In the Old English epic poem Beowulf, Wiglaf is a young warrior who comes to Beowulf’s aid in his final battle against the dragon. After Beowulf mortally wounds the dragon but is himself wounded, Wiglaf is the only one of Beowulf’s band of soldiers who is willing to come to his assistance. Wiglaf’s loyalty and bravery stand in stark contrast to the cowardice displayed by the rest of Beowulf’s men. They flee in terror rather than fight alongside their lord. Wiglaf’s actions are instrumental in allowing Beowulf to slay the dragon, but they also bring shame and dishonor onto the other soldiers for their failure to live up to the heroic code. This article will explore what Wiglaf does when he alone responds to Beowulf’s calls for help, and how his deeds affect the reputation of the other soldiers who deserted their leader.
Wiglaf Comes to Beowulf’s Aid Against the Dragon
The climax of Beowulf comes when the elderly King Beowulf confronts a ravaging dragon that is terrorizing his kingdom. Beowulf insists on fighting the dreadful beast alone despite being advanced in years, and he travels with eleven of his bravest warriors to the dragon’s lair by the sea. When Beowulf engages in combat with the dragon, he quickly realizes that he has met his match. Though he succeeds in delivering a mortal wound to the dragon, he is himself injured by the creature’s venomous bite. Seeing his lord in need of assistance against the still-living dragon, Wiglaf remembers the favors and riches Beowulf granted him and feels compelled to come to his aid. He is “mindful of the favors” his lord had bestowed upon him and resolves to “requite him” by going to his aid (lines 2605-2606).
Wiglaf Rebukes the Other Soldiers for Abandoning Beowulf
While Wiglaf dutifully comes to his lord’s side, the rest of Beowulf’s warriors fail to show the same bravery and loyalty. Rather than join the fray, they flee into the woods and hide among the trees in fear, leaving Beowulf and Wiglaf to face the menacing dragon alone. Enraged by their cowardice, Wiglaf castigates the other soldiers, shouting that they should be ashamed that they did not have the courage to stand by their leader. He scolds them, declaring:
“I remember how we sat in the mead-hall, drinking and boasting of how brave we’d be when Beowulf needed us. Shame on you for running from this monster! We owe our lives to the king’s generosity. He has rewarded us with rings and riches, the finest swords and helmets. He gave us these arms that we hold, which are useless if we do not use them for our lord now, when he has need of our strength…All of you will be shamed, disgraced forever, if you choose not to stand by our king in this battle but make your way home ashamed and powerless. This is not the behavior of noble warriors but of cowards.”
Wiglaf’s Bravery Allows Beowulf to Defeat the Dragon
While the other soldiers are paralyzed by dread and cannot bring themselves to face the terror of the dragon, Wiglaf exhibits true courage and loyalty. With Wiglaf’s help, the weakened Beowulf is able to rally his strength and draw his dagger to deliver the final fatal blow that fells the dragon. If Wiglaf had not come to Beowulf’s aid, it is likely the king would have perished and the dragon would have remained undefeated. But thanks to Wiglaf’s daring intervention, Beowulf is able to slay the vile beast. However, Beowulf has been mortally wounded and does not have long to live. As the king lies dying, he speaks to Wiglaf, praising him for his faithfulness:
Thou hast displayed thy noble descent by thy deeds, Wiglaf. If I had a son he could not be more desirable than thou…Thou hast made assay to help thy kinsman to the uttermost of thy power. I shall reward thee for it, as it is given me to do. Thou hast won by thy deeds that thy fame shall endure forever. Order now the people of the land to prepare a funeral pyre for me upon the ness, which shall tower up high, so that the sailors may see it far and wide, and remember my name.
Even in his final moments, Beowulf recognizes that it is thanks to Wiglaf’s loyal service that he was able to be victorious over the mighty dragon. If Wiglaf had abandoned his lord as the other warriors had done, the outcome would certainly have been tragic.
Wiglaf Shames the Soldiers After Beowulf’s Death
After Beowulf breathes his last breath, Wiglaf bitterly surveys the rest of the warriors who had retreated to the woods and berates them again for their cowardice and disloyalty. He makes it clear that their ignoble actions led to the beloved Beowulf’s downfall:
It is a disgrace that our king should have met his end through your cowardice…Only one man stood by our lord when he needed help. God knows that I could be of little assistance to him in the battle, but I struck with my sword as best I could. It was not living up to the standard of my family’s honor that I defended the life of my kinsman no longer. There should have been a united effort to protect the king!
Wiglaf condemns the soldiers as oath-breakers who failed to serve their leader, putting their own lives above his honor. Their decision to flee reveals their characters as unworthy and calls into question the future security of the kingdom now that such disloyal men will be left in charge. Thanks to the deserters, a noble king lies dead.
Wiglaf Takes Command and Orders Beowulf’s Funeral Pyre
With their lord gone, Wiglaf now directs the actions of the troops, stepping into the role of a leader as he orders them to build a funeral pyre for the fallen Beowulf. The once proud warriors are left having to follow the instructions of Wiglaf, who has proven himself through his valor to be the most worthy successor to Beowulf. Wiglaf orders a group of them to go see the dragon’s treasure that Beowulf had died defending:
Let us hasten again to view the treasure, the wondrous fortune of gold that the dragon bought with his own life. Bring water to wash the bloodstains away, that the king can look noble in death. I will tell his whole story truly as it deserves.
He promises to recount the full extent of Beowulf’s courageous deed, carrying out the vital role of the storyteller who keeps alive the memory of heroes. While Wiglaf lives up to the duties of a noble warrior, the rest of the soldiers can only look on in shame, having tarnished their reputations through their failure to fight.
The Significance of Wiglaf’s Loyalty
By courageously supporting Beowulf in battle while the others fled, Wiglaf embodied the loyalty and honor central to the Anglo-Saxon warrior code. His steadfast commitment to repaying his lord’s generosity with bravery and support when he needed it most stands as a moral exemplar. Wiglaf’s character contrasts sharply with the other retainers who shamefully abandoned their sworn duty to fight for their ring-giver. Their dereliction of duty appears especially ignominious against the backdrop of Wiglaf’s shining example of how a true warrior should behave. Wiglaf’s stalwart defense of his king in a time of dire need represents the best of the Northern heroic spirit and provides a model of warrior conduct for others to emulate. His brave response compares favorably to the other soldiers’ pusillanimous actions, underscoring their craven failure to live up to the highest standards of loyalty and honor. Thanks to Wiglaf’s virtue, Beowulf is able to achieve victory, and Wiglaf himself emerges as the most estimable of retainers.
Conclusion
By courageously coming to Beowulf’s aid in the battle against the dragon while all other warriors flee, Wiglaf allows Beowulf to vanquish the beast, though at the cost of his own life. Wiglaf repeatedly reprimands the other soldiers for their abandonment of their lord in his hour of need. This dereliction of duty leaves them disgraced, while Wiglaf emerges as a paragon of loyalty. His stalwart defense of Beowulf embodies the noble warrior code and provides a lesson about duty and honor for the future. Without Wiglaf’s brave response, the outcome would certainly have been tragic. His intervention was instrumental in the fateful triumph over the loathsome dragon. Wiglaf shames the deserters through both his deeds and his harsh condemnations of their cowardly response. Thanks to Wiglaf’s loyalty, Beowulf is able to die victoriously after slaying the monster that was ravaging his people. Wiglaf’s courage and fidelity stand as exemplars of conduct for all warriors to emulate.