Wealhþeow
Encyclopedia
Beowulf
Beowulf , but modern scholars agree in naming it after the hero whose life is its subject." of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature.It survives in a single...
, first introduced in line 612.
Character overview
She is the Wulfing queen of the Danes. She is married to HroðgarHroðgar
Hroðgar, King Hroþgar, "Hrothgar", Hróarr, Hroar, Roar, Roas or Ro was a legendary Danish king, living in the early 6th century....
, the Danish king and is the mother of sons Hreðric and Hroðmund
Hreðric and Hroðmund
Hreðric and Hroðmund were the sons of the Danish king Hroðgar, and his queen Wealhþeow, in the Old English epic Beowulf. They are only mentioned in passing, and there seems to be some foreshadowing in Beowulf that their cousin, Halga's son Hroðulf, i.e...
and also of daughter Freawaru
Freawaru
Freawaru, introduced in l. 2020 of the poem Beowulf, is the daughter of King Hroðgar and Queen Wealhþeow.Freawaru is a freoðuwebbe or "peaceweaver" who is married to Ingeld, King of the Heaðobards and son of Froda . This marriage was created as a means of ending a feud between the two kingdoms...
. The meaning of her name is disputed. One possible translation is "foreign
Walha
Walhaz is a reconstructed Proto-Germanic word, meaning "foreigner", "stranger", "Roman", "Romance-speaker", or "Celtic-speaker". The adjective derived from this word can be found in , Old High German walhisk, meaning "Romance", in Old English welisċ, wælisċ, wilisċ, meaning "Romano-British" and in...
slave" (Hill, 1990).
In her marriage to Hroðgar she is described as friðusibb folca (l. 1168), 'the kindred pledge of peace between peoples', signifying the Wulfing and Scylding
Scylding
Old English Scylding and Old Norse Skjöldung , meaning in both languages "People of Scyld/Skjöld" refers to members of a legendary royal family of Danes and sometimes to their people. The name is explained in many text by the descent of this family from an eponymous king Scyld/Skjöld...
interdynastic allegiance. Hence she is termed both 'Lady of the Helmings' (l. 620) (by descent, of the Wulfing clan of Helm) and 'Lady of the Scyldings' (l. 1168) (by marriage and maternity).
Two northern sources associate the wife of Hroðgar with England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The Skjöldunga saga
Skjöldunga saga
The Skjöldunga saga was a Norse saga on the legendary Danish dynasty of the Skjöldungs, the same dynasty featured in the Old English poem Beowulf...
, in Arngrímur Jónsson
Arngrímur Jónsson
Arngrímur Jónsson the Learned was an Icelandic scholar and an apologist. His father was Jón Jónsson, who died in 1591...
's abstract, chapter 3, tells that Hroðgar (Roas) married the daughter of an English king. The Hrolfs saga kraka
Hrólfs saga kraka
Hrólfs saga kraka, the Saga of King Hrolf kraki, is a late legendary saga on the adventures of Hrólfr Kraki and his clan, the Skjöldungs. The events can be dated to the late 5th century and the 6th century. It is believed to have been written in the period c. 1230 - c. 1450...
, chapter 5, tells that Hroðgar (Hróarr) married Ögn who was the daughter of a king of Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
(Norðhymbraland) called Norðri.
The argument was advanced in 1897 that the Wulfing name may have been synonymous with the East Anglian Wuffing
Wuffing
The Wuffingas were the ruling dynasty of the kingdom of East Anglia, the long-lived Anglo-Saxon kingdom which today includes the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. The Wuffingas took their name from Wuffa, an early East Anglian king. It has been argued that the Wuffingas may have originated...
dynasty, and the family name Helmingas with the place-names 'Helmingham' in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
and Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, both of which lie in areas of 5th-6th century migrant occupation. Although the theory was not favoured by some, it has more recently resurfaced in a discussion of the identity of Hroðmund.
Role in the poem
Wealhþeow (like HygdHygd
Queen Hygd, introduced in line 1925 of the poem Beowulf, is the wife of King Hygelac of Geatland.After Beowulf defeats Grendel and Grendel's mother, he and his men returned to their native country, where they are received by Hygelac and Hygd. Hygd is beautiful, wise, courteous, and attentive...
) fulfills the important role of hostess in the poem. The importance of this cup carrying practice is emphasized in lines 1161-1231. Here Wealhþeow, anxious that Hroðgar secures the succession for her own offspring, gives a speech and recompenses Beowulf for slaying Grendel
Grendel
Grendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendel's mother and the dragon, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf . Grendel is usually depicted as a monster, though this is the subject of scholarly debate. In the poem, Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf.-Story:The poem Beowulf is contained in...
with three horses and a necklace.
The necklace is called Brosinga mene, and the name is held to be either a corruption or a misspelling of OE
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
Breosinga mene, ON
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
Brisingamen
Brisingamen
In Norse mythology, Brísingamen is the necklace of the goddess Freyja.-Beowulf:...
, Freyja's necklace. Richard North compares the gift of the necklace to Brosing, Freyja's Brisingamen and he comments that,
- The wider Old NorseOld NorseOld Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
-IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic tradition attributes the Brisinga men or giroli Brisings (Brisinger's girdle c.900) to Freya who is at once the sister of Ingvi-YngviYngvi, Yngvin, Ingwine, Inguin are names that relate to an older theonym Ing and which appears to have been the older name for the god Freyr ....
freyrFreyrFreyr is one of the most important gods of Norse paganism. Freyr was highly associated with farming, weather and, as a phallic fertility god, Freyr "bestows peace and pleasure on mortals"...
of the vanirVanirIn Norse mythology, the Vanir are a group of gods associated with fertility, wisdom and the ability to see the future. The Vanir are one of two groups of gods and are the namesake of the location Vanaheimr . After the Æsir–Vanir War, the Vanir became a subgroup of the Æsir...
