Saga Thing returns with a brand-new episode for a brand new saga from late medieval Iceland. In this episode, we dip our toes into the first five chapters of Hávarðar saga Ísfirðings, The Saga of Havard of Isafjord. It’s a story of good guys vs. bad guys in this surprisingly fun but little-known classic.  The heroes of this episode are Olaf and his parents, Havard and Bjargey. The villains are Thorbjorn and his despicable nephew Vak. Needless to say, things don’t go very well for Olaf and his family when they come up against Thorbjorn’s ruthless brand of authoritarianism. We’d also like to welcome our new guest illustrator, William Bilson. In his first illustration for Havard’s Saga, we see Thorbjorn gently guiding the local lawspeaker to the right decision when he’s asked to settle a dispute over a whale carcass. You can check out more of William’s work at www.instagram.com/willjah_art.thing Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Saga Thing returns with a brand-new episode for a brand new saga from late medieval Iceland. In this episode, we dip our toes into the first five chapters of Hávarðar saga Ísfirðings, The Saga of Havard of Isafjord. It’s a story of good guys vs. bad guys in this surprisingly fun but little-known classic. The heroes of this episode are Olaf and his parents, Havard and Bjargey. The villains are Thorbjorn and his despicable nephew Vak. Needless to say, things don’t go very well for Olaf and his family when they come up against Thorbjorn’s ruthless brand of authoritarianism. We’d also like to welcome our new guest illustrator, William Bilson. In his first illustration for Havard’s Saga, we see Thorbjorn gently guiding the local lawspeaker to the right decision when he’s asked to settle a dispute over a whale carcass. You can check out more of William’s work at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/willjah_art.thing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.instagram.com/willjah_art.thing</a> Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a> Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a>

Episode 37a - The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (chapters 1-5)

With Laxdaela Saga behind us, we turn to the Tale of Bolli Bollason to bring the journey to a proper end. In this fun little story, Bolli Bollason finds himself swept into more than one conflict up in northern Iceland. Does he have the social and political (and warrior) savvy to go there and back again without a scratch? Listen and find out! Warning: Andy goes a bit crazy with the maps and topography in this one. Music Credits: Intro: from “Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom Outro: From “Óðinn” by Krauka

With Laxdaela Saga behind us, we turn to the Tale of Bolli Bollason to bring the journey to a proper end. In this fun little story, Bolli Bollason finds himself swept into more than one conflict up in northern Iceland. Does he have the social and political (and warrior) savvy to go there and back again without a scratch? Listen and find out! Warning: Andy goes a bit crazy with the maps and topography in this one. Music Credits: Intro: from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVnf0Rl2PUA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom</a> Outro: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqjYOasI6YI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">From “Óðinn” by Krauka</a>

Saga Short 11 - The Tale of Bolli Bollason

After a very close inspection and lengthy investigation, we are finally ready to put Laxdaela Saga on trial. As it's been over a year since we started, John and I take our time reviewing the candidates for our usual Saga Thing categories: Best Bloodshed Body Count Nicknames Notable Witticisms Outlawry Thingmen Final Ratings  Our thanks to all of you out there who have listened, commented, and engaged with us as we worked our way through this massive and entertaining saga. We're especially grateful to all of you who've been interacting over on our Official Unofficial Saga Thing Discord page. If you're not involved over there, at least sign up and lurk. It's pretty interesting stuff. A very special thanks to Jacob for sticking with us through a whole year of illustrating for Saga Thing. It was a monumental effort and a pleasure to see his art evolve across the saga. Many thanks, Jacob! Check out more of his work on Instagram where he's @skarphedin_illustrator. Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

After a very close inspection and lengthy investigation, we are finally ready to put Laxdaela Saga on trial. As it's been over a year since we started, John and I take our time reviewing the candidates for our usual Saga Thing categories: <ul><li>Best Bloodshed</li> <li>Body Count</li> <li>Nicknames</li> <li>Notable Witticisms</li> <li>Outlawry</li> <li>Thingmen</li> <li>Final Ratings</li> </ul> Our thanks to all of you out there who have listened, commented, and engaged with us as we worked our way through this massive and entertaining saga. We're especially grateful to all of you who've been interacting over on our <a href="https://discord.gg/FhHhSp9q" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Official Unofficial Saga Thing Discord page</a>. If you're not involved over there, at least sign up and lurk. It's pretty interesting stuff. A very special thanks to Jacob for sticking with us through a whole year of illustrating for Saga Thing. It was a monumental effort and a pleasure to see his art evolve across the saga. Many thanks, Jacob! Check out more of his work on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/skarphedin_illustrator" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram where he's @skarphedin_illustrator.</a> Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a> Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a>

Episode 36o - Laxdaela Saga (Judgments)

We began our journey through Laxdaela Saga in April of 2022. A year and many many episodes later, we finally come to the end. Please join us as we discuss the final few chapters of the saga. It may be a little difficult to find the narrative thread if you're expecting to follow Bolli or Gudrun through these last pages of the text. They're certainly there, but the saga's ending is designed to wrap up the story of Gudrun's husbands and to look forward toward the genealogical connections to future generations.  Of course, Bolli and Gudrun get their moments in this conclusion, including Gudrun's brief but riddling confession of who she loved most. We wrap it all up with a lengthy summons of Gudrun and a detailed discussion of her character, something we've been waiting for a long time to do. I argued that we should devote a whole episode to Gudrun, but John reminded me that we've spent half a year commenting on her. Think of our summons as an invitation for further discussion, which you can do on our various social media platforms: The Unofficial Official Saga Thing Discord SagaThingPod on Twitter Sagathingpodcast on Facebook and Instagram We appreciate your patience as we worked through this amazing saga across the last year. We'll be back soon with the Bolli Bollason's Tale and the Judgments. Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Review Music - "The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

