List of characters and objects in Beowulf
Encyclopedia
This is a list of Beowulf
characters. Beowulf
is an Old English
heroic epic poem. Its creation dates to between the 8th and the 11th centuries, the only surviving manuscript dating to circa 1010. At 3183 lines, it is notable for its length. It has reached national epic
status in England." There are a great many characters in Beowulf ranging from historical people such as Hygelac
to purely mythological dragon
s.
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...
characters. 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...
is an Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
heroic epic poem. Its creation dates to between the 8th and the 11th centuries, the only surviving manuscript dating to circa 1010. At 3183 lines, it is notable for its length. It has reached national epic
National epic
A national epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation; not necessarily a nation-state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group with aspirations to independence or autonomy...
status in England." There are a great many characters in Beowulf ranging from historical people such as 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...
to purely mythological dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s.
Characters
- Ælfhere - a kinsman of Wiglaf and Beowulf
- ÆschereÆschereIn the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, Æschere is Hrothgar's most trusted advisor who is killed by Grendel's mother in her attack on Heorot after Grendel's death. His name is composed of the Germanic elements Æsc, meaning 'ash', and here, meaning 'army'...
- HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
's closest counselor and comrade, killed by Grendel's MotherGrendel's motherGrendel's mother is one of three antagonists in the work of Old English literature of anonymous authorship, Beowulf . She is never given a name in the text....
. - Banstan - the father of Breca.
- Beowulf - an early Danish king and the son of ScyldScyldScyld Scefing is the legendary ancestor of the Danish royal lineage known as the Scyldings. He is the counterpart of the Skioldus or Skjöldr of Danish and Icelandic sources....
, but not the same character as the hero of the poem. - BeowulfBeowulf (hero)Beowulf is a legendary Geatish hero and later turned king in the epic poem named after him, one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature in the English language.-Etymology and origins of the character:...
- the eponymous hero of the Anglo-Saxon poem. - Breca the Bronding - BeowulfBeowulf (hero)Beowulf is a legendary Geatish hero and later turned king in the epic poem named after him, one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature in the English language.-Etymology and origins of the character:...
's childhood friend who competed with him in a swimming match. - Dæghrefn - a Frankish warrior killed by Beowulf.
- Cain - biblical character described as an ancestor of GrendelGrendelGrendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendel's mother and the dragon, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf . Grendel is usually depicted as a monster, though this is the subject of scholarly debate. In the poem, Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf.-Story:The poem Beowulf is contained in...
who is infamous for killing his brother Abel, the first murder. Killing your kin was the greatest sin in Anglo_Saxon culture. - The DragonThe Dragon (Beowulf)The final act of the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, depicts the hero Beowulf's fight with a dragon, the third monster he encounters in the epic. Returning from Heorot, where he killed Grendel and Grendel's mother, Beowulf becomes king of the Geats, and rules peacefully for 50 years until a slave...
- beast (Old English, wyrm) that ravages Beowulf's kingdom and which Beowulf must slay at the end of the poem. It is the cause of Beowulf's death. - EadgilsEadgilsEadgils, Adils, Aðils, Adillus, Aðísl at Uppsölum, Athisl, Athislus or Adhel was a semi-legendary king of Sweden, who is estimated to have lived during the 6th century....
- a Swedish king also mentioned extensively in the Norse sagaNorse sagaThe sagas are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, the battles that took place during the voyages, about migration to Iceland and of feuds between Icelandic families...
s. - EanmundEanmundEanmund was a Swedish prince of the Scylfing dynasty. Unlike his relatives, Eanmund is only mentioned in Beowulf. Eanmund was the son of Ohthere, and was the brother of Eadgils...
- a Swedish prince, and the brother of Eadgils. - Ecglaf - UnferðUnferðOld English epic poem Beowulf, Unferth or Hunferth is a thegn of the Danish lord Hroðgar. The name Unferth does not appear in any Old English manuscript outside of the Nowell Codex, which contains Beowulf, and the meaning of the name is disputed. Several scholarly theories about Unferth have been...
's father. - EcgþeowEcgþeowEcgþeow or Edgetho or Ecgtheow is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. He is not mentioned outside the Beowulf manuscript, and it is not known whether he was based on a real person. He belonged to a probably Swedish family called the Waegmundings...
- Beowulf's father who belonged to the Swedish WægmundingWægmundingThe Wægmundings were a prominent probably Swedish clan in Beowulf. A name such as Wægmunding meant "belongs to Wægmund", i.e. they were the descendants of a man named Wægmund. This was the normal way of naming a Germanic clan The Wægmundings were a prominent probably Swedish clan (an ätt, see...
clanNorse clansThe Scandinavian clan or ætt was a social group based on common descent or on the formal acceptance into the group at a þing.-History:...
