What is the name of the Geatish king?
The Norse Sagas know them as Gautar; Beowulf and Widsith as Gēatas. Beowulf and the Norse sagas name several Geatish kings, but only Hygelac finds confirmation in Liber Monstrorum where he is referred to as "Rex Getarum" and in a copy of Historiae Francorum where he is called "Rege Gotorum".
Did the Geats have a say in the election of the king?
In his Gesta Danorum (book 13), the Danish 12th-century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus noted that the Geats had no say in the election of the king, only the Swedes.
Which non-Geatish king was killed by the Geats?
The non-Geatish King Ragnvald Knaphövde was killed by the Geats as he despised them and travelled among them without Geatish hostages. Karl Sverkersson, rex Gothorum before becoming king of all of Sweden.
Who was the king of the Geats in Beowulf?
Hygelac, King of the Geats, in Beowulf. Hygelac, the king of the Geats in Beowulf, is mentioned in valid records as their leader and in conjunction with several battles and raids, including a raid on Frisia, or Frankish territories in what is modern-day France. Hygelac was present on that raid, which took place around 516 C.E. (C.E.
Who is the king of the Geats in Beowulf?
HygelacHygelac. Beowulf's uncle, king of the Geats, and husband of Hygd. Hygelac heartily welcomes Beowulf back from Denmark.
Who was the first king of the Geats?
Ylfings (Wulfings) Helm Early 6th century, the Wulfing king mentioned in Widsith.
Who is the leader of the Geats?
Hygelac - king of the Geats; the husband of Hygd.
Who ruled the Geats before Beowulf?
In time, Hygelac is killed in battle with the Shyflings, and the kingdom falls to Beowulf. For fifty years he rules the Geats, becoming a great and wise king.
Is Beowulf a geat or Dane?
Beowulf A Geat, son of Edgetheow and nephew of Hygelac, lord of the Geats. The hero of this story. Breca Beowulf's best friend. He once took part in a famous swimming contest with the hero.
Does Beowulf become king of the Geats?
Given this history, F.R. Klaeber speculates that Beowulf himself was born in about the year 495. He defeats Grendel and his mother to save Hroðgar's kingdom in 515. Following Hygelac's raid in 520, he eventually becomes king of the Geats when Heardred was killed in 533.
What was the King of the Danes?
The King of the Danes in Beowulf is Hrothgar. He is the one who built Heorot, the mead hall, which has been under siege by the monster Grendel for the...
How is Hrothgar a leader?
Hrothgar is an excellent and successful king. He builds Heorot, a magnificent hall, and builds love and loyalty through his generosity and wisdom. However, though once a great warrior, he can no longer defend his people from Grendel, and his sons also are too young to take up leadership of the Danes.
Who is the leader of Beowulf's people?
In the epic the main kings are Hrothgar who is a generous and a natural leader of the Danes, and Beowulf who is known as a noble and loyal king of the Geats. Both of these kings went through many events that had many different impacts on them and they succeeded.
Was Beowulf's dad a king?
So, during the poem, you will often hear Beowulf referred to as a 'son of Ecgthow,' and not as a child of his (unnamed) mother. Ecgthow, then, is Beowulf's father. He is a noble warrior who serves his king well.
Who becomes king after Beowulf dies?
At Beowulf's command, Wiglaf gathers treasure from the dragon's lair and piles it where Beowulf can see it. The dying Beowulf tells Wiglaf to "watch his people's needs" (by which he means that Wiglaf is to become the next king.)
How did Hrothgar become king?
Hrothgar's older brother, Hergar, was king and died, making Hrothgar king. Hrothgar worked with Beowulf's father, Edgetho, to secure an earlier peace. What is the purpose of the feast that Hrothgar hosts in Beowulf's honor?
Who first mentioned the Geats?
The earliest known surviving mention of the Geats appears in Ptolemy (2nd century AD), who refers to them as Goutai. In the 6th century, Jordanes writes of the Gautigoths and Ostrogoths (the Ostrogoths of Scandza) and equates them with the Getae; and Procopius refers to Gautoi.
What are the Geats?
