Hygd: The Queen of the Geats

Background:

Queen of the Geats, Married to King Hygelac. Her Father is Hæreth. Hygd is portrayed as a very beautiful woman who is also kind and thoughtful. She's also considered a perfect queen and women for her time. She was married off to King Hygelac to unite clans which proved to be a common practice during the time period.

Strengths:

Loyalty, Beauty, Kind, Well Mannered, Intelligent

Weaknesses:

Selfless

Role in Beowulf:

Queen Hygds role in beowulf may not seem significant since most women during the time period were thought of as a hostess and to obey their husbands but, the queen would prove to do more then that as she offered to give Beowulf the kingdom instead of wanting it for her children because she believed it was for the best for her people. This proves her good nature and the true love for her people. Beowulf declined but he stayed loyal to Queens son until he matured.

Most female characters in stories at this time were nameless, not given a personality or much of a physical description. But Hygd was clearly respected on a different level. When she spoke, descriptions in the story show that the men would listen. She was much more than just a mead carrier. She was respected and her opinions were held in high regard. A 1971 novel, Grendel, written by American author John Gardner gave even more of a description about Hygd and her role. In the novel she is described to be intimidating even to her husband King Hygelac. She is even seen as more intelligent than her own husband, often assisting him in making decisions for the kingdom. She was not like Queen Wealththeow where she felt she needed to bear many gifts to her husband and his colleagues. She was confident in the fact that her wits were enough in its own to appease the kingdom. Her character is seen by many scholars as the first "strong female role" present in literature. This was the main reason for Gardner to present her in this way in his novel written hundreds of years later.

Etymology:

The name Hygd stems from the Old English word modgehygd which is used to describe someone who is seen as "thoughtful", "intelligent", and even "poetic". Hygd's name can be further described by this word when is broken down into the two Nordic words of mod and gehyde. The word mod is translated in English to have several meanings such as "prideful" but also "courageous". The word gehyde can be literally translated to "thoughtful" or someone who "often contemplates". These descriptions clearly show how Hygd received her name. She was well known for her thoroughness when making decisions. She is also admired for her pride and confidence in herself while also remaining humble and not appearing to be vein. It is believed that the name "Heidi" stemmed from the usage of the word Hygd.

Lines:

Queen Hygd appears in line 1925-1931, 2172-2176, and 2369-2376

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygd

http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projf20004c/hygd.htm

https://schoolworkhelper.net/role-of-queen-in-beowulf-grendel/

Beowulf Bilingual edition by Seamus Heaney