Egill studied at the monastery of Þingeyri, being taught alongside Einarr Hafliðason by Lárentíus Kálfsson.
Egill first became a deacon, was then consecrated as a priest in 1318, and around the same time became the schoolmaster at Hólar.
At that time, the bishop of Hólar was Auðunn rauði Þorbergsson, whose relationship with the monks of Þingeyri (not least Lárentíus) was very strained.
According to Laurentius Saga, it was through Egill's efforts that in the autumn of 1319, Auðun and Lárentíus made peace.
Around 1327, Bishop Lárentius sent Egill to the Archbishop to plead Lárentíus‘s case against the monks of Möðruvellir.