The Geats ( / ɡiːts, ˈɡeɪəts, jæts / GHEETS, GAY-əts, YATS; Old English: gēatas [ˈjæɑtɑs]; Old Norse: gautar [ˈɡɑu̯tɑr]; Swedish: götar [ˈjø̌ːtar] ), sometimes called Goths, were a North Germanic tribe who inhabited Götaland ("land of the Geats") in modern southern Sweden during the Middle Ages. They are one of the progenitor groups of modern Swedes, along with Swedes (the tribe) and Gutes. The name of the Geats also lives on in the Swedish provinces of Västergötland and Östergötland, the Western and Eastern lands of the Geats, and in many other toponyms .
How were the Geats of Sweden related to the Goths?
There have also been some attempts by scholars to separate the gēatas in Beowulf from the people in mainland Sweden and instead identify it with other Scandinavian tribes, but these have not received widespread support.
What is the Swedish name for the Geats?
It was originally an adjective referring to those belonging to the Swedish tribe, who are called svear in Swedish. As early as the 9th century, svear had been vague, both referring to the Swedish tribe and being a collective term including the Geats, and this is the case in Adam of Bremen 's work where the Geats ( Goths) appear both as a proper nation and as part of the Sueones. The merging/assimilation of the two nations took a long time, however. In the early-20th century, Nordisk familjebok noted that svensk had almost replaced svear as a name for the Swedish people.
What is the name of the Goths?
Further information: Gaut and Name of the Goths. The etymology of the name Geat (Old English Geatas, from a Proto-Germanic * Gautaz, plural * Gautōz) is similar, although not identical, to that of Goths and Gutar (* Gutô, plural * Gutaniz ). The names derive from different ablaut grades of the Proto-Germanic word * geutaną, meaning "to pour".
What did Jordanes describe the Geats as?
Some decades after the events related in this epic, Jordanes described the Geats as a nation which was "bold, and quick to engage in war". Before the consolidation of Sweden, the Geats were politically independent of the Swedes or Svear, whose name was Sweonas in Old English.
Where is Gotland located?
However, an expanse of water separates the island of Gotland from the Swedes. The island lies east of Denmark/Dacia and whales were once common in the Baltic Sea where Gotland is situated. The name of the Gutes in Swedish, Gutar, is an ablaut-grade of the same name as that of the Geats in Beowulf.
Who is the king of the Geats?
Hygelac, King of the Geats, is held as a kingly ideal in Beowulf. He is not only a true historical figure that can be used to help date the province of the poem itself, he is a folk-hero character within the poem used to underscore Beowulf's own hero status through his loyalty and service to a great and kind king.
Who was the leader of the Geats in Beowulf?
Hygelac, the king of the Geats in Beowulf, is mentioned in valid records as their leader and in conjunction with several battles and raids, including a raid on Frisia, or Frankish territories in what is modern-day France. Hygelac was present on that raid, which took place around 516 C.E. (C.E.
What is the role of Hygelac in Beowulf?
The author calls Hygelac a giver of treasure and a folk-defender, aligning him with the hero status of Beowulf himself. Hygelac's kingship is an ideal kingship in the eyes of the characters who encounter him, especially Beowulf, who gives Hygelac his loyalty. Lesson Summary. Hygelac, King of the Geats, is held as a kingly ideal in Beowulf.
What did Beowulf do after Hygelac died?
After Hygelac's death in battle, Beowulf becomes king and rules for many years, until a thief disturbs a dragon's barrow. (Sound familiar?
What does the author call Hygelac?
The author calls Hygelac a giver of treasure and a folk-defender, aligning him with the hero status of Beowulf himself.
What is the significance of Hygelac's generosity to Beowulf?
Hygelac's generosity to Beowulf would have been very revealing for ancient audiences. By giving Beowulf so many treasures and such high status, Hygelac is saying that Beowulf has earned not only his personal respect, but the respect of all the Geats and is a hero to them. The author of Beowulf gives Hygelac not only his historical status ...
Why does Beowulf assume the throne?
When Beowulf becomes king of the Geats after Hygelac's death in battle, his assumption of the throne indicates his redemption as a character into hero status because he is able to fill the role after such a revered king has died. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Legendary kings
Some names appear in Norse mythology and in Germanic legend and in at least one case, they were probably historical ( Hygelac ). Their order of succession is uncertain (if they ever lived).
