Stefán Einarsson. The Poetry of Egill Skalla-Grímsson

• Author: Stefán Einarsson
• Title: The Poetry of Egill Skalla-Grímsson
• Published in: Tímarit Þjóðræknisfélags Íslendinga í Vesturheimi 49
• Year: 1967
• Pages: 36-47
• E-text: timarit.is
• Reference: Stefán Einarsson. "The Poetry of Egill Skalla-Grímsson." Tímarit Þjóðræknisfélags Íslendinga í Vesturheimi 49 (1967): 36-47.

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Annotation

The author highlights the main scenes that feature Egill’s poetry and its unique, innovative qualities including self-mockery of his appearance, the poem Hofuðlausn as the first instance of running rímur in Old Norse. He draws connections between Egil’s poetry and Hávamál, providing a reading of Egil’s saga in terms of family, faith, and veneration of Odin. He also examines the duality of Egil, acting as both “family man and viking” (44). Arguing for Egil’s placement as the greatest poet of the age, he notes the sensitivity and picaresque traits of the hero.

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