| A | B |
|---|
| Edgetheow | Beowulf's father |
| Wealtheow | Hrothgar's wife and adviser. |
| Æschere | A Dane. Hrothgar's favorite adviser. |
| Nægling | Beowulf's sword |
| Beowulf | A Geat, son of Edgetheow and nephew of Hygalac. The hero of the story. |
| Breca | Beowulf's best friend. He once took part in a famous swimming contest with the hero. |
| Cain | One of the sons of Adam and Eve in the Bible. He is supposed to be the ancestor of many murdering monsters. |
| Danes | A tribe living i part of the area now called Denmark. |
| The Dragon | Its home is in Geatland. It lives underground guarding a huge treaure. |
| Geats | A tribe living in the south of the country now called Sweden. Beowulf belongs to this tribe. |
| Grendel | A man-eating monster; "misbegotten son of a foul mother" |
| Grendel's mother | "a foul she-monster" |
| Heorot | The famous mead hall which Hrothgar ordered to be built. |
| Hrothgar | Lord of the Danes and great-grandson of Scyld Scefing. "grey-haired giver of treasure" |
| Hrunting | Unferth's sword |
| Hygelac | Lord of the Geats; Beowulf's uncle. |
| Scyld Scefing | The first great ruler of the Danes. His name means protector or shield. |
| Unferth | "a groveling, jealous man" |
| Wiglaf | A young man related to Beowulf who helps him kill the dragon. |
| Wulfgar | One of Hrothgar's advisers. |
