Egill Skallagrímsson

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Egil Skallagrimson

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Egil Skallagrimson med sønnen Böðvar framstilt på et relieff ved Egils gravhaug på Borgarnes på Island.

Egil Skallagrimson var en høvding fra Island i vikingetiden. Han ble født på Island rundt år 910 og døde rundt år 990. Navnet er funnet stavet på forskjellige måter, og andre stavemåter er blant andre "Egill Skallagrímsson", "Eigill Skallagrimsson", "Egill Skalla-Grímsson" eller "Egil Skallagrimsson".

Han var sønn av Skallagrim Kveldulvsson (Skalla-Grímr Kveldulfsson) og Bera Yngvarsdottir. Skallagrim Kveldulfsson var en av de som emigrerte med hele sin ætt fra det norske Vestlandet til Island etter at Harald Hårfagres menn hadde drept broren Torolv Kveldulvsson.

Egil Skallagrimson levde på 900-tallet, og ble regnet som en meget dyktig skald. I sagaen om Egil Skallagrimson (Egils saga) blir det fortalt at han kunne kvede dikt allerede som treåring. Det er blitt spekulert på om det er Snorre Sturlason (1179–1241) som er opphavsmann til sagaen om Egil, den såkalte Snorre-tesen, men det er ennå ikke bevist (se argumentasjon i Egils saga).

Egil skal ha tatt liv for første gang som trettenåring. Egil kunne også trolldomskunster. I årevis var han i strid med kong Eirik Blodøks og dronning Gunnhild. I sagaen er Egil skildret som en hard kriger. Han kjempet både i det det vi nå kjenner som Storbritannia, så vel som i andre land rundt Nordsjøen.

Mest kjente kvad [rediger]

«Hofuðlausn», eller Hodeløsningen. På grunn av dette kvadet/diktet avlyste kong Eirik halshoggingen av Egil.

«Sonatorrek» (Sønnetapet), minnekvad over sønnen Bodvar som druknet.

«Arinbjarnarkviða» (Arinbjørnkvadet), et kvad om Egils venn Arinbjørn (Arnbjørn).

Mindre kjent i norsk historie er det at Egil Skallagrimson var den første Notbasen vi kjenner til i Norge og fisket antagelig i områda rundt Kinn og Batalden, Flora, Norway. Kilde : Vestnorsk kystkultur - øysamfunnet Batalden Bind 2A Fiskeri/fishery, av Trond Strømgren , Strømgren publishing. (email:publishing@stromgren.no) (egne tanker omkring Eigil:Kanskje det er der årsaken til krigene mellom ham og Eirik Blodøks har sitt utspring. Eirik Blodøks er født og oppvokst på Svanøy bo bodde på Eirikstad hos sin fosterfar Toralf Roaldsson. Svanøy ligger i munningen av Brufjorden. Egils Skallagrimson sin far er født og oppvokst på Kvellestad i Vervring som ligger nesten ytterest i Brufjorden altså like ved Svanøy men lengst fra Kinn og Batalden. Det har like til vår tid vært strenge regler for hvem som kunne fiske hvor og hvem som kunne selge fisken. Kanskje Egil fisket innenfor områdene til Eirk og far til Eigil var utflytta Sunnfjording til Island så Egil hadde kanskje ikke hjemstavnsrett til Vevring og derved rett til å fiske i området mer enn til matauk. Disse områdene er ofte avgrenset ved "Me" = punkt på fastlandet som en kan se fra havet. merkegrenser (me).)

Barn med Asgerd (eller Asgjerd) Bjørnsdottir [rediger]

Thorgerd Egilsdottir

Bera Egilsdottir

Bodvar Egilson

Gunnar Egilson

Thorstein Egilson

Eksterne lenker [rediger]

Egill saga Skalla-Grímsson (Artikler i kategorien «Egill Skallagrímsson» på heimskringla.no)

Egils saga Skalla-Grímssonar (norrønt)

Höfundur Egill Skallagrímsson (Islandsk)

Egils saga (Islandsk)

Hentet fra «http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egil_Skallagrimson»

Kategorier: Islendinger | Lyrikere | Skalder | Personer fra vikingtiden | 900-tallet

Skáld. Bjó á Borg.

_____________________

Egil Skallagrimson was a chief from Iceland in the Viking Age. He was born in Iceland around the year 910 and died around the year 990. The name has been found spelled in different ways, and other spellings include "Egill Skallagrímsson", "Eigill Skallagrimsson", "Egill Skalla-Grímsson" or "Egil Skallagrimsson".

