure why he wouldn't just throw everything in one bag. I mean that's what my kids do (okay, so no Geat warriors but, sometimes the oddest mish mash of things). Still, I'm not really sure what the poet might be driving at, except to say that Grendel, whatever he is or was, is thoroughly outside of society, because even when there is strife and violence, real humans have a system for working things out (wergeld and, as you say, we all get to be friends), whereas, nothing by death can end the strife between monster and man.<br /><br />That's my completely off the cuff guess.Evan F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03333016834147890075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-16605265334881105602012-03-07T08:02:25.985-05:002012-03-07T08:02:25.985-05:00But wouldn't drawing an analogy with berserker...But wouldn't drawing an analogy with berserkers make him a little bit more human, too? Aren't berserkers, after all, human? <br /><br />Less serious, the purse/pockets thing cracked me up. I'm now picturing Grendel (well, to the extent we can picture him at all) with a nice Coach man bag.Dr. Viragohttp://quodshe.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3571309.post-75214657190547233372012-03-07T00:13:24.687-05:002012-03-07T00:13:24.687-05:00Your last idea is what I thought of right away, an...Your last idea is what I thought of right away, and besides I like the idea, and so (Diax or no Diax) I believe it.John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.com