Eadgils of the Myrgings

Eadgils of the Myrgings

Eadgils of the Myrgings is a ruler of the Myrgings who is mentioned on lines 93-96 in the Anglo-Saxon poem "Widsith". He is mentioned as the lord of the scop himself in the poem.

No other source remembers the Myrgings, but several scholars have suggested that Eadgils survives in a tradition where he was confused with his namesake the Swedish king Eadgils [Peter Tunstall's translation of the "Chronicon lethrense" at [http://www.oe.eclipse.co.uk/nom/lejre.html "The Chronicle of the Kings of Lejre"] ] .

In Saxo Grammaticus' "Gesta Danorum", (book 4), the Swedish king Eadgils (called "Athislus") is already dead, having killed himself with too much drink celebrating the death of the Danish king Hrólfr Kraki (known as Hroðulf, in "Beowulf"). Then, he reappears and kills Frowinus, the governor (jarl) of Jutland. Frowinus' sons Ket and Wig avenge their father by killing Eadgils, but do so by fighting two against one. Because of this Uffo decides to fight two opponents at the same to remove some of the national shame.

The slaying of Eadgils is also mentioned in "Annales Ryenses" and by Svend Aagesen. The latter says that the shameful act of letting two warriors fight at the same time against the Swedish king made Uffo unable to speak when he was young.

Notes


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