Eadgils

Eadgils (Beowulf), Adils the Great, or Athisl (Saxo Grammaticus) (all forms are based an older Aðgils) was a Swedish king of the house of Scylfings. He was the son of Ohthere. Eadgils figures in several sources which suggests that they are based on real events in which a civil war erupted in Sweden between Eadgils and his uncle Onela, which Eadgils won by hiring outside assistance.

According to the oldest source, Beowulf, Eadgils uncle Onela killed Ohthere. Eadgils rebelled together with his brother Eanmund and fled to the Geats. Then Onela attacked the Geats and the Geatish king Heardred was killed, as was Eanmund by Onela's champion Weohstan. Then Beowulf became king of the Geats and helped Eadgils in defeating Onela, who was killed by Eadgils.

In the Hrólf Kraki tradition, Eadgils (Adils) captured and married Yrsa (Yrs), the mother of Hrólf Kraki (Hrothulf). Not long after Hrólf became king, Eadgils requested his assistance in battle against his uncle, Onela (Áli). Hrólf sent his twelve companions, led by Bödvar Bjarki (the counterpart of Beowulf in Scandinavian sources), Onela was defeated and Eadgils gained the kingdom. But when Eadgils refused to pay Hrólf's men the expected tributes for their help, Hrólf Kraki set off to Gamla Uppsala. As Eadgils was away, gathering reinforcements, Hrólf's mother and sister Yrsa then gave him a horn filled with gold and jewels and a famous ring called Sviagris 'Pig of the Swedes'. With the treasure given them by Yrsa, Hrólf and his men try to escape over the Fy´risvellir (Fyris Wolds). When Eadgils and his men pursued them, Hrólf desperately spilled out the gold to occupy the pursuers with treasure collecting instead. Eadgils, however, overtook Hrólf who desperately threw away Sviagris. When Eadgils stooped to pick it up with his spear Hrólf ungloriously cut him in the back screaming that he had bent the back of the most powerful man in Sweden, stole the ring once again and fled.

According to Saxo Grammaticus, Eadgils (Athisl) was defeated by Roulf (Hrólf Kraki, Hrothulf) and replaced.

According to Snorri Sturluson, he was an enthusiastic horse breeder (interestingly, the contemporary Jordanes described the Swedes as good horse breeders). Adils died from falling off his horse during a sacrifice at the temple at Uppsala.

He is said to be buried in one of the largest mounds at Gamla Uppsala. An excavation in this mound showed that a man was buried there c. 575 on a bear skin with two dogs and rich grave offerings (pawns of ivory and gems from the Middle East).

He was succeded by Östen.

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