Warriors, Poets & Outlaws
Egil Skallagrímsson
The wolf-clan and the king
Egil's story begins two generations before him, with his grandfather Kveldúlfr — the 'evening-wolf', a man said to grow ill-tempered and shape-strong as night fell. When King Harald Fairhair set about bringing all Norway under one crown, Kveldúlf's clan would not bend the knee, and the king's enmity fell on them.[1]
Harald had Egil's handsome uncle Þórólf killed on a slander; Kveldúlf, broken with grief and age, took his vengeance at sea and died on the voyage out, and his son Skallagrímr carried the feud and the family west to Iceland — to a land-take he called Borg, by the firth. The clan's defining trait was set before Egil drew breath: a deep, unbending refusal to be ruled, and a temper like the sea.
The source text · 2
There was a man named Ulf, son of Bjalf, and Hallbera, daughter of Ulf the fearless; she was sister of Hallbjorn Half-giant in Hrafnista, and he the father of Kettle Hæing. Ulf was a man so tall and strong that none could match him, and in his youth he roved the seas as a freebooter. In fellowship with him was one Kari of Berdla, a man of renown for strength and daring; he was a Berserk. Ulf and he had one common purse, and were the dearest friends.— egils saga
Kveldúlf the evening-wolf and the quarrel with Harald (Green 1893).
Skallagrim came to land where a large ness ran out into the sea, and above the ness was a narrow isthmus; and there they put out their lading. That ness they called Ship-ness. Then Skallagrim spied out the land: there was much moorland and wide woods, and a broad space between fells and firths, seal-hunting in plenty, and good fishing. But as they spied out the land southwards along the sea, they found before them a large firth; and, turning inwards along this firth, they stayed not their going till they found their companions, Grim the Halogalander and the rest. A joyful meeting was there. They told Skallagrim of his father's death, and how Kveldulf had come to land there, and they had buried him. Then they led Skallagrim to the place, and it seemed to him that thereabouts would be a good spot to build a homestead. He then went away, and back to his shipmates; and for that winter each party remained where they had come to land. Then Skallagrim took land between fells and firths, all the moors out to Seal-loch, and the upper land to Borgarhraun, and southwards to Hafnar-fell, and all that land from the watershed to the sea. Next spring he moved his ship southwards to the firth, and into the creek close to where Kveldulf came to land; and there he set his homestead, and called it Borg, and the firth Borgar-firth, and so too the country-side further up they named after the firth.— egils saga
Skallagrím's land-take at Borg.
The boy who was already a poet — and a killer
Egil was Skallagrím's second son: dark, ugly, and difficult where his brother Þórólf was fair and golden. The saga marks him early. At three he composed his first verse; at six or seven, cheated and shoved in a ball-game, he took an axe and buried it in the skull of an older boy.[1]
Both gifts are there from the start, and the saga never lets them apart: the poet and the killer in one ungovernable body. He grew huge and black-browed and grasping, quarrelled with his own father, and could turn a perfect stanza in the same breath as a murder. He is the most disturbing hero in the sagas precisely because his art and his violence come from the same well.
The source text · 1
He gave into his hands a halberd that he had been carrying. Such weapons were then customary. They went where the boys' game was. Grim had now got the ball and was running away with it, and the other boys after him. Then Egil bounded upon Grim, and drove the axe into his head, so that it at once pierced his brain. After this Egil and Thord went away to their own people. The Myramen ran to their weapons, and so did either party. Oleif Halt, with his following, ran to help the Borgarmen, who were thus far the larger number, and they parted without doing more. But hence arose a quarrel between Oleif and Hegg. They fought at Laxfit, by Grims-river; there seven men fell, but Hegg was wounded to death, and his brother Kvig fell. But when Egil came home, Skallagrim said little about it; but Bera said Egil had in him the makings of a freebooter, and that 'twould be well, so soon as he were old enough, to give him a long-ship. Then Egil made a stave:— egils saga
Egil's first killing as a boy (Green 1893).
Viking years and the battle for Athelstan
Egil and Þórólf went harrying together in the Baltic and the west — the Viking apprenticeship, raid and plunder along foreign coasts.[1] Their roving carried them at last to England, into the service of King Athelstan, who hired the brothers and their men against his enemies.
At the great battle of Vínheiðr, Egil and Þórólf held a wing of Athelstan's host. They won the day — but Þórólf, the golden brother, fell in the fighting. Egil buried him, closed his eyes, laid him in the earth with his weapons, and spoke verses over the grave.[2] Athelstan, to console him, heaped silver on him; and Egil — grasping to the bone — composed for the king a poem of thanks, his grief and his greed and his art all moving together, as they always do in him.
