The Tale of Beowulf, Sometime King of the Folk of the Weder Geats
General
The Tale of Beowulf, Sometime King of the Folk of the Weder Geats
Dragons -- Poetry; Epic poetry, English (Old); Monsters -- Poetry
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 passage 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]).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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