 From an early age he proved himself impetuous, audacious, brave, and tough.He was also a skilled author of mostly derogatory poems, which earned him the cognomen "ormstunga", "serpent's tongue".After a quarrel with his father, Illugi, Gunnlaugr left his home at the age of twelve to stay for some time at Borg with Þorsteinn Egilsson, the son of Egill Skallagrímsson.