An Old English word, “welkin” is frequently found in poetry and used to refer to the clouds, the sky, or the vault of heaven, the home of the gods, above the earth. Scyld “waxed ‘neath the welkin,” which means that he not only gained fame among his people, but also he grew in fame under the eyes of the heavens.

In a Christian world, God would receive the ship. However, in a pagan world, it's less known where the ship goes. Since Scyld was a pagan, the poet tells the audience that Scyld's final resting place is unknown; Scyld may have been a good king, but he was still a pagan, which is why the poet prefers to describe the burial of Scyld in strictly pagan terms.

The use of this word in the context of Scyld's burial at sea contains an extra connotation that the ship isn't just moving away from the shore, but that it is carrying the deceased leader towards an unknown destination for his afterlife.

This line demonstrates another example of how the poet mixes Christianity and paganism. The line begins with a reference to the hour of death for the strong and unyielding Scyld, a reference to the destiny (or fate, or Wyrd) that pagans believe control their lives. However, the line concludes by saying Scyld goes to God's keeping instead of a mead-hall like Valhalla. This indicates that the poet won't abandon references to paganism despite being Christian and continue to mix them throughout.

Note that although the Beowulf poet and his audience are Christian, the story the poet tells predates Christianity. Consequently, although the world described in Beowulf is pagan, the poet uses both Christian and pagan imagery throughout the poem, sometimes blending and confusing the two. This contributes to a major theme throughout Beowulf. Additionally, the "God-Father" of Beowulf's time likely refers to Odin, the All-Father, as it has appeared in other translations of this story.

This historical, obscure word is from the Old English æðeling, which means a member of a noble family, such as a king, prince, or baron. In Old English poetry, it is often used to refer to those of royal blood, heirs to the throne, or to the king. In other translations of Beowulf, this line reads "that was a good king!"

This is known a kenning, or compound two-word phrase, which is commonly used metaphorically in Anglo-Saxon poetry. Kennings play an important role throughout Beowulf as they not only help the audience visualize the poet's imagery but also provide additional metaphorical meaning and context to the world. For example, "world-honor" is a kenning for "fame," which tells us that Scyld is known over great distances and greatly respected.

Scyld's former status as "friendless and wretched" is very important because in this society, family is everything. In many cases, being born as an orphan or to a family without any connections is a death sentence because there is no one for protection. This makes Scyld's rise to greatness and power all the more impressive because he began life in such a dangerous situation.

These mead-benches came from mead-halls, which were fortresses and gathering places for medieval Norse and Germanic tribes. Members of society gathered there in safety under the king's protection so that they could feast, share stories, and receive gifts. It is also notable that Valhalla and Folkvang, two divine mead-halls from Scandinavian mythology, are the places where dead souls go in the afterlife. The mead-hall is the center of society, making any attack on the hall, therefore, an assault upon the fabric of society itself.

Scyld of Scefing translates from Old English to "Shield, son of Sheaf." In Old English (Anglo-Saxon), an -ing after a name indicates "son of." In honor of Scyld's leadership, the Spear-Danes are also called "Scyldings."

Beowulf has been translated into both prose and poetry versions. Regardless of version, the epic poem shares events from the point of view of an unnamed poet. Throughout the piece, the poet will use inclusive pronouns, as done here, call to the audience directly, and comment on aspects of the story, as shown later.

The Danes are the residents of Denmark. The Hrothgar, Hrothulf, and Scylding dynasty of kings mentioned are actually spoken of in other Danish and Germanic sources (such as the poem Widsith). Some believe that Heorot, the hall of the Danes mentioned in Beowulf, was located on the island of Sjaelland, near the modern-day city of Roskilde, Denmark.