Norsery Rhymes from A to Z Happy Thorsday – Egil The Legendary Archer Well here we are another Thor’s Day and another 20 min sketch of a Norse (and Germanic) mythological characters. This week it’s Egil / Aigil / Aegil / Aligaz. The legendary archer mentioned in the Völundarkviða and Thidreks sagas.
Hi name has been translated to ‘Awe’, or ‘Fear’, or ‘dread’ combined with ‘edge’ or ‘point’ or ‘sharpness’ of a weapon. Which unlike the farmer Giant Egil who shares his name, where the meaning had the context of being afraid of the sword. Egil here, much like Egill Skallagrimson, and Egil One-Arm, is meant to imply the use of a sharp edge, and that others should be afraid of his arrows.
Egil is the middle brother of a trio of Finn (Lapland) princes. Along with the older Slagfiðr / Slagfithr (The Beating), and the younger Völund / Wayland / Velent (The Master Magical Smith).
The brothers build and live in a house on the lands of Ulfdalir (Wolf Dale) by a house on sea shore called Ulfsjar (Wolf Sea)
All three of the brothers one early morning come across Swan Maiden Valkyries in their swan forms by the Ulfsjar shore, bathing and spinning flax, falling in love with them as they reveal themselves to be human. Each of the Brothers going on to marry one of them.
Egil marries the Swan Maiden Valkyrie and Princess Alirun / Ailrun / Alruna / Ailruna / Ölrún, whose father Kiár of Valland, is a mythological Roman Emperor.
At some point the cruel Germanic King Nidung / Niðhad captures Volund after several. Having Volund hamstrung, and locking him up in a smithy dungeon. He sets forces Volund to smith all kinds of beautiful and amazing things for him from goblets, to weapons and jewelry.
Eventually Egil hears of this and goes to find his younger brother. On arriving in the court of Nidung. The King on hearing that Egil is a master archer forces him on pain of torture to show his skills. The test is to shoot an apple off the head of one of his many Prince sons, without harming the Prince. And that if he misses or if any harm comes to the Prince Egil will die.
Egil surprises the King by readying two arrows in his hand, nocking the first and shooting it without any apparent effort into the apple above the Prices head. When the King asks what the second arrow was for, Egils says that if he had missed with the first arrow, the second would have been to kill the King with.
The King laughs and compliments Egil on his skill and his cunning. Welcoming him to his court. Likely to join him on his hunts and as a protector.
Egil finds Volund, who had so far managed to seduce the Princess, who was now with his child, and trick and kill two of the older Princes, and hide their bodies by magically smithing them into various items. But was no closer to escape.
The two begin a plan. Egil would go out hunting for animals, providing an ongoing feast for the King. But while out hunting Egil would collect all of the feathers from the birds he’s caught, and the bladder and blood from a boar.
Egil brought all this back to Volund so that he could add the feathers to a set of wings he’d created, while filling up the bladder with blood.
Once everything was completed Volund and Egil put their plan in motion. Egil let him out of the Smithy, and Volund now wearing the working wings on his back and the blood filled bladder around his waist begins to fly away.
Egil however alerts the King to the smiths departure. The King commanding Egil to shoot him down. Egil shoots an arrow and despite how har away the flying man now is, it flies true. Sending a rain of blood down, as the winged man appears to fall in the far distance into the trees.
The arrow of course hitting the bladder filled with blood and the fall being a performance the King believes there is no reason to suspect Volund survived. Volund using his wings to fly low and then away back home.
Egil eventually takes his leave of the king, Whether to find the body or just to go on his way. But never returns.
Another time Egil and his wife Ailrun were beset by an large number attackers, fighting a battle at the river Ilz and while defending a keep together. The two of them successful in their defence. With Egil sending a seemingly impossible barrage of arrows at the attackers Ailrun cutting down anyone that got close.
Defending a keep #relationshipgoals.
Eventually after nine years, the Valkyries feel the pull of their fate and leave for the Myrkwood. Egil and Slagfith leaving to find them, with Volund staying behind making arm rings and jeweled chains for his wife’s return.
Some have suggested to a link with the archer God Ullr, either as a direct substitution. Given that their stories, personalities and the like to not over lap apart from their archery connection. I like to think it’s more of worshiper/god relationship, possibly with Ullr as a patron.
Not much else is known about Egil the Finn Prince, Master Archer, and husband of a Swan Valkyrie.
That’s it for Egils. I’ve run out. So next week I’ll do Ailrun as I think I missed her when going through the A’s.