14. _Hwala_ appears in the West Saxon genealogies as son of Beowi, son of
Sceaf (see _Beowulf_, vv. 4, 18).
15. _Alexander_ [_the Great_]. The writer speaks of many celebrities who
were obviously too early for him to know personally. This passage is
usually considered to be an interpolation.
18. _Becca._ See note to v. 8. The _Banings_ are not definitely
identified. The _Burgundians_ were originally an East Germanic tribe.
During the second and third centuries they were neighbors of the Goths
and lived in the modern Posen. Later they moved west, and finally
threatened Gaul, where in the middle of the fifth century they were
defeated by the Roman general, Aetius. Shortly afterward they were
defeated by the Huns. The remnant settled in Savoy, where they
gradually recovered, and by the middle of the sixth century became an
important nation. _Gifica_ (or Gibica) was traditionally spoken of as
an early king who ruled over the Burgundians while they were still in
the east, living as neighbors of the Goths on the Vistula.
20. _Caesar_, was the name given to the Emperor of the East--the "Greek
Emperor." The Finns were at that time located in their present home in
Finland.
21, 22. _Hagena, Heoden, Wada._ These heroes all belong to one
myth-cycle, which was told in Europe for many centuries. It is
difficult to reconstruct the story as it was known at the time
_Widsith_ was written, for it has received many additions at the hands
of subsequent writers. The essential parts of the tale seem to be
these: Heoden asks his servant, the sweet-singing Heorrenda, for help
in wooing Hild, the daughter of Hagena. Heorrenda, enlisting the
services of Wada, the renowned sea-monster (or sea-god) goes to woo
Hild. By means of Wada's frightful appearance and skill in
swordsmanship they attract Hild's attention, and Heorrenda then sings
so that the birds are shamed into silence. They then woo Hild and flee
with her from her father's court. Hagena pursues, and Heoden, after
marrying Hild, engages him in battle. Each evening Hild goes to the
battlefield and by magic awakens the warriors who have fallen, and
they fight the same battle over day after day without ceasing.
_Heorrenda_, the sweet singer of the Heodenings (i.e., of the court of
Heoden) is mentioned in _Deor's Lament_, vv. 36 and 39. _Wada_ is a
widely-known legendary character. He had power over the sea. He was
the father of Weland, the Vulcan of Norse myth (see _Deor's Lament_,
and _Waldhere_, A, v. 2). The _Holm-Rugians_ and the _Haelsings_ were
in the fourth century on the Baltic coast of Germany. The _Glommas_
are unknown.
24. _Theodoric_, son of Chlodowech, king of the Franks, is meant, and not
the famous Gothic king. Cf. v. 115, below.
25. _Breoca_: the same as Breca, prince of the Brondings, the opponent of
Beowulf in his famous swimming match (_Beowulf_, vv. 499-606).
27, 28. _Finn Folcwalding_ was the traditional hero of the Frisians. For
fragments of the stories connected with him, see _Beowulf_, vv.
1068-1159, and the fragmentary poem, _The Fight at Finnsburg_ (p. 34,
below). _Hnaef_, son of Hoc (hence ruler of the _Hocings_) also figures
in the Finn story. Hnaef's sister marries Finn. For a summary of the
story see the Introduction to _The Fight at Finnsburg_.
30. _Thuringians._ These people dwelt near the mouths of the Rhine and
the Maas.
31. _Ongentheow_, the king of Sweden, is frequently mentioned in
_Beowulf_ (e.g., vv. 2476 and 2783). _The Secgans_ are unknown, but
they are mentioned in v. 62, below, and in _The Fight at Finnsburg_,
v. 26.
32. The ancient home of the _Longobards_ (or Lombards) was between the
Baltic and the Elbe.
35. _Offa_: a legendary king of the Angles, while they still lived on the
continent toward the end of the fourth century. Legends of him are
found in Denmark and in England. Chambers concludes that the Danish
form is perhaps very near that known to the author of _Widsith_. Offa,
the son of the king, though a giant in stature, is dumb from his
youth, and when the German prince from the south challenges the aged
king to send a champion to defend his realm in single combat, Offa's
speech is restored and he goes to the combat. The fight was held at
Fifeldore, the River Eider, which was along the frontier between the
Germans and the Danes. Here Offa fought against two champions and
defeated them both, thus establishing the frontier for many years.
Note that the author of _Widsith_, who is of the Myrging race, is here
celebrating the defeat of his own people.
44. _Swabians_ probably refers to the Myrgings, who were of the stock of
the Suevi.
45. _Hrothwulf and Hrothgar._ See _Beowulf_, vv. 1017 and 1181 ff.
Hrothgar is Hrothwulf's uncle, and they live on friendly terms at
Heorot (Hrothgar's hall). Later it seems that Hrothwulf fails to
perform his duties as the guardian of Hrothgar's son, thus bringing to
an end his years of friendliness to Hrothgar and his sons. The fight
referred to is against Ingeld, Hrothgar's son-in-law who invaded the
Danish kingdom. (See _Beowulf_, vv. 84, 2024 ff.)