It is often said that Beowulf begins and ends with a funeral, and that is very nearly the case. The narrator sets the heroic tone and introduces the setting through the founding character of Scyld Scefing; his most detailed early description is saved for Scyld’s parting after death. The king’s body is placed on a ship, surrounded by treasure and “war-dress” (39) to accompany him into the unknown. Gold, silver, jewels, and the finest swords and armor are placed aboard with the corpse and then set afloat in the sea. The idea is to honor the king but also to provide him with objects that might prove useful in the afterlife.
Hrothgar’s great hall (Heorot, “Hall of the Hart”) functions as both symbol and setting. Symbolically, it represents the achievements of the Scyldings, specifically Hrothgar, and their level of civilization. It is a place of light and warmth in the dark, cold winters. Here Hrothgar celebrates his victories and rewards his thanes (warriors) with various rings and treasures. Heorot is no common beer hall; it is more of a palace, towering high like a cliff. Significantly, this is where Beowulf’s first great battle for the Danes takes place. The hall also symbolizes the concept of comitatus, the honor code that exists between the king, or feudal lord, and his warriors. Thanes swear devotion to their leader and vow to fight boldly, to the death if necessary, for him. If the leader should fall, his life must be avenged. For his part, the leader rewards his thanes with treasure, protection, and land. His generosity often is mentioned as one of his strengths of character.
When Grendel invades this setting, he strikes at the very heart of the Scyldings. Grendel’s heritage is essential to his enmity. He is a descendant of the biblical Cain, the eldest son of Adam and Eve who killed his brother Abel out of jealousy (Genesis 4). Cain’s name in Hebrew is Qayin, meaning “creature,” and the legend is that the monsters of the earth are his descendants. Grendel resents the joyful beauty of Heorot and its inhabitants. The scop’s Song of Creation (90–98) especially enrages him because it tells of the beauty and light of God’s creation, which Grendel can never recover for himself.
