This chapter takes place during the winter, and is written like it. It’s far more stark than the other ones, and deals with religion, a topic that Grendel finds empty and meaningless. What is almost contradictory is the sense that the priest he meets makes. Believing Grendel to be the Destroyer, he is asked to define the King of Gods. His answer is that the King of Gods is the “ultimate limitation,” and no reason can be given for that because it is his nature to be the limits. “No reason can be given for the nature of God, because that nature is the ground of rationality.” This sounds suspiciously like the definition of the universe. One cannot provide a reason for the nature of the universe, why the speed of light is what it is or why gravity exists. Such forces are just built in. The priest may not know how close he is to the truth, but it proves that religion is not entirely the dry sticks Grendel claims it to be. The priest also proclaims ultimate evil as being the fact that everything must eventually die, and that “being actual involves elimination.” This could not be more similar to the dragon’s speech, that everything is meaningless because it must all die. The priest serves to balance that, everything is all the more meaningful because it must die. Even though Grendel is left unaffected by the priest’s talk, this chapter proves that even if the Shaper provides illusion and false comfort, humans still begin to close in on the truth.
Focusing mostly on religion, this chapter really allows the reader to see Grendel and our human view on the subject of faith and belief. Still stuck on his nihilistic belief, Grendel finds humans to be stupid to believe in our “Stick gods”. He makes a point throughout the book to prove gods are not real; he even goes as far as destroying the wooden sculptures of the gods that we worshiped. One day Grendel encountered an old blind man at the worship site where the carvings were located. The old man immediately inquired who was there and Grendel responded with “…It s I…The Destroyer”. The old man immediately dropped to his knees and began to praise Grendel. Surprisingly, Grendel played along with this, it was as if he was trying to make fun of our stupid beliefs that we would be so blind as to drop and pray to anyone who claimed to be someone of high importance. Terrified but obviously truly amazed, the old man begins to answer different questions the pretend god (Grendel) demands out of the old man. Beginning with the idea that the King of Gods is the “ultimate limitation, the ultimate irrationality”. There is no limitation to god one cannot define him. Technically he is not a physical being but he also is, he is irrational and it is irrational to try and define him. He also defines the king of gods as virtue in its essence. Meaning that this allows for others to be defined as what or who they are, giving them relevance. He establishes the purpose for all creatures. Corresponding to the dragon, the old blind man, Ork, defines the ultimate evil as time disappearing. “Things fade”. Just as how the dragon sees the world, everything is useless because no matter what things fade, you will be replaced and you will disappear. Ork’s last and final idea is the idea of ultimate wisdom, which lies “in the perception that the solemnity and grandeur of the universe rise through…process of unification in which the diversities of the universe are utilized.” Basically he used a lot of big words to describe that ultimate wisdom is the belief that the universe is great when you use everything and waste nothing. Though after a few more priests arrive and they begin to discuss the idea of the Destroyer, Grendel decides he has had too much religious nonsense and pointless critical thinking. So he quietly slips back into the dark night leaving the young men to the pointless theories.
The Danish people have religious systems that are balanced between a polytheistic system, where people belief in numerous gods and a monotheistic system, where they only belief in one god. In this, they believe in gods who are specifically for one thing and are related to nature. For example they have the wolf-god and the bull-god which are both very specific and are based on nature. Although above all, they admire, The Destroyer the most. As Grendel comes across an old priest named Ork, who is known as the only priest who had “thought all the mysteries out”. Ork believes in similar things that the dragon does like, time will erase everything soon. Ork believes that faith is what leads people to accept the world is a meaningful place rather than to be hopeless. Three of the priests that come and find the priest think that that he is a lunatic. Although, a fourth priest agrees with the old priest and believes that his visions give hope to all. While Grendel, is annoyed with the fourth priest for believing in “hope”. The seasons foreshadow what will happen to Grendel, winter is coming and that season is death time. Grendel feels death coming closer. He starts to imagine things and is easily paranoid. For example, one day Grendel hears footsteps and is easily scared by it. Metztli Garcia
