What does Wealhtheow mean in Beowulf?
The Anglo-Saxon word 'Wealhtheow' originally means 'treasure bearer. ' In Beowulf, Wealhtheow is Hrothgar's queen and the mother of his two sons. She is offered as a wife to king Hrothgar in order to promote peace among the two tribes, the Helmings and Scyldings.
Who is Wealtheow in Beowulf?
Wealtheow is one of the main characters in Beowulf, an epic poem written between the 8th and 11th centuries. Wealtheow is the wife of Hrothgar, King of the Danes, which makes her, you guessed it, the queen.
Who are the main characters in Beowulf?
Principal Characters Beowulf - The protagonist of the epic, Beowulf is a Geatish hero who fights the monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. Beowulf’s boasts and encounters reveal him to be the strongest, ablest warrior around. King Hrothgar - The king of the Danes.
Who is Ecgtheow in Beowulf?
Ecgtheow - Beowulf’s father, Hygelac’s brother-in-law, and Hrothgar’s friend. Ecgtheow is dead by the time the story begins, but he lives on through the noble reputation that he made for himself during his life and in his dutiful son’s remembrances.
Who is the Wealhtheow in Beowulf?
Wealhtheow is one of the few women named in Beowulf , and she is the only woman with a substantial speaking part. Her role as queen is largely ceremonial. The poet describes her first appearance at Beowulf's welcome feast.
Who is Wealhtheow in Grendel?
Wealtheow is Hrothgar's queen, given to him in marriage as a gesture of peace by a rival king. Wealtheow's presence at Hart exerts a calming power, easing tensions and resolving disputes between men. Her beauty and grace fascinate Grendel and torment him just as the beauty of the Shaper's songs first did.
Who is Wealhtheow in Beowulf quizlet?
Wealhtheow, Queen of the Spear-Danes and wife of King Hrothgar, appears briefly in Beowulf as the mistress of Heorot Hall.
Who is Wealhtheow brother?
Wealtheow Timeline and Summary. Wealtheow appears in the second year of Grendel's raiding at Hrothgar's meadhall, bartered by her brother, Hygmod, to keep the peace between the two kingdoms.
What is the relationship between Hrothgar and Wealhtheow?
' In Beowulf, Wealhtheow is Hrothgar's queen and the mother of his two sons. She is offered as a wife to king Hrothgar in order to promote peace among the two tribes, the Helmings and Scyldings. This was typical practice among the Anglo-Saxons; women were often called 'peace weavers.
What is the role of the Queen Wealhtheow in the poem?
The Queen of the Danes The poem portrays Wealtheow as a peacekeeper; a gentle and courteous hostess who soothes ruffled feathers and maintains decorum in the rowdy hall of Heorot, the Danish fortress.
Who is Wealhtheow And what does she ask of Beowulf and of Hrothgar Why is it important what is the significance of the gold necklace?
Wealhtheow is a peace-weaver and takes an active role in diplomacy, generously presenting Beowulf with a valuable gold collar and asking him to serve as counselor to her sons. The role of women, who were still thought of as their husbands' possessions, is limited in Beowulf.
What kind of person is wiglaf?
warriorWiglaf conforms perfectly to the heroic code in that he is willing to die attempting to defeat the opponent and, more importantly, to save his lord. In this regard, Wiglaf appears as a reflection of the young Beowulf in the first part of the story—a warrior who is strong, fearless, valiant, and loyal.
Who is Hygelac in Beowulf poem?
Hygelac. Beowulf's uncle, king of the Geats, and husband of Hygd. Hygelac heartily welcomes Beowulf back from Denmark.
Where is Wealhtheow in Beowulf?
Wealhtheow, Queen of the Spear-Danes and wife of King Hrothgar, appears briefly in Beowulf as the mistress of Heorot Hall.
What does the name Wealhtheow mean?
Welsh slaveSince names in Beowulf are widely understood to reflect aspects of the characters who bear them, the standard translation of Wealhtheow as “Welsh slave” has caused scholarship to entertain two propositions regarding the significance of its etymology: either Wealhtheow was some sort of slave or captive, or the standard ...
Who is scyld's son?
Beow or BeowulfBeow or Beowulf - an early Danish king and the son of Scyld, but not the same character as the hero of the poem. Beowulf - son of Ecgtheow, and the eponymous hero of the Anglo-Saxon poem.
What does Beowulf tell Wiglaf to do?
The dying Beowulf tells Wiglaf to "watch his people's needs" (by which he means that Wiglaf is to become the next king.)
What are Beowulf's final wishes?
What are Beowulf's final wishes? He wishes a barrow to be built in his name; to Wiglaf he give his golden collar and his armor and take of the people. Beowulf was fair-minded; selfless; kind; gracious; to be remembered; his people to be safe and taken care of after his death.