. He joined the Geats after having been banished for killing the Wulfing HeaðolafHeaðolafHeaðolaf was a member of a Scandinavian clan named the Wulfings, which according to the Norse sagas ruled the Geatish petty kingdom of Östergötland....
, and married a Geatish princess. - Ecgwela - an earlier Danish king.
- Elan - possibly an incomplete name for HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
's sister, see Yrsa, below. - EoforEoforEofor , 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...
- the "boarBoarWild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
". A Geatish warrior who avenged the death of HæþcynHæþcynHæthcyn was the son of the Geatish king Hreðel in Beowulf. The hero Beowulf was his nephew. Hæþcyn killed his elder brother Herebeald with an arrow in a hunting accident, which caused their father Hrethel to die from grief...
by slaying OngenþeowOngenþeowOngentheow was the name of a semi-legendary Swedish king of the house of Scylfings, who appears in Old English sources...
during the Swedish-Geatish warsSwedish-Geatish warsThe Swedish-Geatish wars refer to semi-legendary 6th century battles between Swedes and Geats that are described in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf...
. He was recompensed with the daughter of king HygelacHygelacHygelac 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...
. - EomærEomerEomer , also spelt Eomær, was the great-great-grandfather of Creoda, the first King of Mercia. He is considered the ancestor to the Kings of Mercia. Eomer himself was the son of Angeltheow...
- son of king Offa of AngelOffa of AngelOffa was the 4th-great-grandfather of Creoda of Mercia, and was reputed to be a great-grandson of Woden, English god of war and poetry and creator of Middle-Earth, the realm of man. Offa was the son of Wermund, and the father of Angeltheow... - EormenricErmanaricErmanaric was a Greuthungian Gothic King who before the Hunnic invasion evidently ruled an enormous area north of the Black Sea. Contemporary historian Ammianus Marcellinus recounts him as a "most warlike man" who "ruled over extensively wide and fertile regions"...
- a legendary Gothic king. - FinnFinn (Frisian)Finn, son of Folcwald, was a legendary Frisian lord. He is mentioned in Widsith, in Beowulf, and in the Finnsburg Fragment. There is also a Finn mentioned in Historia Brittonum....
, a FrisianFrisiansThe Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
lord whose tale picks up where the Finnsburg Fragment ends. - FitelaSinfjötliSinfjötli or Fitela in Norse mythology was born out of the incestuous relationship between Sigmund and his sister Signy...
- a Germanic hero - Folcwalda - the father of FinnFinn (Frisian)Finn, son of Folcwald, was a legendary Frisian lord. He is mentioned in Widsith, in Beowulf, and in the Finnsburg Fragment. There is also a Finn mentioned in Historia Brittonum....
- FreawaruFreawaruFreawaru, introduced in l. 2020 of the poem Beowulf, is the daughter of King Hroðgar and Queen Wealhþeow.Freawaru is a freoðuwebbe or "peaceweaver" who is married to Ingeld, King of the Heaðobards and son of Froda . This marriage was created as a means of ending a feud between the two kingdoms...
- the daughter of King HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
and Queen WealhþeowWealhþeowWealhþēow is a legendary queen of the Danes in the Old English poem, Beowulf, first introduced in line 612.-Character overview:She is the Wulfing queen of the Danes. She is married to Hroðgar, the Danish king and is the mother of sons Hreðric and Hroðmund and also of daughter Freawaru. The meaning...
and wife of IngeldIngeldIngeld or Ingjald was a legendary warrior who appears in early English and Norse legends. Ingeld was so well-known that, in 797, Alcuin wrote a letter to Bishop Higbald of Lindisfarne questioning the monks' interest in heroic legends with: 'Quid enim Hinieldus cum Christo?' - What has Ingeld to...
, king of the HeaðobardHeaðobardThe Heaðobards were possibly a branch of the Langobards, and their name may be preserved in toponym Bardengau, in Mecklenburg, Germany....
s. - FrodaFróðiFróði is the name of a number of legendary Danish kings in various texts including Beowulf, Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda and his Ynglinga saga, Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum, and the Grottasöngr. A Danish king by this name also appears as a minor character in the Middle High German epic Die...
king of the Heaðobard's and father of Ingeld. He also appears in Norse tradition. - GarmundWermundWermund or Garmund is an ancestor of the Mercian royal family, a son of Wihtlaeg and father of Offa. Mythology claims him to be a grandson of Woden, but the Danish histories written by Saxo Grammaticus disagree with this concept....
