Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics of the hero by accepting Grendel and the dragon." In Tolkien's view, the poem is essentially about a "man at war with the hostile world, and his inevitable overthrow in Time". The underlying tragedy is man's brief mortal life. Grendel and the dragon are identified as enemies of a Christian God, unlike the monsters encountered by Odysseus on his travels. What had happened is that Northern courage, exultant, defiant in the face of inevitable defeat by "Chaos and Unreason" (Tolkien cites Ker's words), fuses with a Christian faith and outlook. The "Beowulf" poet uses both what he knew to be
The Kine Saga The Kine Saga The Kine Saga is a heroic fantasy trilogy written by British author A. R. Lloyd (Alan Richard Lloyd). It comprises "Kine" (also published as "Marshworld"), "Witchwood" and "Dragon Pond" (first published as "Dragonpond"), and chronicles the life of a wild least weasel named Kine. The name "Kine" comes from an Old English word for the weasel. The first novel, titled simply "Kine," was originally published in October 1982 by Hamlyn. It was republished by Arrow in 1990 as "Marshworld." The sequel, "Witchwood," first published by Muller in August 1989, was also republished by Arrow in 1990; the