NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Hrethel

Hre�el was the king of the Geats, in Beowulf. He was the son of Swerting and he had the sons H��cyn, Herebeald and Hygelac. He also had a daughter who married Ecg�eow and had the son Beowulf.

Hre�el died of grief when his oldest son Herebeald was killed by his own brother H��cyn in a hunting accident, a death that could not be avenged. He was succeeded by H��cyn.

Preceded by:
Swerting

King of the Geats

Succeeded by:
H��cyn

Categories: English heroic legends

Results from FactBites:

SparkNotes: Beowulf: Lines 2211–2515 (1316 words)
	On the cliff outside the barrow, Beowulf speaks to his men, recounting his youth as a ward in King Hrethel’s court.
	The tragic story of the death of Hrethel’s son at the hands of his own brother offers an echo of the earlier case of divided loyalty in the Finnsburg episode.
	Hrethel’s grief at the accident is great, but because of the peculiar circumstances surrounding his son’s death, Hrethel is locked in inaction.

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