A Guide to the Lore of Beowulf
Shield Sheafson (lines 4-52): the alleged founder of the Danish ruling dynasty. He arrived as a castaway on the shores of Denmark as a child (a folklore motif akin to the stories of Moses and Perseus). He was a powerful ruler, subdued many of the neighboring tribes, and was honored with a lavish ship-burial. His son was named Beowulf (not to be confused with the hero of this story). Shield Sceafson was the great-grandfather of Hrothgar.
Sigemund (lines 874-897): famous Germanic warrior, also known as Sigurd and Siegfried. He was renowned as a dragon-slayer. He appears prominently in the Old Norse Saga of the Volsungs and in the Middle High German Nibelungenlied. His nephew (some say son) and companion was Fitela. Beowulf is compared favorably to Sigemund.
Heremod (lines 901-915 and again at 1710-1722): This former Danish chieftain was a famous hero, but he later became a bad, stingy ruler, not displaying sufficient generosity to maintain the loyalty of his thegns. He apparently also slew two of his companions, the sons of Ecgwala, in his own hall. An Old Norse version of his story has him slain by treachery in his bath, like Agamemnon. Interesting fact: "Heremod" means "warlike disposition."
Finn (lines 1068-1158): Finn, the son of Folcwalda, was the king of the Frisians and was married to Hildeburh, the princess of the Half-Danes, as a means of ending a feud between the two peoples. When Hildeburh's brother Hnaef visits Finn, he and his men are attacked in Finn's hall. Needless to say, this act constitutes a serious breach of hospitality and reopens the feud between the Frisians and the Half-Danes. Hnaef and his companions are holed up in Finn's hall for five days; the fighting is intense and the losses are heavy on both sides. Hnaef is killed and his right-hand man Hengest proposes a treaty. The Frisians accept, and both tribes burn their dead in a mass funeral. Hengest hangs around Frisia for a year until, urged on by his companions Guthlaf and Oslaf, he slays Finn, avenging his lord.
Hygelac (lines 1202-1213 and elsewhere): (pronounced "Hee-a-lahk") King of the Geats, uncle to Beowulf and husband to Hygd (pronounced "heed"). He meets his doom in the years following Beowulf's liberation of Heorot in an ill-fated expedition against the Franks. This expedition, incidentally, actually happened sometime in the sixth century and is recorded by the Frankish historian Gregory of Tours in his History of the Franks (you can find the excerpt on p. 159 of the Liuzza edition of Beowulf). Hygelac is succeeded as king of the Geats briefly by his son Heardred and later by Beowulf.
Thryth and Offa (lines 1933-1962): Thryth was a famous perilous princess. She had any suitors who dared to look on her put to death. Hence in this passage her great pride is contrasted with Hygd's humility. Offa, the son of Garmund and father of Eomer, was an ancient king of the Angles (the continental ancestors of the Angles who colonized Britain in the sixth century). Being a mighty king and warrior, Offa was deemed worthy of Thryth and the two were happily married, thus ending Thryth's lethally antisocial behavior.
Freawaru and Ingeld (lines 2020-2068): Freawaru (literally "Peace-weaver") is the daughter of Hrothgar. She is betrothed to Ingeld son of Froda, prince of the Heathobard tribe, as a means of settling a blood-feud between Hrothgar and the Heathobards. Beowulf in this passage predicts trouble on the horizon. He correctly foresees that, after Hrothgar's death, Ingeld will be spurred on to avenge the death of his kinsmen and will burn down Heorot. A gloomy future for the Danes, eh?
Herebeald and Haethcyn (lines 2434-2471): Herebeald and Haethcyn were the sons of Hrethel and the older brothers of Hygelac. Beowulf relates how, years ago, Haethcyn slew Herebeald by accident. This chain of events leaves their father Hrethel with a great moral crisis: how can he avenge his son's death without shedding the blood of his other son? He dies of grief instead, and Haethcyn succeeds him to the Geatish throne.
The geatish-Swedish Feuds (references scattered all over the second half of the poem): This is a complicated chain of events that begins a generation before Beowulf's time and ends long after Beowulf's death. The feud begins when the brothers Onela and Ohtere, sons of the Swedish king Ongentheow, attack the Geats (for no apparent reason). The Geatish king Haethcyn (older brother of Hygelac) retaliates but is slain at the Battle of Ravenswood. King Ongentheow of the Swedes is also slain in this battle. His son Ohtere becomes king of the Swedes and Hygelac becomes king of the Geats. Onela, Ohtere's younger brother, usurps the throne and exiles Ohtere's sons Eanmund and Eadgils. In the meantime, Hygelac has died (see Hygelac above) and his young son Heardred is king of the Geats. Heardred quite foolishly takes in Eanmund and Eadgils, which renews Geatish-Swedish hostilities and causes Onela to attack the Geats again. Onela kills Heardred, but agrees to Beowulf's overlordship of the Geats. A Geatish thane, Weohstan (Wiglaf's father), slays Eanmund at Onela's orders. Eanmund's brother Eadgils, with Beowulf's assistance, later returns to Sweden, kills Onela, and becomes rightful king of the Swedes. The poet foretells that, after the poem's close, King Eadgils will probably seek vengeance on poor Wiglaf because Wiglaf's father had killed his brother Eanmund. Are you confused yet?