We began our journey through Laxdaela Saga in April of 2022. A year and many many episodes later, we finally come to the end. Please join us as we discuss the final few chapters of the saga. It may be a little difficult to find the narrative thread if you're expecting to follow Bolli or Gudrun through these last pages of the text. They're certainly there, but the saga's ending is designed to wrap up the story of Gudrun's husbands and to look forward toward the genealogical connections to future generations. Of course, Bolli and Gudrun get their moments in this conclusion, including Gudrun's brief but riddling confession of who she loved most. We wrap it all up with a lengthy summons of Gudrun and a detailed discussion of her character, something we've been waiting for a long time to do. I argued that we should devote a whole episode to Gudrun, but John reminded me that we've spent half a year commenting on her. Think of our summons as an invitation for further discussion, which you can do on our various social media platforms: <a href="https://discord.gg/ENcacHT5YR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Unofficial Official Saga Thing Discord</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/sagathingpod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SagaThingPod on Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sagathingpodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sagathingpodcast on Facebook and Instagram</a> We appreciate your patience as we worked through this amazing saga across the last year. We'll be back soon with the Bolli Bollason's Tale and the Judgments. Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a> Review Music - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIg0ugppW8g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra</a> Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a>

Episode 36n - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 72-78)

We were recently invited to speak at the University of Connecticut's Annual Medieval Studies/ECE Outreach Seminar on a variety of subjects related to the Viking Age. We prepared and recorded our morning presentation on Slavery in the Viking Age as a Saga Brief so that everyone in our listening audience could enjoy. It's a subject Andy's been thinking about a lot as we've been working our way through Laxdaela Saga, which is why he took the lead on this topic. Later in the day, John presented on Viking Age board games, focusing on Nine Men's Morris and Hneftafl. We then led a conversation on the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his Sons among other topics. Sadly, these afternoon sessions were workshops and thus not recorded.  We hope you enjoy this little attempt at a live Saga Brief. The audio is not pristine, but it is pretty decent for a live recording. The questions from Q&amp;A are a bit difficult to hear and had to be edited slightly. Apologies for the poor quality there. We'll use two mics next time. For those interested in learning more, here is a list of valuable research on the subject Andy used to prepare the Saga Brief: Brink, Stefan. "Slavery in the Viking Age." In The Viking World, edited by Stefan Brink and Neil Price, 246-257. New York: Routledge, 2008. Brink, Stefan. Thraldom: The Viking Age Slave Trade. Uppsala: Swedish Science Press, 2018. Byock, Jesse L. Viking Age Iceland. London: Penguin Books, 2001. Gelsinger, Paul. Icelandic Enterprise: Commerce and Economy in the Middle Ages. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1981. Gustin, Ingrid, and Sven Kalmring (eds.). Viking Age Trade: Silver, Slaves and Gotland. Uppsala: Uppsala University, 2013. Heebøll-Holm, Thomas. "Piratical Slave-Raiding: A New Perspective on Viking Age Maritime Violence." In Viking-Age Trade: Silver, Slaves and Gotland, edited by Ingrid Gustin and Sven Kalmring, 219-240. Uppsala: Uppsala University, 2013. Jarman, Cat. River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads. London: HarperCollins Publishers, 2021. Jochens, Jenny. Women in Old Norse Society. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1995. Jones, Gwyn. A History of the Vikings. Revised edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984. Karras, Ruth Mazo. Slavery and Society in Medieval Scandinavia. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. Karras, Ruth Mazo. "Concubinage and Slavery in the Viking Age." Scandinavian Studies 79, no. 4 (2007): 403-422. Naumann, Elise, Maja Krzewińska, Anders Götherström, and Gunilla Eriksson. "Slaves as Burial Gifts in Viking Age Norway? Evidence from Stable Isotope and Ancient DNA Analyses." Journal of Archaeological Science 41, (2014): 533-540. Price, Neil. Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings. London: Allen Lane, 2020. Raffield, Ben. "The Slave Markets of the Viking World." History Today 66, no. 4 (2016): 12-19.   Music Credits Opening song – Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur Outro – Ólafur Liljurós

We were recently invited to speak at the University of Connecticut's Annual Medieval Studies/ECE Outreach Seminar on a variety of subjects related to the Viking Age. We prepared and recorded our morning presentation on Slavery in the Viking Age as a Saga Brief so that everyone in our listening audience could enjoy. It's a subject Andy's been thinking about a lot as we've been working our way through Laxdaela Saga, which is why he took the lead on this topic. Later in the day, John presented on Viking Age board games, focusing on Nine Men's Morris and Hneftafl. We then led a conversation on the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his Sons among other topics. Sadly, these afternoon sessions were workshops and thus not recorded. We hope you enjoy this little attempt at a live Saga Brief. The audio is not pristine, but it is pretty decent for a live recording. The questions from Q&amp;A are a bit difficult to hear and had to be edited slightly. Apologies for the poor quality there. We'll use two mics next time. For those interested in learning more, here is a list of valuable research on the subject Andy used to prepare the Saga Brief: Brink, Stefan. "Slavery in the Viking Age." In The Viking World, edited by Stefan Brink and Neil Price, 246-257. New York: Routledge, 2008. Brink, Stefan. Thraldom: The Viking Age Slave Trade. Uppsala: Swedish Science Press, 2018. Byock, Jesse L. Viking Age Iceland. London: Penguin Books, 2001. Gelsinger, Paul. Icelandic Enterprise: Commerce and Economy in the Middle Ages. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1981. Gustin, Ingrid, and Sven Kalmring (eds.). Viking Age Trade: Silver, Slaves and Gotland. Uppsala: Uppsala University, 2013. Heebøll-Holm, Thomas. "Piratical Slave-Raiding: A New Perspective on Viking Age Maritime Violence." In Viking-Age Trade: Silver, Slaves and Gotland, edited by Ingrid Gustin and Sven Kalmring, 219-240. Uppsala: Uppsala University, 2013. Jarman, Cat. River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads. London: HarperCollins Publishers, 2021. Jochens, Jenny. Women in Old Norse Society. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1995. Jones, Gwyn. A History of the Vikings. Revised edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984. Karras, Ruth Mazo. Slavery and Society in Medieval Scandinavia. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. Karras, Ruth Mazo. "Concubinage and Slavery in the Viking Age." Scandinavian Studies 79, no. 4 (2007): 403-422. Naumann, Elise, Maja Krzewińska, Anders Götherström, and Gunilla Eriksson. "Slaves as Burial Gifts in Viking Age Norway? Evidence from Stable Isotope and Ancient DNA Analyses." Journal of Archaeological Science 41, (2014): 533-540. Price, Neil. Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings. London: Allen Lane, 2020. Raffield, Ben. "The Slave Markets of the Viking World." History Today 66, no. 4 (2016): 12-19. Music Credits Opening song – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNSt2qc7Ayk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur</a> Outro – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgFa6Qt1hJg%20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ólafur Liljurós</a>

