Egil Aunsson

• Birth Notes
  • B: Abt. 530

• General Notes
  • #
    
        Battled 9 times with father's ex-slave, Tunni, and finally killed Tunni with help of others. Died by being gored by a bull that first gored his horse
    
        Not much of a warrior -- a bad thing for a Viking. Had to have help from the Danish King Frode to subdue a revolt of one of his subjects. [WBH - Sweden]
    
        FOSTER, MINOR, BURR, WAITE, NEWLIN LINES
    
        !Soon after the 6th century opened the Swedes of Uppland were ruled by an aged but formidable monarch, the anglicized from of whoe name was Ongentheow. In Old Norse this should be represented by a form like Angantyr. The Ynglinga Saga calls this king, Egill. The Swedes and Geats were natural enemies, and Hethcyn, king of the Geats, in answer to the onslaughts and ambuses of Ongentheow's sons, led a raid into Swedish territory and carried off Ongentheow's aged wife. The the Swede, 'old and terrible', gave pursuit, killed Hethcyn, and rescued the lady, though stripped of her ornaments of gold. The Geat survivors escaped to an unidentified Ravenswood, where he surrounded and through the night taunted them with a propsect of the gallows in the morning. But before first light they heard the warhorns of Hygelac, prince of Geats, as he came hastening along their bloody track with the chivalry of the Geats. Hygelac's warriors overran the Swedish entrenchments. Egill was killed in the battle. Egill was succeeded by his younger brother, Onela/Ali. [A History of the Vikings, pp. 33-37]
    
        King Egil was the son of Ane, and like his father, no warrior. Under his reign and that of his son, King Ottar, Sweden suffered a good deal of trouble from Denmark. The Danish King Frode had helped Egil against the revolt of one of his subjects, and demanded from his son a scat, or tribute, in return. [History of Sweden, p. 37]
    
    # Reference Number: G6SZ-W1
    
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    # Note: Heimskringla or The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
    
    # Note: The Ynglinga Saga, or The Story of the Yngling Family from Odin to Halfdan the Black
    
    # Note: 30. OF EGIL AND TUNNE.
    
        Egil was the name of On the Old's son, who succeeded as king in Sweden after his father's death. He was no warrior, but sat quietly at home. Tunne was the name of a slave who had been the counsellor and treasurer of On the Old; and when On died Tunne took much treasure and buried it in the earth. Now when Egil became king he put Tunne among the other slaves, which he took very ill and ran away with others ofthe slaves. They dug up the treasures which Tunne had concealed, and he gave them to his men, and was made their chief. Afterwards many malefactors flocked to him; and they lay out in the woods, but sometimes fell upon the domains,pillaging and killing the people. When King Egil heard this he went out with his forces to pursue them; but one night when he had taken up his night quarters, Tunne came there with his men, fell on the king's men unexpectedly, and killed many of them. As soon as King Egil perceived the tumult, he prepared for defence, and set up his banner; but many people deserted him, because Tunne and his men attacked them so boldly, and King Egil saw that nothing was left but to fly. Tunne pursued the fugitives into the forest, and then returned to the inhabited land,ravaging and plundering without resistance. All the goods that fell into Tunne's hands he gave to his people, and thus became popular andstrong in men. King Egil assemble dúan army again, and hastened to give battle to Tunne. But Tunne was again victorious, and King Egil fled with the loss of many people. Egil and Tunne had eight battles with each other, and Tunne always gained the victory. Then King Egil fled out of  the country, and went to Sealand in Denmark, to Frode the Bold, and promised him a scatt from the Swedes to obtain help. Frode gave him an army, and also his champions, with which force King Egil repaired to Sweden. When Tunne heard this he came out to meet him;and there was a great battle, in which Tunne fell, and King Egil recovered his kingdom, and the Danes returned home. King Egil sent King Frode great and good presents every year, but he paid no scatt to the Danes; but notwithstanding, the friendship between Egil and Frode continued without interruption. After Tunne's fall, Egil ruled the kingdom for three years. It happened in Sweden that an old bull, which was destined for sacrifice, was fed so high that he became dangerous to people; and when they were going to lay hold of him he escaped into the woods, became furious, and was long in the forest committing great damage to the country. King Egil was a great hunter, and often rode into the forest to chase wild animals. Once he rode out with his men to hunt in the forest. The king had traced an animal a long while, and followed it in the forest,separated from all his men. He observed at last that it was the bull,and rode up to it to kill it. The bull turned round suddenly, and the king struck him with his spear; but it tore itself out of the wound.The bull now struck his horn in the side of the horse, so that he instantly fell flat on the earth with the king. The king sprang up,and was drawing his sword, when the bull struck his horns right into the king's breast. The king's men then came up and killed the bull.The king lived but a short time, and was buried in a mound at Upsal.Thjodolf sings of it thus:
    
    "The fair-haired son of Odin's race,
    Who fled before fierce Tunne's face,
    Has perished by the demon-beast
    Who roams the forests of the East.
    The hero's breast met the full brunt
    Of the wild bull's shaggy front;
    The hero's heart's asunder torn
    By the fell Jotun's spear-like horn."