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Egill Skallagrímsson (also Egill Skalla-Grímsson) was a viking and a skald. He was born on Iceland the year 910 and died some time around the year 990. Egils saga (attributed to Snorri Sturluson, 1179 - 1241) tells the tale of his deeds. Egill is the great anti-hero of Icelandic literature, in many ways resembling his god, Odin, breaking his oaths, killing for trifles, and practicing sorcery.

Egill remains a very popular figure in Iceland, with a Reykjavík pub named after him, as well as a beer brewery (Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson). The Asatru religion considers Egill a magician and holds a day of remembrance for him on December 9th.

1 Life

Painting of Egill in the viking center Fjörukráin , Hafnarfjörður, Iceland.

Egill was the son of Skalla-Grímur KveldúlfssonSkalla-Grimr Kveldulfsson (9. centuries) was a Norwegian, who was forced to emigrate to Iceland in the days of Haraldr harfagri. His main claim to fame is that he was the father of Egill, but he also deserves a footnote in the history of Nordic literature ("Bald Grim") and Bera Yngvarsdóttir, and the grandson of Kveld-Úlfur ("Evening Wolf"). When Grímur arrived to Iceland he setteled at BorgThis article is about a fictional race of aliens. For other uses, see Borg (disambiguation). The Borg are a race of cyborgs in the fictional Star Trek universe. Overview Borg are humanoids of different races that are enhanced with cybernetic implants, giv, the place where the coffin of his father landed. Grímur was a famous warrior and an enemy of Harald Fairhair of NorwayThe Kingdom of Norway is a Nordic country west of Sweden on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It has a very elongated form and has an extensive coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean, where Norway's famous fjords are found. In addition to Sweden, it borders R.

Egill made his frist poem at the age of three years. Egill exhibited berserk behaviour, and this, together with the discription of his large and unattractive head, has led to the theory that he might have suffered from Paget's diseasePaget's disease otherwise known as osteitis deformans is a chronic disorder that typically results in enlarged and deformed bones. It is named after Sir James Paget, the British surgeon who first described this disease. The excessive breakdown and formati.

Egill killed Bárður of Atley, one of the king's retainers, thus making an enemy of Queen Gunnhildur , who never forgave Egill's cruel deed and did everything within her power to have her revenge. Gunnhildur ordered her two brothers to kill Egill and also Egill's older brother Þórólfur who had been on good terms with the her and the king before.

That same summer, Harald Fairhair dies, and in order to secure his place on the throne, Eirik Bolldaxe kills his two brothers. He then declares Egill an outlaw in Norway, and Berg-Önundr gathers a company of men to go after Egill, but is killed in the attempt. In an escape from Norway, Egill kills Rögnvaldr Eiríksson and then raises a curse against his parents, setting a horse's head on a pole (níðstöng), speaking

"Here I set up a níð-pole, and declare this níð against King Eiríkr and Queen Gunnhild," — he turned the horse-head to face the mainland — "I declare this níð at the land-spirits there, and the land itself, so that all will fare astray, not to hold nor find their places, not until they wreak King Eiríkr and Gunnhild from the land." He set up the pole of níð in the cliff-face and left it standing; he faced the horse's eyes on the land, and he rist runes upon the pole, and said all the formal words of the curse. (ch. 57)

Gunnhildur also put a spell on Egill, which made him feel restless and depressed until they would meet again.

Soon afterwards, Eirik and Gunnhild are forced to flee to Northumbria by his brother Hakon , where he is granted a rulership by king Aðalsteinn . Egill shipwrecks on a nearby shore and comes before Eirik, who sentences him to death. But Egill composes a drápa in Eirik praise in the dungeon during the night, and when he recites it to Eirik in the morning, he is given his freedom, and no vengeance or settlement is demanded for the killing of Rögnvaldr.

Egill had five children with Ásgerður Björnsdóttir: Þorgerður Egilsdóttir, Bera Egilsdóttir, Böðvar Egilsson, Gunnar Egilson and Þorsteinn Egilson. Before Egill died he concealed his silver treasure near Mosfellsbær .