Saga Brief 24 - Slavery in the Viking Age (Live Presentation at the University of Connecticut)

In this episode, Guðrún Ósvífsdóttir teaches Helgi Harðbeinsson all about loopholes in betrothal oaths. And if Helgi was feeling bad after getting let down by Guðrún, he feels that much worse when he sees his fylgja walking the opposite direction as he approaches the Althing. This episode also features a mysterious talking black cloak, Guðrún's fourth wedding, and more machinations by Snorri goði. We top it all off with a quick Saga Brief on the history of the famous sword known as Skofnung and an argument about how saga authors came up with the idiosyncratic rules for wielding Skofnung successfully. Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Review Music - "The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In this episode, Guðrún Ósvífsdóttir teaches Helgi Harðbeinsson all about loopholes in betrothal oaths. And if Helgi was feeling bad after getting let down by Guðrún, he feels that much worse when he sees his fylgja walking the opposite direction as he approaches the Althing. This episode also features a mysterious talking black cloak, Guðrún's fourth wedding, and more machinations by Snorri goði. We top it all off with a quick Saga Brief on the history of the famous sword known as Skofnung and an argument about how saga authors came up with the idiosyncratic rules for wielding Skofnung successfully. Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a> Review Music - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIg0ugppW8g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra</a> Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a>

Episode 36m - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 65-71)

While 12 years may have passed since the slaying of Bolli, not a day passed that Gudrun wasn't thinking of getting her revenge on the Olafssons and their companions. Now that her two sons, Thorleik and Bolli, are old enough to avenge their father, Gudrun arranges a secret meeting with Snorri godi to lay out a cunning plan. Unfortunately for Gudrun, Snorri doesn't share her enthusiasm for attacking the Olafssons, or most of the other Bolli-slayers for that matter. There is one man, however, whose death could satisfy the demands of Gudrun's revenge and the honor of young Thorleik and Bolli. In this episode, we trace the evolution and flawless execution of Snorri and Gudrun's cunning plan, witness the oaths sworn at Gudrun's fourth betrothal, meet a strange man calling himself Killer-Hrapp, and discuss his apparent reference to Reynard in most English translations of Laxdaela Saga.  Step into the conversation on our social media: SagaThingPod on Twitter Sagathingpodcast on Facebook and Instagram and The unofficial official Saga Thing Discord The above illustration of Bolli Bollason and Helgi Hardbeinsson was composed by Jacob Foust (aka @skarphedin_illustrator), our special guest illustrator for Laxdaela Saga.  Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Review Music - "The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

While 12 years may have passed since the slaying of Bolli, not a day passed that Gudrun wasn't thinking of getting her revenge on the Olafssons and their companions. Now that her two sons, Thorleik and Bolli, are old enough to avenge their father, Gudrun arranges a secret meeting with Snorri godi to lay out a cunning plan. Unfortunately for Gudrun, Snorri doesn't share her enthusiasm for attacking the Olafssons, or most of the other Bolli-slayers for that matter. There is one man, however, whose death could satisfy the demands of Gudrun's revenge and the honor of young Thorleik and Bolli. In this episode, we trace the evolution and flawless execution of Snorri and Gudrun's cunning plan, witness the oaths sworn at Gudrun's fourth betrothal, meet a strange man calling himself Killer-Hrapp, and discuss his apparent reference to Reynard in most English translations of Laxdaela Saga. Step into the conversation on our social media: <a href="https://twitter.com/SagaThingPod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SagaThingPod on Twitter</a> Sagathingpodcast on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sagathingpodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sagathingpodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://discord.gg/ENcacHT5YR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The unofficial official Saga Thing Discord</a> The above illustration of Bolli Bollason and Helgi Hardbeinsson was composed by Jacob Foust <a href="http://instagram.com/skarphedin_illustrator" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(aka @skarphedin_illustrator)</a>, our special guest illustrator for Laxdaela Saga.  Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a> Review Music - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIg0ugppW8g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra</a> Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a>

Episode 36l - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 59-64)

In this episode, Bolli finds out what happens when you kill your foster brother. We discuss Thorgerd Egilsdottir's lust for vengeance, how the avengers assemble, and Gudrun's handling of yet another loss. This episode also features some special guest appearances by some familiar faces from Saga Thing past and the first appearance of Bolli Bollason. When all is finished, we summons Bolli before the court and review the evidence to assess his character. Step into the conversation on our social media: SagaThingPod on Twitter Sagathingpodcast on Facebook and Instagram and The unofficial official Saga Thing Discord The illustration above was composed by Jacob Foust (aka @skarphedin_illustrator), our special guest illustrator for Laxdaela Saga.  Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Review Music - "The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In this episode, Bolli finds out what happens when you kill your foster brother. We discuss Thorgerd Egilsdottir's lust for vengeance, how the avengers assemble, and Gudrun's handling of yet another loss. This episode also features some special guest appearances by some familiar faces from Saga Thing past and the first appearance of Bolli Bollason. When all is finished, we summons Bolli before the court and review the evidence to assess his character. Step into the conversation on our social media: <a href="https://twitter.com/SagaThingPod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SagaThingPod on Twitter</a> Sagathingpodcast on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sagathingpodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sagathingpodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://discord.gg/ENcacHT5YR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The unofficial official Saga Thing Discord</a> The illustration above was composed by Jacob Foust <a href="http://instagram.com/skarphedin_illustrator" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(aka @skarphedin_illustrator)</a>, our special guest illustrator for Laxdaela Saga.  Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a> Review Music - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIg0ugppW8g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra</a> Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a>

