| Question |
Answer |
| Scyld Shefing |
one of the first great kings of the Danes |
| Scyld Shefing |
great-grandfather of Hrothgar |
| Hrothgar |
King of the Danes at the time of Grendel’s attacks |
| Hrothgar |
he builds Herot as a tribute to his people and reign |
| Beow |
son of Scyld Shefing and a strong king in his own right |
| Herot (Heorot) |
the mead hall that Hrothgar builds |
| Grendel |
the man-monster |
| Grendel |
descendent of Cain |
| Beowulf |
thane of King Hygelac |
| Beowulf |
becomes King of the Geats |
| Beowulf |
the poem tells of his exploits over 50 years |
| Wulfgar |
faithful watchman of the Danes |
| Wulfgar |
first to greet Beowulf to the land of the Danes |
| Ecgtheow |
Beowulf’s father |
| Unferth |
thane of Hrothgar’s who taunts Beowulf |
| Unferth |
his name means “discord” |
| Wealhtheow |
Hrothgar’s queen |
| Heremod |
an ancient Danish king who went from being a good king to a ruthlessly evil king |
| Heremod |
Hrothgar uses him as an example of bad kingship for Beowulf |
| Hrothulf |
Hrothgar’s younger brother |
| Hrothulf |
Wealhtheow calls on him to protect her sons should there be a need |
| Grendel’s Mother |
Grendel's mother |
| Aeschere |
one of Hrothgar’s thanes whom Grendel’s Mother kills |
| Aeschere |
he is Hrothgar’s best friend |
| Hrunting |
a sword given to Beowulf by Unferth to use against Grendel’s Mother |
| Hygelac |
Beowulf’s uncle |
| Hygelac |
King of the Geats |
| Hygelac |
gives Beowulf half his kingdom |
| Freawaru |
the daughter of Hrothgar who is unmentioned until Beowulf tells Hygelac about her |
| Freawaru |
Beowulf believes her marriage to a Heathobard prince will do more harm than good for the Danes |
| The Dragon |
the third and last monster Beowulf must defeat |
| Naegling |
Beowulf won this sword in a fight between the Geats and the Frisians |
| Wiglaf |
Beowulf’s kinsman through Ecgtheow’s family |
| Wiglaf |
the only thane of Beowulf that stays with him during the battle with the dragon |
| Sigemund |
an ancient Germanic hero whose story is recounted after the fight with Grendel. |
| Sigemund |
known as the great dragon slayer |
| Hildeburh |
her story is recounted during the second feast for Beowulf at Herot. |
| Hildeburh |
she is an ancient Danish princess who was married into the Frisian royalty |
| Hildeburh |
her brother and her son were both killed in a war with the Frisians at Finnesburh |
500 Words
