Zodiac Signs
The novel Grendel by John Gardner consists of twelve chapters that have something in them representing each of the Zodiac signs. The following are examples of these:
Chapter 1 (Aries)- The story opens with a ram refusing to move from his spot-of-choice despite Grendel’s attempts to remove him by throwing rocks at him. “The old ram stands looking down over rockslides, stupidly triumphant.”
Chapter 2 (Taurus)- Grendel somehow manages to get himself stuck in a tree, and while he is there a bull repeatedly slams himself into the tree to try and get Grendel out.
Chapter 3 (Gemini)- Grendel mentions a lamb giving birth to twins.
Chapter 4 (Cancer)- Grendel is ashamed and disgusted with his “own blood-thirsty ways” so he crawls like a crab away from the humans.
Chapter 5 (Leo)- Grendel meets the profound, influential, and rather greedy dragon. He is described in the opening sentence of the chapter as being rather “lion-like.” “No use of a growl, a whoop, a roar, in the presence of that beast! Vast, red-golden, huge tail coiled, limbs sprawled over his treasure-hoard, eyes not firey but cold as the memory of family deaths.”
Chapter 6 (Virgo)- A powerful army descends upon the meadhall and the leader offers Wealthow, his virgin sister, to Hrothgar.
Chapter 7 (Libra)- The scales, is in balancing, is used to compare Hrothgar and Grendel. “Balance is everything, riding out time...” “Balance is everything, tiding out rhyme...”
Chapter 8 (Scorpio)- Hrothulf (the scorpian) is introduced as a nephew who will betray Hrothgar.
Chapter 9 (Sagittarius)- Grendel watches an archer kill a deer.
Chapter 10 (Capricorn)- Grendel sees a goat, which bothers him, so he kills it.
Chapter 11 (Aquarius)- This is the chapter that Grendel witnesses Beowulf and his men arrive, and they come from the sea.
Chapter 12 (Pisces)- After Beowulf rips his arm off, Grendel returns to his home, which is underwater, where he dies.
Chapter 1 (Aries)- The story opens with a ram refusing to move from his spot-of-choice despite Grendel’s attempts to remove him by throwing rocks at him. “The old ram stands looking down over rockslides, stupidly triumphant.”
Chapter 2 (Taurus)- Grendel somehow manages to get himself stuck in a tree, and while he is there a bull repeatedly slams himself into the tree to try and get Grendel out.
Chapter 3 (Gemini)- Grendel mentions a lamb giving birth to twins.
Chapter 4 (Cancer)- Grendel is ashamed and disgusted with his “own blood-thirsty ways” so he crawls like a crab away from the humans.
Chapter 5 (Leo)- Grendel meets the profound, influential, and rather greedy dragon. He is described in the opening sentence of the chapter as being rather “lion-like.” “No use of a growl, a whoop, a roar, in the presence of that beast! Vast, red-golden, huge tail coiled, limbs sprawled over his treasure-hoard, eyes not firey but cold as the memory of family deaths.”
Chapter 6 (Virgo)- A powerful army descends upon the meadhall and the leader offers Wealthow, his virgin sister, to Hrothgar.
Chapter 7 (Libra)- The scales, is in balancing, is used to compare Hrothgar and Grendel. “Balance is everything, riding out time...” “Balance is everything, tiding out rhyme...”
Chapter 8 (Scorpio)- Hrothulf (the scorpian) is introduced as a nephew who will betray Hrothgar.
Chapter 9 (Sagittarius)- Grendel watches an archer kill a deer.
Chapter 10 (Capricorn)- Grendel sees a goat, which bothers him, so he kills it.
Chapter 11 (Aquarius)- This is the chapter that Grendel witnesses Beowulf and his men arrive, and they come from the sea.
Chapter 12 (Pisces)- After Beowulf rips his arm off, Grendel returns to his home, which is underwater, where he dies.