The source text · 2
Thorolf and Egil stayed that winter with Thorir, and were made much of. But in spring they got ready a large war-ship and gathered men thereto, and in summer they went the eastern way and harried; there won they much wealth and had many battles. They held on even to Courland, and made a peace for half a month with the men of the land and traded with them. But when this was ended, then they took to harrying, and put in at divers places. One day they put in at the mouth of a large river, where was an extensive forest upon land. They resolved to go up the country, dividing their force into companies of twelve. They went through the wood, and it was not long before they came to peopled parts. There they plundered and slew men, but the people fled, till at last there was no resistance. But as the day wore on, Thorolf had the blast sounded to recall his men down to the shore. Then each turned back from where they were into the wood. But when Thorolf mustered his force, Egil and his company had not come down; and the darkness of night was closing in, so that they could not, as they thought, look for him.— egils saga
Egil and Þórólf go harrying (Green 1893).
While his men still pursued the fugitives, king Athelstan left the battle-field, and rode back to the town, nor stayed he for the night before he came thither. But Egil pursued the flying foe, and followed them far, slaying every man whom he overtook. At length, sated with pursuit, he with his followers turned back, and came where the battle had been, and found there the dead body of his brother Thorolf. He took it up, washed it, and performed such other offices as were the wont of the time. They dug a grave there, and laid Thorolf therein with all his weapons and raiment. Then Egil clasped a gold bracelet on either wrist before he parted from him; this done they heaped on stones and cast in mould. Then Egil sang a stave:— egils saga
Þórólf falls at Vínheiðr; Egil buries him.
The feud with Bloodaxe
Egil's great enemy was Eiríkr Bloodaxe, a son of Harald, and Eiríkr's queen Gunnhildr, a sorceress who hated Egil to the end. The quarrel ran on an inheritance — Egil's wife's lands, withheld by a kinsman, Berg-Önundr, under the king's protection. Egil pressed the suit at the Gula-Thing; Gunnhildr had it broken up by force.[1]
So Egil did what Egil does. He killed Berg-Önundr, killed a son of the king for good measure, and before he left Norway raised a níð-pole — a horse's head on a stake, a curse turned against Eiríkr and Gunnhildr to drive them from the land. Then he sailed away with the royal house sworn to his death.[2] It is the deepest feud of his life, and he had cursed a king.
The source text · 2
King Eric was there numerously attended. Bergonund was among his train, as were his brothers; there was a large following. But when the meeting was to be held about men's lawsuits, both the parties went where the court was set, to plead their proofs. Then was Onund full of big words. Now where the court sate was a level plot, with hazel-poles planted in a ring, and outside were twisted ropes all around. This was called, 'the precincts.' Within the ring sate twelve judges of the Firth-folk, twelve of the Sogn-folk, twelve of the Horda-folk. These three twelves were to judge all the suits. Arinbjorn ruled who should be judges from the Firth-folk, Thord of Aurland who should be so from the Sogn-folk. All these were of one party. Arinbjorn had brought thither a long-ship full equipt, also many small craft and store-ships. King Eric had six or seven long-ships all well equipt; a great number of landowners were also there.— egils saga
The lawsuit for Egil's wife's lands, broken by Gunnhildr (Green 1893).
Egil sailed out to sea for the night, as was written above. And when morning came the wind fell and there was a calm. They then lay drifting, letting the ship ride free for some nights. But when a sea-breeze came on, Egil said to his shipmen, 'We will now sail to land, for I do not quite know, should the sea-wind come to blow hard, where we could make land, 'tis a dangerous-looking coast in most places.' The rowers bade Egil rule their course.— egils saga
Egil kills Bergönund and the king's son; raises the níð-pole.
Shipwrecked in the wolf's mouth
Years later, sailing for England, Egil was wrecked on the very coast Eiríkr now ruled — for the king he had cursed and robbed had been driven from Norway and set up as king at York. Of all the shores in the world, the sea had thrown Egil ashore in his mortal enemy's kingdom.[1]
His one friend there was Arinbjörn, who happened to be at Eiríkr's court — the noble companion who had already stood by Egil more than once. Arinbjörn told him the truth plainly: flight was hopeless and would only look like cowardice. The manly course was to go straight to the king, put himself in Eiríkr's power, and trust to what could be salvaged. So Egil walked into the hall of the king who wanted him dead.
