Saga network

Egils saga Skallagrímssonar

Egil's Saga, trans. W. C. Green (1893). 92 chapters, 220 characters resolved, 165 distinct social edges (217 typed edge records across seven relation types — see Methods for why those two counts differ).

Network

Drag nodes, scroll to zoom, click a character for its profile, click an edge to read the sentences that support it.

95 characters · 165 edges (217 typed edge records)

Network summary

0.037Density
0.148Avg. clustering
3.365Avg. path length
8Diameter
11Communities (Louvain)modularity 0.524
-0.127Degree assortativity
90.0%Structural balance9/10 triangles balanced
25Articulation pointsbridge characters

Metrics are computed on the semantic layer only (kinship, marriage, friendship, conversation, conflict, killing, support) — the much denser sentence co-occurrence layer (217 nodes, 1165 edges) is a baseline, not a claim about social structure. See Methods for what each number does and does not mean.

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Chapter 77: Egil gathers tribute

Egil made him ready early next morning to continue his journey, as did his comrades, but at parting Egil gave Alf a fur cloak. Alf took the gift with thanks, saying, 'A good mantle have I here.' And he bade Egil visit him on the way back. They parted friends; and Egil going on his way came on the evening of a day to earl Arnvid's court, where he found a good reception. He and his comrades were placed next to the sitter in the seat opposite the earl. When Egil had been there for a night, he declared his errand with the earl, and the message of the king from Norway, and said that he wished to have all that tribute from Vermaland that had been owing since Arnvid had been set over the land. The earl said that he had paid out of hand all the tribute, and delivered it into the hands of the king's messengers. 'But I know not,' he said, 'what they have since done with it, whether they brought it to the king or ran away with it out of the land. However, as ye bear sure tokens that the king has sent you, I will pay all the tribute to which he has a right, and deliver it into your hands: but I will not be answerable afterwards for how you fare with it.' Egil and his men remained there for awhile. But before Egil went away the earl paid them the tribute. Part was in silver, part in gray fur. And when Egil's party were ready they started to return. At their parting Egil said to the earl: 'Now we will bear to the king this tribute which we have received. But know, earl, that this is much less money than the king deems to be his due here; and that too without counting that, as he thinks, thou oughtest to pay atonement for the messengers whom common rumour says thou didst cause to be slain.' The earl said that that was not true. With this they parted. Now when Egil was gone, the earl called to him his two brothers, each of whom was named Ulf, and spoke thus: 'That big fellow Egil, who was here for awhile, will, I expect, do us an ill turn when he comes to the king. We may by this mark how he will bear our matter before the king, that he threw in our face such a charge, the taking the life of the king's men. Now must ye two go after their party and slay them all, and let none bear this slander before the king. Methinks the wisest plan were to lie in wait for them in Eida-wood. Take with you so many men as to make sure that not one of them escape, while ye get no less of men from them.' Then did the brothers make them ready for their journey, and they took thirty men. They went to the wood, of which they knew every path: then they watched for Egil's coming. There were two roads through the wood. One led over a certain ridge, and there was a steep cliff, and only a path for one; this was the shorter road. The other led round the edge of the ridge, over wide bogs, across which hewn wood was laid, there too making a causeway for but one to pass. And they lay in wait fifteen in either place.

Table of contents

1. Of Kveldulf and his sons2. Of Aulvir Hnuf3. The beginning of the rule of Harold Fairhair4. Battle of king Harold and Audbjorn5. The king's message to Kveldulf6. Thorolf resolves to serve the king7. Of Bjorgolf, Brynjolf, Bard, and Hildirida8. Of Bard and Thorolf9. Battle in Hafr's Firth10. Thorolf in Finmark11. The king feasts with Thorolf12. Hildirida's sons talk with Harold13. Thorgils goes to the king14. Thorolf again in Finmark15. King Harold and Harek16. Thorolf and the king17. Hildirida's sons in Finmark and at Harold's court18. Thorolf's ship is taken19. Thorolf retaliates20. Skallagrim's marriage21. Hallvard and his brother go after Thorolf22. Death of Thorolf Kveldulfsson23. The slaying of Hildirida's sons24. Kveldulf's grief25. Skallagrim's journey to the king26. Of Guttorm27. Slaying of Hallvard and Sigtrygg28. Of Skallagrim's land-taking29. Of Skallagrim's industry30. Of the coming out of Yngvar, and of Skallagrim's iron-forging31. Of Skallagrim's children32. Of lord Brynjolf and Bjorn, his son33. Bjorn goes to Iceland34. Of Skallagrim and Bjorn35. Thorolf goes abroad36. Of Eric Bloodaxe and Thorolf37. The journey to Bjarmaland38. Thorolf comes out to Iceland39. Kettle Blund comes out to Iceland40. Of Egil's and Skallagrim's games41. Of Bjorn42. Thorolf asks Asgerdr to wife43. Of Aulvir and Egil44. The slaying of Bard45. Flight of Egil46. Of Thorolf's and Egil's harrying47. Of the further harrying of Thorolf and Egil48. Of the banquet at earl Arnfid's49. Slaying of Thorvald Proud50. Of Athelstan king of the English51. Of Olaf king of Scots52. Of the gathering of the host53. Of the fight54. The fall of Thorolf55. Egil buries Thorolf56. Marriage of Egil57. Suit between Egil and Onund58. Of king Eric and Egil59. King Eric slays his brothers60. The slaying of Bergonund and Rognvald the king's son61. Death of Skallagrim62. Egil's voyage to England63. Egil recites the poem64. Egil's life is given him65. Egil goes to Norway66. Egil and Thorstein go before the king67. Egil slays Ljot the Pale68. Of Egil's journeyings69. Egil comes out to Iceland70. Egil goes abroad71. Egil's sadness72. Of Arinbjorn's harrying73. Mission to Vermaland74. Journey to Vermaland75. Parting of Egil and Armod76. Egil comes to landowner Alf77. Egil gathers tribute78. Egil and his band slay twenty-five men79. Egil comes to Thorfinn's. The harrying of king Hacon80. Of the marriages of Egil's daughters81. Death of Bodvar: Egil's poem thereon82. Hacon's wars and death. Poem on Arinbjorn83. Of Einar Helgi's son and Egil84. Of Thorstein Egil's son85. Of Aunund Sjoni and Steinar his son86. Slaying of Thrand87. Of Egil and Aunund Sjoni88. Of Thorgeir89. Thorstein goes to a feast90. Death of Egil Skallagrim's son91. Grim takes the Christian faith92. Of Thorstein's descendants