- the father of Offa of AngelOffa of AngelOffa was the 4th-great-grandfather of Creoda of Mercia, and was reputed to be a great-grandson of Woden, English god of war and poetry and creator of Middle-Earth, the realm of man. Offa was the son of Wermund, and the father of Angeltheow... - GrendelGrendelGrendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendel's mother and the dragon, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf . Grendel is usually depicted as a monster, though this is the subject of scholarly debate. In the poem, Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf.-Story:The poem Beowulf is contained in...
- one of three antagonistAntagonistAn antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s (along with Grendel's MotherGrendel's motherGrendel's mother is one of three antagonists in the work of Old English literature of anonymous authorship, Beowulf . She is never given a name in the text....
and the dragon). - Grendel's motherGrendel's motherGrendel's mother is one of three antagonists in the work of Old English literature of anonymous authorship, Beowulf . She is never given a name in the text....
- one of three antagonists (along with GrendelGrendelGrendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendel's mother and the dragon, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf . Grendel is usually depicted as a monster, though this is the subject of scholarly debate. In the poem, Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf.-Story:The poem Beowulf is contained in...
and the dragon). - Guðlaf - a warrior in HnæfHnæfHnæf son of Hoc is a prince mentioned in the Old English poems Beowulf and the Finnsburg Fragment.According to the listing of tribes in the poem Widsith , Hnæf ruled the Hocings...
's retinue. - Healfdene - HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
's father and predecessor, also prominent in Norse tradition. - HamaHeimirHáma , Heimir , or Heime was a legendary Germanic hero who often appears together with his friend Wudga. He appears in the Anglo-Saxon poems Beowulf and Widsith, in the Scandinavian Þiðrekssaga and in German epics such as Alpharts Tod.-Origins:Since Wudga is based on a Gothic hero named Vidigoia,...
- a Germanic hero - HalgaHalgaHalga, Helgi, Helghe or Helgo was a legendary Danish king living in the early 6th century. His name would in his own language have been *Hailaga ....
- HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
's brother. He is hardly mentioned in Beowulf but he is a prominent character in Norse tradition. - HæþcynHæþcynHæthcyn was the son of the Geatish king Hreðel in Beowulf. The hero Beowulf was his nephew. Hæþcyn killed his elder brother Herebeald with an arrow in a hunting accident, which caused their father Hrethel to die from grief...
- the son of the Geatish king HreðelHreðelHrethel 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....
. - Hæreð - the father of HygdHygdQueen Hygd, introduced in line 1925 of the poem Beowulf, is the wife of King Hygelac of Geatland.After Beowulf defeats Grendel and Grendel's mother, he and his men returned to their native country, where they are received by Hygelac and Hygd. Hygd is beautiful, wise, courteous, and attentive...
, queen of the Geats. - HeaðolafHeaðolafHeaðolaf was a member of a Scandinavian clan named the Wulfings, which according to the Norse sagas ruled the Geatish petty kingdom of Östergötland....
- Wulfing killed by Beowulf's father Ecgþeow. - Heming - a kinsman of GarmundWermundWermund or Garmund is an ancestor of the Mercian royal family, a son of Wihtlaeg and father of Offa. Mythology claims him to be a grandson of Woden, but the Danish histories written by Saxo Grammaticus disagree with this concept....
- HeardredHeardredHeardred , d. ca 530 AD, is the son of Hygelac, king of the Geats, and his queen Hygd, in Beowulf. After Hygelac's death, in Frisia, Hygd wants to make Hygelac's nephew Beowulf, king of Geatland, as she fears that the young Heardred won't be able to defend his people...
- the son of HygelacHygelacHygelac 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...
, king of the Geats, and his queen HygdHygdQueen Hygd, introduced in line 1925 of the poem Beowulf, is the wife of King Hygelac of Geatland.After Beowulf defeats Grendel and Grendel's mother, he and his men returned to their native country, where they are received by Hygelac and Hygd. Hygd is beautiful, wise, courteous, and attentive...
. - HengestHengestHengist and Horsa are figures of Anglo-Saxon, and subsequently British, legend, which records the two as the Germanic brothers who led the Angle, Saxon, and Jutish armies that conquered the first territories of Great Britain in the 5th century AD...
- a Danish lord who attacked the Frisians to avenge HnæfHnæfHnæf son of Hoc is a prince mentioned in the Old English poems Beowulf and the Finnsburg Fragment.According to the listing of tribes in the poem Widsith , Hnæf ruled the Hocings... - HeorogarHeorogarHeorogar was a Danish king who appears in the Old English poem Beowulf as the eldest son of Healfdene , and the brother of Hroðgar , and Halga...
