Have you ever wondered why you act the way you do? Well you may be surprised that it may have to do with your Zodiac sign, Twelve astrological signs each with their own meanings and origins. John Gardner, when writing the novel “Grendel” decided to incorporate these twelve symbols into the story of Grendel the Demon and his Twelve year war against man, with one symbol being present in each chapter, in forms of imagery, the characters featured in each chapter and the events in the chapter. Three symbols that represent major plot points in Grendel include the Taurus, Gemini and Leo.
The first major symbol is the Taurus, which first appears in chapter 2, the symbol itself is represented by a bull and is often characterized by its stubbornness, stamina and will. The symbol is seen when Grendel gets stuck in a tree and is unable to move, a bull stumbles upon him and charges Grendel to no end, Showing its will and stamina, However the bull does eventually give up after Grendel grows extremely bored and unfazed by the bulls charges. A quote where this symbol is shown reads as follows, “The bull struck again. I flinched from the horn tip and bellowed with rage and pain(22)”.The Taurus is more than likely the most easily recognized zodiac sign in Grendel, many pick up on its presence immediately, but others are not as easy to find, such as the next major symbol, the Gemini. The next major zodiac sign covered in Grendel is the Gemini, making its presence in Chapter 3.
The symbol of the Gemini itself is that of twins and those born under the sign of the Gemini are known for their flexibility and adaptability to almost any situation, however they are also extremely unpredictable and have a sense of duality in their nature.The symbol is created when The Shaper is introduced into the story, as his tales form a duality between realities, The one the Shaper forms from his stories that stands alongside the one the reader experiences from Grendels point of view. A great example of this sign can be seen in the following quote. "So he sang- or intoned with the harp behind him twisting together like sailors ropes the bits and pieces of the best old songs”(42). The Gemini is a bit more difficult for readers to pick up on, requiring further analysis to realize its existence in the story, however the next major symbol, the Leo is represented by a single character.
The Leo, a third major zodiac symbol in Grendel, is represented by a lion and they are well known for being high-minded, powerful, swift in judgement, intuitive and head-strong. All of these characteristics are shown in a single character, The Dragon who is a dramatist, headstrong to the point of being egotistical and extremely intuitive and intelligent as is displayed when he gives Grendel a part to play in the world around him, however Grendel is unwilling to accept the destiny the Dragon assigned him and ignores it. a quote showing the nature of the Leo is stated as follows, “He shrugged. “Whatever you like.”Do as you think best.
If you know your zodiac signs and meanings, the Leo is really easy to pick up as the Dragon basically sweats the essence of the Leo sign. In conclusion, the twelve zodiac signs play a very large part in the story of Grendel, each cleverly hiding themselves in significant plot points and characters just waiting for astrologists to hunt them down and analyse each one so that they too may understand the philosophical undertones hidden away within the tale of Grendel the Demon and his discovery of man and the war he wages on them before his inevitable demise in the epic tale “Beowulf”.
