Note to moderator: Read the answerline carefully. The earliest appearance of a motif about this task comes from Saxo Grammaticus, who writes that Harald Bluetooth ordered Palnatoki to do it while drunk. For 10 points each:
[10m] Name this task performed in another tale on the order of the bailiff Gessler, by a man who refused to bow to a hat placed on a pole. A description is acceptable.
ANSWER: shooting an apple off the head of one’s child [prompt on archery or shooting by asking “what is the target?”; prompt on shooting an apple or apple-shot or Apfelschuss by asking “off of what?”; prompt on shooting at one’s child or shooting at the head of one’s child]
[10e] The most famous instance of the apple-shot motif comes from the story of this Swiss folk hero who titles a Rossini opera.
ANSWER: William Tell [or Guillaume Tell]
[10h] In another myth, this character must shoot an apple off his son’s head at the instigation of king Nidud. This skald writes runes in his blood on a horn, thereby destroying it and thwarting a poisoning attempt, in a text titled for him that may share authorship with the Heimskringla.
ANSWER: Egil [or Aigil; or Egil Skallagrímsson; accept Egil’s Saga]
<Oxford A, Mythology>