Episode 36k - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 52-58)

In this thrilling episode, Kjartan asserts his presence in the district (and gets a taste of revenge) by humiliating Bolli, Gudrun, and the Osvifssons. I'd love to tell you more in this teaser about how he goes about that, but I don't want to spoil the fun. And even as Kjartan pushes back against his rivals at Laugar, Gudrun pushes back harder. All of this sets up one of the saga's most exciting and moving climaxes as Bolli and Kjartan finally come to blows. Because this is the saga's first major climax, we take our time setting it up. And when it's all finished, there's a special summons at the end where we consider the good and bad of Kjartan's character. Find us on social media and let us know how you feel about Kjartan (sagathingpod on Twitter, sagathingpodcast on Instagram/Facebook, or on our unofficial official Discord page). Jacob Foust (aka @skarphedin_illustrator) composed the above illustration of Bolli and Kjartan sharing a quiet moment. It's quite touching, especially when you know the story. If you don't know the story, then listen to the episode. What are you waiting for? Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Review Music - "The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In this thrilling episode, Kjartan asserts his presence in the district (and gets a taste of revenge) by humiliating Bolli, Gudrun, and the Osvifssons. I'd love to tell you more in this teaser about how he goes about that, but I don't want to spoil the fun. And even as Kjartan pushes back against his rivals at Laugar, Gudrun pushes back harder. All of this sets up one of the saga's most exciting and moving climaxes as Bolli and Kjartan finally come to blows. Because this is the saga's first major climax, we take our time setting it up. And when it's all finished, there's a special summons at the end where we consider the good and bad of Kjartan's character. Find us on social media and let us know how you feel about Kjartan (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/sagathingpod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sagathingpod</a> on Twitter, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sagathingpodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sagathingpodcast </a>on Instagram/Facebook, or on our <a href="https://discord.gg/55fEsdm6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">unofficial official Discord page</a>). Jacob Foust <a href="http://instagram.com/skarphedin_illustrator" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(aka @skarphedin_illustrator)</a> composed the above illustration of Bolli and Kjartan sharing a quiet moment. It's quite touching, especially when you know the story. If you don't know the story, then listen to the episode. What are you waiting for? Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a> Review Music - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIg0ugppW8g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra</a> Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront</a> License: <a href="https://filmmusic.io/standard-license" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://filmmusic.io/standard-license</a>

Episode 36j - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 47-51)

Happy Holidays to all you amazing Saga Thing listeners out there! Over the past couple years we've put out a Holiday Special on or around Christmas Eve. It started with The Saga of Gudmund the Grunch. And then last year we gave you the little known origins of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in "A Visit From Glam."  This year we managed to find a fun short story to share with you about a man called Frosti Jónsson, known affectionately to all in medieval Iceland as Frosti snjókarlinn. If you're familiar with the Rankin/Bass Frosty the Snowman special, you'll probably recognize some of the names and events of this long forgotten origin of the Frosti legend. We hope you enjoy.   Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (now with sleigh bells) Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Outro Music - "Frosty the Snowman" by Gene Autry 

Happy Holidays to all you amazing Saga Thing listeners out there! Over the past couple years we've put out a Holiday Special on or around Christmas Eve. It started with <a href="https://sagathing.podbean.com/e/the-saga-of-gudmund-the-grunch/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Saga of Gudmund the Grunch</a>. And then last year we gave you the little known origins of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in <a href="https://sagathing.podbean.com/e/twas-the-night-before-a-visit-from-glam/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"A Visit From Glam."</a> This year we managed to find a fun short story to share with you about a man called Frosti Jónsson, known affectionately to all in medieval Iceland as Frosti snjókarlinn. If you're familiar with the Rankin/Bass Frosty the Snowman special, you'll probably recognize some of the names and events of this long forgotten origin of the Frosti legend. We hope you enjoy. Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (now with sleigh bells) Link: <a href="https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action</a> License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a> Outro Music - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x25Fzfilf9k" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Frosty the Snowman" by Gene Autry</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCPFyT9V_Os" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> </a>

Holiday Special - The Tale of Frosti Snjokarlinn

Discover what Vikings did when they were at home in this fun medieval history and literature podcast about the Icelandic sagas. Hosted by two medieval literature professors with beards.

So I did my ancestry dna test and found roots in Iceland. So I wanted to learn about the Viking Age. I started with a familiar name Ragnar Lothbrock and his sons and old saggy britchess got me. So I started episode one and this podcast is a must listen. You got two guys who have really studied each saga and make it awesomely entertaining. I find myself cracking up at points. Great job!!!

Wow!!!!!

John and Andy have an immense talent for making the sagas fun and accessible.

Wonderful

Saga Thing

Our grand quest to place the sagas of the Icelanders ontrial begins with an acknowledged classic–the relatively brief (but totallyepic) Hrafnkels saga Freysgoði. The story of a harsh chieftain whofalls from power and rises again, the men who band together against him, andthe horse at the center of it all,Hrafnkels saga offers alistener-friendly introduction to the complex and blood-drenched world of theIcelandic sagas. And it comes with torture!   Hrafnkel’sSaga and Other Icelandic Stories (Penguin Classics) But is that enough to earn it a top score from John and Andy, or will the saga be judged harshly for its lack of scope and poor treatment of animals? Find out now!

Our grand quest to place the sagas of the Icelanders on trial begins with an acknowledged classic–the relatively brief (but totally epic) Hrafnkels saga Freysgoði. The story of a harsh chieftain who falls from power and rises again, the men who band together against him, and the horse at the center of it all,Hrafnkels saga offers a listener-friendly introduction to the complex and blood-drenched world of the Icelandic sagas. And it comes with torture!  <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140442383/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0140442383&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sagthipod-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hrafnkel’s Saga and Other Icelandic Stories (Penguin Classics)</a> But is that enough to earn it a top score from John and Andy, or will the saga be judged harshly for its lack of scope and poor treatment of animals? Find out now!

