The brother of Völundr and Slagfiðr, and the husband of Ölrún, a valkyrie, according to the prose introduction to Völundarkviða. After nine winters she left him to find battles and came back no more. Egil set forth east on his snowshoes to follow Ölrún.

In Þiðrekssaga, Egil was a great archer. He was commanded by king Niðung (called Níðuðr in Völundarkviða) to shoot an apple off the head of his son. He selected two arrows from his quiver but succeeded with the first one. When the king asked him why he took two, Egil replied that he would have shot Niðung with the second arrow if had killed his son with the first.

Egil's brother Velent (Völundr/Wayland) was held captive by Niðung and was hamstrung to prevent him from escaping. To help his brother, Egil shot several geese and collected the feathers, of which Valent made a pair of wings. Velent then filled a bladder with blood and tied it around his waist. As Velent flew away from Niðung's court, the king ordered Egil to shoot his brother. Egil hit the bladder and the blood poured out, fooling to king into believing that Velent had been killed.



  • Völundarkviða.
  • Þiðrekssaga, 128, 135.