Which legendary Danish king's ship funeral opens Beowulf?

The legendary Danish king whose ship funeral opens Beowulf is Scyld Scefing. The poem begins with a formal praise of Scyld, a foundling who arrives mysteriously as a child and grows into a powerful ruler of the Danes.

After describing his victories and the tribute paid by neighboring peoples, the poet recounts Scyld’s death. His body is placed in a richly equipped ship surrounded by weapons, treasure, and royal gifts. The vessel is then sent out to sea, returning him symbolically to the unknown power or place from which he first came.

Scyld is also called Shield Sheafson and is identified with the legendary Danish king Skjöldr in Scandinavian tradition. His descendants are the Scyldings, the royal dynasty that includes Hrothgar. The opening funeral therefore establishes both the poem’s Danish setting and its concern with kingship, inheritance, fame, and the circulation of treasure.

Readers sometimes confuse Scyld’s funeral with Beowulf’s funeral at the poem’s end. Both involve a ruler’s death and a monumental burial, but the opening ship burial belongs to Scyld, while Beowulf is cremated and commemorated in a coastal barrow.