Egil’s Saga

Egil’s Saga
E. R. Eddison

Egil’s Saga is the 10th-century Nordic equivalent of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Translated from the Icelandic withan introduction, notes and an essay, this is the first time Eddison’s version of this epic heroic saga has been made available as a digital book.The saga of Egil, son of Grim the Bald, tells the exciting tale of a medieval warrior-poet and his many Viking adventures. Challenged by his ugly appearance and haunted by rumours that his grandfather was a werewolf, Egil devotes himself to Odin, god of kings, warriors and poets, and determines to avenge his father’s exile from Norway. With action ranging across Iceland and Scandinavia down to Scotland and England, Egil’s thrilling encounters include kings, sorcerers, berserkers and outlaws, as the story follows his transformation from youthful savagery to mature wisdom.Sometimes considered the greatest of the Icelandic sagas, Egil’s Saga is the 10th-century Nordic equivalent of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Eddison’s acclaimed translation, published in 1930, has been long unavailable, and demonstrates the author’s amazing capacity for evocative and erudite language. It reflects the swift dramatic terseness and vivid character-drawing which made the saga style in prose narrative such an enduring model for modern historical and fantasy literature, and his meticulous translation includes elaborate notes and annotations.

Copyright (#ucd51264b-acd3-55b1-90c0-e76698fc578c)

Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

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Copyright © E. R. Eddison 1930

Maps copyright Gerald R. Hayes 1930

Jacket illustration © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd. 2014

E. R. Eddison asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

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Source ISBN: 9780007578092

Ebook Edition © 2015 ISBN: 9780007578108

Version: 2015-05-07

To

MY DAUGHTER

JEAN

AND TO A NOBLE ICELANDIC LADY,

SVAVA ÞÓRHALLSDÓTTIR

OF Hvanneyri

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK

CONTENTS

Cover (#ud04a8947-b20f-5332-b026-727ef3e40264)

Title Page (#u8c790197-c5b1-5b9b-bee1-975ca0ffb56e)

Copyright

Dedication (#u9bd286b5-8b82-5326-8b15-4fc9400a874d)

Preface (#u506f4819-2236-5f48-9c22-b09e6272ff88)

Introduction (#u3ae9681a-9955-50b3-8f73-6d525b5787e1)

Chap. I. Of Kveldulf and his sons (#ulink_04ecb5dc-51f0-5567-9336-158f1e815255)

II. Of Oliver and Solveig (#ulink_60034104-ad28-55a9-9d0a-8acaebd0da2e)

III. The uprising of King Harald Hairfair (#ulink_eccb14ea-472e-5188-8337-0c7d7951de95)

IV. Of the battle off Solskel (#ulink_501a642e-8ec3-5a04-9574-53020ed32c0a)

V. Of King Harald’s sending to Kveldulf (#ulink_ad867879-438d-5bdc-a097-0c4cb6105016)

VI. How Thorolf Kveldulfson went to King Harald (#ulink_43aa8b16-dea7-5cd0-b965-6a279b965215)

VII. Of Biorgolf and Bryniolf, and of the beginnings of the sons of Hildirid (#ulink_38ef7b59-4078-5606-b989-78c12e3cc95e)

VIII. Of Thorolf and Bard Bryniolfson (#ulink_74bbe2be-a904-5145-b9e1-9f9ebddf9785)

IX. Of the battle of Hafrsfirth (#ulink_48c5bbc4-bbdd-5ede-ab6f-9fb42262f7ef)

X. Of Thorolf’s Finn-faring (#ulink_4b9f246e-5268-55f2-abb2-423311330556)

XI. Of the faring of King Harald into Halogaland and his guesting with Thorolf Kveldulfson (#ulink_a726fce0-84bd-5356-84cc-acca620ac41a)

XII. Of the evil speech of those sons of Hildirid (#ulink_ce662257-0eb6-59ea-bc38-dc48897768e1)

XIII. Of Thorolf’s sending of the scat to King Harald and gifts therewith (#ulink_7cb4bc9a-e4bf-51a0-a84c-28d813cb3729)

XIV. Of Thorolf’s second faring into Finnmark (#ulink_d5a33fe6-0cd4-5398-b6d1-7315e6f96988)

XV. Of more lies and slanders of those sons of Hildirid (#ulink_11c406b0-b4a3-5c56-ba06-2ae27e1d13f5)

XVI. Of Thorolf Kveldulfson and the King (#ulink_0defe32d-171d-5405-bee2-ba2bcae2167a)

XVII. Of Hildirid’s sons and their gathering of the Finnscat, and of their new lies and slanders (#ulink_832b8953-0997-548d-a3fd-a36621dfd099)

XVIII. Of the King’s sending of two brethren and their robbing of Thorolf’s ship (#ulink_ba5fa57e-119f-51d3-a993-49c8b3749aea)

XIX. Of Thorolf’s harrying in the Wick and of counsel given him by Kveldulf (#ulink_bf894e9f-eb4c-5fe6-be16-3158a9907e38)

XX. Of Skallagrim’s wedding (#ulink_360cce15-f224-5db1-af1e-5a36c3986c5d)