Grendel's mother
Videos
Grendel's mother is one of three antagonists in the anonymous Old English poem Beowulf, the other two being Grendel himself and the dragon. Each antagonist reflects different negative aspects of both
An illustration of Grendel's mother by J. R. Skelton from Stories of Beowulf (1908) described as a "water-witch" trying to stab Beowulf
The first page of the Beowulf manuscript
A sculpture of a valkyrie on a horse by Stephan Sinding, 1908
The Gefion Fountain in Copenhagen, Denmark, by Anders Bundgård, 1908
Cain and Abel
Videos
In the biblical Book of Genesis, Cain and Abel are the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer, and his brother Abel was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices, each from h
Grendel's mother
…directly described in Old English by the original Beowulf poet, part of the debate revolves around what is known, namely her descent from the biblical Cain (who was the first murderer, according to the Abrahamic religions). For some scholars, this descent links her and Grendel to the monsters and giants…
Cain slaying Abel, by Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1600
Cain leadeth Abel to death, by James Tissot, c. 1900
Islamic illustration of Cain carrying his murdered brother, Abel, to hide his body from God from a Stories of the Prophets manuscript.
Cain and Abel. Plaster cast after bronze (1425–1438) by Jacopo Della Quercia (1374–1438), Bologna, Italy. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh