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Egil is alegendary hero of theVölundarkviða and theThidreks saga. The name is fromProto-Germanic*Agilaz,^[1] and the same legend is reflected inOld EnglishÆgil[ˈæɡil] of theFranks Casket andAlamannicAigil of thePforzen buckle.

The Proto-Germanic form of the legend may only be guessed at, but it appears likely that Egil was a renowned archer who defended a keep together with his wifeAlruna, against numerous attackers. The testimony of the Pforzen buckle is uncertain beyond namingAigil andAilrun, possibly adding that they fought a battle at theIlz river. TheFranks Casket shows the scene of Aegil and his wife enclosed in the keep, with Aegil shooting arrows against attacking troops.

In theVölundarkviða, Egil is a son of aFinn king, his elder brother beingSlagfiðr, his younger oneVölund. The three brothers marryvalkyries they encounter inswans'form, Slagfiðr marriesHlaðguðr svanhvít, and Völund marriesHervör alvitr, daughters of king Hlödver, while Egil marriesÖlrún, a daughter of the Roman Emperor (Kiár ofValland).

In theThidreks saga, Egil acts as a masterly archer, once he is forced by kingNidung toshoot an apple from the head of his son. He readies two arrows, but succeeds with the first one. Asked by the king what the second arrow was for, he said that had he killed his son with his first arrow, he would have shot the king with the second one. This tale is directly comparable to the legends of the Swiss heroWilliam Tell and the Danish heroPalnatoke. As opposed to Tell's case, the king doesn't try to punish Egil for his openness, but, to the contrary, commends him for it (chapter 128). Völund is crippled by Nidung and held captive at his court. To help his brother, Egil shoots birds and collects their feathers, from which Völund makes a pair of wings. Völund ties a bladder filled with blood around his waist and flies away. Nidung commands Egil to shoot his fleeing brother, who hits the bladder, deceiving Nidung, and so Völund escapes (chapter 135).

• Wayland the Smith
• Achilles

• Alfred Becker: “Franks Casket. Zu den Bildern und Inschriften des Runenkästchens von Auzon (Regensburg, 1973), pp 154 - 186, "Zur Wielandsage"
• Robert Nedoma,Noch einmal zur Runeninschrift auf der Gürtelschnalle von Pforzen in: Alemannien und der Norden, ed. Naumann (2004), 340–370.

• Austin Simmons,The Cipherment of the Franks Casket (PDF)
• „The Tradition of the Weland Saga“
• Picture and article, ÆGILI on the Franks Casket

• Germanic heroic legends
• Heroes in Norse myths and legends
• Marksmanship
• Germanic given names
• Swan maidens

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