Comparing Grettir to Guts from Berserk:

Throughout time, stories have been passed down from generation to generation telling of strong heroes that prove themselves with the trials and conflations they must endure while they are alive. The two characters that I will be discussing in this blog will be Grettir and Guts, both of which proves themselves in the trials and tribulations they had to go through while they were alive. In the Saga, Grettir the Strong, Grettir goes through being exiled from Ireland because of an accident he was involved in. On top of this, Grettir can be described as very powerful individual with giant like strength that helps him defend against the people that are trying to kill him. Grettir also has a fatal flaw that cripples him, the fear of the dark. Grettirs’ fatal flaw is especially important because while he is exiled, he must face his fear alone, causing him to be trusting to people even if the people he trusts betray him in the end so that he won’t have to face his fear by himself.  The personality of Grettir is very similar to Guts form Berserk. Guts, has monster like strength that allows him to triumph over any opponent and obstacle that is in his way, just like Grettirs strength. Guts also is a loner but wants to be accepted by the people around him just like Grettir is, which leads to Guts’s fatal flaw, trust. At the beginning of the show, Guts is attacked by a group called the Band of the Falcon. Guts outmatches most of the group, but is outmatched by Griffith, the group’s leader which causes a bond to grow between the two, causing Guts to become more and more trusting of Griffith. This is like the part in Grettir the Strong where Grettir was traveling from Tunga to Kjol and met a man on a horse. The man’s name was Loft and he was one of the only people to overpower Grettir, just like how Griffith was one of the only people to overpower Guts. Grettir, thinking that he was able to outmatch the man, he tries to steal from him, but is overpowered by the man on the horse. This conflict made Grettir realize that there are people out there that can withstand his “Giant like strength” which left Grettir with a submissive feeling. This is like Guts and Griffith because after the first conflation Guts is humbled by the presence of Griffith and decides to work hard in order to prove himself worthy of fighting Griffith again. Guts and Griffith lead the Band of the Falcon to a multitude of victories, then in the end Griffith betrays Guts and the Band of the Falcon to pursue his dream of true power, by turning into a demon at the cost of the Band of the Falcons lives. The feeling of betrayal Guts feels causes him to go on a rampage killing all the demons that try to get in his way.  This is like the part in The Saga of Grettir the Strong where Grettir is in exile and both Grim and Thorir come and befriend Grettir, gaining his trust, only to try and kill Grettir in the end, just like what Griffith did to Guts. After Griffith becomes a demon, Guts and the Band of the Falcon get cursed with the Brand of Sacrifice, meaning that for as long as Guts and the Band of the Falcon are alive, demons will hunt them until they are dead. This is like Grettir being banished from Ireland because for as long as Grettir is alive in Ireland, people will be coming after him until he is dead as well. In the end, both Grettir and Guts have no safe place to go to and will forever be chased by the consequences of their actions for as long as they live.

Video Links:

1.       Guts meets Griffith:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YIN7O-PmWY

2.       Guts vs 100 men

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASA2W2CsTwE  (6:08-end of video)

3.       Griffith betrays Guts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKcMTOKgHog&t=133s (Start: 18:00-end of video)