Now December, chapter nine of “Grendel” takes place during the beginning of winter, the most lethal season of the year in northern Europe. Winter’s presence overwhelms and out-competes all other fears of living creatures. It is ironic because the predators- humans, wolves, and foxes- are now the prey of their own environment and sickness. Grendel describes the days of winter as “an arrow in a dead man’s chest.” But hope for humans’ salvation is saved as always by another deep illusion- religion. Grendel observes the rituals and prayers of the priests in the Scyldling’s temple, which are meant to convince the gods into allowing better seasons of warmth and growth to occur. The hall is filled with many stone and wood statues of the Scandinavian deities, each grotesquely carved to resemble some humanoid form. Grendel hates religion in general because its rational is opposite to the ideas of nihilism. Specifically how the meaninglessness of the statues and deceptions about the powerful gods are meant to inspire hope into the humans. Other religious prayers ask for divine help against Grendel, their enemy, and the restoration of the kingdom. These prayers are specifically directed to an unknown god called The Destroyer. While they have never seen the Great Destroyer, the priests still cry out for his protection and divine favor. One dark night while Grendel was sighting among the statues one of the priests named Ork enters and asks who is there. Grendel replies that he is The Destroyer, the one the humans have been searching for to vanquish their monsta. Grendel is curious and takes the opportunity to ask Ork of his ideas about the king of the gods and nature of evil. When old Ork talks to the other priests about what he just encountered, Grendel is disgusted by one optimistic priest in particular who takes Ork’s hallucination as a sign for the defeat of Grendel, the salvation for Heorot, and hope for the future. Grendel hates this idea because the religion of the humans has acted in a similar way to the songs of the Shaper; they have both brought false ideas into the minds of naïve people. Yet for the majority of the Scyldlings the prospects of religion no longer hold value. Even when Grendel destroys the arrangement of idols, not many citizens besides the priests care. This is possibly due to the fact that no divine help has been offered to aid the humans against Grendel for the past twelve years. But the foolish predictions of Ork and the youthful priest are quite relevant to the fate of Heorot and the topic of this chapter. All of the portents- Grendel’s dream, the appearance of The Destroyer, Grendel’s feeling of uneasiness, and the priest’s idea that all things must perish - are forewarnings of the arrival of Beowulf and end to Grendel’s reign. Pity poor Grendel Hrothgar’s foe! -David
Finally a calm in the slaughter (although there has been plenty things other than slaughter.) In this chapter we see him discovering religion, not as an idea and ritual, but the philosophy of it. Grendel comes upon Ork, eldest and wisest of the priests. Claiming to be the Great Destroyer, a major god in the Dane's religion, Grendel asks Ork to tell him about the King of Gods. Ork begins by describing the existence of gods though he believes he is describing the King of Gods. Their existence is irrational and their being is the limitation to what they represent. The Destroyer is the limit to chaos, the Wolf is the limitation to the hunt, the Bull is the limit to the yoke or the sacrifice. Ork elaborates to include that the King of Gods, being irrational, has no reason to be since it is it's very nature to impose irrationality. The King of Gods cannot be concrete but he can be the foundation for actuality being a deity and whatnot. We have seen what deities and gods can do even if they do not exist they create through us, in a metaphorical way, since faith's definition is more or less believing in something that may or may not exist. Besides that, Ork goes on to describe in more detail, His purpose. The King of Gods is the urge of desire in all being yet also the infinite patience. He is the tender care that lets nothing in the world be vain. Then Ork explains the polar opposite of Him. The priest goes on to explain the true nature of evil. He believes that evil is the fact that being purposeful and actual is to be eliminated. Thus, he explains evil is God's greatest mystery. Sound familiar? If not then here's a hint: What is Grendel? As said by the priest, "beauty requires contrast, and discord is fundamental in the creation of new intensities of feeling." Thus, Grendel is the required discord, the contrast of beauty and the evil that creates virtue, who makes the humans who eventually slay Grendel.
In chapter 9 there isn’t much action. Grendel takes a break from killing people because during the winter time they are bony and skinny. So half the time instead of killing people he is observing what the Thanes call Gods. Which are wooden poles with artwork. One day he wants to have a little fun, so when the priest comes out to pray Grendel poses as a god the Great Destroyer. The priest Ork explains to Grendel “Great Destroyer” about the King of the Gods. According to Ork the King of Gods doesn’t exist. He mentions a Chief God that creates a purpose for all living things. Ork talks to the Great Destroyer about evil and how its not one thing it death, suffering or hatred. Time according to Ork is the supreme evil. Time perishes; it has an ending like the deer and the hunter and most importantly Grendel. Just give them time and they will fade away. Grendel realizes at that he should just hibernate like a bear for the winter.
In this chapter, Grendel truly lets loose on religion. When Grendel approaches the Scyldings, they run, hide, and call upon their gods to protect them. But to no avail, Grendel crushes their gods of wood and stone and devours several priests. He is amused at how the people have taken to make make constellations of stars to this extreme. After the attack, Grendel hides and meets Ork. Ork is terrified and refers to Grendel as “Great destroyer.” He then explains his opinion on the King of Gods. The King of Gods is more of an interpretation to the universe than just some very powerful god. He is rationality in his purest form so his very nature and personality can not be unveiled even if is existent.
Grendel decides to have fun with priests, he meets ork and ork explains to him his philosophical notion that king god or whatever is not a being but a symbol, an interpretation of the universe, and then John Gardner realized you cant make a story around the main character if the main character doesn't CARE! *cough*, anyway, after this explanation Grendel decides to...yep...you guessed it....hibernate for winter, because well, he is an animal.