Shield Sheafson (lines 4-52): the alleged founder of the Danish ruling dynasty. He arrived as a castaway on the shores of Denmark as a child (a folklore motif akin to the stories of Moses and Perseus). He was a powerful ruler, subdued many of the neighboring tribes, and was honored with a lavish ship-burial. His son was named Beowulf (not to be confused with the hero of this story). Shield Sceafson was the great-grandfather of Hrothgar.
Sigemund (lines 874-897): famous Germanic warrior, also known as Sigurd and Siegfried. He was renowned as a dragon-slayer. He appears prominently in the Old Norse Saga of the Volsungs and in the Middle High German Nibelungenlied. His nephew (some say son) and companion was Fitela. Beowulf is compared favorably to Sigemund.
Heremod (lines 901-915 and again at 1710-1722): This former Danish chieftain was a famous hero, but he later became a bad, stingy ruler, not displaying sufficient generosity to maintain the loyalty of his thegns. He apparently also slew two of his companions, the sons of Ecgwala, in his own hall. An Old Norse version of his story has him slain by treachery in his bath, like Agamemnon. Interesting fact: "Heremod" means "warlike disposition."
Finn (lines 1068-1158): Finn, the son of Folcwalda, was the king of the Frisians and was married to Hildeburh, the princess of the Half-Danes, as a means of ending a feud between the two peoples. When Hildeburh's brother Hnaef visits Finn, he and his men are attacked in Finn's hall. Needless to say, this act constitutes a serious breach of hospitality and reopens the feud between the Frisians and the Half-Danes. Hnaef and his companions are holed up in Finn's hall for five days; the fighting is intense and the losses are heavy on both sides. Hnaef is killed and his right-hand man Hengest proposes a treaty. The Frisians accept, and both tribes burn their dead in a mass funeral. Hengest hangs around Frisia for a year until, urged on by his companions Guthlaf and Oslaf, he slays Finn, avenging his lord.
Hygelac (lines 1202-1213 and elsewhere): (pronounced "Hee-a-lahk") King of the Geats, uncle to Beowulf and husband to Hygd (pronounced "heed"). He meets his doom in the years following Beowulf's liberation of Heorot in an ill-fated expedition against the Franks. This expedition, incidentally, actually happened sometime in the sixth century and is recorded by the Frankish historian Gregory of Tours in his History of the Franks (you can find the excerpt on p. 159 of the Liuzza edition of Beowulf). Hygelac is succeeded as king of the Geats briefly by his son Heardred and later by Beowulf.
Thryth and Offa (lines 1933-1962): Thryth was a famous perilous princess. She had any suitors who dared to look on her put to death. Hence in this passage her great pride is contrasted with Hygd's humility. Offa, the son of Garmund and father of Eomer, was an ancient king of the Angles (the continental ancestors of the Angles who colonized Britain in the sixth century). Being a mighty king and warrior, Offa was deemed worthy of Thryth and the two were happily married, thus ending Thryth's lethally antisocial behavior.
Freawaru and Ingeld (lines 2020-2068): Freawaru (literally "Peace-weaver") is the daughter of Hrothgar. She is betrothed to Ingeld son of Froda, prince of the Heathobard tribe, as a means of settling a blood-feud between Hrothgar and the Heathobards. Beowulf in this passage predicts trouble on the horizon. He correctly foresees that, after Hrothgar's death, Ingeld will be spurred on to avenge the death of his kinsmen and will burn down Heorot. A gloomy future for the Danes, eh?
Herebeald and Haethcyn (lines 2434-2471): Herebeald and Haethcyn were the sons of Hrethel and the older brothers of Hygelac. Beowulf relates how, years ago, Haethcyn slew Herebeald by accident. This chain of events leaves their father Hrethel with a great moral crisis: how can he avenge his son's death without shedding the blood of his other son? He dies of grief instead, and Haethcyn succeeds him to the Geatish throne.
The geatish-Swedish Feuds (references scattered all over the second half of the poem): This is a complicated chain of events that begins a generation before Beowulf's time and ends long after Beowulf's death. The feud begins when the brothers Onela and Ohtere, sons of the Swedish king Ongentheow, attack the Geats (for no apparent reason). The Geatish king Haethcyn (older brother of Hygelac) retaliates but is slain at the Battle of Ravenswood. King Ongentheow of the Swedes is also slain in this battle. His son Ohtere becomes king of the Swedes and Hygelac becomes king of the Geats. Onela, Ohtere's younger brother, usurps the throne and exiles Ohtere's sons Eanmund and Eadgils. In the meantime, Hygelac has died (see Hygelac above) and his young son Heardred is king of the Geats. Heardred quite foolishly takes in Eanmund and Eadgils, which renews Geatish-Swedish hostilities and causes Onela to attack the Geats again. Onela kills Heardred, but agrees to Beowulf's overlordship of the Geats. A Geatish thane, Weohstan (Wiglaf's father), slays Eanmund at Onela's orders. Eanmund's brother Eadgils, with Beowulf's assistance, later returns to Sweden, kills Onela, and becomes rightful king of the Swedes. The poet foretells that, after the poem's close, King Eadgils will probably seek vengeance on poor Wiglaf because Wiglaf's father had killed his brother Eanmund. Are you confused yet?