"Ætheling" was also used in a poetic sense to mean 'a good and noble man'. Old English verse often used "ætheling" to describe Christ, as well as various prophets and saints. The hero of the 8th century "Beowulf" is introduced as an "ætheling", possibly in the sense of a relative of the King of the Geats, though some translators render "ætheling" as 'retainer'. Since many early Scandinavian kings were chosen by competition or election, rather than primogeniture, the term may have been reserved for a person qualified to compete for the kingship.