Thorgils Maksson
Strong kinsman raised at Bjarg, killed by Thorgeir Havarsson at a whale-cutting in Almenningar.
Thorgils Maksson was a strong kinsman raised by Asmund at Bjarg (Grettir's Saga, The Saga Of Grettir The Strong > Chapter Xxv. Events In Iceland. Thorgils Maksson Attacked By The > Foster-Brothers And Slain). His life ended violently when Thorgeir Havarsson killed him at a whale-cutting in Almenningar, following a long and furious battle (Grettir's Saga, The Saga Of Grettir The Strong > Chapter Xxv. Events In Iceland. Thorgils Maksson Attacked By The > Foster-Brothers And Slain).
Grettir's Saga introduces Thorgils Maksson through two details that frame his brief arc: his strength and upbringing at Bjarg, and his death at the hands of Thorgeir Havarsson. The whale-cutting at Almenningar -- a communal event where stranded whales were divided among neighboring farmers -- was a common flashpoint for violence in the sagas, where competing claims over valuable resources escalated into lethal confrontations. Thorgils's death "after a long and furious battle" marks him as no easy victim, even against the formidable foster-brothers.
Appears in: Beings, Entities in Grettir's Saga, Norse Tradition