Pride and Prodigies: Studies in the Monsters of the Beowulf-Manuscript

Susan McKnight is an administrator of the Courts Technology Integrated Justice Project at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.

In this fascinating study of the monsters in Beowulf, Andy Orchard draws
some interesting parallels with early Christian literature. He contrasts
the presentation of the monsters in early pagan literature with the
portrayal of the heroes of that literature as monsters in the eyes of
the Christians. It is an interesting progression. The monsters in the
pagan literature represent the evil, which is defeated through the
heroic pride of the warriors. Along comes Christianity, and the heroes
themselves become the wrongdoers because of their heroic pride. The
mixture of Christian references and pagan folklore in Beowulf creates a
warning for men not to fall victim to overweening pride (the lament of
the dying Beowulf stresses the dangers of such pride).

The author provides solid, well-researched examples to support his
theories. The appendixes contain the texts and sources he uses
throughout the book, including translations of the Liber Monstrorum, The
Letter of Alexander to Aristotle, and The Wonders of the East.
Orchard’s comparisons also make use of early Icelandic saga literature
(notably the Grettis saga) and middle-Irish literature. Throughout the
book, the author provides translations of the texts to which he is
referring, making it easy for the layperson to follow his discussions.

Orchard is associate director of the Centre for Medieval Studies at the
University of Toronto, and the author of the forthcoming A Critical
Companion to Beowulf.