THE SCENE: According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, nobody liked the British king Morvidus, but he had some public support based on the strength of his physical courage. This lone virtue, however, proved to be his downfall when he decided to personally confront a hideous monster than crawled out of the sea.
THE TEXT: In the midst of these bestialities and other similar outrages a calamity occurred which out an end to the iniquity of Morvidus. A monster of unheard-of savageness appeared from the direction of the Irish Sea and began to devour one after the other all those who lived on the neighboring sea-coast. As soon as this news reached the ears of Morvidus, he went to meet the monster and fought her single-handed. When he had used all his weapons against her without effect, she rushed at him with her jaws wide open and swallowed him up as though he had been a tiny fish.
– De Gestis Britonum, Geoffrey of Monmouth, 12 Century AD
[Image Credit: Rick Jacobi. Grendel’s Mother.]
