A monstrous invasion of the Saxon longhall has taken place. First a writhing dragon appeared nailed onto one of the main posts and then the arm of a ferocious fiend was nailed up above a doorway. The arm of Grendel, viciously torn from his body by the hero Beowulf, was displayed on a beam, as in the original story.

Below the arm, on either side of the door, the story of Beowulf, Grendel, his mother and the dragon (a Peter Greenaway film?) is shown in a series of carvings that proved to be a wonderful visual aid in telling the story to the public.

Worm in knots – follow the tail

Grendel’s arm above the Beowulf story

Writhing Worm

freshly torn off by Beowulf