Beowulf: Thoughts about a Mother

My dd11 and I are reading Beowulf: A New Verse Transalation by Sean Heaney.   I vaguely remember avoiding actually reading Beowulf in high school.  I probably worked pretty hard at not reading yet pretending as if I had.  It probably would have been less complicated to just read the poem but at that time I didn't know what a great story it was or how much I'd enjoy it.

The thing that has struck me most recently about Beowulf is the part of a mother.  Through this poem I have come to believe that Beowulf is a hero worth cheering.  I have enjoyed the strong male relationships and the give and take between companies.  All of these characters are worth meeting but I was surprised that Grendel's mother was the one that I found to be the most familiar.  I hated Grendel for his greed and heartless waste.  I cheered for his defeat and ultimately his death.

Yet, when his mother came to avenge Grendel's loss, I totally understood her need.  I saw myself in the hurt, the anger and the longing for what was lost.  I know what it is to put all that I am into my children and the idea of one of them being harmed, in any way, for any reason, is beyond bearing.  I can only imagine the lengths I would go to to protect or avenge the loss of part of my heart.  I never expected to identify with the mother of a monster but I suppose the reality of being a mother is the same no matter what your child becomes.