Freawaru and Ingeld’s Marriage

Characters

Characters

1. Freawaru, daughter of Hrothgar the Dane. 2. Ingeld, son of Froda, King of the Heathobards. 3. Froda, King of the Heathobards. 4. A Heathobard warrior. 5. Son of the Danish warrior who had killed Froda.

1. Freawaru, daughter of Hrothgar the Dane. 2. Ingeld, son of Froda, king of the Heathobards. 3. Froda, king of the Heathobards. 4. A Heathobard warrior. 5. The son of the Danish warrior who had killed Froda.

The Heathobards were a people in Zealand. There had been an ancient feud between the Danes and the Heathobards in which Froda had been killed by a Danish warrior. Hrothgar hoped to appease the feud by the marriage of his daughter Freawaru to Ingeld. Unluckily, the son of the Danish warrior who had killed Froda accompanied Freawaru to Ingeld’s Court. Then an old Heathobard warrior notices this and stirs up strife. The marriage fails in its object, and war breaks out again between the Danes and the Heathobards. Beowulf predicts the course of events in his speech to Hygelac (Chapters XXVIII. and XXIX.).

The Heathobards were a people in Zealand. An ancient feud between the Danes and the Heathobards had led to Froda’s death at a Danish warrior’s hands. Hrothgar hoped to settle the feud by marrying his daughter Freawaru to Ingeld. Unfortunately, the son of the Danish warrior who had killed Froda went with Freawaru to Ingeld’s court. Then an old Heathobard warrior notices the son’s presence and stirs up trouble. The marriage fails to settle the feud, and war breaks out again between the Danes and the Heathobards. Beowulf predicts these events in his speech to Hygelac (Chapters XXVIII. and XXIX.).