- published: 25 Feb 2015
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Egil's Saga ( listen ) is an Icelandic saga. The oldest transcript (a fragment) dates back to 1240 AD. The saga is centered on the life of Egill Skallagrímsson, also known as Egil Skallagrimsson, an Icelandic farmer, viking and skald. It is generally referred to as Egla by Icelandic scholars. The saga is the only source of information on the exploits of Egill whose life is not historically recorded. Stylistic and other similarities between Egil's Saga and Heimskringla have led many scholars to believe that they were the work of the same author, Snorri Sturluson.
The saga covers a long period of time, starting in Norway around 850, with the life of Egill's grandfather Úlfr, called Kveldúlfr ("Evening Wolf") and his two sons, Þórólfr (e. Thorolf) and Egill's father Skalla-Grímr. Kveldúlfr is described as bigger and stronger than anyone else, gaining much land and property from viking raids. He was a very wise man, hamrammr (a shape-shifter) in battles and a shy recluse in the evenings. Extreme personal traits like these are seen in his son Skalla-Grímr and his grandson Egill as well. After Þórólfr's death, due to his broken allegiance to King Haraldr (although not Þórólfr's fault), Skalla-Grímr and his father Kveldúlfr flee Norway to settle in Iceland. Skalla-Grímr and Kveldúlfr have to flee to Iceland because of problems with King Harald Fairhair. It started when Skalla-Grímr went to Harald's court after his brother Thorolf's death, but wouldn't give his service to the King. After escaping from the King's Court, Skalla-Grímr and Kveldúlfr come upon a boat that the King had seized from Thorolf, and after killing everyone on the boat and taking it, they sent a poem to the King to taunt him. On the journey to Iceland after the visit to the King's court and the stealing of the boat, Kveldúlfr dies of illness. Skalla-Grímr settles in peace as a farmer and blacksmith at Borg, where his sons Egill and Þórólfr (named after his uncle) grow up.