194
THE OLDEST ENGLISH EPIC
Hnæf the Hocings, Helm[1] the Wulfings,
30Wald the Woings, Wod Thuringians,
Sæferth the Sycgan, the Swedes Ongentheow,[2]
Sceafthere Ymbras, Sceafa Longbards,
Hun the Hætweras, Holen the Wrosnas.
Hringwald was hight the Herefars’ king.
35Offa[3] ruled Angles; Alewih Danes,—
of all mankind in mood the bravest,
yet never with Offa his earlship availed:
for Offa won, of all men first,
when still a boy the broadest empire:
40none of his age showed earlship more
in stress of battle with single brand:
against the Myrgings marked he bounds
by Fifeldor:[4] thenceforth ’twas held
by Sueve and Angle as Offa won it.
- ↑ Beowulf, v. 620, Hrothgar’s queen is said to belong to the family of Helmings.
- ↑ Ibid., vv. 2472 ff., 2910 ff., the story is told of struggles between Swede and Geat in which this king plays a part.
- ↑ Legendary king of the continental Angles. Offa, king of Mercia, traced his blood through this elder namesake to Woden.—See, too, Beowulf, vv. 1949, 1957.
- ↑ The river Eider.
- ↑ See Beowulf, vv. 1017, 1181 f. Hrothwulf is nephew to King Hrothgar, and evidently if the old king should die would be natural guardian to his children. The queen (1181) expresses her confidence that Hrothwulf in that event would take no advantage of his position. It would seem that she feared otherwise and her fears were well founded; but this present passage shows that when the uncle lived he and his nephew worked in concord; and the victory mentioned is when Ingeld, Hrothgar’s son-in-law, broke his oaths (B. , 84) and in revenge for old wrongs (B., 2024 ff., tells the story and foretells the trouble) invaded the Danish kingdom. At Herorot (Hrothgar’s great hall) he is badly defeated.—See also the saga of Hrolf-Kraki.
