| Dane/ShieldingShield Sheafson | -legendary danish king from whom Hrothgar is descended-inaugurates a long line of danish rulers and embodies the danish tribe’s highest values of heroism and leadership-poem opens w/ his rise from orphan to warrior-king |
| Dane/ShieldingBeow | -2nd king listed in the genealogy of danish rulers-son of shield sheafson and father of halftone-presented as a gift from God to a people in need of a leader |
| Dane/ShieldingHalfdane | -father of Hrothgar, Heorogar, Halga, and Yrsa (daughter)-succeeded Beow as ruler of Danes |
| Dane/ShieldingHrothgar | -present king of the Danes-enjoys military success and prosperity until Grendel terrorizes his realm-father figure to Beowulf and model for the kind of king Beowulf becomes |
| Dane/Shielding Wealhtheow | -Hrothgar’s wife, queen of the Danes-carries a goblet of mead around to the warriors during the feast, helping to establish a tone of brotherly affection between the Geats and Danes -also the order in which she passes it establishes a social ranking-peace weaver |
| Dane/ShieldingHeorogar | son of Halfdane, Hrothgar’s brother, father of Heoroweard |
| Dane/ShieldingHalga | son of Halfdane, father of Hrothulf |
| Dane/ShieldingYrsa | daughter of Halfdane, married Onela-a king of the Swedes |
| Dane/ShieldingUnferth | -danish warrior who is jealous of Beowulf-unable or willing to fight grendel, proving himself inferior to Beowulf |
| Dane/ShieldingHrethric | -Hrothgar’s elder son-stands to inherit the Danish throne, but Hrethric’s older cousin Hrothulf will prevent him from doing so |
| Dane/ShieldingHrothmund | -The second son of Hrothgar |
| Dane/ShieldingHrothulf | -Hrothgar’s nephew (son of Halga), gets taken in by Hrothgar-betrays his cousin, Hrethic, the rightful heir to the Danish throne-treachery contrasts with Beowulf’s loyalty to Hygelac in helping his son to the throne |
| Dane/ShieldingAeschere | -Hrothgar’s trusted adviser-killed by grendel’s mother |
| Dane/ShieldingFreawaru | -3rd child of Hrothgar-marries Ingeld the Heathobard |
| GeatsHrethel | -Geatish king who took Beowulf in-in dilemma bc of Herebeald’s death-dies of a broken heart-3 sons and a daughter |
| GeatsHerebeald | -is accidentally killed with an arrow by Haethcyn -son of Hrethel-his death is an example of wergild |
| GeatsHaethcyn | -kills Herebeald with arrow-son of Hrethel |
| GeatsHygelac | -son of Hrethel, king of Geats after Hrethel dies-Beowulf’s uncle, husband of Hygd |
| GeatsHygd | -wife of Hygelac-when Hygelac dies, she offers the throne to Beowulf first instead of her own son, Heardred |
| Geatsdaughter “Berthgar” | -daughter of Hrethel-marries Ecgtheow-mother of Beowulf |
| GeatsEcgtheow | -father of Beowulf, dies-lives on through noble reputation he made for himself during his life and in his dutiful son’s remembrances-Hrothgar’s friend, Hygelac’s brother-in-law |
| GeatsBeowulf | -protagonist of the epic-Geatish hero who defeats Grendel, Gendel’s mother, and a dragon-boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest, ablest warrior around-personifies best values of the heroic culture and proves to be a wise and effective ruler in old age-becomes king of the Geats when Heardred dies |
| GeatsHeardred | -eldest son of Hygelac-Beowulf helps him become king-becomes king, gets killed, then Beowulf takes over |
| The SwedesOnela | -1 of 2 sons of Ongentheow-marries Yrsa, the daughter of Halfdane |
| GeatsWiglaf | -young kinsman and retainer of Beowulf who helps him in the fight against the dragon while all of the other warriors runs away-proves himself a suitable successor to Beowulf |
Beowulf family tree
February 24, 2020