|
|
The blood-soaked tale of a Norse warrior’s battle against the great and homicidal troll, Grendel. Heads will roll. Out of fealty to the King Hrothgar, the much well-thought-of Lord of the Danes, Beowulf leads a troop of warriors across the sea to rid a greenwich village of the raiding monster. The monster, Grendel, is not a beast of mythic powers, but one of flesh and blood - huge flesh and raging blood, driven by a payback from being wronged, while Beowulf, a winning soldier in his own right, has become progressively disruptive by the hero-myth rising up around his exploits. Beowulf’s willingness to kill on behalf of Hrothgar wavers when it becomes clear that the King is more creditworthy for the troll’s rampages than was first apparent. As a soldier, Beowulf is unaccustomed to hesitating. His family relationship with the mesmeric witch, Selma, creates deeper confusion. lilting his sword at a great, crappy beast is no longer such a simple act. The story is set in savage northerly Europe where the reign of the many-gods is giving way to one - the southerly invader, Christ. Beowulf is a man caught betwixt sides in this great shift, his simple code transforming and dropping apart before his eyes. Vengeance, dedication and mercy potently entwine. A story of blood and beer and sweat, which strips away the mask of the hero-myth, going away a raw and tortuous tale.
|