Lögberg-Heimskringla - 15.02.1980, Síða 2

Lögberg-Heimskringla, föstudagur 15. febrúar 1980
1
Elsewhere in this paper attention has been drawn to
a short film recently produced here in Manitoba and
based on a well-known episode from the early 13th-
century Icelandic work Egill’s Saga. The filming of
Icelandic sagas in Manitoba is a significant cultural
event, and it not only reflects due appreciation on the
part of film makers of medievallcelandic sources but it
is also an indication that the works in question are now
being circulated in adequate English translation.
The basic theme of the present issue of Logberg-
Heimskringla appears to warrant the following in- .
formation of Egil’s Saga in English.
In several ways the saga
deals with impórtant
episodes in medieval English
history, which in turn ex-
plains why scholars in the
British Isles have long been
interested in it. Its first
for duelling that when the
challenger won, he was to
get everything at stake, but
if he lost he had to redeem
himself by paying the
previously-agreed sum; and
if he were to be killed in the
as he had been a great
trouble-maker. He was of
Swedish descent and had no
family in Norway: he had
come there to make money
by duelling, and had killed a
number of good farmers by
challenging them to single
combat for their estates and
farms, so that he had
become very rich in both
land and movable goods.
After the duel, Egil went
home with Fridgeir and
stayed there a short time
before travelling south to
More. Egil parted from
Fridgeir the best of friends,
and asked Fridgeir to lay
Gyöa and Egfll
English translation by W. C.
Green appeared in London
in 1893. Then a second
translation by»E. R. Eddison
was published by Cam-
bridge University Press in
1930. Then Cambridge
University Press, New York
published a very lively
translationby Gwynjones in
1960. In 1975 the Toronto
University Press produced a
very thorough and scholarly
translation by Christine Fell.
Finally, in 1976, Hermann
Palsson and Paul Edwards
published a new and highly
readable translation in the
Penguin Books series in
1976.
The last two translations
have in a very effective
manner made Egil’s Saga
known to a larger public.
It should be mentioned
here that the recent filming
of the EgiU-Ljotur episode is
based on the Palsson-
Edwards translation. The
chapter tells of a duel Egill
fights on behalf of a young
boy, Fridgeir, against a
beserk inNorway called Ljot
thePale. Part of the account
follows:
“It was a rule at that time
duel, he forfeited all his
property, which was
inherited by the one who
killed him in combat. It was
also the law then that if a
foreigner died without an
heir in the country, all the
money he left was to go to
the King’s treasure.
Egil told Ljot to get ready.
‘I want us to settle this duel,_’
he said. Then he ran up and
struck Ljot, pressing him so
close that Ljot was forced to
back away, and his shield
was no use to him any more.
Then Egil caught Ljot just
above the knee, slicing off
his leg, and Ljot dropped
down dead on the spot. Egil
went over to Fridgeir and
the others and they thanked
him warmly for what he had
done. Then Egil made this
verse:
The foul wolf-feeder
Fell flat on the ground,
The leg of Ljot
Lanced off by the bard.
This poet gave Fridgeir
peace
But seeks no payment,
This play with the pale-face
Was a pleasure to me.
There were few people to
grieve over the death of Ljot,
claim on his behalf to the
property which had
belonged to Ljot.”
Disposing of a beserk was
a superhuman ac-
complishment. The beserks
belonged to Odinn and were
known to “rush forward
without armour, were as
mad as dogs or wolves, bit
their shields, and were
strong as bears or wild
bulls, and killed people at a
blow, but neither fire nor
iron told upon themselves.
This was called beserk-
fury.”
The present writer
recently had this to say
about Egil’s Saga:
“A particularly rewar-
ding subject of investigation
is Egil’s Saga Skalla-
Grimssonar. Egil’s
genealogy in the first
chapter of the saga has
strong mythological over-
tones. His grandfather
conducts himself in a
disturbing manner after
sunset. His father is not
much different, and Egill
himself is certainly close to
being -a berserk. It is not
until we meet Egil’s son
Thorsteinn that our journey,
begun in the world of the magic power of both
veritable shape-changers, poetry and runes to drive
takes us into the realm of the king and queen out of
fairly ordinary mortals. In Norwegian territory, to
the sága, three generations York in England. Later on,
may be said to span the when King Eirik’s wife, the
distance from legend to evil Queen Gunnhild, uses
history. Different levels of her powers of witchcraft to
existence, with differing bring Egill to York the poet
sets of laws, are therefore faces certain death at the
suggested in the first part of hands of King Eirik, but
Egil’s Saga, and these are manages, under trying
maintained throughout by circumstances, to compose
subtle mythological images. a poem of praise about the
When Egill Skallagrimsson king and thus redeem his
goes berserk, and this may head. In his entire dealings
not always be of his own with King Eirik, Egill has of
volition, he is elevated to the course justice on his side,
level of the warriors of divine powers, and the
Odinn, where his actions support of an influential
are subject to fewer friend. The composing of the
restrictions than if he were poem Hofudlausn (Head-
attending to ordinary chores Ransom) foreshadows trials
on his farm. of even greater magnitude
If Egill Skallagrimsson f0r the heroic Egill. Having
worshipped Odinn, and just redeemed his life in the
there is little doubt that he home of King Eirik, he
did, his conduct and career defeats, in single combat, a
are in some ways modelled particularly vicious berserk.
after those of his god. His But his greatest test awaits
saga reveals that as the him back in Iceland. Two of
tests of endurance facing his sons die, and the poet,
him grow in magnitude, so unable to take revenge on
does his mental and physical the divine powers
prowess. The saga em- responsible for his grievous
phasizes his extraordinary loss, finds reality too hard to
precocity. At the age of face and sets out to starve
three he composes verses of himself to death. Through
complex meter and diction. the ingenious persuasion of
At the age of six he fights a his daughter, however, the
boy much older than himself poet abandons his morbid
and kills him, on which scheme and composes,
occasion his mother proudly instead, the poem
recognizes the viking at- Sonatorrek in memory of his
tributes of her son. Skill in sons. The poem is Egill’s
poetry and arms represents finest achievement, where
the most celebrated en- genuine lament blends with
dowments from Odinn. In an honest analysis of the
the early life of the hero poet’s grave psychological
these two gifts are kept dilemma and his attempt to
distinct. Later, as his settle matters with the gods.
achievements become Odinn has taken away
progressively greater, the much, but he has also, in the
two gradually merge into poet’s own words, endowed
one indivisible quality. him with ‘art free of
Egill about to charge
Egill proves to be a for- blemish’ and the kind of
midable warrior whose temper that has flushed his
services are sought by enemies into the open. The
foreign kings and nobles. As poet is satisfied that these
long as his adversaries are gifts balance out his loss. In
ordinary mortals, he facing up to reality in this
disposes of them with manner, Egill conquers his
relative ease. However, his dejection and resentment
opposition increases in and becomes reconciled
strength vyhen the enemy is with his ’god. Sonatorrek
no other than King Eirik- saves the poet’s life from the
Bloodaxe, Harald Finehair’s destructive forces of inner
favorite son. He then uses turmoil, and the entire