Hygelac
Hygelac, Hugleikr, is the name given to the king of the Geats in the first part of Beowulf. He is the son of Hrethel and has the brothers Herebeald and Haethcyn. His sister is married to Ecgtheow and has the son Beowulf. The hero Beowulf is consequently his nephew. Hygelac is married to Hygd and they have the son Heardred, and an unnamed daughter who married Eofor. When Hygelac's brother Haethcyn is fighting with the Swedes, Hygelac arrives one day too late at Ravenswood to save his brother, but manages to rescue the surviving Geatish warriors, who are besieged by the Swedish king Ongentheow. The Swedish king is slain by Eofor.
Hygelac goes on a Viking raid to Frisia, and dies. Due to this, Hygelac has been identified with Chlochilaicus, king of the Geats (Rex Getarum, in Liber Monstrorum), or the Danes (in the Historiae Francorum of Gregory of Tours, III, 3.), who invaded Gaul in the early sixth century, and was killed by Theudebert, son of Theuderic, king of the Franks.
The double identification of Hygelac as either Dane or Geat is not surprising. Because he was king of several countries or he was a Danish sub-king and Dane seems to have been used as a generic term for Scandinavians (cf. Danish toungue).
Hygelac was succeeded by Heardred.