Winter has struck the region, and with it, the sense of death is delivered. The chapter starts with Grendel observing Hrothgar’s people from afar. Watching, contemplating, questioning their actions. He watches the children make snow angels. He watches the hunter pursue the hart. He watches the people worship the totems of the gods as they pray and sacrifice for protection from the world-rim-walker, Grendel himself. One night, he finds himself standing within the circle of totems as the snow spirals down towards the ground. Someone calls out to him. It turns out to be an old, blind priest named Ork. Grendel takes advantage of the situation and answers the call, “Who is there?” with the name of the Great Destroyer. He claims to be the god from whom the people of Hrothgar prayed for help against Grendel himself. He asks what the priest believes of the King of the Gods, who in turn goes on a tangent about how the KotG is the deliverance from irrationality. “Apart from Him,” Ork states, “there can be no relevant novelty.” He then goes on to talk about the nature of evil, the inability to escape the trajectory the human race is set on. Three other priests come to request that Ork comes inside before his actions are misread, and they dismiss his story about speaking to Grendel. A fourth and final priest comes out, in what Grendel believes to be a drunken stupor, and translates Ork’s story to a vision of a hopeful future for the kingdom. The chapter ends with Grendel’s observations on the kingdom at rest and his back and forth between the need to move and the need to sleep.
9. In this chapter Grendel is forced to be involved in matters of religion, but not in the way of slandering the gods and eating priests, but taking the form of a god to fool with a blind priest. The priest’s name is Ork and he claims to know about all the gods, and about the god king. Grendel asks of him to tell him what he has heard about the god king. Grendel hears something he didn’t expect to hear from an ignorant human only knowing of the protection of the gods, and especially of a priest who is supposed to spread the good word of god to the masses. He says that there is no god king in terms of a physical form, but as the limitation contained within each person’s heart. He isn’t concrete, but he sets the base for beliefs that will later become concrete. He thinks like more of a non-religious person in the way that no god is controlling our every move and thought, but instead that we are in control of ourselves. Things can be explained by facts, and there are unholy explanations for many things such as gravity. This seems to make the priest unhappy, as tears stream down his face as he says this. In my opinion, he is like the marvel superhero daredevil. Even though he doesn’t have his sight, it’s only a mere distraction from the other aspect of religion such as the feel and sound and even the taste. Normally after this boring chat with this old man, Grendel would go on a raid and murder and destroy; he goes back to his cave to hibernate. My wish is for Beowulf to arrive soon, because Grendel is getting out of control in terms of his power. With his near invincibility, he now can think himself as a god, an all powerful being who can through his weight around because he thinks his idea is face, and it will stay that way in his mind forever due to him being as stubborn as a mule. ~Ben Moseley
Grendel’s encounter with Ork and the other priests can be seen as the ending of the second major section of Grendel. The first part can loosely be defined as the establishment of Grendel’s history and his quest—his endeavor to discover how he should live his life in a meaningless world. In the second part of the novel Grendel finds two very different ways of answering that question. The Shaper, on one hand, proposes that one should make his own meaning in the world, and he uses the power of his imagination to create systems like heroism, altruism, and nobility. The dragon, on the other hand, claims that such system-making is pointless and irrelevant, as everything will turn to dust eventually. Characters such as Wealtheow, Unferth, Hrothulf, Red Horse, and Ork provide Grendel with slightly different views on this essential debate. The chapters that feature these characters deepen our understanding of Grendel’s dilemma, but they do not do much to advance the plot. The strange stirrings in the winter air in this chapter, however, suggest that we are moving into a new phase of the novel.
In Chapter 9, Grendel does not kill anyone like he would in the other chapters, but he decided to observe them, even if he knew a lot about them. It was winter, and this was the "darkest time" of the year. One night, Grendel encountered a priest and asked him questions about their religion. The priest he was talking to, Ork, told him his theory of the "living god" and he was shivering and whimpering while telling Grendel his theory. Grendel felt like others were coming, so he left and Ork was telling his other priest friends that he met "The Great Destroyer."
Dear Amy, The chapter begins in the winter, as Grendel describes the time of season where death occurs many times. Grendel sees the children making winged creatures (snow angels) in the snow. While he sees the children having fun, Grendel suddenly feels afraid and imagines muffled footsteps overhead. This happens to be the coming of Beowulf. While in the winter, Grendel observes a hunter hunting a hart. Grendel notes that time is relative, while hunter hunts the hart. Meaning time seems like it is happening only between them. And as soon as the hunter releases his shot, before you know it the hart is dead. In this time, many priests approach the statues of gods to pray to them. Grendel says religion is sick, and in the old days they would kill virgins. Grendel, who does to believe in Gods, used to wreck the statues and destroy the place. Grendel believes that god does not exist, and that religion is violent, and useless, especially if there is no such things as gods. Grendel narrates everything to be depressed in the time of the season. Time slows down, and everybody is waiting for the next thing to happen. One night, Grendel wonders to the center of the ring of gods, and hears a priest approaching him. The priest, named Ork questions who is there. Grendel who wants to know about the gods, pretends to be a god, "The Destroyer". The priest who is frightened of this god, is told to tell him about the king of the gods. Ork tells him about their god, that there is nothing beyond God, and the existence of god is not logical. And that there is no reason why we have a god, but god is the basis for everything that exists. But the priest tells him that god only exists if you have fate in him. Ork says, God gives us reason to have emotion and feelings, but there is evil in the world. By evil, the priest tells Grendel that everything must come to an end. But also, we have to exclude the life we all could have had by changing our future. Which the priest truly believes that this real evil. When the other priests come out, Grendel is forced to hide. Ork tells the priests that he had met "The Destroyer". While the other priests think Ork is ridiculous and crazy, one particular priest believes Ork. While Grendel sneaks away, he sees Hrothgar asleep, but somewhat disturbed as if waiting for something. Grendel who doesn't raid int he winter, decides to go back to his home. Grendel again dreams of a dark void and spiders. When Grendel wakes up in cold s what, Grendel feels uneasy and perhaps he himself feels something is waiting before him. Sincerely, Dylan
December, a harsh winter, animals and trees are dying. Grendel observes that during the season of winter animals and trees start to die out. Like with everything the men of Hrothgar’s hall, specifically the priests turn to the gods to ask for warmth and resources. Grendel hates religion because he sees it as pointless and another form of pattern making. For example, in Hrothgar’s hall lies carved statues of gods. Grendel destroyed the statues, leaving the priests in a panic. The priests then decided to rebuild the statues because they thought the statues were necessary. One night in the forest, Grendel encounters a priest named Ork. Grendel hiding behind a stone, then claims he is “The Great Destroyer,” which is what they call their God. Amazed, Ork then begins to worship him. Grendel then asks him about the King of the Gods. After sharing his thoughts, three other priests rush up to Ork, wondering why he is up at such a late hour. Ork then shares his experience, which then leaves the youngest priest thinking it was a sign of hope. Grendel is disgusted with this idea.
