Hæthcyn was the son of the Geatish king Hreðel

Hreðel

Hrethel was the king of the Geats, in Beowulf. He was the son or son-in-law of Swerting and he had three sons Hæþcyn, Herebeald and Hygelac. He also had a daughter who married Ecgþeow and had the son Beowulf....

 in Beowulf

Beowulf

Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...

. The hero Beowulf was his nephew. Hæþcyn killed his elder brother Herebeald

Herebeald

Herebeald was the son of the Geatish king Hreðel in Beowulf. He was killed with an arrow by his brother Hæþcyn in a hunting accident which caused their father Hreðel to die from grief. Then Hæþcyn became king of the Geats. The hero Beowulf was his nephew....

 with an arrow in a hunting accident, which caused their father Hrethel to die from grief. Then Hæþcyn became king of Geatland

Götaland

Götaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...

.

During, the Swedish-Geatish wars

Swedish-Geatish wars

The Swedish-Geatish wars refer to semi-legendary 6th century battles between Swedes and Geats that are described in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf...

, Hæþcyn kidnapped the Swedish queen, and was killed fighting with the Swedish

Suiones

The Swedes e, "one's own [tribesmen/kinsmen]"; Old English: Sweonas; , Suehans or Sueones) were an ancient North Germanic tribe in Scandinavia...

 king Ongenþeow

Ongenþeow

Ongentheow was the name of a semi-legendary Swedish king of the house of Scylfings, who appears in Old English sources...

 who saved her. The Geatish warriors sought refuge in Hrefnesholt

Hrefnesholt

Hrefnesholt is a location in Beowulf where the Geatish king Hæþcyn had taken the Swedish queen. The Swedish king Ongenþeow arrived to save her and killed Hæþcyn. The Geatish force was, however, reinforced by Hygelac, whereupon the Swedes sought refuge in a hillfort, but were stormed by the Geats...

, where they were rescued by Hygelac who arrived the next day with reinforcements. His warrior Eofor

Eofor

Eofor , son of Wonred, was a Geatish warrior in Beowulf. When the Swedes invaded Geatland , the Geatish king Hæþcyn was killed by the Swedish king Ongenþeow. Hygelac, who became the new king, sent Eofor and his brother Wulf to fight against the hoary-bearded Swedish king...

 killed the Swedish king. Hæþcyn was succeeded by Hygelac

Hygelac

Hygelac was a king of the Geats according to the poem Beowulf. He was the son of Hrethel and had brothers Herebeald and Hæthcyn. His sister was married to Ecgtheow and had the son Beowulf. Hygelac was married to Hygd and they had the son Heardred, and an unnamed daughter who married Eofor...

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