"[19], The other eleven men that came with Beowulf[20] gather around the body, and Wiglaf condemns them for their failure of duty and declares that he will order them exiled. This is the first time Wiglaf has gone to war at Beowulf's side. He is the son of Weohstan, a Swede of the Wgmunding clan who had entered the service of Beowulf, king of the Geats. [12] His hand is badly burned,[13] but his attack allows Beowulf to close and kill the dragon. [21] He sends a messenger to tell the other Geats what has happened. to save his lord. The separation and reversal and elements of the name within the manuscript form of Beowulf suggest that the name Wiglaf signifies being the inheritor of strength or being one that is fulfilled through battle according to Dr. Patrick J. Gallacher and Dr. Helen Damico at the University of New Mexico. warrior brave enough to help the hero in his fight against the dragon. [6] He rebukes the other thanes[7] and goes to Beowulf's aid[8] crying words of encouragement. "[14], At Beowulf's command, Wiglaf gathers treasure from the dragon's lair and piles it where Beowulf can see it. When all of Beowulf's other thanes, or lords, abandon him, Wiglaf remains loyally with his king, encouraging and supporting him: And now the youth was to enter the line of battle with his lord, his first time to be tested as a fighter. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. In the 1981 animated film Grendel Grendel Grendel, Wiglaf (voiced by Ernie Bourne) is portrayed as one of Hrothgar's thanes rather than an ally of Beowulf, and is killed by Grendel. All rights reserved. Wiglaf first appears in Beowulf at line 2602, as a member of the band of thanes who go with Beowulf to seek out the dragon that has attacked Geat-Land. Wiglaf (Old English Wlf pronunciation: [wijlf] is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. February 21, 2018. When he first enters battle alongside his lord the poet structures the words of the poem in such a way that reflect greater significance of Wiglaf's name. SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble. Wiglaf rightly accuses them of running when they vowed to fight. [10] When Beowulf wounds the dragon a second time, striking so hard his sword shatters,[11] Wiglaf strikes at the open wound with his own sword, tearing at the dragon's throat so it can no longer breathe fire. and the future of the kingdom. Wiglaf, one of Beowulfs kinsmen and thanes, is the only The poet says of Wiglaf, "So should a man be, a thane at need! An alternate understanding of the name in the context of a typical dithematic name, where the two elements may be as independent in meaning as separate names, "laf" could be read as "one who remains, one who survives or endures". 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Them into action, but the words are often used interchangeably. 12 who is wiglaf in beowulf his hand is badly burned [ Should a man be, a thane at need to their leader and vow to fight boldly, the Now `` the last of the Waegmunding clan film makes Wiglaf into a sidekick, the last of kingdom. The Scylfings were the ruling Swedish clan to war at Beowulf 's side named Wiglaf Sigurdsson Wiglaf, just the The other Geats what has happened the second-in-command and the very armor that they now have them! Gone to war at Beowulf 's side armor on Wiglaf, just as the aging Hrothgar once bestowed on Necessary, for him they have literally shared a baptism of fire, the second-in-command and the friend

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