Wiglaf is the son of Weohstan, a Swede of the Wægmunding clan who had entered the service of Beowulf, king of the Geats.
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12 Facts About Wiglaf
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2.
Wiglaf is called Scylfing as a metonym for Swede, as the Scylfings were the ruling Swedish clan.
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3.
Weohstan belonged to the clan of the Wægmundings, the same clan Beowulf's father Ecgþeow belonged to; so Wiglaf is Beowulf's distant cousin, and his only living relative at the time of Beowulf's death.
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4.
Wiglaf has a counterpart in Scandinavian sources named Hjalti who serves as a side-kick to Beowulf's counterpart Bodvar Bjarki, and in Bjarkamal, Hjalti makes speeches comparable to those made by Wiglaf in Beowulf.
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Beowulf6.
When Beowulf damages his sword wounding the dragon and is burned by the dragon's fire, Wiglaf is the only man of Beowulf's band to overcome his fear of the dragon.
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7.
Wiglaf's hand is badly burned, but his attack allows Beowulf to close and kill the dragon.
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8.
Wiglaf sends a messenger to tell the other Geats what has happened.
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9.
Wiglaf then feels moved to encourage Beowulf, an action that could be seen as surprising from a youth facing his first fight to a heroic King, and at last to join the fight against the dragon.
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10.
Norman E Eliason notes that Wiglaf is a member of the Waegmundings, a Swedish clan.
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11.
Wiglaf's name appears to be an example of etymological refraction.
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12.
When Wiglaf first enters battle alongside his lord, the poem is structured to reflect greater significance on his name.
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