heaven
Grendel's murderous raids in Herot last for 12 years.
12 years
Grendel hates Herot because he feels rejected and isolated from the celebrations and joy happening there. The noise and revelry of the mead hall remind Grendel of his own loneliness and he sees the people in Herot as a threat to his existence. Grendel's violent and chaotic nature also fuels his hatred towards the hall and its inhabitants.
Herot is a mead hall in Beowulf, a famous Old English poem. In the story, Herot is attacked by the monster Grendel, who terrorizes the hall and its occupants for many years. Beowulf eventually arrives and defeats Grendel, bringing peace back to Herot.
In "Beowulf," Herot was empty for 12 winters while Grendel terrorized the people before Beowulf arrived to defeat him.
Grendel hated Herot because it was a place of joy, celebration, and community, which contrasted with his feelings of isolation and rejection. The sounds of laughter and music coming from Herot angered him, as he felt excluded and tormented by the happiness inside the hall.
In the epic poem Beowulf, the titular character is called upon to help the men of the Heorot mead hall, which is being terrorized by the monster Grendel. Grendel is a demon who eats men who is apparently motivated to attack because of hearing songs coming from the hall that detail God's creation of earth.
Grendel
After Grendel's mother attacks Herot and kills one of the warriors, she takes Grendel's arm as revenge for his death.
Grendel's mother takes revenge for her son's death by killing one of Hrothgar's trusted advisors in Herot. She then takes Grendel's arm, which was hanging as a trophy in Herot, and retreats back to her underwater lair.
When Grendel first goes to Herot Hall, the warriors are asleep after celebrating their victory. They are unaware of the danger that Grendel poses until he attacks and kills many of them.
Grendel's arm was hung in the rafters of Herot as proof of his defeat by Beowulf.