The Tale of Beowulf Part 8

Ecgtheow (22 [373]), father of Beowulf the Geat, by the only daughter of Hrethel, king of the Geats. Having slain Heatholaf, a warrior of the Wylfings, Ecgtheow sought protection at the court of the Danish King Hrothgar, who accepted his fealty and settled the feud by a money-payment (27 [463]). Hence the heartiness of Beowulf's welcome at Hrothgar's hands.

Ecgwela. The Scyldings or Danes are once called "Ecgwela's offspring"

(99 [1710]). He may have been the founder of the older dynasty of Danish kings which ended with Heremod.

Eofor (142, 167-9 [2485, 2963-2996]), a Geat warrior, brother of Wulf.

He came to the aid of his brother in his single combat with the Swedish King Ongentheow, and slew the king, being rewarded by Hygelac with the hand of his only daughter.

Eotens (61, 62, 66 [1072, 1088, 1141]) are the people of Finn, king of Friesland. In other pa.s.sages, it is merely a name for a race of monsters.

FINN (61-7 [1068-1156]). The somewhat obscure Finn episode in _Beowulf_ appears to be part of a Finn epic, of which only the merest fragment, called the _Fight at Finnsburg_, is extant. The following conjectured outline of the whole story is based on this fragment and on the Beowulf episode; Finn, king of the Frisians, had carried off Hildeburh, daughter of Hoc, probably with her consent. Her father, Hoc, seems to have pursued the fugitives, and to have been slain in the fight which ensued on his overtaking them. After the lapse of some twenty years Hoc's sons, Hnaef and Hengest, are old enough to undertake the duty of avenging their father's death. They make an inroad into Finn's country, and a battle takes place in which many warriors, among them Hnaef and a son of Finn, are killed. Peace is then solemnly concluded, and the slain warriors are burnt. As the year is too far advanced for Hengest to return home, he and those of his men who survive remain for the winter in the Frisian country with Finn. But Hengest's thoughts dwell constantly on the death of his brother Hnaef, and he would gladly welcome any excuse to break the peace which had been sworn by both parties. His ill-concealed desire for revenge is noticed by the Frisians, who antic.i.p.ate it by themselves attacking Hengest and his men whilst they are sleeping in the hall. This is the night attack described in the _Fight at Finnsburg_. It would seem that after a brave and desperate resistance Hengest himself falls in this fight at the hands of the son of Hunlaf (66 [1143]), but two of his retainers, Guthlaf and Oslaf, succeed in cutting their way through their enemies and in escaping to their own land. They return with fresh troops, attack and slay Finn, and carry his queen Hildeburh back to the Daneland.

Folkwalda (62 [1089]), father of Finn.

Franks (70, 165 [1210, 2911]). Hygelac, king of the Geats, was defeated and slain early in the sixth century, in his historical invasion of the Netherlands, by a combined army of Frisians, Franks, and Hugs.

Freawaru (116 [2022]), daughter of Hrothgar and Wealhtheow. Beowulf tells Hygelac that her father has betrothed her to Ingeld, prince of the Heathobards, in the hope of settling the feud between the two peoples.

But he prophesies that the hope will prove vain: for an old Heathobard warrior, seeing a Danish chieftain accompany Freawaru to their court laden with Heathobard spoils, will incite the son of the former owner of the plundered treasure to revenge, until blood is shed, and the feud is renewed. That this was what afterwards befell, we learn from the Old English poem _Widsith_. _See also_ ll. 83-5.

Friesland (65 [1126]), the land of the North Frisians.

Frieslands (135 [2356]), Frisian land (165 [2914]), the home of the West Frisians.

Frisians. Two tribes are to be distinguished: 1. The North Frisians (61, 63 [1070, 1093]), the people of Finn. 2. The West Frisians (143, 165 [2502, 2911]), who combined with the Franks and Hugs and defeated Hygelac, between 512 and 520 A.D.

Froda (117 [2025]), father of Ingeld. _See_ Freawaru.

GUTHLAF and Oslaf (66 [1148]). _See_ Finn.

HaeRETH (112, 114 [1929, 1981]), father of Hygd, wife of Hygelac.

Haethcyn (139, 142, 165 [2433, 2481, 2924]), second son of Hrethel, king of the Geats, and thus elder brother of Hygelac. He accidentally killed his elder brother Herebeald with a bow-shot, to the inconsolable grief of Hrethel. He succeeded to the throne at his father's death, but fell in battle at Ravenwood (165 [2924]) by the hand of the Swedish King Ongentheow.

