Beowulf Characters
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43 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Shield Sheafon | legendary Danish king--a "good king"--Hrothgar is one of his descendants |
| Halfdane | Danish king--son of Beow and father of Hrothgar, Heorogar, and Halga |
| Heorogar | Hrothgar's brother--son of Halfdane |
| Hrothgar | king of the Danes--kingdom terrorized by Grendel. Father figure to Beowulf |
| Halga | another son of Halfdane |
| Onela | Beowulf kills this man because the Swedes kill Hygelac's son--Heardred. Marries Hrothgar's daughter. |
| Heorot | mead-hall built by Hrothgar--terrorized by Grendel |
| Grendel | said to be a descedant of Cain (symbolically), terrorizes Heorot and threatens the Danes until he is defeated by Beowulf--lives in the fens |
| Hygelac | king of the Geats, also Beowulf's uncle, son of Hrethel and husband of Hygd |
| Ecgtheow | Beowulf's father--nearly starts a feud with the Wulfings until Hrothgar pays them--that's why Beowulf is killing Grendel for Hrothgar (part of why, at least) |
| Wulfgar | Hrothgar's harold |
| Hrethel | Hygelac's father, takes Beowulf in after Ecgtheow dies |
| Unferth | verbally challenges Beowulf on his first night in Heorot |
| Breca | beat Beowulf in a swimming competition--Beowulf killed more sea-monsters though |
| Wealhtheow | Hrothgar's queen--good peaceweaver |
| Sigemund | legendary hero who killed a dragon |
| Fitela | Sigemund's uncle |
| Heremod | Evil, power-hungry king in Sigemund's tale. Hrothgar contrasts Beowulf to him. |
| Hrothulf | Hrothgar's nephew--causes the downfall of the Danes |
| Finn | Frisian king in the Finnsburg Lay--married to Hildeburh, kills her brother, Hnaef but is killed by Hengest |
| Hnaef | Hildeburh's brother--killed by Finn |
| Hildeburh | Danish princess from the Finnsburg Lay--married to Finn and loses her son and brother (Hnaef) at battle at Finn's hall |
| Hengest | Danish warrior from the Finnsburg Lay--takes charge and makes a truce with the Frisians--then kills them |
| Hrethric | Hrothgar's oldest son--rightful heir of the throne but Hrothulf betrays him to take the throne |
| Hrothmund | Hrothgar's other son |
| Grendel's Mother | wants revenge on the Danes, lives in a mere, kills Aeschere but Beowulf kills her eventually |
| Aeschere | Hrothgar's friend and counsellor--killed by Grendel's mother to lure Beowulf into fighting her |
| Hrunting | sword that Unferth lent to Beowulf--famous for never failing in battle but does so against Grendel's mother |
| Hygd | Hygelac's queen, good peace-weaver--contrasted with Modthryth |
| Modthryth | an evil queen who turned better after marrying Offa |
| Offa | a good king who marries Modthryth and makes her less bad |
| Freawaru | Hrothgar's daughter--Beowulf forsees her marrying Ingeld and sparking a feud between the Danes and Heathobards |
| Ingeld | who Freawaru plans to marry--Heathobard |
| Handscio | the one Geat warrior that Grendel killed |
| Heardred | Hygelac's heir that is slain by the Swedes |
| the dragon | guarded treasure for 300 years--awoken by a slave fleeing his master who got away with something. Furious and terrorizing Geatland. |
| Ongentheow | Swedish king who killed Haethcyn (one of Hygelac's brothers)--killed by Eofor |
| Herebeald | Hrethel's son--accidentally killed by his brother Haethcyn's stray arrow--oldest brother |
| Haethcyn | killed Herebeald--not punished but not loved by Hrethel--killed by Ongentheow in feud |
| Eofor | Hygelac's thane, kills Ongentheow |
| Wiglaf | one of Beowulf's Geatish soldiers--only one who helps him fight the dragon, delivers one crucial blow. Similar to Beowulf. |
| Naegling | Beowulf's sword, infallible until it fails him against the dragon |
| Wulf | Eofor's brother--delivered crucial blow to Ongentheow but was injured by him |
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