- Hroðgar's brother and predecessor. - HeoroweardHeoroweardHeoroweard is a character who appears in Beowulf and also in Norse legends, where he is named Hjörvarðr or Hiartuar. If he existed in real life, his name would have been Proto-Norse *Heruwarduz....
- Heorogar's son; HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
's nephew. According to Norse tradition, his attempt to become king would cause the end of the Scylding clan. - HerebealdHerebealdHerebeald 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....
- the son of the Geatish king HreðelHreðelHrethel 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....
. - HeremodHeremodHeremod is a legendary Danish king and a legendary king of the Angles who would have lived in the 2nd century and known through a short account of his exile in the Old English poem Beowulf and from appearances in some genealogies as the father of Scyld...
- an early Danish king. - Hereric - a relative of HeardredHeardredHeardred , d. ca 530 AD, is the son of Hygelac, king of the Geats, and his queen Hygd, in Beowulf. After Hygelac's death, in Frisia, Hygd wants to make Hygelac's nephew Beowulf, king of Geatland, as she fears that the young Heardred won't be able to defend his people...
- HildeburhHildeburhHildeburh, introduced in line 1071 of the poem, Beowulf, is the daughter of the Danish King Hoc and the wife of the Finn, King of the Frisians. Her story is sung by a scop during festivities in lines 1071-1158....
- the daughter of the Danish king Hoc and the wife of the FinnFinn (Frisian)Finn, son of Folcwald, was a legendary Frisian lord. He is mentioned in Widsith, in Beowulf, and in the Finnsburg Fragment. There is also a Finn mentioned in Historia Brittonum....
- king of the Frisians. - Hoc - a Danish lord and the father of HildeburhHildeburhHildeburh, introduced in line 1071 of the poem, Beowulf, is the daughter of the Danish King Hoc and the wife of the Finn, King of the Frisians. Her story is sung by a scop during festivities in lines 1071-1158....
and HnæfHnæfHnæf son of Hoc is a prince mentioned in the Old English poems Beowulf and the Finnsburg Fragment.According to the listing of tribes in the poem Widsith , Hnæf ruled the Hocings...
. - HnæfHnæfHnæf son of Hoc is a prince mentioned in the Old English poems Beowulf and the Finnsburg Fragment.According to the listing of tribes in the poem Widsith , Hnæf ruled the Hocings...
- the son of the Danish lord Hoc and brother of HildeburhHildeburhHildeburh, introduced in line 1071 of the poem, Beowulf, is the daughter of the Danish King Hoc and the wife of the Finn, King of the Frisians. Her story is sung by a scop during festivities in lines 1071-1158....
. He was killed by Finn. - Hondscio - a Geatish warrior.
- HreðelHreðelHrethel 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....
- king of the Geats. - Hreðric and HroðmundHreðric and HroðmundHreðric and Hroðmund were the sons of the Danish king Hroðgar, and his queen Wealhþeow, in the Old English epic Beowulf. They are only mentioned in passing, and there seems to be some foreshadowing in Beowulf that their cousin, Halga's son Hroðulf, i.e...
, the two sons of Hroðgar. - HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
- king of the Danes; married to WealhþeowWealhþeowWealhþēow is a legendary queen of the Danes in the Old English poem, Beowulf, first introduced in line 612.-Character overview:She is the Wulfing queen of the Danes. She is married to Hroðgar, the Danish king and is the mother of sons Hreðric and Hroðmund and also of daughter Freawaru. The meaning...
. Also prominent in Norse tradition. - Hroðulf (also known as Hrólfr Kraki) - , Hroðgar's nephew, but more prominent in Norse tradition.
- Hun - a Frisian warrior who gives HengestHengestHengist and Horsa are figures of Anglo-Saxon, and subsequently British, legend, which records the two as the Germanic brothers who led the Angle, Saxon, and Jutish armies that conquered the first territories of Great Britain in the 5th century AD...
the sword Lafing. - HygdHygdQueen Hygd, introduced in line 1925 of the poem Beowulf, is the wife of King Hygelac of Geatland.After Beowulf defeats Grendel and Grendel's mother, he and his men returned to their native country, where they are received by Hygelac and Hygd. Hygd is beautiful, wise, courteous, and attentive...
- queen of the Geats; the wife of King HygelacHygelacHygelac 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...
. - HygelacHygelacHygelac 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...
