View source for Egil

== Egil ==

Egil Skallagrímsson (circa 910 - 990) was born in Iceland. 

Egil was a viking and a poet. He enjoyed killing people. He fought alongside his brother Thorolf against King [[Olaf]] in the Battle of Brunnanburh in which his brother got killed.

After the battle, Egil was rewarded greatly for the loss of his brother by [[King Athelstan]].  The King bestowed upon him a gold braclet and two chests filled with silver that he was to take back to his father as compensation for his brother's death.  Egil stayed with [[King Athelstan]] for some time after the battle and the two became close friends. When it came time for Egil to leave [[King Athelstan]] asked that he stay and pick whatever position he chose, but Egil refused.  He instead set off for Norway to fullfil his duty of caring for his dead brother's family.

Egil had strange, fearsome features, including a [http://www.viking.ucla.edu/Scientific_American/Egils_Bones.htm skull] that could resist blows from an ax. He may have suffered from [http://www.paget.org/ Paget's disease].