Old Norse Saga Insight - Egil's Saga Part 4

Egil the Master Poet: Magic in Words

Though known for killing, Egil is equally famed for poetry. His verses — many preserved in the saga — demonstrate astonishing skill in complex kennings, metrical control, and emotional depth.

His poem Höfuðlausn (“Head-Ransom”) is among the most iconic moments in Old Norse literature. Facing execution by King Eiríkr blóðøx, Egil composes a drápa overnight. The king, moved by its beauty and tradition, spares him.

This episode shows the real power poets held in Norse society: a skald could shape reputation, memory, and honor, and the spoken word was believed to carry spiritual force. Linguists note that many formulaic kennings used in Egil’s verse trace back to proto-pagan cosmology and the mythic vocabulary of Oðinn’s own poetry.

Poetry, for Egil, is not art — it is survival, sorcery, and legacy.