The Tale of Beowulf Part 9

MERWING, The (165 [2920]), the Merovingian king of the Franks.

OFFA (113 [1949]). _See_ Thrytho.

Ohthere (136-7, 165 [2379-2393, 2927]), son of the Swedish King Ongentheow, and father of Eanmund and Eadgils (_q.v._).

Onela, "Ongentheow's bairn" (137 [2386]) and elder brother of Ohthere, is king of Sweden ("the helm of the Scylfings," 136 [2380]) at the time of the rebellion of Eanmund and Eadgils. He invades the land of the Geats, which has harboured the rebels, slays Heardred, son of Hygelac, and then retreats before Beowulf. At a later time Beowulf avenges the death of Heardred by supporting Eadgils, "son of Ohthere" (137 [2393]), in an invasion of Sweden, in which Onela is slain. _See also_ Eadgils; and compare the slaying of Ali by Athils on the ice of Lake Wener in the Icelandic "Heimskringla."

Ongentheow, father of Onela and Ohthere, was a former king of the Swedes. The earlier strife between the Swedes and the Geats, in which he is the chief figure, is fully related by the messenger (164 [2891]) who brings the tidings of Beowulf's death. In retaliation for the marauding invasions of Onela and Ohthere (142 [2474]), Haethcyn invaded Sweden, and took Ongentheow's queen prisoner. Ongentheow in return invaded the land of her captor, whom he slew, and rescued his wife (165 [2923]); but in his hour of triumph he was attacked in his turn by Hygelac near Ravenwood, and fell by the hand of Eofor (168 [2960]).

SCANEY (97 [1686]), Scede-lands (2 [19]), the most southern portion of the Scandinavian peninsula, belonging to the Danes; used in our poem for the whole Danish kingdom.

Scyld (1 [4]), son of Sheaf, was the mythical founder of the royal Danish dynasty of Scyldings.

Scyldings, descendants of Scyld, properly the name of the reigning Danish dynasty, is commonly extended to include the Danish people (3 [30]).

Scylfing: "the Scylfing" (167 [2967]), "the aged of Scylfings" (142 [2486]), is Ongentheow.

Scylfings (136 [2380]), the name of the reigning Swedish dynasty, was extended to the Swedish people in the same way as "Scyldings" to the Danes. Beowulf's kinsman Wiglaf is called "lord of Scylfings" (149 [2601]), and in another pa.s.sage the name is apparently applied to the Geats (170 [3004]); this seems to point to a common ancestry of Swedes and Geats, or it may be that Beowulf's father Ecgtheow was a "Scylfing."

THRYTHO (112 [1931]), wife of the Angle King Offa and mother of Eomaer, is mentioned in contrast to Hygd, just as Heremod is a foil to Beowulf.

She is at first the type of a cruel, unwomanly queen. But by her marriage with Offa, who seems to be her second husband, she is subdued and changed until her fame even adds glory to his.

UNFERTH, son of Ecglaf, is the spokesman of Hrothgar, at whose feet he sits. He is of a jealous disposition, and is twice spoken of as the murderer of his own brothers (34, 67 [587, 1165]). Taunting Beowulf with defeat in his swimming-match with Breca, he is silenced by the hero's reply, and more effectually still by the issue of the struggle with Grendel (57 [980]). Afterwards, however, he lends his sword Hrunting for Beowulf's encounter with Grendel's mother (85, 104 [1465, 1808]).

WaeGMUNDINGS (149, 160 [2605, 2803]), the family to which both Beowulf and Wiglaf belong. Their fathers, Ecgtheow and Weohstan, may have been sons of Waegmund.

Wedermark (17 [298]), the land of the Weder-Geats, _i.e._ the Geats.

Weders, Weder-Geats (13, 86, 122 [225, 1492, 2120]), Geats.

Weland (26 [455]), the Volund of the Edda, the famous smith of Teutonic legend, was the maker of Beowulf's coat of mail. See the figured casket in the British Museum; and compare "Wayland Smith's Cave" near the White Horse, in Berkshire.

Weohstan was the father of Beowulf's kinsman and faithful henchman Wiglaf, and the slayer of Eanmund (149 [2601]).

Wonred, father of "Wulf the Wonreding" (167 [2964]), and of Eofor.

Wulf (167 [2964]). _See_ Eofor.

Wulfgar, "a lord of the Wendels" (20 [348]), is an official of Hrothgar's court, where he is the first to greet Beowulf and his Geats, and introduces them to Hrothgar.

Wythergyld (118 [2051]) is a warrior of the Heathobards.