Historical kings
When sources become more reliable, Götaland is an integrated part of the Swedish kingdom and from Stenkil and onwards most of the medieval Swedish kings actually belonged to Geatish clans ( House of Stenkil, House of Sverker and the House of Bjelbo, possibly also the House of Eric ).
False kings
The 16th-century forgery Ballad of Eric tells of the first king of Götaland Eric ( "Eiriker" ), who for a long time was considered historical.
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).
Who was the father of Hrothgar?
Halfdane. 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.
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 .
Who is the founder of the Danish tribe?
The legendary Danish king from whom Hrothgar is descended, Shield Sheafson is the mythical founder who inaugurates a long line of Danish rulers and embodies the Danish tribe’s highest values of heroism and leadership. The poem opens with a brief account of his rise from orphan to warrior-king, concluding, “That was one good king” (11).
Who is Wiglaf in Beowulf?
Wiglaf. A young kinsman and retainer of Beowulf who helps him in the fight against the dragon while all of the other warriors run away . Wiglaf adheres to the heroic code better than Beowulf’s other retainers, thereby proving himself a suitable successor to Beowulf. Read an in-depth analysis of Wiglaf.
Who is the strongest warrior in the world?
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. In his youth, he personifies all of the best values of the heroic culture. In his old age, he proves a wise and effective ruler.
Who is Hrothulf's cousin?
Hrothgar’s nephew, Hrothulf betrays and usurps his cousin, Hrethic, the rightful heir to the Danish throne. Hrothulf’s treachery contrasts with Beowulf’s loyalty to Hygelac in helping his son to the throne.
Overview
History
The earliest known surviving mention of the Geats appears in Ptolemy (2nd century AD), who refers to them as Goutai. In the 6th century, Jordanes writes of the Gautigoths and Ostrogoths (the Ostrogoths of Scandza); and Procopius refers to Gautoi. The Norse Sagas know them as Gautar; Beowulf and Widsith as Gēatas. Beowulf and the Norse sagas name several Geatish kings, but only Hyg…
Etymology
The etymology of the name Geat (Old English Geatas, from a Proto-Germanic *Gautaz, plural *Gautōz) is similar, although not identical, to that of Goths and Gutar (*Gutô, plural *Gutaniz). The names derive from different ablaut grades of the Proto-Germanic word *geutaną, meaning "to pour". They are generally accepted as having originated as heiti for "men (of the tribe)", with the literal meaning "they who pour their seed". (For more information see Goths § Etymology.) The n…
Society
The Geats were traditionally divided into several petty kingdoms, or districts, which had their own things (popular assemblies) and laws. The largest one of these districts was Västergötland (West Geatland), and it was in Västergötland that the Thing of all Geats was held every year, in the vicinity of Skara. Despite the name, the thing was only for the inhabitants of Västergötland and Dalsland. The equivalent in Östergötland was Lionga thing.
Modern legacy
Today, the merger of the two nations is complete, as there is no longer any tangible identification in Götaland with a Geatish identity, apart from the common tendency of residents of the provinces of Västergötland and Östergötland to refer to themselves as västgötar (West Geats) and östgötar (East Geats), similar to how residents of other provinces refer to themselves. The dialects spoken in those provinces and some surrounding areas are also collectively called götamål. Although, th…
Goths
Geatas was originally Proto-Germanic *Gautoz and Goths and Gutar (Gotlanders) were *Gutaniz. *Gautoz and *Gutaniz are two ablaut grades of a Proto-Germanic word *geutan with the meaning "to pour" (modern Swedish gjuta, modern German giessen). The word comes from an Indo-European root meaning to pour, offer sacrifice. There were consequently two derivations from the same …
Fringe theories
The Götaland theory (Swedish "Västgötaskolan") is a disparate group of theories, which have attempted to prove that some events and even places that are traditionally placed around Mälaren, especially ones that are associated with the formation of medieval Sweden, instead should be located to Västergötland. The methods ranged from relatively scholarly efforts to dowsing. This "school" was brought to prominence in the 1980s following a TV series by Dag Stå…
See also
• Blenda
• Geatish Society
• Göta
• Götavirke (Geatish Dyke)
• Varangian