How is Grendel connected to the biblical figure Cain?

In the Old English poem Beowulf, the monster Grendel is depicted as a descendant of the biblical figure Cain.12

This lineage serves to characterize Grendel as an outcast who is fundamentally opposed to humanity and God. By framing the monster as a descendant of the first murderer in the Bible, the poem establishes him as an embodiment of evil and a spiritual adversary to the community of King Hrothgar. This connection is a key element of the poem's Christian influence, which contrasts the heroic, virtuous Beowulf—often viewed as a champion of God—against monstrous foes who are portrayed as enemies of both civilization and the divine.134