I'm not sure what is important in Grendel's encounter with Ork, the highest of all priests in Hrothgar's kingdom. Grendel pretends to be The Destroyer, the King of Gods, and Ork believes him, as it would be terrible to deny the existence of the most powerful of gods right in front of him. Ork discusses his idea about time, that it is cruel as it by natural law brings upon the destruction of all that exists. During his encounter with Grendel, Ork breaks down into an emotional fit, where Grendel has no idea how to handle the situation. Suddenly, several priests come Ork's way, only to scoff at him for saying that he came into contact with the god that cannot be contacted. But, a fourth priest praises Ork for his feat, which is complete kiss-assery. Overcome by fear, I think that the fourth priest believed Ork because if not, he would be punished by the King of Gods, and who wants that? -Sebastian Procrastinating isn't good.
In this chapter Grendel comes across religion. He observed it for a while. One night Ork, the eldest and wisest of priests, saw him and asked him who he was. He decided to play being a god, “The Destroyer”. He began by destroying their wooden and stone gods and wrecking up the place. He noticed the only ones it really affected were the priests. Ork was amazed he seen him and told the other priests about it and what they talked about. Grendel asked him what his views on The King of the Gods and evil was. When Ork told the other four priest he told them he thought The Destroyer god agreed with what he said and Grendel disapproved of that. The first three priest didn’t believe him but the fourth priest he spoke to thought it signified hope. Grendel was hopeless and didn’t understand why the priest would say that. He senses something very negative about to happen and is easily paranoid by things. His response to that feeling of uneasiness was hibernating. - Stephanie Medina
In this chapter, Grendel witnesses up close what humans believe in while observing wooden and stone statues of their gods. One night Grendel encounters a priest named Ork and chooses not to kill him, instead he decides to pose as one of Ork's deity referring to himself as "Great Destroyer" for no particular reason. This severely frightens Ork which cause him to get on his knees and tremble. As Grendel continues to act as a god he begins to ask question Ork on his knowledge of their other gods. Shortly after a brief discussion of the "King Of the Gods"and the "Chief God" Grendel discovers that their gods are mostly represented in a symbolic way. At the end of the chapter Ork is found by three of his fellow priest and is seen kind of like an outcast because he doesn't share the exact beliefs as the other priest except for one. At the end of this chapter Grendel returns back to his cave.
As winter rolls in upon the land, Grendel tones down his murderous rampage, and instead, relaxes in the cover of nature, observing the humans from a distance. But we still see that he is suffering greatly from severe depression, as if it were a heavy blanket holding him down. He watches the habits of men and children as they pursue game and create "winged snow creatures". Grendel observes these classic winter behaviors with a sense of how time is working relative to the hunter and the hart. He notices the Shaper has fallen ill, and it affects him as would clouds covering the sun affect those who admire the sun. During all of this, Grendel finds himself at the religious totem poles among the followers and priests. Comically as Grendel would do, he pretends to be the embodiment of the "Great Destroyer" and is fiercely examined and interviewed by these several religious men. Ork, a new man to Grendel, is obviously very passionate about his faith as he weeps fervidly following his own speech about god. Not much happens during this chapter, it is as if , everything is on hold for something greater that is coming along. -julian
Grendal lessen his rampage and learns about religion through the eyes of men. he begins to devolope severe depression and longing. Grendal pretends to be a god to a blind religious man. grendal notices his surroundings more. ~ Osgood
This chapter takes place during the winter, and is written like it. It’s far more stark than the other ones, and deals with religion, a topic that Grendel finds empty and meaningless. What is almost contradictory is the sense that the priest he meets makes. Believing Grendel to be the Destroyer, he is asked to define the King of Gods. His answer is that the King of Gods is the “ultimate limitation,” and no reason can be given for that because it is his nature to be the limits. “No reason can be given for the nature of God, because that nature is the ground of rationality.” This sounds suspiciously like the definition of the universe. One cannot provide a reason for the nature of the universe, why the speed of light is what it is or why gravity exists. Such forces are just built in. The priest may not know how close he is to the truth, but it proves that religion is not entirely the dry sticks Grendel claims it to be. The priest also proclaims ultimate evil as being the fact that everything must eventually die, and that “being actual involves elimination.” This could not be more similar to the dragon’s speech, that everything is meaningless because it must all die. The priest serves to balance that, everything is all the more meaningful because it must die. Even though Grendel is left unaffected by the priest’s talk, this chapter proves that even if the Shaper provides illusion and false comfort, humans still begin to close in on the truth.
