As long as that isn't "Grendel"... John Gardner's version of the story from the monster's POV. Thanks! :) (BTW, if you haven't read that book, I do highly recommend it.) My version of the epic was more ragged. About 30 years ago (cough) I tried to combine one of the Scandinavian alliterative forms with Latin end rhyme carried over from verse to verse. There are rules against misogyny, but poets don't play by the rules. Rock from rock and rafter riven, Through the cracks the snow was driven, Grendel gave them wintry greeting: Hrothgar's warriors death were given. Much lamented was that meeting (Grendel gathered men for eating), Sorrow sending, iron doors sundered, In saddened Heorot death was fleeting. etc. ...and it quickly degenerated into camp and was left undone. The structure was just too artificial. Hmm... I ought to write a new poem in pure ljodhattr along the lines of the Waking of Angantyr. We need another nice strong Viking female story. :) And now that I'm older, it might stick together better than some of the early stuff. (This one has the consistency of cold lumpy oatmeal, so anything would be an improvement!) Oh, yeah... monsters... I will be waiting to read the reviews here of Van Hellsing. My sympathies will lie with the monsters as usual unless the heroes are very, very good. Carolly