Indeed no cause had Hildeburh to praise the Jutish loyalty: without fault of hers she was in that clash of shields bereft of those she loved, child and brother they fell by doom, wounded with spears an unhappy woman was she. When the sudden peril came upon them, the doughty Healfdene, Hnæf of the Scylding house, was fated to fall in the Freswæl. Then Hrothgar's bard, in performance of his office, recounted a thing for the entertainment of those in hall upon the benches, the sons of Finn. THE EPISODE: There was song and music together before Healfdene's war-captain harp was played, ever and anon, a tale was duly told. This is the kind of writing Tolkien was supposed to be doing for his salary instead of writing about Hobbits and Rings and inventing and reinventing Elvish.

But it is an excellent piece of work and I find Tolkien’s and Miles’ arguments quite convincing. Tolkien’s Finn and Hengest is a very technical, scholarly discussion of some features of the story of the battle of Finnesburgh, a tale known only from the old English poem Beowulf where part of it is retold beginning at Beowulf Section XVII and from the Finnesburgh Fragment.Īs Walter indicates, the book is intended for people who have some previous interest in its subject matter. The name is also given to a prominent leader in the Finnesburgh story, usually now identified by scholars with the legendary English founding father. Hengest means ‘stallion’ in Old English and according to later English and Welsh legendary tradition was the name of the first Germanic leader to settle in what later became England. I suspect Huckleberry Finn is supposed to have Irish ancestry.Ĭompare Mickey Finn. This name would have nothing to do with Finns or Finnland.

Oral tales of the famous hero Finn mac Cumhail were still prevelent in Ireland and Scotland in the early twentieth century.

I believe the etymology of the name is unknown.įinn is also a Gaelic name meaning ‘white, fair’ and not an horribly uncommon surname and given name in Ireland. The Finn in the story of the battle of Finnesburgh is a Frisian.

Tolkien finn and hengest