- Hygd
Queen Hygd, introduced in line 1925 of the poem "
Beowulf ", is the wife of KingHygelac of Geatland.After Beowulf defeats
Grendel andGrendel's mother , he and his men returned to their native country, where they are received by Hygelac and Hygd. Hygd is beautiful, wise, courteous, and attentive. She pours mead in the drinking horns of the warriors thus fulfilling (in the same vein asWealhþeow , the queen ofDenmark ) the important role of "hostess" and cup-bearer in the poem. [cite news | first= Dorothy | last=Porter| url=http://www.mun.ca/mst/heroicage/issues/5/porter1.html| title=The Social Centrality of Women in Beowulf: A New Context| publisher="The Heroic Age: A Journal of Early Medieval Northwestern Europe," heroicage.org, Issue 5| date=Summer/Autumn 2001| accessdate=2006-08-09 ] The poet juxtaposes this virtue with the vice of QueenModþryð (who appears in line 1932).Beowulf gives her three horses and a magnificent
torc (the "Brosing", i.e.Brisingamen , the necklace of the goddessFreyja ) that he received from Wealhþeow.Hygd shows her wisdom and love for the
Geatish people when her husband falls in the raid inFrisia against theFranks . Instead of securing the throne for her own offspring, she offers it toBeowulf as she considers her sonHeardred to be too inexperienced to defend Geatland against the Swedes. Beowulf, however, talks in favour of young Heardred and convinces her to proclaim himKing of the Geats instead.Unfortunately, two Swedish princes,
Eadgils andEanmund , arrive and ask for protection as their uncleOnela had usurped the Swedish throne. Heardred graciously offers them his protection, which leads to a Swedish invasion in which Heardred is slain. The Swedish warriorWeohstan kills Eanmund, and Beowulf can no longer refuse Hygd's offer of kingship.Further reading
*cite news | first= Marijane | last=Osborn| url=http://www.heroicage.org/issues/5/Osborn1.html| title="The Wealth They Left Us":Two Women Author Themselves through Others' Lives in Beowulf"| publisher=The Heroic Age: A Journal of Early Medieval Northwestern Europe, heroicage.org, Issue 5| date=Summer/Autumn 2001| accessdate=
*cite news | first= Dorothy | last=Porter| url=http://www.mun.ca/mst/heroicage/issues/5/porter1.html| title=The Social Centrality of Women in Beowulf: A New Context| publisher="The Heroic Age: A Journal of Early Medieval Northwestern Europe," heroicage.org, Issue 5| date=Summer/Autumn 2001| accessdate=2006-08-09Notes
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