Lily Januszka, Period 7, 3/5/2024

Lily Januszka, Period 7, 3/5/24

Modern Mythology 2024

Research Paper

Throughout our class, we’ve connected multiple units to deepen our understanding of our readings. One of these connections we frequently make in class is the connection between Cain and Grendel. Grendel, noted in Beowulf to be a direct descendant of Cain, can link his suffering back to Cain in the growing religious society that springs around him.

The story of Cain and Abel was one that we had discussed in our Ancient World unit as well as our current Grendel unit. Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain was a farmer and Abel was a shepherd. When the time came to provide a sacrifice to God, Abel sacrificed his best sheep as his offering, while Cain did not provide his best crops. God favored Abel’s sacrifice, which filled Cain with a rage of jealousy. He murdered his brother in his blind jealousy, which was considered the first kill that forever tainted humanity, just as Adam and Eve’s mistrust and mistake condemned humanity to a life of hardship. When confronted by God, Cain denied knowing his brother’s whereabouts, and because of this, God knew he held no remorse. God punished Cain, casting him out of his home and condemning his descendants to always carry his burden. Cain could never grow crops again, destroying his livelihood, and was sentenced to wander the land.

Cain is considered the villain of his story, the embodiment of sin and cruelty. In this, he greatly relates to Grendel, who serves as the “villain” to Hrothgar’s people. Cain also bears the Mark of Cain. While given to protect him from others who would seek to kill him, it also brands him as a kinslayer, forever bringing shame to him and his descendants. He is judged at first glance, just as Grendel is. Both are seen as an opposite to God - Cain defies God, in some stories actively preaching against him, while Grendel is seen as the darkness to God and humanity’s light, the scapegoat for the new, shining religion. This is the role given to Grendel, whether he chooses to pursue it or not. It is his destiny, as no one else will ever see him otherwise. They serve as the darkness that lifts humanity to greater heights, a stepping stone towards enlightenment.

Both Cain and Grendel are also killers, marking them as sinners by nature. This makes them fundamentally evil, scorned by God. Cain kills his brother, and on top of that, lies about it to cover himself, showing little remorse for his actions. Grendel kills for the simple pleasure of killing the wretched humans. They were considered the stains upon humanity, and were branded for it. Shame followed them, from Grendel’s hideous appearance to the Mark of Cain. The Mark of Cain was interpreted in many ways. Mostly, it was seen as mercy from God, preventing anyone from killing Cain. However, it also marks him as a killer, a weight his descendants had to bear. Some believe that the mark was leprosy, as lepers were avoided like the plague and shunned from society, while others believed it to be colored skin. This perspective encouraged racism, as it would make all black people “descendants of Cain,” and therefore “lesser beings” that carry great sin. Grendel is branded a monster from his birth, and even before he attacks the mead hall, he is treated wearily by humans, constantly seen as a danger. He is seen as “lesser” for he cannot understand what humans say, and is even told by the Dragon that he is lesser because of his lack of foresight and intelligence.

Both are also very isolated individuals throughout their life. Cain was not favored by God, causing great jealousy, while Grendel was abandoned by God, with no real place in the new religion. Cain was banished from his home, forced to wander the earth. He could never plant again, as his land and hands were forever tainted with his brother’s blood. This took away his livelihood, but more importantly, his purpose in life. He could no longer be a farmer, so he lost his purpose as a son, a brother, and later a husband. He traveled the world in a state of inbetween, his only destiny to be shunned by society as a murderer. Similarly, Grendel goes throughout the story searching for his purpose, and trying to avoid it when he learns of it. He doesn’t have a purpose for himself, only to be the villain in the humans’ heroic story. No one can understand him, and he constantly feels alone in the world. He doesn’t want to become a villain quite yet, and yearns for a greater meaning in his life other than to die at the sword of a “hero.” 

Cain’s history is greatly reflected in Gardener’s telling of Grendel. The impact of such a significant biblical story can be seen throughout literature. Grendel follows Cain’s path, destined for a doomed fate.

Biblical allusion: Beowulf’s Grendel in relation to Cain. (2014). Retrieved from https://nickbonds.wordpress.com/biblical-allusion-beowulfs-grendel-in-relation-to-cain/

Mark of Cain. (2024). Retrieved from https://www.bibleodyssey.org/articles/mark-of-cain/

Mazzalongo, M. (1970a). The punishment of Cain. Retrieved from https://bibletalk.tv/the-punishment-of-cain