The source text · 1
King Eric ruled over Norway one year after the death of his father king Harold, before Hacon Athelstan's foster-son, another son of Harold, came out of the west from England; and in that same summer Egil Skallagrimsson went to Iceland. Hacon went northwards to Throndheim. He was there accepted as king. He and Eric were for the winter both king in Norway. But in the following spring each gathered an army. Hacon had by far the larger numbers; the reason of this was that he made it law in the land that every man should own his patrimony, where king Harold had enslaved all, rich and poor alike. Eric saw no other choice but to flee the land; so he went abroad with Gunnhilda his wife and their children. Lord Arinbjorn was king Eric's foster-brother, and foster-father of his son. Dear to the king was he above all his barons; the king had set him as ruler over all the Firth-folk. Arinbjorn was with the king when he left the land; they first went westwards over the main to the Orkneys. There Eric gave his daughter Ragnhildr in marriage to earl Arnfinn. After that he went south with his force along the coast of Scotland, and harried there; thence still south to England, and harried there. And when king Athelstan heard of this, he gathered force and went against Eric. But when they met, terms were proposed, and the terms were that king Athelstan gave to Eric the government of Northumberland; and he was to be for king Athelstan defender of the land against the Scots and Irish. Athelstan had made Scotland tributary under him after the death of king Olaf, but that people were constantly disloyal to him. The story goes that Gunnhilda had a spell worked, this spell being that Egil Skallagrimsson should find no rest in Iceland till she had seen him. But in that summer when Hacon and Eric had met and contended for Norway, all travel to any land from Norway was forbidden; so in that summer there came to Iceland from Norway neither ship nor tidings. Egil Skallagrimsson abode at his home.— egils saga
Egil shipwrecked in Eiríkr's England (Green 1893).
The Head-Ransom
Arinbjörn went armed to the king and pleaded for Egil's life, offering at last to die at Egil's side rather than see him killed — while Gunnhildr pressed for the execution she had wanted for years. Eiríkr would not promise mercy; but he granted Egil the night.[1]
And in that night Egil did the impossible thing the saga is most famous for. He composed a long praise-poem — the Höfuðlausn, the 'Head-Ransom' — in honour of the very king who meant to kill him, and the next day recited it in the hall, in a loud voice, until he won silence. It is a stunning act: not flattery exactly, but a poet weaponising his only true wealth, turning art itself into ransom.[2] (The poem stands in the saga in full; it is reached through the source here, not retold.)
Eiríkr sat upright through it, looking keenly at him. When it ended he gave his judgement: for Arinbjörn's sake, and because Egil had come freely into his power, he would give Egil 'his head this time' — but it was no reconciliation, and Egil must never come before his eyes again. Egil walked out alive, having bought his own head with a song.[3]
The source text · 3
King Eric went to table according to his wont, and much people were with him. And when Arinbjorn knew this, then went he with all his followers fully armed to the king's palace while the king sate at table. Arinbjorn craved entrance into the hall; it was granted. He and Egil went in with half of his followers, but the other half stood without before the door. Arinbjorn saluted the king; the king received him well. Arinbjorn spoke: 'Here now is come Egil. He has not sought to run away in the night. Nor would we fain know, my lord, what his lot is to be. I hope thou wilt let him get good from my words, for I think it a matter of great moment to me that Egil gain terms from thee. I have so acted (as was right) that neither in word nor deed have I spared aught whereby thy honour should be made greater than before. I have also abandoned all my possessions, kinsmen, and friends that I had in Norway, and followed thee when all other barons deserted thee; and herein do I what is meet, for thou hast often done great good to me.'— egils saga
Arinbjörn pleads; Gunnhildr presses for death (Green 1893).
<strong>HEAD-RANSOM</strong>— egils saga
Egil recites the Höfuðlausn — the genuine poem in the source.
King Eric sate upright while Egil recited the poem, and looked keenly at him. And when the song of praise was ended, then spake the king: 'Right well was the poem recited; and now, Arinbjorn, I have resolved about the cause between me and Egil, how it shall go. Thou hast pleaded Egil's cause with great eagerness, since thou offerest to risk a conflict with me. Now shall I for thy sake do what thou hast asked, letting Egil go from my land safe and unhurt. But thou, Egil, so order thy going that, after leaving my presence and this hall, thou never come before my eyes, nor my sons' eyes, nor be ever in the way of myself or my people. But I give thee now thy head this time for this reason, that thou camest freely into my power. I will do no dastardly deed on thee; yet know thou this for sure, that this is no reconciliation with me or my sons or any of our kin who wish to wreak their vengeance.'— egils saga
Eiríkr grants Egil 'his head this time.'