ReplyDelete-George
Focusing mostly on religion, this chapter really allows the reader to see Grendel and our human view on the subject of faith and belief. Still stuck on his nihilistic belief, Grendel finds humans to be stupid to believe in our “Stick gods”. He makes a point throughout the book to prove gods are not real; he even goes as far as destroying the wooden sculptures of the gods that we worshiped. One day Grendel encountered an old blind man at the worship site where the carvings were located. The old man immediately inquired who was there and Grendel responded with “…It s I…The Destroyer”. The old man immediately dropped to his knees and began to praise Grendel. Surprisingly, Grendel played along with this, it was as if he was trying to make fun of our stupid beliefs that we would be so blind as to drop and pray to anyone who claimed to be someone of high importance. Terrified but obviously truly amazed, the old man begins to answer different questions the pretend god (Grendel) demands out of the old man. Beginning with the idea that the King of Gods is the “ultimate limitation, the ultimate irrationality”. There is no limitation to god one cannot define him. Technically he is not a physical being but he also is, he is irrational and it is irrational to try and define him. He also defines the king of gods as virtue in its essence. Meaning that this allows for others to be defined as what or who they are, giving them relevance. He establishes the purpose for all creatures. Corresponding to the dragon, the old blind man, Ork, defines the ultimate evil as time disappearing. “Things fade”. Just as how the dragon sees the world, everything is useless because no matter what things fade, you will be replaced and you will disappear. Ork’s last and final idea is the idea of ultimate wisdom, which lies “in the perception that the solemnity and grandeur of the universe rise through…process of unification in which the diversities of the universe are utilized.” Basically he used a lot of big words to describe that ultimate wisdom is the belief that the universe is great when you use everything and waste nothing. Though after a few more priests arrive and they begin to discuss the idea of the Destroyer, Grendel decides he has had too much religious nonsense and pointless critical thinking. So he quietly slips back into the dark night leaving the young men to the pointless theories.
ReplyDelete~Shelby
The Danish people have religious systems that are balanced between a polytheistic system, where people belief in numerous gods and a monotheistic system, where they only belief in one god. In this, they believe in gods who are specifically for one thing and are related to nature. For example they have the wolf-god and the bull-god which are both very specific and are based on nature. Although above all, they admire, The Destroyer the most. As Grendel comes across an old priest named Ork, who is known as the only priest who had “thought all the mysteries out”. Ork believes in similar things that the dragon does like, time will erase everything soon. Ork believes that faith is what leads people to accept the world is a meaningful place rather than to be hopeless. Three of the priests that come and find the priest think that that he is a lunatic. Although, a fourth priest agrees with the old priest and believes that his visions give hope to all. While Grendel, is annoyed with the fourth priest for believing in “hope”. The seasons foreshadow what will happen to Grendel, winter is coming and that season is death time. Grendel feels death coming closer. He starts to imagine things and is easily paranoid. For example, one day Grendel hears footsteps and is easily scared by it.