Why did Beowulf celebrate in Heorot?
Beowulf and his men celebrate in Heorot to lure Grendel out. She travels to Heorot and slaughters Beowulf's men while they are sleeping. Hrothgar tells both Beowulf and Wiglaf, who had been sleeping outside the hall during the attack, that it was the work of Grendel's mother.
What does Hrothgar wish Beowulf?
Hrothgar wishes Beowulf luck and promises him anything he might ask for if he can defeat Grendel. “Never to any man erst I trusted, since I could heave up hand and shield, this noble Dane-Hall, till now to thee.
How did Beowulf die?
Beowulf dies during battle with a dragon. In the second part of the poem, Beowulf has ruled over the Geats for fifty years, and he is a good leader. Beowulf and Wiglaf fight the dragon together, and although they kill the dragon, Beowulf is fatally wounded.
What is the sword that Beowulf uses to kill his mother?
Although his sword, Hrunting, loaned to him by Unferth, fails to penetrate the mother's hide, Beowulf discovers a giant magic sword in the cave and is able to kill the mother with it. The sword melts to its hilt after Beowulf uses it to decapitate the corpse of Grendel, which lies nearby.
What is the character of the Queen of Heorot?
Character Analysis Wealhtheow Hrothgar's queen is an embodiment of hospitality and good taste as she hosts the banquets in Heorot. Wealhtheow is a peace-weaver and takes an active role in diplomacy, generously presenting Beowulf with a valuable gold collar and asking him to serve as counselor to her sons.
Who is the peace weaver in Beowulf?
Wealhtheow is a peace-weaver and takes an active role in diplomacy, generously presenting Beowulf with a valuable gold collar and asking him to serve as counselor to her sons. The role of women, who were still thought of as their husbands' possessions, is limited in Beowulf.
What is the Queen of Hrothgar?
Hrothgar's queen is an embodiment of hospitality and good taste as she hosts the banquets in Heorot. She is everything that a queen should be: generous, tasteful, proper, and kind. Her graceful appearance shortly after the Unferth incident contrasts effectively with the rude behavior of the drunken retainer. Wealhtheow is a peace-weaver and takes an active role in diplomacy, generously presenting Beowulf with a valuable gold collar and asking him to serve as counselor to her sons.
What does "welhtheow" mean in Beowulf?
The Anglo-Saxon word 'Wealhtheow' originally means 'treasure bearer. ' In Beowulf, Wealhtheow is Hrothgar's queen and the mother of his two sons. She is offered as a wife to king Hrothgar in order to promote peace among the two tribes, the Helmings and Scyldings.
Who is the peace weaver in Beowulf?
Wealhtheow is a peace-weaver and takes an active role in diplomacy, generously presenting Beowulf with a valuable gold collar and asking him to serve as counselor to her sons. The role of women, who were still thought of as their husbands' possessions, is limited in Beowulf.
Who is Hildeburh in Beowulf?
Hildeburh, introduced in line 1071 of the poem, Beowulf, is the daughter of the Danish King Hoc and the wife of the Finn, King of the Frisians. Her story is sung by a scop during festivities in lines 1071-1158.
Who does Beowulf commend to his sons?
In a grimly ironic passage that would not be lost on the Anglo-Saxon audience of Beowulf Wealhþēow commends her sons to Hroðulf's generosity and protection, not suspecting that he will murder her sons to claim the throne for himself.
What is the importance of Wealhtheow in the poem?
Wealhtheow (like Hygd) fulfills the important role of hostess in the poem. The importance of this cup carrying practice is emphasized in lines 1161-1231. Here Wealhtheow, anxious that Hrothgar secures the succession for her own offspring, gives a speech and recompenses Beowulf for slaying Grendel with three horses and a necklace.
What is the Wulfing family?
The argument was advanced in 1897 that the Wulfing name may have been synonymous with the East Anglian Wuffing dynasty, and the family name Helmingas with the place-names 'Helmingham' in Norfolk and Suffolk, both of which lie in areas of 5th–6th century migrant occupation.
Who is Wealhtheow married to?
Wealhtheow is of the Wulfing clan, Queen of the Danes. She is married to Hrothgar (Hrōðgār), the Danish king and is the mother of sons, Hreðric and Hroðmund, and a daughter Freawaru. The meaning of her name is disputed. One possible translation is " foreign slave" (Hill, 1990).
Who is the queen of the Danes?
Wealhþeow. Wealhþēow (also rendered Wealhtheow or Wealthow; Old English: Ƿealhþēoƿ [ˈwæɑɫxθeːow]) is a queen of the Danes in the Old English poem, Beowulf, first introduced in line 612.
Who is the only woman to speak in Beowulf?
