Beowulf Characters

Beowulf

Faster than a sea monster! Stronger than a demon! More powerful than a dragon! It's…...

Grendel

Grendel is a man-eating demon (never a good sign) that lives in the land of the Spear-Danes and...

King Hrothgar

Hrothgar is the king of the Spear-Danes when Beowulf arrives in their land, ready to fight the...

Wiglaf

Think of all the handy hero helpers in epic literature. Samwise to Frodo. Samwell to Jon Snow....

Unferth

Unferth is, to put it bluntly, mad jealous. He's not as cool as big B (and everyone knows it), so...

Aeschere

Aeschere is an old Danish warrior and a good friend of King Hrothgar. He is killed and beheaded...

Beow

Despite the similarity in names, Beow isn't actually related to Beowulf as far as we know....

Breca

Breca is a childhood friend of Beowulf's. Breca and Beowulf engage in a strange swimming contest...

Ecgtheow

Ecgtheow, Beowulf's father, once found himself in a blood-feud with the tribe called the Wulfings...

Grendel's Mother

Grendel's mother, another demonic descendant of Cain, attempts to avenge her son's death by...

Halfdane

Halfdane, one of the kings of the Spear-Danes, is the grandson of Shield Sheafson. He is also the...

Heardred

Heardred is the only son of King Hygelac and Queen Hygd. Eventually, Heardred is killed in...

Heorogar, Halga, and their sister

Heorogar, Halga, and their unnamed sister are the siblings of Hrothgar, king of the Spear-Danes.

Herebeald and Haethcyn

Herebeald and Haethcyn are the sons of King Hrethel and the brothers of Hygelac. In a tragic...

Hrethel

Hrethel, the previous king of the Geats, was the father of Hygelac, Herebeald, Haethcyn, and a...

Hrethric, Hrothmund, and Freawaru

Hrethric, Hrothmund, and Freawaru are the children of King Hrothgar and Queen Wealhtheow of the...

Hygd

Hygd is the wife of Hygelac and Queen of the Geats.

Hygelac

Hygelac, the king of the Geats, is Beowulf's lord and ring-giver. As a "ring-giver," it is...

Onela

Onela, son of Ongentheow, is the king of the Swedes, the rival tribe to the Geats. In an attempt...

Ongentheow

Ongentheow, king of the Swedes and father of Onela, was killed in battle by the Geat warrior...

Shield Sheafson

Shield Sheafson is the founder of the tribe of the Spear-Danes, a great warrior who manages to...

Wealhtheow

Wealhtheow, Queen of the Spear-Danes and wife of King Hrothgar, appears briefly in Beowulf as the...

Wulf and Eofor

Wulf and Eofor are two Geatish brothers who are part of a blood-feud between the Geats and their...