Egil's Saga Part I

Egil's saga is different from the ones we have read before because it takes place primarily in Norway before/at the time of Iceland's discovery. There are some cultural differences as well. Because of Norway's size, there is more area to conquer and claim and Harald Tangle-Hair does just that. Something that intrigued me was the extensive geography. Thorolf travelled long distances in what would seem to me very inhospitable conditions, and there is an abundance of ethnic groups he encounters (all under Harald's reign I think) all of which, except the Lapps, I had never read about before. At one point there is a reference to someone's skiing ability, and I wondered if they used a method similar to cross country skiing or snowshoeing to get around in the icy land above Norway.

Another difference between Norwegian and Icelandic living was the way conflicts were settled. They seemed to be settled interpersonally, unless the ones involved were close to the king and then....like a corrupt court, they tried to get back at the other by sticking the king against him. This is how Hildirid's sons tried to get at Thorolf's inheritance, and it is much different than the processes of the Althing in later Iceland.