s/LaSH
First Post
tarchon said:
The volume I have says 'son of Bald-Grim', but yes. That said, it's interesting that there are two historical tie-ins with Egil's Saga - he was said to have commanded a fair number of King Athelstan's troops when Olaf, King of Scots came down to do some kinda bad stuff. And the saga ends with a priest (by the name of Skapti Thorarinsson) examining some bones that came to light when a church was demolished, which he concluded from the size were those of Egil. From the description given (and the saga's portrayal of Egil's later years of poor health), some conclude that Egil was suffering from Paget's disease (osteitis deformans). A very good description is given, in fact - Egil might well have been real, as this diagnosis was made in 1996. Then again, that doesn't prove anything about Egil's actual deeds; the saga writer might have made up all that stuff about verse. Who knows? All that seems likely is that there was a huge guy with very solid bones (this priest hit the skull with the hammer of 'a good-sized hand axe', and left a little white dent).
(Sadly, Egil's is the only full-length saga I've had the time to read, but it's very rich for material.)
Anyway, more curses. Guardian spirits are probably a good place to start if you're cursing a whole people or institute. Wishing that someone might never find their way home is another one that would appeal to a people whose lives revolved around going to distant places, pillaging stuff, and coming back. Then there are violent acts - Vikings were very fond of these - like "May your head be split asunder by a sea-farer's bearded axe" or "May your ribs be crushed by oxen, leaving you sputtering blood past ragged lips" or "May your tendons be plucked from your limbs and your hair become attractive to otherwise slow-moving rodents".
Wasn't Balder a guy?
Horrible curse, then.
