Overview
About Egils saga
A family and a difficult hero
The opening generations establish a conflict between independent landholders and Norwegian royal power before Skalla-Grímur settles in Iceland. Egill inherits both the family's antagonisms and its physical strength. The saga portrays him as violent, calculating and fiercely loyal to selected friends, rather than consistently admirable. His home at Borg connects the international adventures to the landscape around Borgarnes, where the Settlement Centre interprets the saga alongside the story of Iceland's settlement.
Poetry as action
In the Head-Ransom episode, Egill composes praise for his enemy King Eiríkur while his friend Arinbjörn argues for his life. The poem and that friendship help secure his release. Poetry elsewhere voices bereavement and old age as well as boastfulness and hostility. Reading the verses within their narrative setting reveals how words can defend reputation, negotiate with rulers and express emotions that the surrounding prose often leaves understated.
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