- king of the Geats; the husband of HygdHygdQueen Hygd, introduced in line 1925 of the poem Beowulf, is the wife of King Hygelac of Geatland.After Beowulf defeats Grendel and Grendel's mother, he and his men returned to their native country, where they are received by Hygelac and Hygd. Hygd is beautiful, wise, courteous, and attentive...
. Existence attested by other sources. Death during the poem dated to c 516. - IngeldIngeldIngeld or Ingjald was a legendary warrior who appears in early English and Norse legends. Ingeld was so well-known that, in 797, Alcuin wrote a letter to Bishop Higbald of Lindisfarne questioning the monks' interest in heroic legends with: 'Quid enim Hinieldus cum Christo?' - What has Ingeld to...
- a Heaðobard lord; married to Freawaru, daughter of HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
. He also appears in Norse tradition. - Merewing - a Frankish king.
- ModþryðModþryðModthryth, Thryth , and Fremu are reconstructed names for a character who figures as the queen of King Offa in Beowulf.-Naming problem: Modthryth, Thryth or Fremu?:...
- a princess, later queen, who punished inferiors who looked her directly in the eye; later marries, and is reformed by, Offa of AngelOffa of AngelOffa was the 4th-great-grandfather of Creoda of Mercia, and was reputed to be a great-grandson of Woden, English god of war and poetry and creator of Middle-Earth, the realm of man. Offa was the son of Wermund, and the father of Angeltheow...
. - Offa of AngelOffa of AngelOffa was the 4th-great-grandfather of Creoda of Mercia, and was reputed to be a great-grandson of Woden, English god of war and poetry and creator of Middle-Earth, the realm of man. Offa was the son of Wermund, and the father of Angeltheow...
, a king of the Angles who also appears in Norse tradition. - OhthereOhthereOhthere, Ohtere , Óttarr, Óttarr vendilkráka or Ottar Vendelkråka was a semi-legendary king of Sweden who would have lived during the 6th century and belonged to the house of Scylfings...
- king of the Swedish house of Scylfings, and also mentioned in Norse tradition. The father of EadgilsEadgilsEadgils, Adils, Aðils, Adillus, Aðísl at Uppsölum, Athisl, Athislus or Adhel was a semi-legendary king of Sweden, who is estimated to have lived during the 6th century....
and EanmundEanmundEanmund was a Swedish prince of the Scylfing dynasty. Unlike his relatives, Eanmund is only mentioned in Beowulf. Eanmund was the son of Ohthere, and was the brother of Eadgils...
, and the brother of OnelaOnelaOnela was according to Beowulf a Swedish king, the son of Ongentheow and the brother of Ohthere. He usurped the Swedish throne, but was killed by his nephew Eadgils, who won by hiring foreign assistance....
. - OnelaOnelaOnela was according to Beowulf a Swedish king, the son of Ongentheow and the brother of Ohthere. He usurped the Swedish throne, but was killed by his nephew Eadgils, who won by hiring foreign assistance....
- king of the Swedish house of ScylfingsYnglingThe Ynglings were the oldest known Scandinavian dynasty. It can refer to the clans of the Scylfings , the semi-legendary royal Swedish clan during the Age of Migrations, with kings such as Eadgils, Onela and Ohthere...
, and also mentioned in Norse tradition. The brother of OhthereOhthereOhthere, Ohtere , Óttarr, Óttarr vendilkráka or Ottar Vendelkråka was a semi-legendary king of Sweden who would have lived during the 6th century and belonged to the house of Scylfings...
. - OngenþeowOngenþeowOngentheow was the name of a semi-legendary Swedish king of the house of Scylfings, who appears in Old English sources...
- king of Sweden. Slew the Geatish king HæþcynHæþcynHæthcyn was the son of the Geatish king Hreðel in Beowulf. The hero Beowulf was his nephew. Hæþcyn killed his elder brother Herebeald with an arrow in a hunting accident, which caused their father Hrethel to die from grief...
, but was himself killed by EoforEoforEofor , 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...
, during the Swedish-Geatish warsSwedish-Geatish warsThe Swedish-Geatish wars refer to semi-legendary 6th century battles between Swedes and Geats that are described in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf...
. - Oslaf - a warrior in HnæfHnæfHnæf son of Hoc is a prince mentioned in the Old English poems Beowulf and the Finnsburg Fragment.According to the listing of tribes in the poem Widsith , Hnæf ruled the Hocings...
's retinue. - ScyldScyldScyld Scefing is the legendary ancestor of the Danish royal lineage known as the Scyldings. He is the counterpart of the Skioldus or Skjöldr of Danish and Icelandic sources....
