This is alist ofBeowulf characters.Beowulf is anOld English heroicepic poem. Its creation dates to between the 8th[1] and the 11th centuries, the only surviving manuscript dating to circa 1010.[2] At 3183 lines, it is notable for its length. It has reachednational epic status in England (although its setting is Scandinavia, not the British Isles).[3] There are a great many characters inBeowulf ranging from historical people such asHygelac to supernatural beings such as thedragon.
Breca –Beowulf's childhood friend who competed with him in a swimming match.
Cain – biblical character described as an ancestor ofGrendel who is infamous for killing his brother Abel, the first murder. Killing one's kin was the greatest sin in Anglo-Saxon culture.
Dæghrefn – a Frankish warrior killed by Beowulf.
The Dragon – beast (Old English:wyrm) that ravages Beowulf's kingdom and which Beowulf must slay at the end of the poem. It is the cause of Beowulf's death.
Ecgþeow – Beowulf's father who belonged to the SwedishWægmundingclan. He joined the Geats after having been banished for killing theWulfingHeaðolaf, and married a Geatish princess.
Ecgwela – an earlier Danish king.
Elan – possibly an incomplete name forHroðgar's sister; see Yrsa, below.
Heoroweard – Heorogar's son;Hroðgar's nephew. According to Norse tradition, his attempt to become king would cause the end of the Scylding clan.
Herebeald – the son of the Geatish kingHreðel. Beowulf was his nephew. Herebeald was killed with an arrow by his brother Hæþcyn in a hunting accident, which caused their father Hreðel to die from grief. His story may correspond to the myth of Baldr's death in Norse mythology.
Wulfgar (wolf + spear) – the herald of Hroðgar, renowned for his great wisdom.
Yrmenlaf – younger brother of Æschere.
Yrs(e) – a character borrowed from Norse tradition that appears in some translations (e.g.,Burton Raffel) and commentaries, as an emendation of a corrupt line (62) whereHroðgar's sister is mentioned. His sister is, however, namedSigny in Norse tradition (Skjöldunga saga andHrólfr Kraki's saga), whereas Yrsa wasHalga's daughter and lover with whom he hadHroðulf.
Gifðas – the Gepids, a tribe which had migrated to the Balkans by the time ofBeowulf. They are mentioned in connection with Swedes and Danes, and it has been suggested thatBeowulf refers to the people ofÖstergötland.
Heathobards, or Heaðo-beardnas – a clan or tribe at war with the Danes.