He was the son of Skallagrim Kveldulvsson (Skalla-Grímr Kveldulfsson) and Bera Yngvarsdottir. Skallagrim Kveldulfsson was one of those who emigrated with his entire family from Norwegian Western Norway to Iceland after Harald Hårfagre's men had killed his brother Torolv Kveldulvsson.

Egil Skallagrimson lived in the 10th century, and was considered a very skilled poet. In the saga of Egil Skallagrimson (Egil's saga) it is said that he could sing poems already as a three-year-old. It has been speculated whether Snorre Sturlason (1179–1241) is the author of the saga of Egil, the so-called Snorre thesis, but it has not yet been proven (see argumentation in Egil's saga).

Egil is said to have taken his life for the first time as a thirteen-year-old. Egil also knew the art of magic. For years he was at odds with King Eirik Blodøks and Queen Gunnhild. In the saga, Egil is portrayed as a fierce warrior. He fought both in what we now know as Britain, as well as in other countries around the North Sea.

Most famous quatrains [edit] «Hofuðlausn», or Hodeløsningen. Because of this poem / poem, King Eirik canceled the beheading of Egil.

"Sonatorrek" (The Son's Loss), a memorial service for his son Bodvar who drowned.

«Arinbjarnarkviða» (Arinbjørnkvadet), a poem about Egil's friend Arinbjørn (Arnbjørn).

Less well known in Norwegian history is that Egil Skallagrimson was the first Netbasen we know of in Norway and probably fished in the area around Kinn and Batalden, Flora, Norway. Source: Western Norwegian coastal culture - the island community Batalden Volume 2A Fiskeri / fishery, by Trond Strømgren, Strømgren publishing. (email: publishing@stromgren.no) (own thoughts about Eigil: Maybe that is where the reason for the wars between him and Eirik Blodøks has its origins. Eirik Blodøks was born and raised on Svanøy lived in Eirikstad with his foster father Toralf Roaldsson. Svanøy Egils Skallagrimson's father was born and raised in Kvellestad in Vervring which is almost at the far end of the Brufjord, close to Svanøy but farthest from Kinn and Batalden. There have been strict rules for who can fish where and who could sell the fish. Perhaps Egil fished within the areas of Eirk and Eigil's father had emigrated to Sunnfjording to Iceland so Egil may not have had a right of abode to Vevring and thus the right to fish in the area more than to food "Me" = point on the mainland that can be seen from the sea. Mark boundaries (me).)

Picture of Egil in a 17th century manuscript of Egils SagaEgill Skallagrímsson[1] (ca. 910 – ca. 990)[2] was a Viking Age warrior and skald. Egill is one of the great anti-heroes of the Icelandic sagas.

Contents 1 Life 2 Issue 3 Poems 4 Runes 5 Egill in popular culture 6 References and footnotes 7 Sources 8 External links

[edit] Life This section relies largely or entirely upon a single source. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Discussion about the problems with the sole source used may be found on the talk page. (June 2007)

The following is based on the Icelandic saga "Egils saga"; like many sagas, it can be unreliable as a source of historical fact.

Egill engaging in holmgang with Berg-Önundr; painting by Johannes Flintoe.Egill was born in Iceland, the son of Skalla-Grímr Kveldúlfsson[3] and Bera Yngvarsdóttir, and the grandson of Kveld-Úlfr ("Evening Wolf"). When Grímr arrived in Iceland, he settled at Borg, the place where his father's coffin landed. Grímr was a respected chieftain and mortal enemy of King Harald Fairhair of Norway.

Egill composed his first poem at the age of three years. He exhibited berserk behaviour, and this, together with the description of his large and unattractive head, has led to the theory that he might have suffered from Paget's disease. This is corroborated by an archeological find of a head from the Viking era which is likely to be Egill's.

At the age of seven, Egill was cheated in a game with local boys. Enraged, he went home and procured an axe, and returning to the boys, split the skull of the boy who cheated him, to the teeth. After Berg-Önundr refused to allow Egill to claim his wife Ásgerðr's share of her father's inheritance, he challenged Önundr to a holmgang.

Later, after being grievously insulted, Egill killed Bárðr of Atley, a retainer of King Eirik Bloodaxe and kinsman of Queen Gunnhildr, both of whom spent the remainder of their lives trying to take vengeance. Seething with hatred, Gunnhildr ordered her two brothers to assassinate Egill and his brother Þórólfr, who had been on good terms with her previously. However, Egill slew the Queen's brothers when they attempted to confront him.