- (Scyld Scēfing) warrior king who founded the ruling house in Denmark. - SigemundSigmundThis article is about the mythological hero Sigmund; for other meanings see: Sigmund .In Norse mythology, Sigmund is a hero whose story is told in the Völsunga saga. He and his sister, Signý, are the children of Völsung and his wife Hljod...
- a legendary Germanic hero whom Beowulf is compared to. - SwertingSwertingSwerting was one of the Saxon ancestors of king Aella of Deira.He may be identical with the Swerting briefly mentioned in Beowulf, where he had the son or son-in-law Hrethel, who was the maternal grandfather of the hero Beowulf.-The Heaðobard tradition:A Swerting of the same timeframe also...
- the grandfather of HygelacHygelacHygelac 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... - UnferðUnferðOld English epic poem Beowulf, Unferth or Hunferth is a thegn of the Danish lord Hroðgar. The name Unferth does not appear in any Old English manuscript outside of the Nowell Codex, which contains Beowulf, and the meaning of the name is disputed. Several scholarly theories about Unferth have been...
- a thegnThegnThe term thegn , from OE þegn, ðegn "servant, attendant, retainer", is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves...
of the DanishDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
lord HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
. - WealhþeowWealhþeowWealhþēow is a legendary queen of the Danes in the Old English poem, Beowulf, first introduced in line 612.-Character overview:She is the Wulfing queen of the Danes. She is married to Hroðgar, the Danish king and is the mother of sons Hreðric and Hroðmund and also of daughter Freawaru. The meaning...
- queen of the Danes; married to HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
. - WeohstanWeohstanWeohstan, Wēohstān or Wīhstān is a legendary character who appears in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf and scholars have pointed out that he also appears to be present in the Norse Kálfsvísa.In both Beowulf and Kálfsvísa, Weohstan fought for his king Onela...
- the father of WiglafWiglafWiglaf is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. He is the son of Weohstan, a Swede of the Wægmunding clan who had entered the service of Beowulf, king of the Geats. Wiglaf is called Scylfing as a metonym for Swede, as the Scylfings were the ruling Swedish clan...
and a Swedish warrior fighting for OnelaOnelaOnela was according to Beowulf a Swedish king, the son of Ongentheow and the brother of Ohthere. He usurped the Swedish throne, but was killed by his nephew Eadgils, who won by hiring foreign assistance....
. He also appears to be mentioned in a stanza in the Prose EddaProse EddaThe Prose Edda, also known as the Younger Edda, Snorri's Edda or simply Edda, is an Icelandic collection of four sections interspersed with excerpts from earlier skaldic and Eddic poetry containing tales from Nordic mythology...
. - WælsVolsungIn Norse mythology, Völsung was the son of Rerir and the eponymous ancestor of the ill-fortuned Völsung clan , including the greatest of Norse heroes, Sigurð...
- the father of SigemundSigmundThis article is about the mythological hero Sigmund; for other meanings see: Sigmund .In Norse mythology, Sigmund is a hero whose story is told in the Völsunga saga. He and his sister, Signý, are the children of Völsung and his wife Hljod... - Wayland Smith - a smith of Germanic legend who forged Beowulf's breast plate.
- WiglafWiglafWiglaf is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. He is the son of Weohstan, a Swede of the Wægmunding clan who had entered the service of Beowulf, king of the Geats. Wiglaf is called Scylfing as a metonym for Swede, as the Scylfings were the ruling Swedish clan...
- Beowulf's relative. A Swedish warrior of the Waegmunding clanNorse clansThe Scandinavian clan or ætt was a social group based on common descent or on the formal acceptance into the group at a þing.-History:...
who helps BeowulfBeowulf (hero)Beowulf is a legendary Geatish hero and later turned king in the epic poem named after him, one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature in the English language.-Etymology and origins of the character:...
slay the dragon. - Wondred - the father of EoforEoforEofor , 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...
and Wulf. - Wulf - the brother of EoforEoforEofor , 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...
- Wulfgar - the herald of Hroðgar, renowned for his great wisdom.
- Yrmenlaf - younger brother of Æschere.
- Yrs(e)YrsaYrsa, Yrse, Yrs or Urse was a tragic heroine of Scandinavian legend.She appears in several versions relating to her husband, the Swedish king Eadgils, and/or to her father and rapist/lover/husband Halga and their son Hroðulf...
- a character borrowed from Norse tradition that appears in some translations (e.g., Burton RaffelBurton RaffelBurton Raffel is a translator, a poet and a teacher. He has translated many poems, including the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, poems by Horace, and Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais. In 1964, Raffel recorded an album along with Robert P...
