EGIL'S SAGA
Notes compiled by Nicole J. Wallace Copyrighted 2000
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I. Kveld-Ulf
Ulf is a powerful man partnered with Berle-Kari (strong and full of courage). Ulf marries Kari's daughter Salbjorg. He grew to be a figure of authority. He was sweet and caring during the day but ill tempered at night. This got him the nickname Kveld-Ulf.
Kveld-Ulf
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Thorolf Grim
great promise, handsome, cheerful dark, ugly hard worker
generous ambitious, goes on Viking expedition talented blacksmith, carpenter and craftsman.
II. Olvir Hnufa
Kari's sons are Eyvind and Olvir. The King ruling over Fjord Province was Audbjorn. Olvir fell in love with his daughter Solveig but the Earl didn't feel he was worthy. Olvir gave up his career as a Viking.
III. Harald the Shaggy
Harald made a solemn oath to never cut or comb his hair until he was made the sole ruler of Norway. He did many campaigns and conquests. (note 11 men in tomb. significance ?) Solvi warns King Arnvid of the upcoming ambush. They try to muster forces. When Kveld-Ulf was asked to join forces with the King, he refuses and preferred to stay on his farm.
IV. Victory for Harald
There is a battle between Harald's forces and King Armvid's. Harald wins. Audbjorn's brother Vemund kept his power. Due to the shortening of autumn days, Harald was not advised to fight there. Atli launches an attack on Olvir who had taken oath to be King Harald' s man. (King's Poet). Earl Rognvald burns the king in his house during a feast (Naustdale). Kari joins Rognvald. Harald gives the men three choices 1) to swear loyalty 2) to leave the country or 3) to resign themselves to the most savage terms, perhaps even death. His tyrannical rule caused Iceland to be discovered.
V. Kveld-Ulf defies the King
Messengers ask Kveld-Ulf to see the king and to serve him. Kveld-Ulf says he is too old. His sons also refuse to go. The king gets enraged. Olvir offered to speak to Kveld-Ulf who mentions that if Thorolf comes home in the summer, he (Thorolf) could become the King's man.
VI. Thorolf decides to join King Harald
Thorolf returns. Kveld-Ulf thinks the king will be the death of them all. Thorolf goes.
VII. The Hildiridarsons
** Because this is such a long novel, it will be easier to recount the general story than all the details in each chapter.***
The Hildiridarsons convinced the king that Thorolf was trying to compete. Thorolf gets killed. Kveld-Ulf is so upset that he goes to bed. Skallagrim convinces him to seek revenge. They do and Kveld-Ulf dies from the effort and Skallagrim flees to Iceland. He has some children. His sons are named Thorolf and Egil respectively. Everyone loved Thorolf. Egil was hard to manage and aggressive. At age 3, he defies his father and goes to a neighbor's party. At age 6, he kills his first person, a playmate on the playing fields. At age 12, he convinces Thorolf to take him abroad by untying the boat. He goes and meets Arinbjorn who becomes his best friend and they ally throughout the book.
Egil grows up. His brother Thorolf marries Asgerd, daughter of Thora, who had been abducted from her home and married without her family's consent. Egil starts killing inhospitable people. Ex. Bard
Egil and Thorolf go on Viking voyages and plunder. They finally land in England and join King Athelstan's army against the Scots. Thorolf dies in battle. King gives Egil gold bracelets in compensation. Egil goes to marry Thorolf's widow Asgerd. He fights for his right to her property after Bjorn's death. He kills Berg-Onund. Egil and Skallagrim squabble about money. Skallagrim sinks his chest in a bog and then dies.
King Eirik moves York. Egil visits to demand his land again. Arinbjorn saves his butt as usual. Egil then insincerely writes a poem for the King that saves his life. Egil gives Arinbjorn the gold bracelets to say thanks. Egil goes to Norway and asks King Hakon about the property.
At Fridgeir's household, he duels Ljot, the berserk, to save a young girl. Egil kills Atli the short over the property issue finally by biting his throat. He goes back to Iceland.
{note: Eirik blood axe gives Skallagrim a lousy axe as compensation for his son}
Egil then returns to Norway after Eirik Blood-axe was killed on a Viking expedition. Egil stays with Arinbjorn but sulks because he didn't receive money for killing Ljpot. He decies to take the matter to King Hakon. Arinbjorn takes the case but gets himself in trouble because the King now doubts his loyalty.
In Friesland, Egil slaughters many and plunders. King Harald was having trouble collecting tribute from Vermaland. Egil gets manipulated into going to collect the tribute. He stays at Armod and spits on him because of his inhospitality. He wanted to kill him but just maimed him instead.
He goes to Thorfinn's and saves a girl from illness by changing the runes she had. Then they stay with Alf the wealthy. Then they go onto see the Earl who sends men out to ambush Egil. Egil fights them in the woods and slaughters a few.
The collected tribute finally gets to the king and all is reconciled. Egil's son Bodvar is drowned in a bog. Egil attempts to starve himself to death but his daughter Thorgerd convinces him to write poetry instead. He writes "Lament for Sons" and a tribute to Arinbjorn. Einar, son of Helgi, befriends Egil by discussing poetry.
Egil's son Thorstein had a feud with his neighbor Steinar who insisted on grazing his cattle on Thorstein's property. Thorstein repeatedly kills Steinar's slave shepherds.
The case is taken to court and arbitrated by Egil and Onund. Steinar has to move before removal days. He goes but kills Thorstein's son first. Thorstein's new neighbor is an annoyance but he too finally leaves.
Egil grows blind. He insists on going to the AllThing but is denied so he rides out alone, kills two of Grim's slaves and hides his money (from England).
His bones were later moved to a Church after the conversion of Christianity.