Egill Skallagrímsson in a 17th century manuscript of Egils Saga

Egils saga is an epic Icelandic saga possibly by Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241 A.D.), who may have written the account between the years 1220 and 1240 A.D. It is an important representative of the sagas and has much to say about the end of the Viking era. The saga is centered on the life of Egill Skallagrímsson, an Icelandic farmer, viking, and skald. It is generally referred to as "Egla" by Icelandic scholars. Egil Skallagrimsson in a 17th century manuscript of Egils Saga The Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland http://fathom. ... Egil Skallagrimsson in a 17th century manuscript of Egils Saga The Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland http://fathom. ... Picture of Egill in a 17th century manuscript of Egils Saga Egill Skallagrímsson (sometimes given as Egil Skallagrimsson) was a viking and a skald. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... The epic is a broadly defined genre of poetry, and one of the major forms of narrative literature. ... The Icelandic Sagas are prose histories describing mostly events that took place in Iceland during the Age of Settlement. ... Snorri Sturluson (1178 â€“ September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ... The name Viking is a borrowed word from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century. ... Picture of Egill in a 17th century manuscript of Egils Saga Egill Skallagrímsson (sometimes given as Egil Skallagrimsson) was a viking and a skald. ... The name Viking is a borrowed word from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century. ... The skald was a member of a group of courtly poets, whose poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry. ...

The saga covers a long period of time, starting in Norway in 850 A.D., with the life of Egil's grandfather Úlfr, called Kveldúlfr ("Evening Wolf") and his two sons, Þórólfr, a great warrior who had a complicated relationship with King Haraldr of Norway, and Egil's father Skallagrímur Kveldúlfsson ("Bald Mask"). 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 settles in peace as a farmer and blacksmith at Borg, where his sons Egil and Þórólfr (named after his uncle) grow up. Skalla-Grímr Kveldulfsson (9. ...

The story continues with the childhood of Egil, which foreshadows his future rebelliousness. His family's peace is again lost as the social order is threatened by Egil's dangerous attitude. He stirs up trouble with his first murder with an axe at the age of seven. The story goes on to tell the tales of Egil's voyages to Scandinavia and England, his fights and friendships, his relationship with his family (highlighted by his jealousy, as well as fondness for his older brother Þórólfr), his old age, and the fate of his own son Þorsteinn (who was baptized once Christianity came to Iceland) and his children who had many children of their own. The saga ends around the year 1000 A.D and spans many generations. The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK... Christianity is a monotheistic religion that recognizes Jesus Christ as its central figure, Lord and Messiah. ...

The saga follows Egil through the various stages of his life, most of which are surrounded by battle, and Egil virtually narrates his own life story with his frequent segments of poetry. Before Egil died he allegedly concealed his silver treasure near Mosfellsbær, giving birth to the legend of silfur Egils ("Egil's Silver"). General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... Mosfellsær is small city in Southwestern Iceland. ...

Noted scholar Jesse Byock has made a convincing argument that Egil suffered from Paget's disease, comparing textual evidence from the saga to symptoms of Paget's disease. Bold text X-ray of Pagets disease Pagets disease, otherwise known as osteitis deformans, is a chronic disorder that typically results in enlarged and deformed bones. ...

As a work of literature, it is generally considered to be amongst the best of the Icelandic sagas, along with Njáls saga and Laxdæla saga. The Norse sagas or Viking sagas (Icelandic: Íslendingasögur), are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, about early Viking voyages, about migration to Iceland, and of feuds between Icelandic families. ... Njáls saga (also known as The Story of Burnt Njál) is an epic of Icelandic literature from the 13th century that describes the progress of a 50-year blood feud. ... Laxdæla saga is the saga of the clan/family of Laxdal. ...

External links

• Text in English
• Egils Saga in Icelandic
• ISBN 0140443215
• An analysis of the Paget's Disease theory

Sources for this article

• Jones, Gwyn. A History of the Vikings. 1968.
• Thorsson, Örnólfur, et al. :The Sagas of the Icelanders: a selection, "Egil's Saga: Egils saga" trans: Bernard Scudder (Penguin Classics, 2000).