Wiglaf

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For the 9th century Mercian ruler, see Wiglaf of Mercia.

Wiglaf is a mythological character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. He is the son of Weohstan, a Swede of the Wægmunding clan who had entered the service of Beowulf, king of the Geats. Wiglaf is called Scylfing as a metonymy for Swede, as the Scylfings were the ruling Swedish clan. While in the service of the Scylfing Onela, king of the Swedes, Weohstan killed the rebel prince Eanmund and took his sword as a trophy[1]; Wiglaf later inherited it[2]. Weohstan belonged to the clan of the Wægmundings, the same clan that Beowulf's father Ecgþeow belonged to; so Wiglaf is a distant cousin of Beowulf, and at the time of Beowulf's death he was Beowulf's only living relative.

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[edit] Beowulf

Wiglaf first appears in Beowulf at line 2599, as a member of the band of thanes who go with Beowulf to seek out the dragon that has attacked Geat-Land. This is the first time Wiglaf has gone to war at Beowulf's side [3]. He is called a "praise-worthy shield-warrior", a "prince of the Scylfings", and mæg ælfheres, "kinsman of Ælfhere."[4]

When Beowulf damages his sword wounding the dragon and is burned by the dragon's fire[5], Wiglaf is the only man of Beowulf's band to overcome his fear of the dragon [6]. He rebukes the other thanes[7] and goes to Beowulf's aid[8] crying words of encouragement[9].

Wiglaf does not retreat, though his shield is consumed by fire[10]. When Beowulf wounds the dragon a second time, striking so hard his sword shatters[11], Wiglaf srikes at the open wound with his own sword, tearing at the dragon's throat so it can no longer breathe fire[12]. His hand is badly burned[13], but his attack allows Beowulf to close and kill the dragon. The poet says of Wiglaf, "So should a man be, a thane at need!"[14]

At Beowulf's command, Wiglaf gathers treasure from the dragon's lair and piles it where Beowulf can see it[15]. The dying Beowulf tells Wiglaf to "watch his people's needs"[16] (by which he means that Wiglaf is to become the next king.) He tells Wiglaf to build him a funeral mound[17] and gives Wiglaf his rings, helm, and mail-shirt[18]. He says that Wiglaf is now "the last of the Wægmundings."[19]

The other eleven men that came with Beowulf[20] gather around the body, and Wiglaf condemns them for their failure of duty and declares that he will order them exiled[21]. He sends a messenger to tell the other Geats what has happened[22]. When the Geats have gathered, Wiglaf addresses them, mourning Beowulf's death and expressing dismay at the bleak future of the Geats without Beowulf to guard them[23].

Wiglaf's last appearance is at line 3120, where he chooses seven thanes to help him push the dragon's corpse over the cliff into the sea, loot the lair, and lay the treasure on Beowulf's funeral pyre[24].

[edit] Beyond Beowulf

Wiglaf is also the main character of the poetic novel Beyond Beowulf by Christopher L. Webber.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Kingship

After the death of the Geatish champion Sigelac at the hands of Eadgils and the Swedes, Wiglaf takes charge of the Geats, though he specifically does not call himself their king.

In Beyond Beowulf, Wiglaf sides with a group of Geats who believe they should abandon Geatland in search of greener pastures. He leads his tribe's ragtag fleet of ships as they sail around the Scandinavian seas and British Isles. During the course of the Geats' odyssey, Wiglaf defends them from the machinations of the Danish King Hrethor, ice trolls in the mountains of Norway, Scots and the Saxons.

When the Geats finally settle in a region of England, Wiglaf specifically declares he cannot be the warrior-king that Beowulf was, and very begrudgingly accepts the crown of his people. Wiglaf leads the Geats into an era of peace, asserting that he will not begin any unnecessary wars like his predecessors did. Under Wiglaf's reign, the Geats prosper in ways they never did in their old homeland, building up expensive homesteads and leading wealthy lives.

[edit] Death

During the battle for Geatish independence from the Saxon king Ranulf, Wiglaf is mortally wounded by an enemy arrow. In a reversal of what befell Beowulf, where all of his champions except Wiglaf abandoned him during his fight with the dragon, the Geatish warriors stand fast by Wiglaf through his last breath.

Wiglaf's last words are a wondering aloud about the future of the Geats, whether they will be pacifistic or hawkish, and a spoken treatise on loyalty.

The last wish of Wiglaf son of Weohstan is not to be put in a barrow like Beowulf was, or to be set off on the sea like Scyld Shefson was. Instead, Wiglaf is buried in the style of Sutton Hoo, where he is interred in a ship and then the vessel is buried. After a time, the ship's mast rots away and, unlike Beowulf, Wiglaf is forgotten from history.

Preceded by:
Sigelac		 King of the Geats Succeeded by:
unknown

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lines 2612-5.
  2. ^ Lines 2620-4.
  3. ^ Lines 2625b-2627.
  4. ^ Lines 2603-4.
  5. ^ Lines 2585-95.
  6. ^ Lines 2599-2600.
  7. ^ Lines 2631-60.
  8. ^ Line 2661.
  9. ^ Lines 2663-8.
  10. ^ Lines 2675-7.
  11. ^ Lines 2677-82.
  12. ^ Lines 2699-2702.
  13. ^ Lines 2697-8.
  14. ^ Lines 2708-9.
  15. ^ Lines 2752-82.
  16. ^ Lines 2799-2800.
  17. ^ Lines 2802-8.
  18. ^ Lines 2809-12.
  19. ^ Lines 2813-4.
  20. ^ He took eleven thanes (line 2401) plus the man who knew where the dragon's lair was (line 2406) for a total of thirteen men, counting Beowulf.
  21. ^ Lines 2864-91.
  22. ^ Line 2892.
  23. ^ Lines 3077-3109.
  24. ^ Lines 3120-36.

[edit] See also

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