Episode 2: Hrafnkel's Saga

A few months ago we once again put the fate of Saga Thing in your hands. You had the option to choose our next saga, selecting between two of Iceland's greatest literary monuments and The Saga of the Foster-Brothers. The will of the people was made manifest and we got to work. You've been waiting patiently. Join us now for the first of many episodes on our listener selected saga of 2019, Egil's Saga. In this episode, we cover chapters 1-6. Here the dramatic tension revolves around King Harald Tangle-Hair's rise to power as he seeks to become sole ruler of Norway. One by one, the best men of Norway fall like dominoes before him, dying in battle, fleeing to new lands, and even burying themselves in mounds to avoid submitting to King Harald. Some embrace the seemingly inevitable and join the swelling ranks of King Harald's supporters.  You won't run into Egil Skallagrimsson in this episode. This one is all about setting up the world into which he will be born. But you will meet Egil's grandfather, Kvelduf, his father, Grim, and his uncle, Thorolf. You'll also meet Kari of Berle, Kveldulf's best friend, and his sons Eyvind Lamb and Olvir Hump. How will these men respond to calls to either join Harald or risk their lives fighting against him? There's only one way to find out (assuming you can't read the saga yourself for some reason).   Please feel free to submit any questions or comments you'd like us to address from this episode. We'll set aside some time at the end of each episode going forward to tackle those. You can send them to us via email, twitter, or facebook. When you're finished, be sure to check out our Select Bibliography for Egil's Saga on our blog site. There you'll find citations for all the articles and books we mention throughout our journey through Egil's Saga. We'll be adding to it as we go. As always, a special thanks to our Saga Thing illustrator, Matt Smith for the portraits of Kveldulf and his sons.  We look forward to seeing what he does with the rest of Egil's Saga. If you like the work Matt's been doing for us, check out his latest project Metal Quest, a collaboration with Tom Pappalardo. You can keep up with Matt's latest doodles, drawings, and progress on Twitter. Music Credits: Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Preview Music - A blend of "Procession of the King" and "Mountain Emperor" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A few months ago we once again put the fate of Saga Thing in your hands. You had the option to choose our next saga, selecting between two of Iceland's greatest literary monuments and The Saga of the Foster-Brothers. The will of the people was made manifest and we got to work. You've been waiting patiently. Join us now for the first of many episodes on our listener selected saga of 2019, Egil's Saga. In this episode, we cover chapters 1-6. Here the dramatic tension revolves around King Harald Tangle-Hair's rise to power as he seeks to become sole ruler of Norway. One by one, the best men of Norway fall like dominoes before him, dying in battle, fleeing to new lands, and even burying themselves in mounds to avoid submitting to King Harald. Some embrace the seemingly inevitable and join the swelling ranks of King Harald's supporters.  You won't run into Egil Skallagrimsson in this episode. This one is all about setting up the world into which he will be born. But you will meet Egil's grandfather, Kvelduf, his father, Grim, and his uncle, Thorolf. You'll also meet Kari of Berle, Kveldulf's best friend, and his sons Eyvind Lamb and Olvir Hump. How will these men respond to calls to either join Harald or risk their lives fighting against him? There's only one way to find out (assuming you can't read the saga yourself for some reason).  Please feel free to submit any questions or comments you'd like us to address from this episode. We'll set aside some time at the end of each episode going forward to tackle those. You can send them to us via <a href="mailto:sagathingpodcast@gmail.com">email</a>, <a href="/sagathing/episode/twitter.com/sagathingpod" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">twitter</a>, or <a href="/sagathing/episode/facebook.com/sagathingpodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">facebook</a>. When you're finished, be sure to check out our <a href="https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/viking-language-and-old-norse-resources/select-bibliography-for-egils-saga/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Select Bibliography for Egil's Saga on our blog site</a>. There you'll find citations for all the articles and books we mention throughout our journey through Egil's Saga. We'll be adding to it as we go. As always, a special thanks to our Saga Thing illustrator, Matt Smith for the portraits of Kveldulf and his sons.  We look forward to seeing what he does with the rest of Egil's Saga. If you like the work Matt's been doing for us, <a href="https://objpub.wixsite.com/metalquest" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">check out his latest project Metal Quest</a>, a collaboration with Tom Pappalardo. You can keep up with Matt's latest doodles, drawings, and progress on <a href="https://twitter.com/barbarianlord" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Music Credits: Intro Music - <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100887&amp;Search=Search" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Preview Music - A blend of <a href="https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100745" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Procession of the King"</a> and <a href="https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1700012" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Mountain Emperor"</a> by Kevin MacLeod (<a href="http://incompetech.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">incompetech.com</a>) Outro Music - <a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/2012/03/stormfront/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a>

Episode 29a - Egil's Saga (Part 1)

Put down the curds and loosen your belt. There's fancier fair on the menu today, friends. This episode provides a hearty feast of adventure and in-your-face surprises as Egil accepts an impossible mission to collect some long overdue tribute from Earl Arnvid in Varmland. After the king's men abandon him in hostile territory, Egil is forced to make his own way through the harshest of winter conditions toward the court of Earl Arnvid. Along the way, he'll make a few new friends and plenty of new enemies. Egil will also expose the dangers of playing with runes and make a little magic of his own.  At the end of the episode, we dip into the Rune Sack to share a few observations and insights from our devoted listeners. Music Credits: Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Summary Music – "The Great One Step" by The Victor Dance Orchestra Preview - "Jotunheim" by Danheim  Poetry Music - "Fornheim" by Danheim Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Put down the curds and loosen your belt. There's fancier fair on the menu today, friends. This episode provides a hearty feast of adventure and in-your-face surprises as Egil accepts an impossible mission to collect some long overdue tribute from Earl Arnvid in Varmland. After the king's men abandon him in hostile territory, Egil is forced to make his own way through the harshest of winter conditions toward the court of Earl Arnvid. Along the way, he'll make a few new friends and plenty of new enemies. Egil will also expose the dangers of playing with runes and make a little magic of his own. At the end of the episode, we dip into the Rune Sack to share a few observations and insights from our devoted listeners. Music Credits: Intro Music - <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100887&amp;Search=Search" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Summary Music – <a href="https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Victor_Dance_Orchestra/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_01192016/The_Great_One_Step_Victor_Dance_Orchestera" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Great One Step" by The Victor Dance Orchestra</a> Preview - <a href="https://danheim.bandcamp.com/track/jotunheim" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Jotunheim" by Danheim</a> Poetry Music - <a href="https://danheim.bandcamp.com/track/fornheim" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Fornheim" by Danheim</a> Outro Music - <a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/2012/03/stormfront/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a>

