In Egils saga, Skallagrímr is the father of the poet-warrior Egill Skallagrímsson.
Skallagrímr Kveld-Úlfsson is a powerful Icelandic settler and skilled smith who becomes the father of Egill and his brother Þórólfr. The saga follows the family across Norway, Iceland, and Britain, combining feud, travel, politics, and poetry. Egill’s difficult relationship with kings and rivals forms much of the narrative’s drama.
The name Skallagrímr can be confusing because Kveld-Úlfr, “Evening Wolf,” is Skallagrímr’s father and Egill’s grandfather. Eiríkr Bloodaxe is a Norwegian king connected with Egill’s later conflicts, not his parent. The saga’s detailed genealogy reflects the importance of family memory and inheritance in medieval Icelandic literature.
Egils saga is generally dated to the thirteenth century, although its exact author is unknown. It is one of the Icelanders’ sagas and includes several poems attributed to Egill.