ReplyDeleteMetztli Garcia
Now December, chapter nine of “Grendel” takes place during the beginning of winter, the most lethal season of the year in northern Europe. Winter’s presence overwhelms and out-competes all other fears of living creatures. It is ironic because the predators- humans, wolves, and foxes- are now the prey of their own environment and sickness. Grendel describes the days of winter as “an arrow in a dead man’s chest.” But hope for humans’ salvation is saved as always by another deep illusion- religion. Grendel observes the rituals and prayers of the priests in the Scyldling’s temple, which are meant to convince the gods into allowing better seasons of warmth and growth to occur. The hall is filled with many stone and wood statues of the Scandinavian deities, each grotesquely carved to resemble some humanoid form. Grendel hates religion in general because its rational is opposite to the ideas of nihilism. Specifically how the meaninglessness of the statues and deceptions about the powerful gods are meant to inspire hope into the humans. Other religious prayers ask for divine help against Grendel, their enemy, and the restoration of the kingdom. These prayers are specifically directed to an unknown god called The Destroyer. While they have never seen the Great Destroyer, the priests still cry out for his protection and divine favor. One dark night while Grendel was sighting among the statues one of the priests named Ork enters and asks who is there. Grendel replies that he is The Destroyer, the one the humans have been searching for to vanquish their monsta. Grendel is curious and takes the opportunity to ask Ork of his ideas about the king of the gods and nature of evil. When old Ork talks to the other priests about what he just encountered, Grendel is disgusted by one optimistic priest in particular who takes Ork’s hallucination as a sign for the defeat of Grendel, the salvation for Heorot, and hope for the future. Grendel hates this idea because the religion of the humans has acted in a similar way to the songs of the Shaper; they have both brought false ideas into the minds of naïve people. Yet for the majority of the Scyldlings the prospects of religion no longer hold value. Even when Grendel destroys the arrangement of idols, not many citizens besides the priests care. This is possibly due to the fact that no divine help has been offered to aid the humans against Grendel for the past twelve years. But the foolish predictions of Ork and the youthful priest are quite relevant to the fate of Heorot and the topic of this chapter. All of the portents- Grendel’s dream, the appearance of The Destroyer, Grendel’s feeling of uneasiness, and the priest’s idea that all things must perish - are forewarnings of the arrival of Beowulf and end to Grendel’s reign. Pity poor Grendel Hrothgar’s foe! -David
ReplyDeleteFinally a calm in the slaughter (although there has been plenty things other than slaughter.) In this chapter we see him discovering religion, not as an idea and ritual, but the philosophy of it. Grendel comes upon Ork, eldest and wisest of the priests. Claiming to be the Great Destroyer, a major god in the Dane's religion, Grendel asks Ork to tell him about the King of Gods. Ork begins by describing the existence of gods though he believes he is describing the King of Gods. Their existence is irrational and their being is the limitation to what they represent. The Destroyer is the limit to chaos, the Wolf is the limitation to the hunt, the Bull is the limit to the yoke or the sacrifice. Ork elaborates to include that the King of Gods, being irrational, has no reason to be since it is it's very nature to impose irrationality. The King of Gods cannot be concrete but he can be the foundation for actuality being a deity and whatnot. We have seen what deities and gods can do even if they do not exist they create through us, in a metaphorical way, since faith's definition is more or less believing in something that may or may not exist. Besides that, Ork goes on to describe in more detail, His purpose. The King of Gods is the urge of desire in all being yet also the infinite patience. He is the tender care that lets nothing in the world be vain. Then Ork explains the polar opposite of Him. The priest goes on to explain the true nature of evil. He believes that evil is the fact that being purposeful and actual is to be eliminated. Thus, he explains evil is God's greatest mystery. Sound familiar? If not then here's a hint: What is Grendel? As said by the priest, "beauty requires contrast, and discord is fundamental in the creation of new intensities of feeling." Thus, Grendel is the required discord, the contrast of beauty and the evil that creates virtue, who makes the humans who eventually slay Grendel.
ReplyDelete-Cameron
In chapter 9 there isn’t much action. Grendel takes a break from killing people because during the winter time they are bony and skinny. So half the time instead of killing people he is observing what the Thanes call Gods. Which are wooden poles with artwork. One day he wants to have a little fun, so when the priest comes out to pray Grendel poses as a god the Great Destroyer. The priest Ork explains to Grendel “Great Destroyer” about the King of the Gods. According to Ork the King of Gods doesn’t exist. He mentions a Chief God that creates a purpose for all living things. Ork talks to the Great Destroyer about evil and how its not one thing it death, suffering or hatred. Time according to Ork is the supreme evil. Time perishes; it has an ending like the deer and the hunter and most importantly Grendel. Just give them time and they will fade away. Grendel realizes at that he should just hibernate like a bear for the winter.
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter, Grendel truly lets loose on religion. When Grendel approaches the Scyldings, they run, hide, and call upon their gods to protect them. But to no avail, Grendel crushes their gods of wood and stone and devours several priests. He is amused at how the people have taken to make make constellations of stars to this extreme. After the attack, Grendel hides and meets Ork. Ork is terrified and refers to Grendel as “Great destroyer.” He then explains his opinion on the King of Gods. The King of Gods is more of an interpretation to the universe than just some very powerful god. He is rationality in his purest form so his very nature and personality can not be unveiled even if is existent.
ReplyDeleteAdam
Grendel decides to have fun with priests, he meets ork and ork explains to him his philosophical notion that king god or whatever is not a being but a symbol, an interpretation of the universe, and then John Gardner realized you cant make a story around the main character if the main character doesn't CARE! *cough*, anyway, after this explanation Grendel decides to...yep...you guessed it....hibernate for winter, because well, he is an animal.
