This kenning suggests that Grendel is a creature from hell and is pure evil.
In Old Norse and Old English poetry, kennings are metaphors in the form of compound words. Here, "hell-forged" is a metaphor for Grendel's devilish nature and origins.
In <em>Beowulf</em>, Grendel is described as a "creature of darkness," a monstrous being rejected by God. According to J.R.R. Tolkien in <em>Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics</em> (1936), Grendel is "the evil spirits [taking] visible shape."
