Breca (acc. Brecan, 506, 531), son of Bēanstān, 524. Chief of the Brondings, 521. His swimming-match with Bēowulf, 506 ff.
Brondingas (gen. Brondinga, 521), Breca, their chief, 521.
Brōsinga mene, corrupted from, or according to Müllenhoff, written by mistake for, Breosinga mene (O.N., Brisinga men, cf. Haupts Zeitschr. XII. 304), collar, which the Brisingas once possessed.
Cain (gen. Caines, 107): descended from him are Grendel and his kin, 107, 1262 ff.
Dæg-hrefn (dat. Dæghrefne, 2502), a warrior of the Hūgas, who, according to 2504-5, compared with 1203, and with 1208, seems to have been the slayer of King Hygelāc, in his battle against the allied Franks, Frisians, and Hūgas. Is crushed to death by Bēowulf in a hand-to-hand combat, 2502 ff.
Dene (gen. Dena, 242, etc., Denia, 2126, Deniga, 271, etc.; dat. Denum, 768, etc.), as subjects of Scyld and his descendants, they are also called Scyldings; and after the first king of the East Danes, Ing (Runenlied, 22), Ing-wine, 1045, 1320. They are also once called Hrēðmen, 445. On account of their renowned warlike character, they bore the names Gār-Dene, 1, 1857, Hring-Dene (Armor-Danes), 116, 1280, Beorht-Dene, 427, 610. The great extent of this people is indicated by their names from the four quarters of the heavens: Ēast-Dene, 392, 617, etc., West-Dene, 383, 1579, Sūð-Dene, 463, Norð-Dene, 784.--Their dwelling-place "in Scedelandum," 19, "on Scedenigge," 1687, "be sǣm twēonum," 1686.
Ecg-lāf (gen. Ecglāfes, 499), Hunferð's father, 499.
Ecg-þēow (nom. Ecgþēow, 263, Ecgþēo, 373; gen. Ecgþēowes, 529, etc., Ecgþīowes, 2000), a far-famed hero of the Gēatas, of the house of the Wǣgmundings. Bēowulf is the son of Ecgþēow, by the only daughter of Hrēðel, king of the Gēatas, 262, etc. Among the Wylfings, he has slain Heaðolāf (460), and in consequence he goes over the sea to the Danes (463), whose king, Hrōðgār, by means of gold, finishes the strife for him, 470.
Ecg-wela (gen. Ecg-welan, 1711). The Scyldings are called his descendants, 1711. Grein considers him the founder of the older dynasty of Danish kings, which closes with Heremōd. See Heremōd.
Elan, daughter of Healfdene, king of the Danes, (?) 62. According to the restored text, she is the wife of Ongenþēow, the Scylfing, 62, 63.
Earna-næs, the Eagle Cape in the land of the Gēatas, where occurred Bēowulf's fight with the drake, 3032.
Ēadgils (dat. Ēadgilse, 2393), son of Ōhthere, and grandson of Ongenþēow, the Scylfing, 2393. His older brother is
Ēanmund (gen. Ēanmundes, 2612). What is said about both in our poem (2201-2207, 2380-2397, 2612-2620) is obscure, but the following may be conjectured:--
The sons of Ōhthere, Ēanmund and Ēadgils, have rebelled against their father (2382), and must, in consequence, depart with their followers from Swīorīce, 2205-6, 2380. They come into the country of the Gēatas to Heardrēd (2380), but whether with friendly or hostile intent is not stated; but, according to 2203 f., we are to presume that they came against Heardrēd with designs of conquest. At a banquet (on feorme; or feorme, MS.) Heardrēd falls, probably through treachery, by the hand of one of the brothers, 2386, 2207. The murderer must have been Ēanmund, to whom, according to 2613, "in battle the revenge of Wēohstān brings death." Wēohstān takes revenge for his murdered king, and exercises upon Ēanmund's body the booty-right, and robs it of helm, breastplate, and sword (2616-17), which the slain man had received as gifts from his uncle, Onela, 2617-18. But Wēohstān does not speak willingly of this fight, although he has slain Onela's brother's son, 2619-20.--After Heardrēd's and Ēanmund's death, the descendant of Ongenþēow, Ēadgils, returns to his home, 2388. He must give way before Bēowulf, who has, since Heardrēd's death, ascended the throne of the Gēatas, 2390. But Bēowulf remembers it against him in after days, and the old feud breaks out anew, 2392-94. Ēadgils makes an invasion into the land of the Gēatas (2394-95), during which he falls at the hands of Bēowulf, 2397. The latter must have then obtained the sovereignty over the Swēonas (3005-6, where only the version, Scylfingas, can give a satisfactory sense).
Eofor (gen. Eofores, 2487, 2965; dat. Jofore, 2994, 2998), one of the Gēatas, son of Wonrēd and brother of Wulf (2965, 2979), kills the Swedish king, Ongenþēow (2487 ff., 2978-82), for which he receives from King Hygelāc, along with other gifts, his only daughter in marriage, 2994-99.
Eormen-rīc (gen. Eormenrīces, 1202), king of the Goths (cf. about him, W. Grimm, Deutsche Heldensage, p. 2, ff.). Hāma has wrested the Brōsinga mene from him, 1202.