, the leading Norse goddess of love, and a witchVölvaA vǫlva or völva is a shamanic seeress in Norse paganism, and a recurring motif in Norse mythology....
with the power to revive the dead. Freya's acquisition of this necklace and its theft by LokiLokiIn Norse mythology, Loki or Loke is a god or jötunn . Loki is the son of Fárbauti and Laufey, and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. By the jötunn Angrboða, Loki is the father of Hel, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr. By his wife Sigyn, Loki is the father of Nari or Narfi...
are the central incidents in SorlaþattrSörla þáttrSörla þáttr is a short narrative from a later and extended version of the Saga of Olaf Tryggvason found in the Flateyjarbók manuscript, which was written and compiled by two Christian priests, Jon Thordson and Magnus Thorhalson, in the late 14th century.The narrative begins 24 years after the death...
.
Helen Damico (1984/1990) further suggests that Wealhþeow and Grendel's mother
Grendel's mother
Grendel's mother is one of three antagonists in the work of Old English literature of anonymous authorship, Beowulf . She is never given a name in the text....
each represent different aspects of a goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
from Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, possibly the myth of the Valkyrie
Valkyrie
In Norse mythology, a valkyrie is one of a host of female figures who decides who dies in battle. Selecting among half of those who die in battle , the valkyries bring their chosen to the afterlife hall of the slain, Valhalla, ruled over by the god Odin...
s.
Wealhþeow has also been examined as a representative of Hrothgar’s kingdom and prestige and a fundamental component to the functioning of his court. According to Stacy Klein, Wealhþeow wore “elaborate garb” to demonstrate the “wealth and power” of the kingdom. As queen, Wealhþeow represents the “female’s duty to maintain peace between two warring tribes” and to “signify the status of the court.” While her position may appear ritualistic, she also maintains “the cohesiveness of the unity of the warriors.” The role of queens in the early Germania was to foster “social harmony through active diplomacy and conciliation.” Wealhþeow inhabits this role by constantly speaking to each of the men in her hall and reminding them of their obligations – obligations to their country, their family, or their king.
In a grimly ironic passage that would not be lost on the Anglo-Saxon audience of Beowulf Wealhþeow commends her sons to Hroðulf's generosity and protection, not suspecting that he will murder her sons to claim the throne for himself.
In other adaptations
- 1998: Wealhþēow is an important NPCNon-player characterA non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
in Grendel's CaveGrendel's CaveGrendel's Cave is a real-time browser-based role-playing video game. It is published by Grendel Enterprises and runs exclusively on the Internet. It is based on Anglo-Saxon mythology and Beowulf, and is set in the historical medieval period. It is considered both an artistic depiction of Grendel...
, an online, browser-based role-playing video gameRole-playing video gameRole-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
, based on Beowulf. Players in the game ask Wealhþēow for favors, which are essential for completing quests and winning the game.
- 1999: In The 13th WarriorThe 13th WarriorThe 13th Warrior is a 1999 historical fiction action film starring Antonio Banderas as Ahmad ibn Fadlan and Vladimir Kulich as Buliwyf; it is based on the novel Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton. It was directed by John McTiernan and an uncredited Crichton.The 13th Warrior is regarded as a...
, a loose adaptation of the legend mixed with the accounts of Ahmad ibn FadlanAhmad ibn FadlanAhmad ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rāšid ibn Hammād was a 10th century Arab traveler, famous for his account of his travels as a member of an embassy of the Arab Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad to the king of the Volga Bulgars...
, Queen Wealhþeow (here spelled "Weilew") is portrayed by Diane VenoraDiane VenoraDiane Venora is an American stage, television, and film actress.-Early life:Venora was born Diana Venora in East Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Marie and Robert P. Venora, who owned a dry cleaning establishment. Diane graduated from East Hartford High School, class of 1970. During her...
and plays a vital part in directing the warriors to their enemy's cave.
- 2007: Robin Wright Penn portrays Queen Wealhþēow in the Robert ZemeckisRobert ZemeckisRobert Lee Zemeckis is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Zemeckis first came to public attention in the 1980s as the director of the comedic time-travel Back to the Future film series, as well as the Academy Award-winning live-action/animation epic Who Framed Roger Rabbit ,...
film, BeowulfBeowulf (2007 film)Beowulf is a 2007 American animated fantasy film written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary inspired by the Old English epic poem of the same name. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film was created through a motion capture process similar to the technique he used in The Polar Express...
. In contrast to the poem, Queen Wealhþēow plays a substantial part in this adaptation. In addition to being the dutiful and well-composed queen, Wealhþēow is portrayed as a quietly unhappy wife, one who is fraught with the knowledge of her husband's unfaithfulness with Grendel's motherGrendel's motherGrendel's mother is one of three antagonists in the work of Old English literature of anonymous authorship, Beowulf . She is never given a name in the text....
. She has the same experience with Beowulf after they are married, and out of disgust refuses to give either her first or her second husbands children.
- 2005: Steinunn Ólína ÞorsteinsdóttirSteinunn Ólína ÞorsteinsdóttirSteinunn Ólina Þorsteinsdóttir is an Icelandic actress, TV show host, writer and producer.-Early life:...
portrays Queen Wealhþēow in the film Beowulf & GrendelBeowulf & GrendelBeowulf & Grendel is a 2005 film loosely based on the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. Filmed in Iceland and directed by Sturla Gunnarsson, it stars Gerard Butler as Beowulf, Stellan Skarsgård as Hrothgar, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson as Grendel and Sarah Polley as the witch Selma...
.