Beowulf Study Guide - Chronology of Events

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"The Saga of Beowulf"
by R. Scot Johns

"The Complete Study Guide
To Beowulf"
by R. Scot Johns

“ The Complete Study Guide to Beowulf ”

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

All dates are highly conjectural, based on contextual evidence, anchored by the single dateable event of
Hygelac's raid on Frisia, itself occurring marginally between 515-525 AD, but generally placed at 521.
Numbers in brackets are to text references in the Beowulf manuscript (no dates are given).

3rd C
c.350
c.370
c.375
c.375
c.390
c.390-420
c.400
c.420
c.425
c.443
c.443
c.444
445
445
c.449
449
450
c.469
470
470
472
473
c.475
475
475
c.477
c.477
c.478
c.478
478
480
481
490
493
c.494
c.494
c.495
c.495
c.495
c.495
495
498
498
498
c.499
499
499
499
499
499
c.500
c.500
c.500
500
501
c.502
c.502
502
502
503
503
503
503
503
503
503
c.505
505
c.509
c.510
510
510
510
510
510
510
510
510
510
511
511
511
c.512
c.512
514
515
515
515
515
515
515
515
515
515
515
518
520
520
521
521
521
521
521
521
521
525
525
525
525
527
c.530
532
532
532
532
533
533
533
533
533
535
535
535
535
545
545
545
545
545
c.545
c.545
c.545
c.545
c.545
c.545
???

???

