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pl. Eotena, 1073, 1089, 1142; dat. Eotenum, 1146), the
subjects of Finn, the North Frisians: distinguished from eoton, _giant_.
Vid eoton. Cf. Bugge, Beit. , xii. 37; Earle, Beowulf in Prose, pp. 146,
198.

Finn (gen. Finnes, 1069, etc. ; dat. Finne, 1129), son of Folcwalda (1090),
king of the North Frisians, i. e. of the Eotenas, husband of Hildeburg, a
daughter of Hōc, 1072, 1077.
He is the hero of the inserted poem on the
Attack in Finnsburg, the obscure incidents of which are, perhaps, as
follows: In Finn's castle, Finnsburg, situated in Jutland (1126-28), the
Hōcing, Hnæf, a relative--perhaps a brother--of Hildeburg is spending some
time as guest. Hnæf, who is a liegeman of the Danish king, Healfdene, has
sixty men with him (Finnsburg, 38). These are treacherously attacked one
night by Finn's men, 1073. For five days they hold the doors of their
lodging-place without losing one of their number (Finnsburg, 41, 42). Then,
however, Hnæf is slain (1071), and the Dane, Hengest, who was among Hnæf's
followers, assumes the command of the beleaguered band. But on the
attacking side the fight has brought terrible losses to Finn's men. Their
numbers are diminished (1081 f. ), and Hildeburg bemoans a son and a brother
among the fallen (1074 f. , cf. 1116, 1119). Therefore the Frisians offer
the Danes peace (1086) under the conditions mentioned (1087-1095), and it
is confirmed with oaths (1097), and money is given by Finn in propitiation
(1108). Now all who have survived the battle go together to Friesland, the
homo proper of Finn, and here Hengest remains during the winter, prevented
by ice and storms from returning home (Grein). But in spring the feud
breaks out anew. Gūðlāf and Oslāf avenge Hnæf's fall, probably after they
have brought help from home (1150). In the battle, the hall is filled with
the corpses of the enemy. Finn himself is killed, and the queen is captured
and carried away, along with the booty, to the land of the Danes,
1147-1160.