SIGNS: SAGITTARIUS AND SCORPIO
The zodiacal constellation Sagittarius represents the centaur Chiron. Most of the centaurs were regarded in myth as bestial--they were, after all, half horse. However, the ancient Greeks had a great deal of respect for the horse, and so were reluctant to make the centaurs entirely bad. In fact, Chiron was renowned for his gentleness. He was an excellent archer, musician, and physician, and tutored the likes of Achilles, Jason, and Hercules.
Chiron, however, was accidentally shot and wounded by Hercules. The arrow, which had been dipped in the poison of the Lernaean Hydra, inflicted great suffering on Chiron--so great, in fact, that even the talented physician could not cure himself. In agony, but as an immortal unable to find release in death, Chiron instead offered himself as a substitute for Prometheus. The gods had punished Prometheus for giving fire to man by chaining him to a rock. Each day an eagle would devour his liver, and each night it would grow back. Jupiter, however, had at the request of Hercules agreed to release Prometheus if a suitable substitute could be found. Chiron gave up his immortality and went to Tartarus in place of Prometheus; in recognition of his goodness, Jupiter placed him in the stars (Pasachoff, 139).
From the northern hemisphere, Sagittarius may be seen only in the summer, lying low in the south. The Milky Way runs through Sagittarius.
Scorpius is a zodiacal constellation. The scorpion is generally believed to be responsible for the death of the great hunter Orion. According to some myths, the scorpion stung Orion in response to his boast that he could defeat any beast; according to others, it was sent by Apollo, who was concerned for his sister Diana's continued chastity.
In either case, Scorpius was placed in the opposite side of the sky from Orion so as to avoid any further conflict. It is to the southeast of Libra, and is marked by the bright red star Antares. (Antares is Greek for "Rival of Ares," the Greek war-god. The star is so named because of of its brightness and color, which are approximately the same as of the planet Mars. Mars, of course, is the Roman name for Ares.)
In either case, Scorpius was placed in the opposite side of the sky from Orion so as to avoid any further conflict. It is to the southeast of Libra, and is marked by the bright red star Antares. (Antares is Greek for "Rival of Ares," the Greek war-god. The star is so named because of of its brightness and color, which are approximately the same as of the planet Mars. Mars, of course, is the Roman name for Ares.)
The sign of "Scorpio" is used in Chapter 8 since the sign was born from the conflict with Orion. This is representative of the conflict between Grendel and the Scyldings. The sign of "Sagittarius" is used in Chapter 9 since there are references to "bows" and "arrows." Hrothgar's "bowmen" are described in the beginning of the chapter. Sagittarius symbolizes war and the death that comes through war.
"I watch one of Hrothgar's bowmen (Sagittarius references) puruse a hart" (126). "And then, incredibly, through the pale, strange light the man's hand moves- click click click click- toward the bow, and grasps it, and draws it down, away from the shoulder and around in front (click click) and transfers the bow to the slowly moving second hand, and the first hand goes back up and (click) over the shoulder and returns with an arrow, threads the bow" (127).
Grendel finds the conversation with the priest named "Ork" unusual. This is because Ork mistakes Grendel for being a god:
The chief of the priests had previously wailed, "Ghostly destroyer, defend the people of Scyld and kill their enemy, the terrible world-rim-walker!" (127)
"There is no conviction in the old priests' songs; there is only showmanship. No one in the kingdom is convinced that the gods have life in them. The weak observe the rituals- take their hats off, put them on again, raise their arms, lower their arms, moan, intone, press their palms together- but no one harbors unreasonable expectations. The will to power resides among the stalactites of the heart" (128).
Ork, the blind eldest and wisest of the priests, mistakes Grendel for being the king of the gods. He says, "The King of the Gods is the ultimate limitation and His existence is the ultimate irrationality" (131). "For no reason can be given for just that limitation which it stands in His nature to impose. The King of the Gods is not concrete, but He is the ground for concrete actuality. No reason can be given for the nature of God, because that nature is the ground of rationality" (131).
Grendel is surprised after Ork has been moved to tears: "I [Grendel] raise my fingers to my mouth, baffled" (132).
Grendel is further surprised when Ork begins violently shaking and thinks that perhaps he is just cold. Instead "he [Ork] stretches out his arms toward the sky, huge-knuckled fingers gnarled and twisted as if to frighten me. 'O the ultimate evil, such as hatred, or suffering, or death!' The ultimate evil is that Time is perpetual perishing, and being actual involves elimination. The nature of evil may be epitomized, therefore, in two simple but horrible and holy propositions: 'Things fade' and 'Alternatives exclude'" (133).
The younger priest believes that Ork's "vision proves there is hope for us all." After hearing of Ork's vision of "God" he says, "A vision of the Destroyer! Of course, of course! Before we know it, you'll be kissing girls! Can't you grasp it, brothers? Both blood and sperm are explosive, irregular, feeding-pitched, messy- and inexplicably fascinating! They transcend! They leap the gap! O blessed Ork! I believe your vision prove there is hope for us all!" (136).
The youngest priest is hopeful about Ork's vision, since Ork's thought process had always been mainly rational and he could never believe anything irrational. Therefore, Ork's vision of Grendel represents a step for him outside of his normal thought process and so the priest takes it as a good sign. However, Ork does not necessarily believe that the youngest priest actually buys into his vision.
