Why does Grendel return to the swamp after fighting Beowulf?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Beowulf
Beowulf preparing to cut off the head of the monster Grendel, illustration from Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race, 1910.
In the Old English poem Beowulf, Grendel returns to his swamp after fighting Beowulf because he has been mortally wounded. During their struggle, Beowulf grips the monsterās hand with such immense force that Grendel is only able to wrench himself free after his arm is torn off at the shoulder. Having suffered this fatal injury, the creature retreats to his home in the moors to die.1