What is the name of Hrothgar's nephew?

The story behind the answer

Hrothgar’s nephew is Hrothulf, also written Hroðulf. In Beowulf, he is a member of the Danish Scylding royal family and stands close to Hrothgar, who is king of the Danes. The poem says that Hrothgar and Hrothulf were loyal to one another, and it presents Hrothulf as a likely guardian for Hrothgar’s young sons if the king dies before they reach adulthood.

The poem does not explicitly identify which of Hrothgar’s siblings is Hrothulf’s parent. Later Scandinavian tradition generally makes Hrothulf the son of Hrothgar’s brother Halga. Those traditions also connect him with the legendary Danish king Hrólfr Kraki, though the identification is traditional rather than an exact one-to-one biography.

The other names are related to the poem but do not fit the question. Heorogar is Hrothgar’s older brother, Unferth is a warrior at Heorot, and Hrethric is one of Hrothgar’s sons. Hrothulf is therefore the canonical answer in Beowulf-based quizzes.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

Add question to a list

Choose a list to keep this question in: