Blood and Deeds: The Inheritance Systems in Beowulf

Field: Arts and Humanities (Social Sciences)

Blood and Deeds:The Inheritance Systems in Beowulf Michael D. C. Drout Beowulf begins with successful inheritances. Arriving in Denmark from across the sea, Scyld Scefing builds up the Danish kingdom and bequeaths it to his son and "eafera" (12a) (heir), Beowulf Scyldinga.1 This Beowulf works to build up his father's kingdom, and when Scyld dies the power and wealth of his people are so great that the Scyldings are able to provide their old king with a glorious ship funeral that ends his reign and inaugurates that of his son: Ða wæs on burgum Beowulf Scyldingaleof leodcyning longe þragefolcum gefræge fæder ellor hwearfaldor of earde oþ þæt him eft onwocheah Healfdene heold þenden lifdegamol ond guðreouw glæde Scyldingas.Ðæm feower bearn forðgerimein world wocun weoroda ræswa[n] [End Page 199] Heorogar ond Hroðgar ond Halga tilhyrde ic þæt [. . . . . . wæs On]elan cwen. (53-62) [Then was in the castle, Beowulf of the Scyldings, the beloved king of the people, ruling a long time, known to the folk-his father turned elsewhere, the lord from the land-until to him afterwards was born great Healfdane. He ruled the glad Scyldings as long as he lived, old and battle-fierce. To him four children were born in succession into the world: Heorogar and Hrothgar and Halga the Good; I have heard that the fourth child was Onela's queen.] In this passage, kingly power and identity pass smoothly from Scyld to Beowulf Scyldinga to Healfdane. Although we are not specifically told that Beowulf and Healfdane are both the only sons of their respective fathers, we have no reason to assume otherwise-there are no additional brothers in Beowulf or in the various possible Scandinavian analogues.2 At each step of the genealogical progression, the father reproduces himself only once, in the person of his son and worthy successor. But then Healfdane has four children: Heorogar, Hrothgar, Halga, and a daughter whose name has been lost.3 The straightforward progression from father to son is complicated. Heorogar, Healfdane's oldest son, rules briefly but dies (466b-68), leaving Hrothgar, the second brother, to be king (64-67b). Hrothgar's assumption of the throne in the place of his brother illustrates a problem with the processes of inheritance and succession that to this point in the poem has been obscured by the easy passage of power from one father to one son. Beowulf Scyldinga and Healfdane are the optimal inheritors of their respective fathers because each is his father's only heir. But Heorogar should have succeeded Healfdane not only because he was the elder son but also because he would have been a superior king-or so says Hrothgar: "se wæs betera ðonne ic" (469b) (he was a better man than I).4 Hrothgar, the eventual inheritor, states that [End Page 200] he is not the optimal ruler, although he is hardly a bad king until Grendel's depredations show him to have become weak in his old age: "þæt wæs an cyning / æghwæs orleahtre, oþ þæt hine yldo benam /mægenes wynnum" (1885-87) (that was a singularly good king, blameless in all, until his age took from him the joys of power). But although Hrothgar has proven to be a worthy inheritor of his line, his own sons do not get the chance to inherit from him. At the time of Grendel's death, Hrothgar is an old king, but his sons Hrethric and Hrothmund are still seated among the "giogoð" (1189-90b) (youths), where Beowulf, presumably because he is a visitor, is placed at the feast. It seems that neither son will be strong or old enough to assume the mantle of kingship when Hrothgar dies. Wealhtheow the queen suggests just this possibility when she proposes that Hrothulf, Hrothgar's nephew, will protect the young boys if Hrothgar dies before Hrethric (presumably the older of the two sons) is able to become king (1180-87). Hrothgar's sons, while heirs of the king's body, are not fit to assume the throne-apparently the warrior troop recognized...