ReplyDelete-Hi adam
-alex
Winter has struck the region, and with it, the sense of death is delivered. The chapter starts with Grendel observing Hrothgar’s people from afar. Watching, contemplating, questioning their actions. He watches the children make snow angels. He watches the hunter pursue the hart. He watches the people worship the totems of the gods as they pray and sacrifice for protection from the world-rim-walker, Grendel himself. One night, he finds himself standing within the circle of totems as the snow spirals down towards the ground. Someone calls out to him. It turns out to be an old, blind priest named Ork. Grendel takes advantage of the situation and answers the call, “Who is there?” with the name of the Great Destroyer. He claims to be the god from whom the people of Hrothgar prayed for help against Grendel himself. He asks what the priest believes of the King of the Gods, who in turn goes on a tangent about how the KotG is the deliverance from irrationality. “Apart from Him,” Ork states, “there can be no relevant novelty.” He then goes on to talk about the nature of evil, the inability to escape the trajectory the human race is set on. Three other priests come to request that Ork comes inside before his actions are misread, and they dismiss his story about speaking to Grendel. A fourth and final priest comes out, in what Grendel believes to be a drunken stupor, and translates Ork’s story to a vision of a hopeful future for the kingdom. The chapter ends with Grendel’s observations on the kingdom at rest and his back and forth between the need to move and the need to sleep.
ReplyDelete—Haven
9. In this chapter Grendel is forced to be involved in matters of religion, but not in the way of slandering the gods and eating priests, but taking the form of a god to fool with a blind priest. The priest’s name is Ork and he claims to know about all the gods, and about the god king. Grendel asks of him to tell him what he has heard about the god king. Grendel hears something he didn’t expect to hear from an ignorant human only knowing of the protection of the gods, and especially of a priest who is supposed to spread the good word of god to the masses. He says that there is no god king in terms of a physical form, but as the limitation contained within each person’s heart. He isn’t concrete, but he sets the base for beliefs that will later become concrete. He thinks like more of a non-religious person in the way that no god is controlling our every move and thought, but instead that we are in control of ourselves. Things can be explained by facts, and there are unholy explanations for many things such as gravity. This seems to make the priest unhappy, as tears stream down his face as he says this. In my opinion, he is like the marvel superhero daredevil. Even though he doesn’t have his sight, it’s only a mere distraction from the other aspect of religion such as the feel and sound and even the taste. Normally after this boring chat with this old man, Grendel would go on a raid and murder and destroy; he goes back to his cave to hibernate. My wish is for Beowulf to arrive soon, because Grendel is getting out of control in terms of his power. With his near invincibility, he now can think himself as a god, an all powerful being who can through his weight around because he thinks his idea is face, and it will stay that way in his mind forever due to him being as stubborn as a mule.
ReplyDelete~Ben Moseley
Grendel’s encounter with Ork and the other priests can be seen as the ending of the second major section of Grendel. The first part can loosely be defined as the establishment of Grendel’s history and his quest—his endeavor to discover how he should live his life in a meaningless world. In the second part of the novel Grendel finds two very different ways of answering that question. The Shaper, on one hand, proposes that one should make his own meaning in the world, and he uses the power of his imagination to create systems like heroism, altruism, and nobility. The dragon, on the other hand, claims that such system-making is pointless and irrelevant, as everything will turn to dust eventually. Characters such as Wealtheow, Unferth, Hrothulf, Red Horse, and Ork provide Grendel with slightly different views on this essential debate. The chapters that feature these characters deepen our understanding of Grendel’s dilemma, but they do not do much to advance the plot. The strange stirrings in the winter air in this chapter, however, suggest that we are moving into a new phase of the novel.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 9, Grendel does not kill anyone like he would in the other chapters, but he decided to observe them, even if he knew a lot about them. It was winter, and this was the "darkest time" of the year. One night, Grendel encountered a priest and asked him questions about their religion. The priest he was talking to, Ork, told him his theory of the "living god" and he was shivering and whimpering while telling Grendel his theory. Grendel felt like others were coming, so he left and Ork was telling his other priest friends that he met "The Great Destroyer."
ReplyDeleteDear Amy,
ReplyDeleteThe chapter begins in the winter, as Grendel describes the time of season where death occurs many times. Grendel sees the children making winged creatures (snow angels) in the snow. While he sees the children having fun, Grendel suddenly feels afraid and imagines muffled footsteps overhead. This happens to be the coming of Beowulf. While in the winter, Grendel observes a hunter hunting a hart. Grendel notes that time is relative, while hunter hunts the hart. Meaning time seems like it is happening only between them. And as soon as the hunter releases his shot, before you know it the hart is dead. In this time, many priests approach the statues of gods to pray to them. Grendel says religion is sick, and in the old days they would kill virgins. Grendel, who does to believe in Gods, used to wreck the statues and destroy the place. Grendel believes that god does not exist, and that religion is violent, and useless, especially if there is no such things as gods. Grendel narrates everything to be depressed in the time of the season. Time slows down, and everybody is waiting for the next thing to happen. One night, Grendel wonders to the center of the ring of gods, and hears a priest approaching him. The priest, named Ork questions who is there. Grendel who wants to know about the gods, pretends to be a god, "The Destroyer". The priest who is frightened of this god, is told to tell him about the king of the gods. Ork tells him about their god, that there is nothing beyond God, and the existence of god is not logical. And that there is no reason why we have a god, but god is the basis for everything that exists. But the priest tells him that god only exists if you have fate in him. Ork says, God gives us reason to have emotion and feelings, but there is evil in the world. By evil, the priest tells Grendel that everything must come to an end. But also, we have to exclude the life we all could have had by changing our future. Which the priest truly believes that this real evil. When the other priests come out, Grendel is forced to hide. Ork tells the priests that he had met "The Destroyer". While the other priests think Ork is ridiculous and crazy, one particular priest believes Ork. While Grendel sneaks away, he sees Hrothgar asleep, but somewhat disturbed as if waiting for something. Grendel who doesn't raid int he winter, decides to go back to his home. Grendel again dreams of a dark void and spiders. When Grendel wakes up in cold s what, Grendel feels uneasy and perhaps he himself feels something is waiting before him.
