Unferð

A image of Unferð from the 2007 animated Beowulf movie.

## Background

Unferð is a thegn for the mighty Danish lord Hrothgar. He is the son of Ecglaf, not much is know about Unferð's father other than he was a thegn. Unferð's fame comes from the fact that he killed his own brothers.  Unfortunately, nothing is known about his brothers, so it can be assumed the fact of him killing his brothers is the famous part.

## Strengths

The most impressive feat this man has done is survive the 12 years of Grendel's frequent attacks. Oratory skills, generosity, and lineage is the only other strengths this man has.

## Weakness

Cowardice, little physical strength, little respect to anyone, cocky, picks a fight with the wrong people, and the opposite of Beowulf.

## Significance

The significance of Unferð is that he serves as a representation of envy, dishonor, rudeness, and what Beowulf is not. When Beowulf comes to fight Grendel with his bare hands, Unferð just starts trying to insult Beowulf's honor so that Unferð's own honor increase. However, Beowulf refutes these insults showing even more skill in oratory abilities than Unferð. Not only this but he did it in a way that makes Unferð understand the error of his way.  After Beowulf slays the mighty Grendel by ripping off his arms, Unferð admits that Beowulf is superior and gives Beowulf his sword.

Unferð's story in this is one of surprising character development. He is there so that this story teaches a lesson. A lesson about honor, envy, and boosting. After Beowulf kills Grendel we can already see Unferð trying to better by his clan and that shows that he is taking what Beowulf said to heart and trying to redeem himself.

## Lines

### Old English

"Unferð maþelode, Ecglafes bearn, þe æt fotum sæt frean Scyldinga, onband beadurune wæs him Beowulfes sið, modges merefaran, micel æfþunca, forþon þe he ne uþe þæt ænig oðer man æfre mærða þon ma middangeardes gehedde under heofenum þonne he sylfa: Eart þu se Beowulf, se þe wið Brecan wunne, on sidne sæ ymb sund flite, ðær git for wlence wada cunnedon ond for dolgilpe on deop wæter aldrum neþdon? Ne inc ænig mon, ne leof ne lað, belean mihte sorhfullne sið, þa git on sund reon. þær git eagorstream earmum þehton, mæton merestræta, mundum brugdon, glidon ofer garsecg; geofon yþum weol, wintrys wylmum. Git on wæteres æht seofon niht swuncon; he þe æt sunde oferflat, hæfde mare mægen. þa hine on morgentid on Heaþoræmas holm up ætbær;ðonon he gesohte swæsne eþel, leof his leodum, lond Brondinga, freoðoburh fægere, þær he folc ahte burh ond beagas. Beot eal wið þe sunu Beanstanes soðe gelæste. ðonne wene ic to þe wyrsan geþingea, ðeah þu heaðoræsa gehwær dohte, grimre guðe, gif þu Grendles dearst nihtlongne fyrst nean bidan." (34-36)

"ða wæs swigra secg, sunu Eclafes, on gylpspræce guðgeweorca, siþðan æþelingas eorles cræfte ofer heanne hrof hand sceawedon, feondes fingras. Foran æghwylc wæs, stiðra nægla gehwylc, style gelicost, hæþenes handsporu hilderinces, egl, unheoru. æghwylc gecwæð þæt him heardra nan hrinan wolde iren ærgod, þæt ðæs ahlæcan blodge beadufolme onberan wolde." (64-66)

### Translation

"From where he crouched at the king's feet, Unferth, a son of Ecglaf's, spoke contrary words. Beowulf's coming, his sea-braving, made him sick with envy: he could not brook or abide the fact that anyone else alive under heaven might enjoy greater regard than he did: "Are you the Beowulf who took on Breca in a swimming match on the open sea, risking the water just to prove that you could win? It was sheer vanity made you venture out on the main deep. And no matter who tried, friend or foe, to deflect the pair of you, neither would back down: the sea-test obsessed you. You waded in, embracing water, taking its measure, mastering currents, riding on the swell. The ocean swayed, winter went wild in the waves, but you vied for seven nights; and then he outswam you, came ashore the stronger contender. He was cast up safe and sound one morning among the Heathoreams, then made his way to where he belonged in Bronding country, home again, sure of his ground in strongroom and bawn. So Breca made good his boast upon you and was proved right. No matter, therefore, how you may have fared in every bout and battle until now, this time you'll be worsted; no one has ever outlasted an entire night against Grendel." (35-37)

"There was less tampering and big talk then from Unferth the boaster, less of his blather as the hall-thanes eyed the awful proof of the hero's prowess, the splayed hand up under the eaves. Every nail, claw-scale and spur, every spike and welt on the hand of that heathen brute was like barbed steel. Everybody said there was no honed iron hard enough to pierce him through, no time-proofed blade that could cut his brutal, blood-caked claw." (65-67)

## Etymology

Unferð's name can be broken up in many different ways. Morton W. Bloomfield saw it as un + frith meaning "mar peace"  Tolkien read it as "Unfriend" In Old English the prefix "un" has a negative meaning of
"abnormally". However it is unfortunate that despite all the research that has been done, there is no definitive meaning of his name.

## References

1. ↑  Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf. Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1999, pp. 35-41, 65-67.
2. ↑  "Unferth In Beowulf | Shmoop". Shmoop.Com, 2021, https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literature/beowulf/unferth.
3. ↑  "Unferth". Cliffsnotes.Com, 2021, https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/b/beowulf/character-analysis/unferth.
4. ↑ Nicholson, Lewis E. An Anthology Of Beowulf Criticism. Notre Dame Press, 1980, pp. 155-164.
5. ↑  Tolkien, J. R. R, and Christopher Tolkien. Beowulf. pp. 209 & 386.
6. ↑  Fulk, R. D. "Unferth And His Name". Modern Philology, vol 85, no. 2, 1987, pp. 113-127. University Of Chicago Press, doi:10.1086/391610.