MovieChat Forums > Beowulf (2007) Discussion > Was Mermaid Grendel's Mother?

Was Mermaid Grendel's Mother?

posted 15 years ago by dboh
11 replies | jump to latest

Spoilers Ahead:

Personally, I don't think the mermaid in Beowulf's sea-swimming race was intended to be Grendel's Mother in one of her disguises. The filmmakers didn't have her "obviously" recognize his face (or even his name when Grendel told her before his visit to her lair). I think the scene was written to inform the viewer that female beauty is Beowulf's (and Hrothgar's as well) "Achille's heel" weakness, causes him to lose the race, and is his downfall, ultimately.

What do you think?

dboh

[–] austintatious_uk 15 years ago

I would agree with what your saying. i reckon beowulfs mother was probably some mythical beast or demon/spirit though, which may explain his more-than-human strength. But it wouldnt be the mermaid, he probably makes love to the mermaid. So if it represented his mother, then the director would be adding the Oedipus complex into the mix! not likely ;).

[–] Ripley_08 15 years ago

"I think the scene was written to inform the viewer that female beauty is Beowulf's (and Hrothgar's as well) "Achille's heel" weakness, causes him to lose the race, and is his downfall, ultimately."

I think you're absolutely right, although I can't imagine why anyone would think the mermaid was Beowulf's mother

Mel Gibson's remake of The Life of Brian wasn't NEARLY as funny as the original.

[–] lewiskendell 14 years ago

It's because Robert Zemeckis mentioned it in one of the special features (I think it was Beasts of Burden - Designing the Creatures of Beowolf) on the DVD. He also said that the mermaid's tail and the dragon's were made to look the same in order to emphasize the link between the two.

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[–] azazoth246 13 years ago

My opinion is that she was probably the same species of shape-shifting demon that Grendel's mother was, but not Grendel's mother herself.

Beowulf seems to have a thing for creepy sea women, doesn't he?

[–] Dream_Demon 13 years ago

I'd say that the Mermaid was either a Sea Nixie (Water Spirit in Norse Mythology) or a Sea Jotun, which Grendel's Mother is heavily implied to be. Either way, I highly doubt that she's the same as Grendel's Mother.

Welcome to my Nightmare- Freddy Krueger

[–] ryguy030286 13 years ago

The mermaid is not Grendal's mother. While telling the story of his swimming race, Beowulf's flash backs at the end of the story do not match what he is telling the audience. This is because he is lying about being dragged down by another sea monster. You can notice he is pausing in between words, this is an indicator he is making up the story as he goes along. He slept with the mermaid because women are his weekness and that is why he lost the race. History repeats itself with Grendal's mother, he goes to kill her, sees that she is beautiful, sleeps with her, and returns back claiming that he has killed her. Again you see him telling a fake story on how he killed her by driving the sword he was given into her chest and that it must remain there or she'll spring back to life. Beowulf is a great warrior but he has a tendency to lie or exaggerate his story's. You see this when he says he slayed 9 sea monsters. Welov then turns to a fellow warrior and says "last time it was 3".

[–] KutWrite (1334) 4 years ago

I agree the purpose of the mermaid was to show Beo's weakness.

I thought maybe the Mermaid would show up while Beo was under water for so long and help him revive to kill the dragon.

Somethin' Freudian and maybe Oedipal about all this Mom stuff! (I mean in the film, not you!)

[–] enigmatic_man2 13 years ago

There's nothing that literally establishes the mermaid as being Grendel's mother, but she bears some resemblance and serves as a motif (that Beowulf's weaknesses and actions will lead to his own undoing -- the mermaid shares a physical trait with the dragon that ends up killing Beowulf). I think it's meant to be suggestive of Grendel's mother, as the creature designer says, without explicitly being Grendel's mother.

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[–] bigBang8 12 years ago

*beep* although why the king was doing ursula, isnt she his daughter? I'm all confused right now, well, kings *beep* their kin to keep "the blue blood" pure.. what a bllcrap, thats why kings and queens died out, useless kind.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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