James H. Morey's "The Fates of Men in Beowulf"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how James H. Morey's thesis, in "The Fates of Men in Beowulf", centers on how the Beowulf'- poet describes, or just as importantly, doesn't describe the deaths of the ruling kings in each of the three dynastic houses. In particular, the paper looks at Morey's contention that the Swedish and Geatish houses have most of their king's deaths related in a clear and convincing way and that the Danish house is the only one with a significant number of kings whose demises are ambiguous. Contrary to Morey's belief, the paper concludes that a close look at the specific examples of explicitly detailed deaths in both the Swedish and Geatish royals, makes it obvious that these two houses are guilty of the same kin-slaying that to Morey makes the Danes special.

From the Paper:

"The Geatish house has an even more explicit depiction of kin-slaying in the example of Hrethel's eldest son Herebeald. The tale is related via Beowulf's speech before the dragon fight when he describes how the second eldest son of Hrethel, Haethcyn, hitting and killing his elder brother with an arrow. It is unclear whether or not this was a purposeful act, but the poet's description of it as "fyrenum gesyngad" paints it as deliberate, and malicious, act of violence."

Sample of Sources Used:

• James H. Morey, "The Fates of Men in Beowulf," Source of Wisdom: Old English and Early Medieval Latin Studies in Honour of Thomas D. Hill. Edited by Charles D. Wright, Frederick M. Biggs, and Thomas N. Hall. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007).
• Liuzza, , R.M., Beowulf: A New Verse Translation by R.M. Liuzza. (Toronto: Broadview Press Ltd., 2000), 125-126 (33.2379-2384).
• Beowulf: An Edition. Revised by Bruce Mitchell and Fred C. Robinson (Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 1998), 134 (34.2441).

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