Sincerely,
Dylan
December, a harsh winter, animals and trees are dying. Grendel observes that during the season of winter animals and trees start to die out. Like with everything the men of Hrothgar’s hall, specifically the priests turn to the gods to ask for warmth and resources. Grendel hates religion because he sees it as pointless and another form of pattern making. For example, in Hrothgar’s hall lies carved statues of gods. Grendel destroyed the statues, leaving the priests in a panic. The priests then decided to rebuild the statues because they thought the statues were necessary. One night in the forest, Grendel encounters a priest named Ork. Grendel hiding behind a stone, then claims he is “The Great Destroyer,” which is what they call their God. Amazed, Ork then begins to worship him. Grendel then asks him about the King of the Gods. After sharing his thoughts, three other priests rush up to Ork, wondering why he is up at such a late hour. Ork then shares his experience, which then leaves the youngest priest thinking it was a sign of hope. Grendel is disgusted with this idea.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what is important in Grendel's encounter with Ork, the highest of all priests in Hrothgar's kingdom. Grendel pretends to be The Destroyer, the King of Gods, and Ork believes him, as it would be terrible to deny the existence of the most powerful of gods right in front of him. Ork discusses his idea about time, that it is cruel as it by natural law brings upon the destruction of all that exists. During his encounter with Grendel, Ork breaks down into an emotional fit, where Grendel has no idea how to handle the situation. Suddenly, several priests come Ork's way, only to scoff at him for saying that he came into contact with the god that cannot be contacted. But, a fourth priest praises Ork for his feat, which is complete kiss-assery. Overcome by fear, I think that the fourth priest believed Ork because if not, he would be punished by the King of Gods, and who wants that?
ReplyDelete-Sebastian
Procrastinating isn't good.
In this chapter Grendel comes across religion. He observed it for a while. One night Ork, the eldest and wisest of priests, saw him and asked him who he was. He decided to play being a god, “The Destroyer”. He began by destroying their wooden and stone gods and wrecking up the place. He noticed the only ones it really affected were the priests. Ork was amazed he seen him and told the other priests about it and what they talked about. Grendel asked him what his views on The King of the Gods and evil was. When Ork told the other four priest he told them he thought The Destroyer god agreed with what he said and Grendel disapproved of that. The first three priest didn’t believe him but the fourth priest he spoke to thought it signified hope. Grendel was hopeless and didn’t understand why the priest would say that. He senses something very negative about to happen and is easily paranoid by things. His response to that feeling of uneasiness was hibernating.
ReplyDelete- Stephanie Medina
In this chapter, Grendel witnesses up close what humans believe in while observing wooden and stone statues of their gods. One night Grendel encounters a priest named Ork and chooses not to kill him, instead he decides to pose as one of Ork's deity referring to himself as "Great Destroyer" for no particular reason. This severely frightens Ork which cause him to get on his knees and tremble. As Grendel continues to act as a god he begins to ask question Ork on his knowledge of their other gods. Shortly after a brief discussion of the "King Of the Gods"and the "Chief God" Grendel discovers that their gods are mostly represented in a symbolic way. At the end of the chapter Ork is found by three of his fellow priest and is seen kind of like an outcast because he doesn't share the exact beliefs as the other priest except for one. At the end of this chapter Grendel returns back to his cave.
ReplyDeleteAs winter rolls in upon the land, Grendel tones down his murderous rampage, and instead, relaxes in the cover of nature, observing the humans from a distance. But we still see that he is suffering greatly from severe depression, as if it were a heavy blanket holding him down. He watches the habits of men and children as they pursue game and create "winged snow creatures". Grendel observes these classic winter behaviors with a sense of how time is working relative to the hunter and the hart. He notices the Shaper has fallen ill, and it affects him as would clouds covering the sun affect those who admire the sun. During all of this, Grendel finds himself at the religious totem poles among the followers and priests. Comically as Grendel would do, he pretends to be the embodiment of the "Great Destroyer" and is fiercely examined and interviewed by these several religious men. Ork, a new man to Grendel, is obviously very passionate about his faith as he weeps fervidly following his own speech about god. Not much happens during this chapter, it is as if , everything is on hold for something greater that is coming along.
ReplyDelete-julian
Grendal lessen his rampage and learns about religion through the eyes of men. he begins to devolope severe depression and longing. Grendal pretends to be a god to a blind religious man. grendal notices his surroundings more.
ReplyDelete~ Osgood