) and commentaries, as an emendation of a corrupt line (62) where HroðgarHroðgarHroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
's sister is mentioned. His sister is, however, named Signy in Norse tradition (Skjöldunga sagaSkjöldunga sagaThe Skjöldunga saga was a Norse saga on the legendary Danish dynasty of the Skjöldungs, the same dynasty featured in the Old English poem Beowulf...
and Hrólfr Kraki's saga), whereas Yrsa was HalgaHalgaHalga, Helgi, Helghe or Helgo was a legendary Danish king living in the early 6th century. His name would in his own language have been *Hailaga ....
's daughter and lover with whom he had Hroðulf.
Tribes and clans
- BrondingsBrondingsThe Brondings were a Germanic tribe. They and Breca the Bronding are mentioned in Beowulf , as Beowulf's childhood friend, and in Widsith , where Breca is the lord of the Brondings...
- the people of Breca. - DanesDanerThe Danes were a North Germanic tribe residing in modern day Denmark. They are mentioned in the 6th century in Jordanes' Getica, by Procopius, and by Gregory of Tours....
- a tribe having their centre on the island of Zealand. - GeatGeatGeats , and sometimes Goths) were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting what is now Götaland in modern Sweden...
s - a tribe whose centre was in modern VästergötlandVästergötland', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
. - Finns - Finno-Ugric peoplesFinno-Ugric peoplesThe Finno-Ugric peoples are any of several peoples of Europe who speak languages of the proposed Finno-Ugric language family, such as the Finns, Estonians, Mordvins, and Hungarians...
in the north and north-east of Scandinavia. - FranksFranksThe Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
- a powerful Germanic tribe on the Continent. - Frisians - a tribe led by FinnFinn (Frisian)Finn, son of Folcwald, was a legendary Frisian lord. He is mentioned in Widsith, in Beowulf, and in the Finnsburg Fragment. There is also a Finn mentioned in Historia Brittonum....
living along the eastern shores of the North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. - Gifðas - the Gepids, a tribe which had migrated to the Balkans by the time of Beowulf. They are mentioned in connection with Swedes and Danes, and it has been suggested that Beowulf refers to the people of ÖstergötlandÖstergötlandÖstergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
. - Heathobards, or Heaðo-beardnas, a clan or tribe at war with the Danes.
- Helmings - the people of queen WealhþeowWealhþeowWealhþēow is a legendary queen of the Danes in the Old English poem, Beowulf, first introduced in line 612.-Character overview:She is the Wulfing queen of the Danes. She is married to Hroðgar, the Danish king and is the mother of sons Hreðric and Hroðmund and also of daughter Freawaru. The meaning...
. WidsithWidsithWidsith is an Old English poem of 144 lines that appears to date from the 9th century, drawing on earlier oral traditions of Anglo-Saxon tale singing. The only text of the fragment is copied in the Exeter Book, a manuscript of Old English poetry compiled in the late 10th century containing...
mentions Helm as the leader of the Wulfings. - HetwareChattuariiThe Chattuarii or Attoarii were a Germanic tribe of the Franks. They lived originally east of the northern Rhine and west of the Chatti. Their land was south of the Bructeri. Some of them settled in the pagus attuariorum south of Langres in the 3rd century...
- a tribe part of the Franks, or allied with them. - Hugas - a name for the Franks or for a group of their allies.
- Heaðoræmas - a tribe named Heaðoreamas appears in WidsithWidsithWidsith is an Old English poem of 144 lines that appears to date from the 9th century, drawing on earlier oral traditions of Anglo-Saxon tale singing. The only text of the fragment is copied in the Exeter Book, a manuscript of Old English poetry compiled in the late 10th century containing...
, and -reamas agrees with ONOld NorseOld Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
RaumarRomerikeRomerike is a traditional district located north-east of Oslo, in what is today south-eastern Norway. It consists of the Akershus municipalities Fet, Lørenskog, Nittedal, Rælingen, Skedsmo, Sørum and Aurskog-Høland in the southern end , and Ullensaker, Gjerdrum, Nannestad, Nes, Eidsvoll and Hurdal...
which positions the tribe in what is today south-eastern NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. - Ingwins - a name used for the Danes and which means "friends of Ing (FreyrFreyrFreyr is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Freyr was highly associated with farming, weather and, as a phallic fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals"...
)". - JutesJutesThe Jutes, Iuti, or Iutæ were a Germanic people who, according to Bede, were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of their time, the other two being the Saxons and the Angles...
