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Osric replied to the topic The God-Kings: Scyld, Scef, Beowa – and Related Figures in the forum
Mythology, Theology and Folklore in the group Theology and Mythology
Comparative Family Trees
Old English (Beowulf proem): “Shield, son of Sheaf” — boat-funeral for Scyld; no boat-birth.
- Sceaf (“Sheaf”) — progenitor; no narrative here of a boat-birth in Beowulf
- Scyld Scefing (“Shield, son of Sheaf”) — founder-king; ship-funeral described
- Beow…
- Scyld Scefing (“Shield, son of Sheaf”) — founder-king; ship-funeral described
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- Sceaf (“Sheaf”) — progenitor; no narrative here of a boat-birth in Beowulf
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Osric replied to the topic The God-Kings: Scyld, Scef, Beowa – and Related Figures in the forum
Mythology, Theology and Folklore in the group Theology and Mythology
Boat-foundling and founder-king motifs in Germanic traditions
Tradition
Foundling?
Name
Meaning
RoleEnglish (later chronicles)
Yes
Sceaf
Sheaf
Found in a boat with grain; father of Scyld.English (Beowulf)
No
Scyld Scefing…Read More -
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Osric started the topic The God-Kings: Scyld, Scef, Beowa – and Related Figures in the forum
Mythology, Theology and Folklore in the group Theology and Mythology
Making a thread to capture lore and research on this subject.
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Hirut posted in the group Theology and Mythology
⁉️After waiting a long time, I’m finally asking this question. The more I read, the more confused I get, because different sources say different things. I also can’t find a clear answer on Discord.
Question:
Is it correct that Sceafa, the son of Beowa, is the same as the Lombardic king who was found as a child floating in a small boa…Read More4 Comments-
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@thehoptimist I made a forum thread to hold more data, without it scrolling away. 🙂
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That makes sense — so in the English line we get Sceaf as the foundling, Scyld as the warrior-king who brings order, and in some genealogies Beowa as Scyld’s son, whose name points back to barley and fertility. In the Norse tradition, the miraculous origin drops out and Skjöld becomes Odin’s son, while among the Lombards the roles merge in Agelmu…Read More
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Correct. It has errors. Sceaf in the English retelling was made King of old Anglia.
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The Ingvaeonic Society
So there are different versions of this story, that move things around.
Old English tradition
• Sceaf — name literally means “sheaf” (grain sheaf). In later English chronicles (Æthelweard, William of Malmesbury), he’s the boat-foundling with a sheaf of grain under his head.
• Scyld — name literally means “shield.” In Beowulf, he’s called Scyld…Read More