In Beowulf, a thane is a warrior who serves a king or feudal lord in exchange for land or treasure. They are expected to be loyal to their king and vow to protect their lord before themselves and until their death, no matter the circumstances. The relationship between thanes and their ruler is of immense importance in the story and in the characters lives. The thanes are considered members of the comitatus, which is a group of warriors who follow their lord. In the poem, Beowulf is one of King Hygelacs thanes, and he is highly regarded as a warrior of noble descent. Wiglaf is another exemplary thane who fights alongside Beowulf against the dragon. The story of Beowulf and its embellishment of the treachery of Grendel was important and meaningful to the social-cultural hierarchy to identify the individual roles of people.