Reimagining Beowulf

Feminist Perspectives on Maternal Matrices and Mimetic Inhabitation

Abstract

The author explores Maria Dahvana Headley's transformative 2020 translation of Beowulf through feminist philosophical frameworks, reimagining female subjectivity in the canonical Anglo-Saxon epic. Drawing on Luce Irigaray's concept of mimesis and Bracha Ettinger's matrixial theory, the analysis illuminates Headley’s strategy of subverting patriarchal discourse and creating a continuum of feminine experience. Headley redefines Beowulf’s female characters, granting them agency and complexity often overlooked in traditional interpretations. Grendel's mother evolves from a monstrous antagonist to a warrior-woman driven by maternal grief and vengeance, while Wealhtheow, traditionally a passive queen, emerges as a masterful negotiator. The nuanced portrayal extends to Hygd’s political agency, Modthryth’s transformation, and the unnamed Geatish woman’s lament, presenting a rich spectrum of female resistance and negotiation within patriarchy. Even the dragon, potentially reimagined as female, becomes a symbol of violated sovereignty and maternal rage, further dismantling traditional binaries. Through the lens of Ettinger’s matrixial theory, the mere is reinterpreted as a liminal, womb-like space, signifying interconnectedness and shared trauma. Irigaray’s mimetic inhabitation of masculine narratives, reflected in linguistic choices like translating "hwæt" as "Bro," challenges traditional discourse and highlights the constructed nature of this patriarchal storytelling, where Beowulf's stoic demeanor and refusal to display weakness reflect a rejection of vulnerability, a core component of toxic masculinity. Headley’s translation systematically blurs boundaries between monstrous and human, maternal and violent, creating a feminist reimagining that enriches Beowulf’s cultural and literary significance. By employing these dual feminist frameworks, this reinterpretation exposes silenced female narratives, repositions their agency, and critiques the patriarchal underpinnings of the Western literary canon. In sharp contrast, Beowulf is revealed as a toxic male who finds his value through violence, domination, and aggression.