Eomǣr, son of Offa and Þrȳðo (cf. Þrȳðo), 1961.
Eotenas (gen. pl. Eotena, 1073, 1089, 1142; dat. Eotenum, 1146), the subjects of Finn, the North Frisians: distinguished from eoton, _giant_. Vid eoton. Cf. Bugge, Beit., xii. 37; Earle, Beowulf in Prose, pp. 146, 198.
Finn (gen. Finnes, 1069, etc.; dat. Finne, 1129), son of Folcwalda (1090), king of the North Frisians, i.e. of the Eotenas, husband of Hildeburg, a daughter of Hōc, 1072, 1077. He is the hero of the inserted poem on the Attack in Finnsburg, the obscure incidents of which are, perhaps, as follows: In Finn's castle, Finnsburg, situated in Jutland (1126-28), the Hōcing, Hnæf, a relative--perhaps a brother--of Hildeburg is spending some time as guest. Hnæf, who is a liegeman of the Danish king, Healfdene, has sixty men with him (Finnsburg, 38). These are treacherously attacked one night by Finn's men, 1073. For five days they hold the doors of their lodging-place without losing one of their number (Finnsburg, 41, 42). Then, however, Hnæf is slain (1071), and the Dane, Hengest, who was among Hnæf's followers, assumes the command of the beleaguered band. But on the attacking side the fight has brought terrible losses to Finn's men. Their numbers are diminished (1081 f.), and Hildeburg bemoans a son and a brother among the fallen (1074 f., cf. 1116, 1119). Therefore the Frisians offer the Danes peace (1086) under the conditions mentioned (1087-1095), and it is confirmed with oaths (1097), and money is given by Finn in propitiation (1108). Now all who have survived the battle go together to Friesland, the homo proper of Finn, and here Hengest remains during the winter, prevented by ice and storms from returning home (Grein). But in spring the feud breaks out anew. Gūðlāf and Oslāf avenge Hnæf's fall, probably after they have brought help from home (1150). In the battle, the hall is filled with the corpses of the enemy. Finn himself is killed, and the queen is captured and carried away, along with the booty, to the land of the Danes, 1147-1160.
Finna land. Bēowulf reaches it in his swimming-race with Breca, 580.
Fitela, the son and nephew of the Wälsing, Sigemund, and his companion in arms, 876-890. (Sigemund had begotten Fitela by his sister, Signȳ. Cf. more at length Leo on Bēowulf, p. 38 ff., where an extract from the legend of the Walsungs is given.)
Folc-walda (gen. Folc-waldan, 1090), Finn's father, 1090.
Francan (gen. Francna, 1211; dat. Froncum, 2913). King Hygelāc fell on an expedition against the allied Franks, Frisians, and Hūgas, 1211, 2917.
Frēsan, Frȳsan (gen. Frēsena, 1094, Frȳsna, 1105, Frēsna, 2916: dat. Frȳsum, 1208, 2913). To be distinguished, are: 1) North Frisians, whose king is Finn, 1069 ff.; 2) West Frisians, in alliance with the Franks and Hūgas, in the war against whom Hygelāc falls, 1208, 2916. The country of the former is called Frȳsland, 1127; that of the latter, Frēsna land, 2916.
Fr..es wæl (in Fr..es wæle, 1071), mutilated proper name.
Frēawaru, daughter of the Danish king, Hrōðgār; given in marriage to Ingeld, the son of the Heaðobeard king, Frōda, in order to end a war between the Danes and the Heaðobeardnas, 2023 ff., 2065.
Frōda (gen. Frōdan), father of Ingeld, the husband of Frēaware, 2026.
Gārmund (gen. Gārmundes, 1963) father of Offa. His grandson is Ēomǣr, 1961-63.
Gēatas (gen. Gēata, 205, etc.; dat. Gēatum, 195, etc.), a tribe in Southern Scandinavia, to which the hero of this poem belongs; also called Wedergēatas, 1493, 2552; or, Wederas, 225, 423, etc.; Gūðgēatas, 1539; Sǣgēatas, 1851, 1987. Their kings named in this poem are: Hrēðel; Hæðcyn, second son of Hrēðel; Hygelāc, the brother of Hæðcyn; Heardrēd, son of Hygelāc; then Bēowulf.
Gifðas (dat. Gifðum, 2495), Gepidǣ, mentioned in connection with Danes and Swedes, 2495.
Grendel, a fen-spirit (102-3) of Cain's race, 107, 111, 1262, 1267. He breaks every night into Hrōðgār's hall and carries off thirty warriors, 115 ff., 1583ff. He continues this for twelve years, till Bēowulf fights with him (147, 711 ff.), and gives him a mortal wound, in that he tears out one of his arms (817), which is hung up as a trophy in the roof of Heorot, 837. Grendel's mother wishes to avenge her son, and the following night breaks into the hall and carries off Æschere, 1295. Bēowulf seeks for and finds her home in the fen-lake (1493 ff.), fights with her (1498 ff.), and kills her (1567); and cuts off the head of Grendel, who lay there dead (1589), and brings it to Hrōðgār, 1648.