Ecglaf

Background
Ecglaf, a Dane, was the father of Unferð. He was mentioned throughout the Beowulf text, but was only ever referenced as the father of Unferð. For this reason, little is known about him. As for his name, there does not appear to be any significant deeper meaning. There was, however, a bishop in the 8th century that shares a name with this character.

Strengths
Unknown

Weaknesses
The text never directly speaks of Ecglaf's role in the Beowulf universe but considering his son (Unferð) would prove to be jealous of Beowulf's accomplishments, it might be safe to assume that Ecglaf and his family share a tendency to live in the shadows of others.

Significance in Beowulf
In Beowulf, we hear more about the life of Ecglafs child, Unferð rather than Ecglaf. The legacy of Ecglafs seems to be forgotten to time or perhaps it was not worth writing down. The only time Ecglaf is referenced is as a father to Unferð.

Translated lines
Ecglaf is mentioned only twice throughout Sammy Heaney's translaton of Beowulf. The first reference to Ecglaf is line 500 of the translation. It reads, "From where he crouched at the king's feet, Unferth, a son of Ecglafs, spoke contrary words." (500)

The second reference can be found on line 1463 of the translation. It is written, "When he lent that blade to the better swordsman, Unferth, the strong-built son of Ecglaf, could hardly have remembered the ranting speech he had made in his cups." (1463)

In both of these instances very little information was revealed of Ecglaf. He was only presented as a father, nothing more.