That same summer, Harald Fairhair died. In order to secure his place as sole King of Norway, Eirik Bloodaxe murderered his two brothers. He then declared Egill an outlaw in Norway. Berg-Önundr gathered a company of men to capture Egill, but was killed in his attempt to do so. Before escaping from Norway, Egill also slew Rögnvaldr, the son of King Eirik and Queen Gunnhildr. He then cursed the King and Queen, setting a horse's head on a Nithing pole and saying,

"Here I set up a níð-pole, and declare this níð against King Eiríkr and Queen Gunnhildr," — 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 Gunnhildr 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 carved runes upon the pole, and said all the formal words of the curse. (ch. 57). Gunnhildr also put a spell on Egill, which made him feel restless and depressed until they met again.

Soon afterwards, Eiríkr and Gunnhildr were forced to flee to the Kingdom of Northumbria by Prince Hakon. In Saxon England, they were set up as King and Queen of Northumbria in rivalry with King Athelstan of England. Ultimately, Egill was shipwrecked in Northumbria and came before Eiríkr's court, where he was promptly sentenced to death. However, Egill had already composed a drápa in Eiríkr's praise the night before. Therefore, when Egill recited it the King's presence, Eiríkr grudgingly allowed his mortal enemy to leave with his head still on his shoulders (see "Head Ransom", below).

Egill also fought at the Battle of Brunanburh in the service of King Athelstan.

Ultimately, Egill returned to his family farm in Iceland, where he remained a power to be reckoned with in local politics. He lived into his eighties and died shortly before Iceland converted to Roman Catholicism. Before Egill died he buried his silver treasure near Mosfellsbær. In his last act of violence he murdered the servant who helped him bury his treasure.

When a Roman Catholic chapel was constructed at the family homestead, Egill's body was re-exumed by his son and re-buried near the altar.

[edit] IssueEgill had five children with Ásgerðr Björnsdóttir: Þorgerðr Egilsdóttir, Bera Egilsdóttir, Böðvar Egilsson, Gunnar Egilsson and Þorsteinn Egilsson. In later years, Iceland's Myrar clan claimed descent from him.

[edit] PoemsApart from being a warrior of immense might in literary sources, Egill is also celebrated for his poetry, considered by many historians to be the finest of the ancient Scandinavian poetry[citation needed] and Sonatorrek, the dirge over his own son, has been called "the birth of Nordic personal lyric poetry". His poems were also the first Old Norse verses to use end rhyme.[4] The following works are attributed to Egill:

Aðalsteinsdrápa. Drápa for the Anglo-Saxon King Æthelstan. Höfuðlausn ("The Head Ransom", sometimes referred to as "Head-Ransom"), with which Egill bought his life from Eiríkr Bloodaxe, who had sentenced him to death in England. Sonatorrek ("The Loss of a Son"). After the death of his son Böðvar who drowned during a storm. Arinbjarnarkviða. Dedicated to his companion Arinbjörn Skjaldardrápa. Berudrápa. Lausavísur. Fragments The following is one of Egill's Lausavísur (no. 3), found in chapter 40 of Egils Saga:

Edition[5] Þat mælti mín móðir, at mér skyldi kaupa fley ok fagrar árar, fara á brott með víkingum, standa upp í stafni, stýra dýrum knerri, halda svá til hafnar höggva mann ok annan. Translation by Herman Pálsson and Paul Edwards[6] "My mother wants a price paid To purchase my proud-oared ship Standing high in the stern I'll scour for plunder. The stout Viking steersman Of this shining vessel: Then home to harbour After hewing down a man or two." More literal translation (Wikipedia) "Thus spake my mother That for me should they buy A barque and beauteous oars To go forth with vikings. Stand in the stern, Steer a dear vessel, Hold course for a haven, Hew down many foemen." [edit] RunesEgill was also a scholar of runes. His apparent mastery of their magic powers assisted him several times during his journeys. During a feast at Atla-isle, Bard's attempt to poison Egill failed when a rune carved by Egill shattered his poisoned cup. Runes were also employed by Egill during the raising of the Nithing Pole against King Eirik Bloodaxe and Queen Gunnhildr.

At a companion's request, he examined a sick woman. A local land owner, after being denied her hand in marriage, had attempted to carve love-runes. Instead, he had mistakenly carved runes causing illness. Egill burned the offending runes and carved runes for health, and the woman recovered. He then sang a poem declaring that "Runes none should grave ever/Who knows not to read them."