Episode 29l - Egil's Saga (Part 12)

This is our action packed dueling episode! Egil suits up for battle against a pale-skinned Swedish berserker hell bent on destroying the family of Arinbjorn’s sister. Then he tackles Atli the Short, whose magical invulnerability to weapons forces Egil to get creative in battle. And if the duels weren't enough, Egil and Arinbjorn go on a series of Viking raids in Saxony and Frisia.   Want to know more about the holmgang? Listen to our Saga Brief "Holmgang, Or the Icelandic Art of Dueling" and check out our further reading bibliography. The image above is a sketch found in the 14th century Möðruvallabók  (AM 132 fol. 61v). It reads: Hér berjast þeir Egill Skallagrímsson og Ljótur inn bleiki. [Here Egil Skallagrimson and Ljot the Pale fight.] Music Credits: Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Summary Music – "On the Mississippi" by The Prince's Band Preview and Poetry Music - "Valravn" by Danheim Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is our action packed dueling episode! Egil suits up for battle against a pale-skinned Swedish berserker hell bent on destroying the family of Arinbjorn’s sister. Then he tackles Atli the Short, whose magical invulnerability to weapons forces Egil to get creative in battle. And if the duels weren't enough, Egil and Arinbjorn go on a series of Viking raids in Saxony and Frisia. Want to know more about the holmgang? Listen to our Saga Brief "<a href="https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/saga-brief-2-holmgang-or-the-icelandic-art-of-dueling/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Holmgang, Or the Icelandic Art of Dueling</a>" and check out our <a href="https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/viking-language-and-old-norse-resources/select-readings-for-holmganga-viking-duels/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">further reading bibliography</a>. The image above is a sketch found in the 14th century <a href="https://handrit.is/en/manuscript/view/is/AM02-0132" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Möðruvallabók </a> (<a href="https://handrit.is/en/manuscript/imaging/is/AM02-0132/61v#page/61v++(1+of+1)/mode/2up" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AM 132 fol. 61v</a>). It reads: Hér berjast þeir Egill Skallagrímsson og Ljótur inn bleiki. [Here Egil Skallagrimson and Ljot the Pale fight.] Music Credits: Intro Music - <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100887&amp;Search=Search" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Summary Music – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxn84dJNrW0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"On the Mississippi" by The Prince's Band</a> Preview and Poetry Music - <a href="https://danheim.bandcamp.com/track/valravn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Valravn" by Danheim</a> Outro Music - <a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/2012/03/stormfront/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a>

Episode 29k - Egil's Saga (Part 11)

Before we get back to the sagas of the Icelanders, we're pausing once again to provide you with some of the more interesting history and stories behind the History Channel's Vikings. We've got two lengthy Saga Briefs for you chock full of Vikings goodness ripped straight from the medieval sources that inform the show. We've already covered The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, his death poem, Rollo and the Vikings in Paris, and the mythology surrounding the blood-eagle. This time around we've got our eyes on the Ragnarssons. As you'll learn, there are a lot of them. So many, in fact, that we don't even get to your favorites in this episode. That's right, you'll have to wait until next time to hear all about Ivar the Boneless, Ubbe, Bjorn, and Hvitserk. But never fear, there's plenty here to keep you entertained. Learn all about the origins of Sigurd's Snake-in-the-Eye. Discover the daring deed of Rognvald Ragnarsson. Ooh and aah over Ulvi's brief moment in the sun. Hear all about Hastein Ragnarsson, one of Ragnar's greatest and most trusted sons. And then there's Eirik and Agnar, Fridleif, Radbard, Dunwat, and even a few daughters to consider. There's also a good bit in here about Lagertha. We hope you enjoy! Credits: Intro - VioDance cover of "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray with Hardanger Violin  Closing Music - Logan Kendell's folk cover of "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray. To purchase a copy of the song, visit Logan Kendell's bandcamp page. Be sure to check out his other music while you're there. I highly recommend his cover of Cruzados' "La Flor de Mal."  

Before we get back to the sagas of the Icelanders, we're pausing once again to provide you with some of the more interesting history and stories behind the History Channel's Vikings. We've got two lengthy Saga Briefs for you chock full of Vikings goodness ripped straight from the medieval sources that inform the show. We've already covered The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, his death poem, Rollo and the Vikings in Paris, and the mythology surrounding the blood-eagle. This time around we've got our eyes on the Ragnarssons. As you'll learn, there are a lot of them. So many, in fact, that we don't even get to your favorites in this episode. That's right, you'll have to wait until next time to hear all about Ivar the Boneless, Ubbe, Bjorn, and Hvitserk. But never fear, there's plenty here to keep you entertained. Learn all about the origins of Sigurd's Snake-in-the-Eye. Discover the daring deed of Rognvald Ragnarsson. Ooh and aah over Ulvi's brief moment in the sun. Hear all about Hastein Ragnarsson, one of Ragnar's greatest and most trusted sons. And then there's Eirik and Agnar, Fridleif, Radbard, Dunwat, and even a few daughters to consider. There's also a good bit in here about Lagertha. We hope you enjoy! Credits: Intro - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rQdSRdH-EA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">VioDance cover of "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray with Hardanger Violin</a> Closing Music - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YixRssZULG8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Logan Kendell's folk cover of "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray</a>. To purchase a copy of the song, visit <a href="https://logankendell.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Logan Kendell's bandcamp page</a>. Be sure to check out his other music while you're there. I highly recommend his cover of Cruzados' <a href="https://logankendell.bandcamp.com/track/flor-de-mal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"La Flor de Mal."</a>

