He approaches Hrothgar with a band of fifteen chosen warriors. When asked from whence they came they said they were Geats, Hygelac’s _hearthgeneats_ (260). And the meaning of the word is illustrated further when the warriors accustomed to sleep in Hrothgar’s hall are spoken of as Hrothgar’s _hearthgeneats_ (1581, and see 260 and 2419). When brought into the hall Beowulf himself calls his band Hygelac’s _beod-geneats_ (344) (table geneats), and to Hrothgar he calls himself ‘mæg and mago-thegn,’ literally ‘kin and son thane’ of Hygelac (408). The daring deed accomplished, Beowulf’s success is rewarded by many golden and other gifts from Hrothgar, and it is significant that on his return he lays all these at the feet of his maternal uncle Hygelac, his _heofodmagus_--chief of kin--whose man and kin he owns himself to be. His position in Hygelac’s kindred thus demands careful study. This seems to be the pedigree. { (1) HEREBEALD { killed by Hæthcyn { { (2) HÆTHCYN HRETHEL { who had three sons { (3) HYGELAC { (1) A DAUGHTER and one daughter { { who married Eofor thus: { { { m. Hygd. { (2) HEARDRED { { Hygelac’s only son. { (4) A SISTER { Beowulf’s BEOWULF { mother Hygelac’s sister’s son. [Sidenote: Homicide within the family unavenged.] Beowulf is made to say that, when seven winters old, Hrethel had received him from his father Ecgtheow and had kept him as his own child (2420). ‘Remembering kinship’ (sippe gemunde), the old chieftain held him in no less regard than his own three sons, Herebeald, Hæthcyn, and Hygelac. But Hrethel’s old age was full of trouble. The worst tragedy that came upon him was the death of his eldest son Herebeald, killed by his second son apparently by accident. Hæthcyn by arrow from hornbow brought him (Herebeald) down, his near kinsman. He missed the target and shot his brother. (2440) Here, then, was an apparently accidental homicide within the family. How was it regarded? One brother killed the other with bloody dart. That was a wrong past compensation.… Any way and every way it was inevitable that the Etheling must quit life unavenged. (2445). The poet likens the father’s grief to that of ‘an old ceorle’ who should see his young son ride on the gallows-tree and can do nothing but wait while his son thus hangs, food for the ravens, as he cannot bring him help (2450).