Wealhtheow is one of the few women named in Beowulf, and she is the only woman with a substantial speaking part. Her role as queen is largely ceremonial. The poet describes her first appearance at Beowulf’s welcome feast.
Who offered the ale cup to the lord of the land of East-Danes?
Then Wealhtheow stepped forth, mindful of courtesy. The queen of Hrothgar, adorned in gold, greeted the men in the hall. The noble woman first offered the ale-cup to the lord of the land of East-Danes.
What does the poet provide in the scene of the arm and arm?
The poet provides a glimpse of the customs that prevailed within a court like Hrothgar’s. As queen, Wealhtheow was attended by a body of maidens, just as her husband was accompanied by his warriors. In this scene the entire group is going to view the arm and hand of Grendel.
Where did the King walk from his wife's chamber?
And many strong-minded men proceeded onward to reach the high hall to see the curious wonder; and the king himself, …walked from his wife’s chamber with his band of warriors—and with him his queen went to the mead-hall with her own troop of maidens.
What does the poet observe in the poem?
The poet observes Wealhtheow and notices clues as to what she is thinking. She looks at her sons, who are seated, like Beowulf, among other young warriors. The poet is hinting that this seating is deliberate, so that Wealhtheow’ s sons can share some of the hero’s glory. Be ever blessed while you live, a noble lord.
Who is Wealtheow in Beowulf?
Wealtheow is one of the main characters in Beowulf, an epic poem written between the 8th and 11th centuries. Wealtheow is the wife of Hrothgar, King of the Danes, which makes her, you guessed it, the queen. The poem portrays Wealtheow as a peacekeeper; a gentle and courteous hostess who soothes ruffled feathers and maintains decorum in the rowdy hall of Heorot, the Danish fortress.
When was Beowulf written?
Beowulf was written a long time ago, somewhere between the 8th and 11th centuries, and the story takes place even earlier than that. Obviously, things have changed since then, especially for women. Today, a female leader like Wealtheow might be involved in her nation's politics, or champion a charitable cause. But in the 5th century, the time of the poem, women had a very low social status. They were basically regarded as the property of men, first belonging to their fathers, and then, when they married, to their husbands.
What is Wealtheow worried about?
She is especially concerned for the safety of her two sons and her elderly husband, who is now too old and weak to defeat Grendel himself. When the foreign-born Beowulf arrives to slay the monster, Wealtheow welcomes him generously, giving him a precious gold necklace and praising his many heroic accomplishments. She entreats him to act boldly to protect the Danes.
What is the role of women in Beowulf?
Although the role of women in Beowulf is limited, Wealtheow, Queen of the Danes, displays her virtues as a peacekeeper and civilizing influence over the rowdy warriors of Heorot. In addition, she illustrates the ways in which women were used to cement relationships between tribes and to support the status of their husbands .
What is Wealtheow's role in the epic?
She is a mediator within the domestic sphere of the hall , and in direct contrast with the violent world of the warriors and the monsters they fight.
Who is the Queen of the Danes?
Wealtheow, Queen of the Danes, is one of the most significant characters in Beowulf. Examine her role in this epic poem and its relation to the status of women therein. Updated: 09/14/2021
Who is Beowulf's father?
Ecgtheow. Beowulf’s father, Hygelac’s brother-in-law, and Hrothgar’s friend. Ecgtheow is dead by the time the story begins, but he lives on through the noble reputation that he made for himself during his life and in his dutiful son’s remembrances.
Who is jealous of Beowulf?
A Danish warrior who is jealous of Beowulf, Unferth is unable or unwilling to fight Grendel, thus proving himself inferior to Beowulf.
What is Hrothgar's role in Beowulf?
He is a father figure to Beowulf and a model for the kind of king that Beowulf becomes .
Why is Grendel a part of the retribution?
Because his ruthless and miserable existence is part of the retribution exacted by God for Cain’s murder of Abel, Grendel fits solidly within the ethos of vengeance that governs the world of the poem. Read an in-depth analysis of Grendel. Read an in-depth analysis of Grendel.
What is the dragon in Beowulf?
The dragon. An ancient, powerful serpent, the dragon guards a horde of treasure in a hidden mound. Beowulf’s fight with the dragon constitutes the third and final part of the epic.
Who succeeded Beow as ruler of the Danes?
The father of Hrothgar, Heorogar, Halga, and an unnamed daughter who married a king of the Swedes, Halfdane succeeded Beow as ruler of the Danes.
Who is the second king in the poem?
The second king listed in the genealogy of Danish rulers with which the poem begins. Beow is the son of Shield Sheafson and father of Halfdane. The narrator presents Beow as a gift from God to a people in need of a leader. He exemplifies the maxim, “Behavior that’s admired / is the path to power among people everywhere” (24–25).
