originally intended for hearers who were supposed to know all about them. For us, the order and nature of the events referred to are sometimes by no means clear, especially when we can get little help from external sources. In this particular instance, however, it is not difficult to read between the lines, and put together a complete story, and we have the Scandinavian accounts to help us.
Eanmund and Eadgils are banished from Sweden for rebellion (2379 ff.), and take refuge at the court of the Geat king, Heardred. The fact of their finding an asylum with his hereditary foes (see Ongentheow) seems to have so enraged the Swedish king Onela, their uncle, that he invades Geatland (2202 ff.) and succeeds in slaying Heardred (2384 ff.), but allows Beowulf to succeed to the Geat throne unmolested (2389—90). Heardred is the second Geat king (see Hasthcyn) who had fallen by the hands of the Swedes, and Beowulf at a later time (2392) balances the feud by supporting Eadgils in his subsequent invasion of Sweden, in which the latter slew the king, his uncle Onela (2391 ff.). This version of the story is confirmed by reference to the Norse accounts, in which Aðils (=Eadgils) slays Āli (=Onela) on the ice of Lake Wener (see l. 2396).
Heyne (followed unfortunately by Brooke) seems to pervert and distort this simple story almost beyond belief. He says (the square brackets are mine): ‘The relations of Ohthere’s sons to Hygelac’s son appear according to the text to be as follows. Ohthere’s sons, Eanmund and Eadgils, have revolted against their father (2381) [why their father rather than Onela?], in consequence of which they have to quit Sweden (2379) and come to Heardred (2380). One of them kills the latter under mysterious circumstances (2385) [2385 does not say so]; it must have been Eanmund, whom Weohstan slays on the spot therefor, cf. 2612. Eadgils escapes to his home (2387, for “Ongenþīoes bearn” here means his grandson Eadgils, for “bearn” can be used in the sense of descendant, cf. Daniel 73: “Isrāēla bearn”) [special pleading! “Isrāēla bearn” = the children of Israel. What possible inference can there be from this to the meaning “grandson”? And why go to Daniel, in preference to referring to the seven instances of this use of “bearn” in his own glossary to Beowulf? How much better to take “bearn” to mean son, as in every other case of its singular use in the poem!], where in the meantime his father Ohthere seems to have died [!]. After Beowulf has become king of the Geats (2389), his thoughts turn to taking his revenge on Eadgils (2391); he becomes his enemy [the MS. has “freond” !!]. Eadgils invades the land of the Geats (2393—4; read