Half-Danes (61 [1069]), the tribe to which Hnaef belongs. _See_ Finn.

Hama (69 [1198]). _See_ Brisings.

Healfdene (4 [57]), king of the Danes, son of Beowulf the Scylding, and father of Hrothgar, "Healfdene's son" (16 [268]).

Heardred (126, 136-7 [2202, 2374-2387]), son of Hygelac and Hygd. While still under age he succeeds his father as king of the Geats, Beowulf, who has refused the throne himself, being his counsellor and protector.

He is slain by "Ongentheow's bairn" (137 [2386]), Onela, king of the Swedes.

Heathobards, Lombards, the tribe of Ingeld, the betrothed of Freawaru, Hrothgar's daughter (117 [2032]).

Heatholaf (27 [460]). _See_ Ecgtheow.

Helmings. "The Dame of the Helmings" (36 [620]) is Hrothgar's queen, Wealhtheow.

Hemming. "The Kinsman of Hemming" is a name for Offa (112 [1944]) and for his son Eomaer (113 [1961]).

Hengest (62-5 [1083-1127]). _See_ Finn.

Heorogar (5 [61]), elder brother of Hrothgar (27 [467]), did not leave his armour to his son Heoroward (124 [2158]); but Hrothgar gives it to Beowulf, and Beowulf gives it to Hygelac.

Herebeald (139, 141 [2433, 2462]), eldest son of the Geat King Hrethel, was accidentally shot dead with an arrow by his brother Haethcyn.

Heremod (53, 99 [915, 1709]) is twice spoken of as a bad and cruel Danish king. In the end he is betrayed into the hands of his foes.

Hereric may have been brother of Hygd, Hygelac's queen, for their son Heardred is spoken of as "the nephew of Hereric" (126 [2206]).

Here-Scyldings (64 [1108]), Army-Scyldings, a name of the Danes.

Hetware (135, 165 [2362, 2915]), the Hattuarii of the _Historia Francorum_ of Gregory of Tours and of the _Gesta Regum Francorum_, were the tribe against which Hygelac was raiding when he was defeated and slain by an army of Frisians, Franks, and Hugs.

Hildeburh (61, 64 [1071, 1114]). _See_ Finn.

Hnaef (61, 64 [1069, 1114]). _See_ Finn.

Hoc (62 [1076]). _See_ Finn.

Hrethel, a former king of the Geats; son of Swerting (70 [1202]), father of Hygelac and grandfather of Beowulf (22 [374]), to whom he left his coat of mail (26 [454]). He died of grief at the loss of his eldest son Herebeald (139-42) [2429-2473], who was accidentally slain by his brother Haethcyn.

[Transcriber's Note: Page 70 [l. 1202] text reads "Hygelac ... grandson of Swerting."

Hrethel is not named.]

Hrethlings (167 [2959]), the people of Hrethel, the Geats.

Hrethmen (26 [445]), Triumph-men, the Danes.

Hrethric (69, 106 [1189, 1836]), elder son of Hrothgar and Wealhtheow.

Hrothgar. _See_ the Argument.

Hrothulf (59, 68 [1017, 1181]), probably the son of Hrothgar's younger brother Halga (5 [61]). He lives at the Danish court. Wealhtheow hopes that, if he survives Hrothgar, he will be good to their children in return for their kindness to him. It would seem that this hope was not to be fulfilled ("yet of kindred unsunder'd," 67 [1164]).

Hygd, daughter of Haereth, wife of Hygelac, the king of the Geats, and mother of Heardred. She may well be "the wife of aforetime" (177 [3149]).

Hygelac, third son of Hrethel (139 [2433]) and uncle to Beowulf, is the reigning king of the Geats during the greater part of the action of the poem. When his brother Haethcyn was defeated and slain by Ongentheow at Ravenwood (165 [2923]), Hygelac quickly went in pursuit and put Ongentheow to flight; but although, as leader of the attack, he is called "the banesman of Ongentheow" (114 [1986]), the actual slayer was Eofor (142, 167 [2485, 2963]), whom Hygelac rewarded with the hand of his only daughter (169 [2996]). Hygelac came by his death between 512 and 520 A.D., in his historical invasion of the Netherlands, which is referred to in the poem four times (70, 135, 143, 165 [1207, 2356, 2502, 2911]).

ING (147 [2576]). _See_ Ingwines.

Ingeld (119 [2064]). _See_ Freawaru.

Ingwines (60, 77 [1044, 1319]), "friends of Ing," the Danes. Ing, according to the Old English _Rune-Poem_, "was first seen by men amid the East Danes"; he has been identified with Frea.