is an Icelandic saga belonging to the saga sub-genre

or Sagas of Icelanders. It was composed before the middle of the thirteenth century and is preserved in manuscript fragments from the thirteenth century and more fully in manuscripts from the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries, the last being copies of now lost older manuscripts. Its most complete medieval manuscript is Möðruvallabók, AM 132 fol., a large vellum manuscript from the middle of the fourteenth century. None of the manuscripts that have come down to us contain the complete saga, but they complement each other to a large extent (Einarsson, 2003, ix-xi). Despite differences between the major manuscripts, mainly in the way they incorporate poetry ascribed to the main character, the saga is…

2983 words

Citation: Tulinius, Torfi. "Egils saga". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 February 2023 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40726, accessed 21 November 2024.]

• View recommended reading for this article