c.575
582

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The Last Survivor buries the Dragon-Hoard [2231-2266]
Offa I marries & reforms the evil Queen Modthrytho [1925-1962]
Hama steals the Brosing Necklace from the Goth King Eormanric [1192-1214]
Death of Eormanric
Heremod, son of Ecgwela, deposes elder brother to become King of Denmark [898-915]
Heremod exiled (probably killed by the Jutes who take him in) [1709-1724]
Period in which Danish throne stands empty
Scyld Scefing comes to Denmark as a helpless child in a boat [4-63]
Scyld assumes the throne of Denmark to begin a new dynasty
Beow “the Dane” born (d.c.475), son and heir of Scyld Scefing
Death of Scyld Scefing; ship burial at sea
Beow the Dane, son of Scyld, becomes King of Denmark
Beow marries the daughter of Jorundr
Hrethel born (d.503), only son (nefa) of Swerting (of the Swerting clan)
Healfdene born (d.498), only son of Beow the Dane and a Swedish princess
The Fight at Finnsburh occurs no later than this time [1063-1159]
Hengest & Horsa invited to Britain by Vortigern
Ongenþeow born (d.510), later King of the Swedes
Hrethel takes a wife
Herebeald born (d.502), 1st son of Hrethel
Heorogar born (d.500), 1st son of Healfdene
Hæthcyn born (d.510), 2nd son of Hrethel
Hrothgar born (d.525), 2nd son of Healfdene
Beow the Dane probably dies around this time, leaving the throne to Healfdene
Halga “the Good” born (d.503), 3rd son of Healfdene
Hygelac born (d.521), 3rd son of Hrethel
Yrse born, daughter of Healfdene
Ongenþeow marries
Froda born (d.499), later King of the Heathobards
Hrethel’s daughter born about this time (making her 16 at the time of her marriage)
Ohthere born (d.532), 1st son of Ongenþeow
Onela born (d.535), 2nd son of Ongenþeow
Childeric dies; Clovis rules the Frankish Empire (-511)
Heoroweard born (d.545), 1st son of Heorogar
Ecgþeow’s exploit occurs around this time, the event for which he is given Hrethel's daughter
Ecgþeow marries Hrethel’s only daughter
Hygelac marries a first wife
Hygd born to Hæreth by about this time
Hrothulf born (d.545), only son of Halga “the Good”
Hygelac’s daughter must be born about this time in order to be old enough to marry Eofor
Onela marries Yrse
Beowulf born (d.c.583), only son of Ecgþeow and a daughter of the Geatish King Hrethel
Froda slays Healfdene during an attack on the Danes, beginning a feud
Heorogar becomes King of the Danes (a short reign of two years)
Ingeld born (d.520), son of Froda
Hrothgar marries Wealhþeow of the Helmings (a Wylfing or a Celt)
Aun (Ani or Oni) dies of old age; his son Ongenþeow succeeds to the Swedish throne
Heorogar, Hrothgar, and Halga attack the Heathobards
Froda falls in battle (burned in his hall by the attacking Danes)
Ingeld succeeds at age 1, possibly under the regency of Withergyld
Hrethric “the Niggard” (Coward) born (d.525), 1st son of Hrothgar
The Franks (Hugas and Hetware clans) conquer Gaul about this time
Heorogar dies about this time (503 at latest); possibly also falls in battle
Hrothgar becomes King of the Danes (Heoroweard still a child at 10)
Hrothmund born (d.???), 2nd son of Hrothgar
Freawaru born, only daughter of Hrothgar
Ecgþeow slays Heatholaf of the Wylfings and is exiled [459-472]
Ecgþeow travels to Denmark and Hrothgar settles the feud
Beowulf, age 7, sent to Hrethel’s court for his upbringing [2428-2434]
Herebeald killed accidentally by Hæthcyn [2435-2459]
Hrethel dies of grief [2460-2471]
Hæthcyn becomes King of the Geats
Heorot built at Leire, Zealand
Grendel begins his nightly raids [64-193]
Onela & Ohthere attack Geats at Sorrow Hill, beginning Swede-Geat feud [2472-2478]
Halga slain by Hothbrod the Swede
Hrothulf (age 8) raised at Heorot [1013-1019]
Beowulf’s “inglorious youth” period (-511, age 16) [2177-2189]
Eanmund born (d.533), 1st son of Ohthere
Hygelac’s 1st wife dies by this time
Hygelac marries Hygd (who is some 20 years his junior, and Beowulf’s age)
Battle of Ravenswood: Hæthcyn and Hygelac attack the Swedes [2821-2945]
Swedish Queen captured, then rescued [2928-2932]
Hæthcyn killed by Ongenþeow [2479-2489]
Hygelac becomes King of the Geats
Ongentheow wounds Wulf, but is killed by Eofor [2946-2988]
Ongentheow buried at Uppsala
Ohthere becomes King of the Swedes
Eofor given the hand of Hygelac’s daughter [2989-2999]
Eadgils born, 2nd son of Ohthere
Beowulf’s youthful exploits begin (-514, ages 16-19) [407-455]
Heardred born (d.533), only son of Hygelac & Hygd (though possibly of the first wife)
Clovis dies; Frankish Empire divided: Theodoric rules Metz-Austrasia (-534)
Beowulf’s Swimming Contest with Breca
Unferth slays his brothers prior to this time [581-589]
Ingeld, now 16, achieves his majority; Withergyld slain by this time
Beowulf sails to Denmark (he wears the mail-shirt of Weland) [194-228]
Hondscioh slain by Grendel [2076-2080]
Grendel slain by Beowulf, ending a 12-year reign of terror [662-852]
Neck-ring given to Beowulf by Weahltheow [1192-1231]
Æschere killed by the Troll-Hag [2120-2128]
Troll-Hag slain by Beowulf [1251-1622]
Hrothgar plans Freawaru-Ingeld union by this time [2020-2069]
Beowulf returns home [1799-1976]
Beowulf gives the neck-ring to Queen Hygd [2172-2175}
Beowulf is given his grandfather Hrethel’s sword, Nægling [2190-2194]
Freawaru betrothed to Ingeld as a peace-weaver to settle the feud
Ingeld attacks and burns Heorot, but is routed, probably slain; Heorot is rebuilt
Hrothmund disappears after this time (presumably he dies)
Geat raid on Friesland against the Franks & Frisians [2354-2365]
Hygelac (wearing the neck-ring) slain by Theodobert, son of Theodoric [2913-1921]
Dæghrefn of the Hugas takes the neck-ring from the fallen Hygelac
Beowulf slays Dæghrefn, reclaiming the neck-ring, then swims home [2490-2509]
Hygelac’s bones are buried on an island in the mouth of the Rhine
Hygd offers the throne to Beowulf, but he declines [2369-2379]
Heardred (age 10) becomes King of Geatland, with Beowulf as regent (-527 or 529)
Possible attack on King Hothbrod of Sweden by Hrothgar in revenge of Halga
Hrothgar slain by Hothbrod
Hrethric becomes King of Denmark
Hrothulf slays Hrethric to attain the Danish throne
Heardred (now 16) achieves his majority
Wiglaf probably born around this time
Ohthere ‘Vendel-Crow’ dies and is buried at Vendel
Onela succeeds to the Swedish throne against the rightful heirs
Eanmund and Eadgils rebel against Onela and are exiled [2379-2384]
Eanmund and Eadgils seek refuge in Geatland
Onela, pursuing his nephews, invades Geatland [2384-2386]
Onela slays Heardred (and Eanmund, according to Klaeber)
Weohstan (a half-Swede in the service of Onela) slays Eanmund in battle [2610-2625]
Onela gives Eanmund’s sword and armor to Weohstan
Beowulf becomes King of Geatland [2387-2390]
Eadgils invades Sweden with arms and men supplied by Beowulf
Eadgils slays Onela on frozen Lake Vanir [2391-2396]
Eadgils assumes the Swedish throne
Weohstan becomes an exile from Sweden (Eanmund’s death left unavenged)
The usurper-King Hrothulf is slain by Heoroweard, the rightful heir
Heoroweard assumes the Danish throne at age 55 (the only remaining royal male Dane)
Heoroweard slain by Wiggo, the sole survivor of Hrothulf’s band
Heorot burns to the ground for the final time
Beowulf turns 50 (it is most likely in this year that he dies, having lived "fifty winters")
Weohstan gives Eanmund’s Heirloom to his young son Wiglaf (now 15)
The Dragon-Hoard disturbed: Beowulf’s hall and lands destroyed
Beowulf dies fighting the fiery dragon [582 according to Klaeber, lit. "fifty winters'" of rule]
Wiglaf given the neck-ring
Beowulf’s Barrow constructed, his funeral procession held
Wiglaf becomes King of the Geats
Sometime after this it is likely that Eadgils will seek revenge against Wiglaf, the son of
Eanmund’s killer (it is this act which is thought to bring about the downfall of the Geats)
Wuffing dynasty founded in East Anglia by exiled Geats with Danish connections; they are
possibly the descendants of Wiglaf
Eadgils dies (580 at the latest)
Latest possible dating for the death of Beowulf (age 87)