Saga Brief 11 - The Lesser Ragnarssons

Saga Thing returns with the wild adventures of Ref the Sly. Follow us as we track this wily character as he travels all throughout medieval Scandinavia leaving piles of wood shavings and bodies in his wake.  Picture: Taken from Grayson del Faro's recap of Ref the Sly on the Reykjavik Grapevine Music Credits: Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Summary Music - "Industrial Cinematic" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Saga Thing returns with the wild adventures of Ref the Sly. Follow us as we track this wily character as he travels all throughout medieval Scandinavia leaving piles of wood shavings and bodies in his wake.  Picture: Taken from <a href="https://grapevine.is/culture/literature-and-poetry/saga-recap/2017/06/08/saga-recap-the-saga-of-crooked-refur/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grayson del Faro's recap of Ref the Sly on the Reykjavik Grapevine</a> Music Credits: Intro Music - <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100887&amp;Search=Search" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Summary Music - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL3GvbO1zdo&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Industrial Cinematic" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Outro Music - <a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/2012/03/stormfront/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a>

Episode 25a - The Saga of Ref the Sly (Summary)

Now that you're an expert in medieval Icelandic history, you're probably wondering about Icelandic literary expression.  And why wouldn't you?  In this episode, John and Andy answer the question they probably ought to have covered right away . . . what is a saga, exactly?  Strap yourself in for a whirlwind introduction to the genre of saga literature.  Expect to hear an overview of the different kinds of sagas medieval Icelanders produced.  Along the way, you'll find out the difference between a family saga and a lying saga, discover the wonders of bookprose and freeprose theory, and learn a little something about a guy named Njal.  All in all, it's good clean fun for the whole family.

Now that you're an expert in medieval Icelandic history, you're probably wondering about Icelandic literary expression.  And why wouldn't you?  In this episode, John and Andy answer the question they probably ought to have covered right away . . . what is a saga, exactly?  Strap yourself in for a whirlwind introduction to the genre of saga literature.  Expect to hear an overview of the different kinds of sagas medieval Icelanders produced.  Along the way, you'll find out the difference between a family saga and a lying saga, discover the wonders of bookprose and freeprose theory, and learn a little something about a guy named Njal.  All in all, it's good clean fun for the whole family.

Episode 1c: What is a saga?

The Saga of the People of Vopnafjord picks up where The Saga of Thorstein the White left off.  It tells the story of two friends, Brodd-Helgi Thorgilsson and Geitir Lytingsson, and their rise to power.  The two men share everything in the beginning, including a desire to have that which is not theirs.  Their friendship only deepens when Brodd-Helgi marries Geitir's sister, Halla.  Later, their son Bjarni is given to Geitir as foster-son.  Things really couldn't be better between the two leading men of Vopnafjord.   But things fall apart, as they do in these stories, after Brodd-Helgi and Geitir begin to mistrust one another after a plot to rob a hapless Norwegian merchant crumbles.  Their relationship suffers further when Halla becomes ill and Brodd-Helgi wastes no time arranging another marriage for himself, this time to Thorgerd Silver.  The resulting animosity between Geitir and Brodd-Helgi proves too much for the district to bear.  Men from both sides are drawn into the conflict and some even lose their lives.  Though Geitir is reluctant to act as the aggressor, he is finally put on the offensive after some prodding by his thingmen.  What happens next is lost in the great gap left to us in the manuscript.  The saga picks things up again with the next generation from each family trying to pick up the pieces.  Here we find Bjarni, the son of Brodd-Helgi, going head-to-head with Thorkel, Geitir's son.  The two are not only kinsmen, they had also grown up together at Krossavik.  Though Bjarni attempts to make peace with Thorkel, there's little that can be done to assuage the thirst for vengeance.  Will Bjarni succeed in putting an end to this bloody and unfortunate feud? Or will Thorkel continue the cycle of violence and pass it on to the next generation?  There's only one way to find out.    The Stone Armor Defense The above image comes from Hurstwic's recreation of Brodd-Helgi's clever use of a stone slab to protect himself from Svart in chapter 2 of Vápnfirðinga saga.  Read all about this and other creative battle tactics here. For some more on this saga and its background, check out: Chapter 13 of Jesse Byock's Viking Age Iceland - "Friendship, Blood feud, and Power: The Saga of the People of Weapon's Fjord" Alan Berger's "Lawyers in the Old Icelandic Family Sagas: Heroes, Villains, and Authors" in Saga Book XX (1978-79): 70-79 And if you're interested in traveling to Vopnafjord and taking in all the sights yourself, maybe take a gander at a waterfall or two and pause for some fishing, then start here at https://www.visitvopnafjordur.com/en   Music Credits: Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Episode Summary - "Clash Defiant" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Saga of the People of Vopnafjord picks up where The Saga of Thorstein the White left off.  It tells the story of two friends, Brodd-Helgi Thorgilsson and Geitir Lytingsson, and their rise to power.  The two men share everything in the beginning, including a desire to have that which is not theirs.  Their friendship only deepens when Brodd-Helgi marries Geitir's sister, Halla.  Later, their son Bjarni is given to Geitir as foster-son.  Things really couldn't be better between the two leading men of Vopnafjord.  But things fall apart, as they do in these stories, after Brodd-Helgi and Geitir begin to mistrust one another after a plot to rob a hapless Norwegian merchant crumbles.  Their relationship suffers further when Halla becomes ill and Brodd-Helgi wastes no time arranging another marriage for himself, this time to Thorgerd Silver.  The resulting animosity between Geitir and Brodd-Helgi proves too much for the district to bear.  Men from both sides are drawn into the conflict and some even lose their lives.  Though Geitir is reluctant to act as the aggressor, he is finally put on the offensive after some prodding by his thingmen.  What happens next is lost in the great gap left to us in the manuscript.  The saga picks things up again with the next generation from each family trying to pick up the pieces.  Here we find Bjarni, the son of Brodd-Helgi, going head-to-head with Thorkel, Geitir's son.  The two are not only kinsmen, they had also grown up together at Krossavik.  Though Bjarni attempts to make peace with Thorkel, there's little that can be done to assuage the thirst for vengeance.  Will Bjarni succeed in putting an end to this bloody and unfortunate feud? Or will Thorkel continue the cycle of violence and pass it on to the next generation?  There's only one way to find out.   The Stone Armor Defense The above image comes from Hurstwic's recreation of Brodd-Helgi's clever use of a stone slab to protect himself from Svart in chapter 2 of Vápnfirðinga saga.  Read all about this and other creative battle tactics <a href="http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/manufacturing/text/viking_misc_defenses.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. For some more on this saga and its background, check out: <a href="http://amzn.to/2sUZh6Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chapter 13 of Jesse Byock's Viking Age Iceland - "Friendship, Blood feud, and Power</a><a href="http://amzn.to/2sUZh6Y" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">: The Saga of the People of Weapon's Fjord"</a> <a href="http://www.vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/Saga-Book%20XX.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alan Berger's "Lawyers in the Old Icelandic Family Sagas: Heroes, Villains, and Authors" in Saga Book XX (1978-79): 70-79</a> And if you're interested in traveling to Vopnafjord and taking in all the sights yourself, maybe take a gander at a waterfall or two and pause for some fishing, then start here at <a href="https://www.visitvopnafjordur.com/en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.visitvopnafjordur.com/en</a> Music Credits: Intro Music - <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100887&amp;Search=Search" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Episode Summary -<a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/2016/01/clash-defiant/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Clash Defiant" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Outro Music - <a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/2012/03/stormfront/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a>

