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GRENDEL, a man-danuring monster, met hismatchin thefearless warior Beowulf, whosazedthecreature'shairy limbin a vice-lihe gnpandwrenched itJromits sochetHowlingwithpainandrage, jedbachtohiswaterylairand Grendel bledto death@ruslunoN ByArrrN LEE, rg84 ) GnENOEL was the name of a water monsterwhich was invulnerable to weapons and rroubled the kingdom of King Hrothgar of Denmark One night Grendel, "gri* and greedy, bruully cruel", came to the royal hall and ate a sleepingwarrior, bur a visidng warrior, BEOWIJLF, held one of the monster's arrns in a vice-like grip. In the fierce struggle that ensued, Grendel's arrn was tom off and he ran away and bled to dearh in his watery lair. It was in this lair rhar, later, Beowulf killed rhe monsrer's mother Grendel's head was so Iarge that when Beowulf broughr it back as a trophy to King Hrorhgar, he needed the assistanceof four men ro canrylt. GruO was a kindly frost gianress who helped rhe Germanic thunder god raon in his struggle against GEIRROD. Thor had been lured by LOKI,the fire god, into dangerwithout the protecdon of his magic belt of strength and his magic hammer. Grid loaned Thor her own belt, iron gloves and unbreakable scaffro face Geinod. In some rraditions she is said to have borne ODIN a son, the silenr god vloaR, and to have made for him a special shoe which enabled him to stand in rhe mourh of the wolf Rnrurun.
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SPELLS GROA, according to Germanic mythology, was a seeressand rhe wife of Aurvandil, whose frozen toe THORtumed into a star by throwing it up into rhe sky. Exacrly who this Aurvandil, orAurvandill, was remains uncertain, though it has been suggested thar he may have
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been a fertility god of the werlands. Groa herself tried by magic ro remove whetstone fragments from Thor's head aftei his fighr with the frost gianr HRUNGNIn.They had come from Hrungnir's sharpedged, three-comeredstone when it had collided with Thor's hammer in mid-air So excired was Groa, however,byThor's news about the
GUNCNIR was rhe magic spear belonging ro oDrN, rhe leaderof rhe Germanic gods. [t was forged by dwarfs, rhe sons of lvaldi, at rhe same time as a wig of spun gold, which rhe fire god rorc ordered as a replacemenr for the golden hair of THOR'swife SIF.Mischievous Loh had cut off her beaudful locks as a joke. Having made the wig, the dwarfs decided ro please the gods by using the fumace to make a ship for FREYRand, for Odin, a spear star and the rerum of her lost hus- that managed to be both srrong band that she unfortunately failed and slender, and never missed its to finish the spell, and rhis was why mark. It was required in Viking a few fragmenrc of whetstone custom that a spear should be remained in Thor's head. Some thrown over the heads of an enemy time after her death, Groa was before batde commenced, as an roused from the grave by her son, enreaty for Odin's aid. When rhe Svipdrag, who needed her advice god hung himself on the cosmic on how he could win rhe love of uee YGGDMSILfor nine nights in the beaucifulMenglad. order to obtain wisdom, he was, just like Christ, stabbed with a SPear (See also TRMSURES AND TALISA,'{NS) GUONUN
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("grey-beard"), in Hennnnn Germanic mythology, was a surly boatman. Wishing to cross a deep river, the god THORsummoned Harbard to ferry him over, only ro be met by insuls. Thor could rhink of no responseto Harbard's abuse other than anger,but the boatman remained away from the bank. ln his fury, Thor failed to nodce rhar Harbard was his father oDIN. The meeting between the two gods reveals their differenr characrers: Odin, the deceitful croublemaker and braggart; while Thor is hottempered but honest. GRoA,a glftedhealer, chantscharms wer Thorin ordertoloosenthestonesplinters lodgedin thegod's foreheadFeelingrelief and gratitude,Thor rwhlyrevmled thather Iong-lost husband wasalive Thehappy newssoucitedGroathatsheforgothr spelkandsolefta splintuin Thor'shead (Irrusrnenoru ByNrcK nutt, 1995)