But those who sate drinking within did not find it out till the flame burst in round the roof. Wolves were battle-fain: Hing gave Baug land in Fleet-lithe, down from Mark-river to the river outside Breidabolstead; and he dwelt at Lithe-end. In gruesome wrath a king: They were set there as defenders of the land against the inroads of Scots, Danes, and Norsemen, who harried the land much, and though they had a strong claim on the land there, because in Northumberland nearly all the inhabitants were Danish by the father's or mother's side, and many by both. They rowed to the buildings, and found there men to speak to. Arinbjorn sate there by the window all night till dawn. Alfgeir went to king Athelstan, and told him of his defeat. The cord of my kin, But of the king's men this is to be told, that no sooner were they and Egil out of sight of each other, than they took their snow-shoes (which they had brought with them) and put them on; then they retraced their way as fast as they could. Then Egil sang a stave: 'Dauntless the doughty champion 7 Pages. He held conference with his captains, and told them how his forces should be arranged. Eric's sounding name. Arinbjorn spoke: 'Here now is come Egil. To the wasteful tract Eirik was furious, but Arinbjorn Thorisson convinced Eirik to spare Egill's life if he could compose a poem in his honor. Then Egil paid over to her her father's heritage, and she went home with Grim, and the pair dwelt long at Moss-fell. But when king Harold went south, and men knew of Thorolf's slaying, then they called a gathering. He asked to wife Thordis daughter of Thorolf Egil's brother, and stepdaughter of Egil. He approached the prince with a gift of a painted warship that Eirik was admiring, on advice of Bjorn (Bjrn Brynjlfsson), Thorir's brother-in-law.[9]. Vengeance now on king is ta'en: Aulvir was spokesman: 'Here now is come Grim Kveldulf's son; we shall feel thankful to thee, O king, if thou make his journey hither a good one, as we hope it will be. This when Thorolf saw, he said that Egil should turn and encounter him, and bade the standard be borne that way; his men he bade hold well together and stand close. The man who bore this message was named Kol; he was a man of all lands; he had been long in Denmark and in Sweden, and knew all about ways and men there. I trowed for friend: But you shall go yonder up the ridge, and when you come over it you will soon have before you a large house where you are sure of lodging. Bjorn made his suit and asked Thora to wife. Then Thorstein heaped some stones over him and covered his body, which done, he went home to Borg. And when ready, they again stood for the eastern way. They were sad, and spoke little with others. The queen and Bard then mixed the drink with poison, and bare it in. Soon after this Thorolf started with a long-ship and about sixty men, and coasted northwards, till one day at eventide he came to Sandness in Alost; there they moored the ship. ', Thorolf said, 'Leave we the king to rule where he will place us, serve we him as he likes best. The character of Egill is complex and full of seeming contradictions. Hang, his own arm forsaking, So Egil prepared to go. realistic spurs signings It was now good travelling weather. Aulvir and his men drew up their ship beyond flood-tide mark. Who knows not to read them; Thorolf had a large ship, which was waiting to put to sea. The next tidings were that Thora Bjorn's wife fell sick and died. For several summers they were out roving, but stayed at home in winter with their fathers. Athelstan's men said that their tents were all full, so full that their people had not nearly enough room. Then Thorstein said in a loud voice, so that his companions could hear: 'Why can he be in such a hurry to see me that I may not ride on my way home? Brynjolf his father ill liked what Bjorn had done; he thought there was dishonour therein, whereas there had been ere this long friendship between Thorir and Brynjolf. The birchwood's bane. In war-god's wine of song 'Warrior gave to poet Egil's Saga . Then said Armod that he was sorry he had no beer to give them. Eyvind Skreyja and Alf were the names of two brothers of Gunnhilda, sons of Auzur Toti. Rognvald took the ships that had belonged to Vemund and all the chattels he could get. Let none wait for other. Bard and the queen sent Egill a poisoned drink, but the attempt was foiled by Egill, who inscribed runes on the horn and besmeared it with his own blood, causing the horn to shatter. Round egg, the brook-bird's bed-bolster.'. And when they had made all arrangements, then Thorstein bade his Thingmen set to work, and they built there large booth-walls. Such on my high hawk-perch After this Egil went aboard the ship. But Thorolf and his company plundered the town and took much wealth, and fired the buildings before they left. You can opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information anytime. They declared their errand with the king. The king fixed such fine as he thought fit; Thorir paid it all and went home. 'Forth it flows but hardly; Nor had they long to wait ere a breeze blew off the land. These were Britons, Scots, and Irish. And when Thorstein Egil's son came to dwell at Borg, there was at once a coolness between him and Steinar. Thorolf told of the battle fought that summer in the south, and of the fall of many men whom Sigurd knew well, and withal how Bard his son-in-law had died of wounds received in the battle. And princes once with pleasure 'Though now you have had a great loss in your brother, yet 'tis manly to bear up well; man must overlive man. An men silence hold: Egil followed him with a blow cutting off his foot. King Athelstan was easily persuaded to this, because Arinbjorn was known to him for good. Son of Eric and Thora was Thorstein; he was brought up with Arinbjorn, and was now fully grown, though quite young. Bjorn said he would take this as his father willed. Thus he cleared the way forward to earl Hring's standard, and then nothing could stop him. And he craved of the judges this, to adjudge to Asgerdr half of Bjorn's inheritance, whether land or chattels. None with his axe-hand He then rode to Borg. No easy way had he over the moor, for he did not know the road; but he kept his eyes on the riders before him when copse or wood were not in the way. ', She could not answer, but wept the more. egils saga sparknotes Bjorn bade him be with him as long as he would. Despite the affront, Eirik was persuaded by Thorir (his foster-father) to settle this by compensation. ', Thorolf said: 'Herein ye have so wrought, methinks, that it will not serve us as our autumn plan to go to Norway.'. We see a very different side of Egill in chapter 56 when he declares his secret love for his future wife, in a love poem. At once the king made for it, and they exchanged words. Lavish ring-despiser It may be they will have no fear for themselves, now they know that their king is near with a large army. On seeing Steinar's pursuit, these rode outside Long-holt. For minstrel skill, There was a joyful meeting. ', Egil after Yule-tide was taken with much sadness that he spake not a word. Let laggards be none! So he went abroad in the summer with Bjorn. Frosty and cold, I shall at once let you have silver, when I know you need it; but I know that you still have in your keeping one or two chests full of silver. He spoke on the whole matter with obstinacy, and he and Thorstein had words about it. The battle-goddess wakes, He rode till he came near the town, where sate the king. Aunund had often been on voyages from land to land. I would make answer to this proposal, if you should plead this errand; but here to this other I can make none. Egils saga Synopsis [edit] The saga covers a long period of . Egil was armed in the same way as Thorolf. It is difficult, O king, to place men as managers here, because thou wilt seldom come hither thyself. Repr. Thereafter went Eric Bloodaxe and Thorir home to the Firths; then they sent word to Thorolf how their errand to the king had sped. Eric saw no other choice but to flee the land; so he went abroad with Gunnhilda his wife and their children. The boy told them where the bear had been in the bushes. Kings, Wars, and Duck Eggs: Interpretations of Poetry in Egil's Saga Kveldulf said all was tending to what he had foreboded, that Thorolf would not in the end have good luck in his friendship with king Harold. They did so, Egil sitting next to Aulvir. They sailed then to Denmark. ', 'I am not herein justly charged,' said Thorolf, 'if any say I have shown disloyalty to thee. 'I will go,' said he, 'to Kveldulf; and he will consent to come to you, as soon as he knows that you think it a matter of moment.'.