Hrothgar- Germanic HeroHero"King of the Danes"
Also known as: Hroðgar and Hróarr
Description
He built the greatest mead hall the Danes had ever known, and then watched a monster empty it for twelve years. When Beowulf arrived from Geatland, the aged Hrothgar could not lift a sword beside him. He gave the young warrior treasure instead, and a warning drawn from the ruin of an earlier king.
Mythology & Lore
The King Who Could Not Fight
At the height of his reign, Hrothgar ordered the construction of Heorot, a mead hall greater than any the Danes had known. He filled it with treasure and rewarded his warriors there. Poets sang of ancestral deeds beneath its roof. Then Grendel came. For twelve years the creature stalked Heorot after dark, killing Hrothgar's thanes in their sleep. The king, old and past his fighting years, could do nothing to stop it.
Beowulf arrived from Geatland to repay an old debt. Years earlier, Hrothgar had sheltered Beowulf's father Ecgtheow and paid the wergild that ended a blood feud. Hrothgar greeted the young warrior in his hall and granted him the right to face Grendel alone.
The Sermon
After Beowulf killed both Grendel and Grendel's mother, Hrothgar rewarded him with gold and weapons. Then he told Beowulf the story of Heremod. Heremod had been gifted with strength beyond other men, but power made him cruel. He stopped giving rings. He killed his own table-companions. His people drove him out, and he died alone. Guard yourself against the same fate, Hrothgar told him. The body's strength is lent, not owned, and it will be taken back.