(Eotenas) a tribe living in modern JutlandJutlandJutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, and who took part in the migration to England. - Merewioingas, i.e. Merovingians - the ruling Frankish dynasty, by metonymyMetonymyMetonymy is a figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept...
used to refer to the Frankish nation as a whole. - SceadugengaSceadugengaThe Sceadugengan , or "shadow-goer", are fantastical beasts which are neither living nor dead, and which can shape-shift. They purportedly dwell in the forests of England...
- Shadow-Walkers - ScyldingScyldingOld English Scylding and Old Norse Skjöldung , meaning in both languages "People of Scyld/Skjöld" refers to members of a legendary royal family of Danes and sometimes to their people. The name is explained in many text by the descent of this family from an eponymous king Scyld/Skjöld...
- the ruling clanNorse clansThe Scandinavian clan or ætt was a social group based on common descent or on the formal acceptance into the group at a þing.-History:...
in DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, by metonymyMetonymyMetonymy is a figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept...
also used to refer to the Danish nation as a whole. - ScylfingYnglingThe Ynglings were the oldest known Scandinavian dynasty. It can refer to the clans of the Scylfings , the semi-legendary royal Swedish clan during the Age of Migrations, with kings such as Eadgils, Onela and Ohthere...
- the ruling clanNorse clansThe Scandinavian clan or ætt was a social group based on common descent or on the formal acceptance into the group at a þing.-History:...
in SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, by metonymyMetonymyMetonymy is a figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept...
also used to refer to the Swedish nation as a whole. - SwedesSuionesThe Swedes e, "one's own [tribesmen/kinsmen]"; Old English: Sweonas; , Suehans or Sueones) were an ancient North Germanic tribe in Scandinavia...
- a tribe who had their centre in modern UpplandUpplandUppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
. - WægmundingWægmundingThe Wægmundings were a prominent probably Swedish clan in Beowulf. A name such as Wægmunding meant "belongs to Wægmund", i.e. they were the descendants of a man named Wægmund. This was the normal way of naming a Germanic clan The Wægmundings were a prominent probably Swedish clan (an ätt, see...
s - a Swedish clanNorse clansThe Scandinavian clan or ætt was a social group based on common descent or on the formal acceptance into the group at a þing.-History:...
to which belonged BeowulfBeowulf (hero)Beowulf is a legendary Geatish hero and later turned king in the epic poem named after him, one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature in the English language.-Etymology and origins of the character:...
, EcgþeowEcgþeowEcgþeow or Edgetho or Ecgtheow is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf. He is not mentioned outside the Beowulf manuscript, and it is not known whether he was based on a real person. He belonged to a probably Swedish family called the Waegmundings...
and WiglafWiglafWiglaf is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. He is the son of Weohstan, a Swede of the Wægmunding clan who had entered the service of Beowulf, king of the Geats. Wiglaf is called Scylfing as a metonym for Swede, as the Scylfings were the ruling Swedish clan...
. Wiglaf is called "the last of the Wægmundings". - Wendlas - identified as the people of VendsysselVendsysselVendsyssel is the northernmost traditional district of Denmark and of Jutland. Being divided from mainland Jutland by the Limfjord, it is technically a part of the North Jutlandic Island. Vendsyssel is part of the North Denmark Region....
. - Wulfing - the clanNorse clansThe Scandinavian clan or ætt was a social group based on common descent or on the formal acceptance into the group at a þing.-History:...
of HeaðolafHeaðolafHeaðolaf was a member of a Scandinavian clan named the Wulfings, which according to the Norse sagas ruled the Geatish petty kingdom of Östergötland....
and possibly WealhþeowWealhþeowWealhþēow is a legendary queen of the Danes in the Old English poem, Beowulf, first introduced in line 612.-Character overview:She is the Wulfing queen of the Danes. She is married to Hroðgar, the Danish king and is the mother of sons Hreðric and Hroðmund and also of daughter Freawaru. The meaning...
. Old Norse sources describe them as the lords of ÖstergötlandÖstergötlandÖstergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
.
Sources
- Modern English translation by John Lesslie HallJohn Lesslie HallJohn Lesslie Hall , also known as J. Lesslie Hall, was an American literary scholar and poet known for his translation of Beowulf....
- Old English edition edited by James Albert Harrison and Robert Sharp
- Nerman, BirgerBirger NermanBirger Nerman was a Swedish archaeologist, professor, and author.-Background:Birger Nerman belonged to a bourgeois family Nerman from Vimmerby. He was the son of Janne Nerman , the bookseller in Norrköping, and his wife Anna Ida Nordberg...
(1925). "Det svenska rikets uppkomst". - Ståhl, Harry (1976), Ortnamn och ortnamnsforskning, Uppsala: Almquist & Wiksell, ISBN 91-20-04466-6