Gurjewitsch, Aaron J.. Egill Skalla-Grímsson. Skalde und Werwolf

• Author: Gurjewitsch, Aaron J.
• Title: Egill Skalla-Grímsson. Skalde und Werwolf
• Published in: Individuum im Europäischen Mittelalter
• Place, Publisher: München: Beck
• Year: 1994
• Pages: 83-99
• E-text: google.books
• Reference: Gurjewitsch, Aaron J. "Egill Skalla-Grímsson. Skalde und Werwolf." Das Individuum im Europäischen Mittelalter. München: Beck, 1994, pp. 83-99.

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• Key words: characterisation, poetry, philosophy, mythology (persónusköpun, kveðskapur, heimspeki, goðsagnir)

Annotation

Gurjewitsch investigates Egill’s personality as a skald and the reception of his poetry as described in Egils saga. The saga and the verses describe the internal and external perspective of Egill’s complex personality, which often seems to be contradictory. Due to genetic factors, his character and appearance display features of werewolves, jötnar and berserkers, and it turns out that he is, on the one hand, a demonic, brutal, and grim scoundrel, and on the other hand, an emotional and gifted skald. Gurjewitsch states that, regarding the link which can be made between the mead of poetry and the jötnar, skalds - and especially Egill - must have been perceived by their contemporaries as linked to Utgard. Furthermore, regarding the exceptionality of Egill’s poetry, it is no wonders that his body must have been also exceptional, to the point that it displays demonic features. However, Egill seems free of the internal conflict of the individual as perceived by theologians and philosophers of the 12th and 13th centuries, as he behaves effectively in a manner consistent with the Viking society’s value-system, and is always self-consistent.

Lýsing

Gurjewitsch rannsakar persónuleika Egils sem skálds og viðtökur skáldskapar hans eins og þeim er lýst í Egils sögu. Sagan og vísurnar lýsa innra og ytra sjónarhorni á margþættum persónuleika Egils sem oft á tíðum virðist vera mótsagnakenndur. Vegna erfðaþátta bera eðli hans og útlit einkenni varúlfs, jötuns og berserks og reynist hann vera djöfullegt, miskunnarlaust og grimmt illmenni en á hinn bóginn getur hann einnig verið tilfinningaríkt og gáfað skáld. Gurjewitsch segir að vegna tengslanna milli skáldamjaðarins og jötna hafi skáld og þá sérstaklega Egill eflaust verið álitin sem tengd Útgarði. Eins kemur ekki á óvart, ef litið er einstakrar skáldgáfu Egils, að líkami hans sýni einnig óvenjuleg einkenni, sem jaðra við það jötunslega. Reyndar er Egill laus við innri togstreitu einstaklingsins samkvæmt lýsingum guðfræðinga og heimspekinga 12. og 13. aldar þ.e. hann hagar sér með árangursríkum hætti í samræmi við gildiskerfi víkingasamfélagsins og er alltaf samkvæmur sjálfum sér.

References

• Chapter 89: og vildi brjóta „in dieser Handlung äußert sich […] der Abscheu, den Christen gegenüber solchen riesen- oder wolfsähnlichen Ungetümen empfanden, wie es Egill, sein Vater und dessen Vater gewesen sind. Ein Skalde, auf jeden Fall aber einer wie Egill, mußte nach dem Verständnis seiner Zeitgenossen über Verbindungen zu Útgardr (Utgard) verfügen“ (bls. 89).

Links

• Written by: Elisabeth Haug
• English translation: Barbora Davídková