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‘The problem is that aglæca also appears in the poem to describe Beowulf himself.’ Sophie closed her book with a theatrical snap. ‘What do you make of that?’

I thought about it.

‘Beowulf wasn’t a monster, was he?’

‘No, and when the word appears in reference to Beowulf – the exact same word, remember – Mr Frederick J. Klaeber translates it as “warrior, hero”.’

‘Hmm.’

‘Yes.’

‘Sounds like Mr Klaeber was making it up as he went along.’

‘Doesn’t it just? A professor by the name of . . .’ the notebook again ‘. . . Sherman Kuhn makes the very sensible suggestion that aglæca should be translated as “a fighter, valiant warrior, dangerous opponent, one who struggles fiercely”.’

‘You’re about to make a point.’

‘I am. You see, Grendel and the dragon are clearly written as monsters, but there’s nothing in Beowulf to suggest that Grendel’s mother is a “monstrous hell bride” or a “troll lady”, or anything of the sort; quite the opposite, in fact. She’s a female warrior, an accomplished, powerful woman who’s every bit the equal of Beowulf. Then our Mr Klaeber comes along – this one man sitting alone at his writing desk, and with a few flicks of his pen, a few scratches of ink, he changes her. Turns her from one thing into something else. He reduces her into “a wretch”. A wretch. He steals her from every schoolgirl, from every young woman growing up in this world trying to understand what they can and cannot be, for the best part of one hundred years. Maybe for ever, because words have power once they’re written down.’