Beowul, Hygelac & Hrothgar

The Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf contains accounts of several powerful men, the three most important ones being Beowulf, Hrothgar and Hygelac. Hygelac, king of the Geats, is Beowulf’s uncle. Beowulf is, therefore, both Hygelac’s nephew and his thane. He comes to aid Hrothgar, king of Denmark, when the latter is experiencing difficulties that have the power to destroy his kingdom: the monster Grendel has been attacking Hrothgar’s mead-hall Heorot regularly for a long time, and Beowulf is the only man who can put an end to this misery. In many ways, these three old English heroes are similar in character, both in their earlier years and when they have grown old.

One thing the gentlemen have in common is the fact that they were all brave warriors when they were young. Hrothgar only became king after his bravery in battle had been established: “The fortunes of war favored Hrothgar. Friends and kinsmen flocked to his ranks…” (line 64-5). Hygelac is described as a “battle-famed king” (l. 2190), indicating that he too had to obtain renown in battle before being allowed to rule the Geats. Beowulf also had a share in victorious battles. Before he sailed to Denmark, he had already fought many a time. “‘(…) I am Hygelac’s kinsman, one of his hall-troop. When I was younger, I had great triumphs.’” (l. 406-9). His real fame, however, came with his defeating Grendel and subsequently the latter’s mother. “‘(…) Beowulf, my friend, your fame has gone far and wide, you are known everywhere.’” (l. 1699-1705). Another shared characteristic is their self-confidence, which is depicted in descriptive passages about how they made their way in battle: they were fearless and relied wholly on their own strength. For example, Beowulf is at one point described as “the sure-footed fighter” (l. 1543), indicating that he believes himself to be equal to the challenge he faces. This self-reliance has much to do with their pride: they were all proud men. This is shown, for example, during Beowulf’s boasts in the mead-hall. “(…) Beowulf, that prince of goodness, proudly asserted: ‘When it comes to fighting, I count myself as dangerous any day as Grendel.’” (l. 675-8).

The aspect of self-confidence is entwined with the fact that they were very loyal warriors as well. In order to come across truly loyal and honourable, men had to depict an image of themselves that would live up to expectations. In short, they had to boast, make good on those boasts, follow their lords anywhere and anytime and be familiar with the required courtesies of the time. Although it is not literally stated in the text that Hrothgar and Hygelac were faithful thanes, it may be inferred from the descriptions of their loyal character when they are kings. That is to say, it seems the three men do not change much when they become kings, so it may be assumed that they were loyal both when they were young and when they were older. Next to being faithful to either their lords or their thanes, they were also faithful to God. Some characteristics reveal that they have not abandoned pagan morale altogether: “Hygelac’s kinsman kept thinking about his name and fame: he never lost his heart.” (l. 1529-30). The importance of winning glory in battle is associated with pagans. However, on the whole the three kings can be said to be Christians. “’And may the Divine Lord in His wisdom grant the glory of victory to whichever side He sees fit.’” (l. 685-7).

Apart from having been warriors, they have all been kings as well. Moreover, they were very similar kings: all three men were good and loyal rulers. “’Hygelac may be young to rule a nation, but this much is known about the king of the Geats: he will come to my aid and want to support me by word and action in your hour of need, when honor dictates that I raise a hedge of spears around you.’” (l. 1830-5). As Beowulf states, Hygelac would aid him in any way he could because he is such a devoted lord. Also, the kings were very generous. “(…) Hrothgar’s generosity was praised repeatedly.” (l. 1884-5). It was very important for a king to reward his thanes properly, and Hrothgar, Hygelac and Beowulf are all very open-handed. Furthermore, all kings are described as being perfectly capable of ruling their kingdom. Even when, for example, Hrothgar seems unable to control the chaos Grendel created, it is said that “(…) there was no laying of blame on their lord, the noble Hrothgar; he was a good king.” (l. 861-2).

To conclude, Hrothgar, Hygelac and Beowulf are very similar characters. Both as warriors and as kings many parallels can be found. The main characteristics they share are loyalty, bravery, pride and their belief in Christianity. Their reputations are well established, both in the story and outside of it: in the mainly fictive world of the poem, their names will not be forgotten, but readers of the poem nowadays will remember them just as well.