In Beowulf, what is the name of Beowulf’s father?

In Beowulf, Beowulf’s father is named Ecgtheow.

Ecgtheow is introduced through genealogical and historical references rather than through a full scene in the poem. He was a renowned warrior of the Geatish world and belonged to the Wægmunding clan. Beowulf is repeatedly identified through this paternal lineage, a convention that reflects the importance of ancestry in heroic Germanic poetry.

The poem explains that Ecgtheow killed Heaðolaf, a member of the Wulfing clan. Because the resulting feud threatened to continue, Hrothgar of Denmark paid compensation on Ecgtheow’s behalf. This earlier act of diplomacy helps explain why Beowulf is welcomed at Heorot when he arrives to fight Grendel.

Ecgtheow is often confused with Hygelac, Beowulf’s maternal uncle and lord. Hrothgar is the Danish king whom Beowulf helps, while Healfdene is Hrothgar’s father. These names belong to related generations in the poem’s complex heroic family history.