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Heorogar was a Danish king who appears in the Old English poem Beowulf as the eldest son of Healfdene (Halfdan), and the brother of Hroðgar (Hroar), and Halga (Helgi). The people in parentheses are personages found also in Norse sources.
Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest historical form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers probably in the mid-5th century, and the first Old English literary works date from the mid-7th century. After the Norman conquest of 1066, English was replaced, for a time, as the language of the upper classes by Anglo-Norman, a relative of French. This is regarded as marking the end of the Old English era, as during this period the English language was heavily influenced by Anglo-Norman, developing into a phase known now as Middle English.
Beowulf is an Old English epic poem consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is arguably one of the most important works of Old English literature. The date of composition is a matter of contention among scholars; the only certain dating pertains to the manuscript, which was produced between 975 and 1025. The author was an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, referred to by scholars as the "Beowulf poet".
Halga, Helgi, Helghe or Helgo was a legendary Danish king living in the early 6th century. His name would in his own language (Proto-Norse) have been *Hailaga.
He is mentioned in lines 2155-2165 of the poem, when King Hrothgar gives Beowulf the armour and weapons that originally belonged to King Heorogar:
- "Me ðis hildesceorp Hroðgar sealde,
- snotra fengel, sume worde het
- þæt ic his ærest ðe est gesægde;
- cwæð þæt hyt hæfde *Hiorogar cyning,
- leod Scyldunga lange hwile;
- no ðy ær suna sinum syllan wolde,
- hwatum Heorowearde, þeah he him hold wære,
- breostgewædu. Bruc ealles well!"
Translation:
- "Hrothgar did not leave Beowulf unsatisfied. Beowulf offered all of the treasures given to him to Hygelac his leader. Hygelac ordered in his boar standard, a suit of armour, and a sword given to him by Hrothgar who had received it from his brother *Heorogar and once promised to Heoroweard and gave it all to Beowulf to use well."
Unlike Halga, Hroðgar, Healfdene, and Heorogar's son Heoroweard, Heorogar does not appear in Norse sources. However, Heorogar may explain why Heoroweard (according to Norse sources) rebelled against Hroðulf (Hrólf Kraki) and killed him. As the son of Heorogar, the eldest of Healfdene's sons, Heoroweard had greater right to the Danish throne than Hroðulf.
Heoroweard is a character who appears in Beowulf and also in Norse legends, where he is named Hjörvarðr or Hiartuar. If he existed in real life, his name would have been Proto-Norse *Heruwarduz.