Sonatorrek
Egil grew old at Borg, rich and feared, outliving his enemies. And then the sea, which had spared him in York, took from him the thing he could not ransom back: his beloved son Böðvarr drowned in the firth. Egil bore the body home, laid it in the family howe — and then shut himself in his bed-closet to starve himself to death. He would not eat; he would not speak; he meant to follow his son.[1]
His daughter Þorgerðr — the same Þorgerðr who would marry Óláfr the Peacock and become the mother of Kjartan, the thread that ties this saga to the tragedy of Laxdæla — came and tricked her way in beside him, pretending to starve with him. Then she told him a daughter's lie that was also wisdom: that he could not die yet, because no one but he could compose the memorial poem his son deserved.[2]
It worked. Egil began the poem — Sonatorrek, 'the hard loss of sons' — and composing it brought him back from the grave's edge. It is the greatest poem in the sagas: a father raging at the sea-god Rán who took his boy, at Óðinn who gave him the gift of verse and then this grief, and arriving, exhausted, at the will to live out his days. The poet who once turned art into ransom now turns it into survival.[3]
The source text · 3
Bodvar Egil's son was just now growing up; he was a youth of great promise, handsome, tall and strong as had been Egil or Thorolf at his age. Egil loved him dearly, and Bodvar was very fond of his father. One summer it happened that there was a ship in White-river, and a great fair was held there. Egil had there bought much wood, which he was having conveyed home by water: for this his house-carles went, taking with them an eight-oared boat belonging to Egil. It chanced one time that Bodvar begged to go with them, and they allowed him so to do. So he went into the field with the house-carles. They were six in all on the eight-oared boat. And when they had to go out again, high-water was late in the day, and, as they must needs wait for the turn of tide, they did not start till late in the evening. Then came on a violent south-west gale, against which ran the stream of the ebb. This made a rough sea in the firth, as can often happen. The end was that the boat sank under them, and all were lost. The next day the bodies were cast up: Bodvar's body came on shore at Einars-ness, but some came in on the south shore of the firth, whither also the boat was driven, being found far in near Reykjarhamar.— egils saga
Böðvarr drowns; Egil shuts himself away to die (Green 1893).
Then spoke Thorgerdr: 'What counsel shall we take now? This our purpose is defeated. Now I would fain, father, that we should lengthen our lives, so that you may compose a funeral poem on Bodvar, and I will grave it on a wooden roller; after that we can die, if we like. Hardly, I think, can Thorstein your son compose a poem on Bodvar; but it were unseemly that he should not have funeral rites. Though I do not think that we two shall sit at the drinking when the funeral feast is held.' Egil said that it was not to be expected that he could now compose, though he were to attempt it. 'However, I will try this,' said he.— egils saga
Þorgerðr coaxes him to compose the memorial poem.
Egil began to cheer up as the composing of the poem went on; and when the poem was complete, he brought it before Asgerdr and Thorgerdr and his family. He rose from his bed, and took his place in the high-seat. This poem he called 'Loss of Sons.' And now Egil had the funeral feast of his son held after ancient custom. But when Thorgerdr went home, Egil enriched her with good gifts.— egils saga
Sonatorrek — the genuine poem in the source.
The buried silver
Egil lived into deep, blind old age — and stayed exactly himself to the end. The saga tells how the ancient, sightless Egil, still grasping, took the two chests of English silver Athelstan had once given him, had a couple of thralls carry them off by night, hid the treasure where no one would ever find it — and then killed the thralls so the secret died with them.[1]
It is a perfect last note: greed, cunning, and casual murder, in a man who also wrote the most tender elegy in the language. Egil died at last of old age, was buried, and (the saga adds, with relish) his bones were dug up generations later and found monstrous — the skull so thick and hard an axe could not mark it. He was, to the end, larger and stranger than other men. The poet and the troll were never two people.
The source text · 1
At Moss-fell were the summer-sheds of the milch kine, and during the Thing-time Thordis was at the sheds. It chanced one evening, when the household at Moss-fell were preparing to go to bed, that Egil called to him two thralls of Grim's. He bade them bring him a horse. 'I will go to the warm bath, and you shall go with me,' said he. And when Egil was ready, he went out, and he had with him his chests of silver. He mounted the horse. They then went down through the home paddock and under the slope there, as men saw afterwards. But in the morning, when men rose, they saw Egil wandering about in the holt east of the farm, and leading the horse after him. They went to him, and brought him home. But neither thralls nor chests ever came back again, and many are the guesses as to where Egil hid his money. East of the farm at Moss-fell is a gill coming down from the fell: and it is noteworthy that in rapid thaws there was a great rush of water there, but after the water has fallen there have been found in the gill English pennies. Some guess that Egil must have hidden his money there. Below the farm enclosure at Moss-fell are bogs wide and very deep. Many feel sure that 'tis there Egil hid his money. And south of the river are hot springs, and hard by there large earthholes, and some men guess that Egil must have hidden his money there, because out that way cairn-fires were often seen to hover. Egil said that he had slain Grim's thralls, also that he had hidden the chests, but where he had hidden them he told no man.— egils saga
The blind old Egil at Mosfell, the hidden silver (Green 1893).
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