Haethcyn

Family: Geats · Role: king · First appears: Section XXXII

In Section XXXII, Beowulf tells that Haethcyn, one of Hrethel’s sons and a brother of Herebeald and Hygelac, accidentally killed Herebeald with an arrow. The poem describes it as a kinsman’s deed: “one brother the other, with bloody shaft.”

In Section XXXVIII, the messenger tells that Ongentheow slew Haethcyn at Ravenswood during the Geats’ conflict with the Scylfings.

Relationship record

Life events

• Beowulf tells that Haethcyn accidentally killed his brother Herebeald with an arrow.(Section XXXII)
  • With: Herebeald
  • “For the eldest of these, by unmeet chance, by kinsman's deed, was the death-bed strewn, when Haethcyn killed him with horny bow, his own dear liege laid low with an arrow, missed the mark and his mate shot down, one brother the other, with bloody shaft.”
• The messenger tells that Ongentheow slew Haethcyn during the Geats' conflict with the Scylfings.(Section XXXVIII · 📍 Ravenswood)
  • With: Ongentheow
  • “how Ongentheow reft at Ravenswood Haethcyn Hrethling of hope and life”

Section XXXII

• parent: Hrethel “Ne'er, while I lived there, he loathlier found me, bairn in the burg, than his birthright sons, Herebeald and Haethcyn and Hygelac mine.”
• siblings with Herebeald “bairn in the burg, than his birthright sons, Herebeald and Haethcyn and Hygelac mine.”
• siblings with Hygelac “bairn in the burg, than his birthright sons, Herebeald and Haethcyn and Hygelac mine.”
• enemies with Herebeald “when Haethcyn killed him with horny bow, his own dear liege laid low with an arrow,”

Section XXXVIII

• enemies with Ongentheow “how Ongentheow reft at Ravenswood Haethcyn Hrethling of hope and life,”

⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →

Extracted from the original text of Beowulf (Gummere's translation). Made with Rho MD.