Episode 22a - The Saga of the People of Vopnafjord

In this first part of our epic summer saga, we introduce Njal's Saga and the initial section where marriage, gender roles, and female independence are the central themes.  We begin with the story of Hrut Herjolfsson, who leaves his bride-to-be in Iceland to fetch an inheritance in Norway.  Along the way, the handsome young Hrut finds himself more involved in the royal family than is proper.  Scandal!  After getting ensnared in the web of the Norwegian queen mother, Gunnhild, Hrut will bring home a curse that will set the whole action of Njal's Saga into motion.  We also meet Hrut's lovely and dynamic niece, Hallgerd Hoskuldsdottir, a fiercely independent woman who will play a significant role in the development of this saga. When we first meet her, we learn that she has the eyes of a thief, which never bodes well.  This episode covers Hallgerd's first two marriages, both of which involve domestic violence followed by a visit from Hallgerd's vengeful foster-father Thjostolf.  Hallgerd may be beautiful, cunning, and seductive, but she's hardly the passive female of most medieval literature.  We look forward to spending some time with her this summer and hearing how you all feel about her character.      Don't forget to check out our blog for links to the scholarship we discuss in this episode.

In this first part of our epic summer saga, we introduce Njal's Saga and the initial section where marriage, gender roles, and female independence are the central themes.  We begin with the story of Hrut Herjolfsson, who leaves his bride-to-be in Iceland to fetch an inheritance in Norway.  Along the way, the handsome young Hrut finds himself more involved in the royal family than is proper.  Scandal!  After getting ensnared in the web of the Norwegian queen mother, Gunnhild, Hrut will bring home a curse that will set the whole action of Njal's Saga into motion.  We also meet Hrut's lovely and dynamic niece, Hallgerd Hoskuldsdottir, a fiercely independent woman who will play a significant role in the development of this saga. When we first meet her, we learn that she has the eyes of a thief, which never bodes well.  This episode covers Hallgerd's first two marriages, both of which involve domestic violence followed by a visit from Hallgerd's vengeful foster-father Thjostolf.  Hallgerd may be beautiful, cunning, and seductive, but she's hardly the passive female of most medieval literature.  We look forward to spending some time with her this summer and hearing how you all feel about her character.   Don't forget to check out our <a href="https://wordpress.com/post/sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/942" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">blog</a> for links to the scholarship we discuss in this episode.

Episode 20a - Njal's Saga (Part 1)

In this episode, we tackle the life of Ragnar’s fiercest and most complex son, Ivar the Boneless. We begin with an investigation into Ivar’s birth and enigmatic nickname. From there we trace the path of his illustrious military career. Our journey will take us from Denmark to Ireland, where Ivar conquers Dublin and goes head to head with the High King of Ireland, Mael Sechnaill. From Dublin, we’ll follow Ivar to Anglo-Saxon England with the Great Heathen Army. There Ivar and company topple kingdom after kingdom with ruthless efficiency. Join us as we dive deep into the medieval chronicles, legends, and tales to uncover the stories behind Vikings’ most compelling character, Ivar the Boneless, King of the Vikings in Ireland and Britain. Previous Vikings Related Episode Links: Saga Thing 7: The Saga of Ragnar Loðbrok and His Sons Saga Brief 1: The Blood-Eagle Saga Brief 3: Krákumál Saga Brief 5: The Story of Rollo the Viking Saga Brief 11: The Lesser Ragnarssons Interested in learning more about Mael Sechnaill and the Irish side of the Viking invasions? Check out this episode of the Irish History Podcast – Vikings in 9th century Ireland. Select Bibliography for this Episode: Æthelweard. Chronicon Æthelweardi. Edited and Translated by Alistair Campbell. New York: Oxford University Press, 1962. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Translated by Michael Swanton. New York: Routledge, 1998. The Annals of Ulster. Edited and Translated by Pádraig Bambury and Stephen Beechinor. Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition. Cork: Ireland, 2000. Asser, John. Alfred the Great: Asser’s Life of King Alfred and Other Contemporary Sources. Edited and Translated by Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge. New York: Penguin Books, 1983. Brink, Stefan and Neil Price. The Viking World. New York: Routledge, 2008. Clarke, Howard B. and Ruth Johnson. The Vikings in Ireland and Beyond: Before and After the Battle of Clontarf. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts Press, 2015. Crawford, B. E. Scandinavian Scotland. Leicester: Leicester University Press, 1987. Downham, Clare. Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014. Edinburgh: Dunedin, 2007. Fragmentary Annals of Ireland. Edited and Translated by Joan Newlon Radner. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1978. Jones, Gwynn. A History of the Vikings. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968. McTurk, Rory. Studies in Ragnars Saga Loðbrokar and its Major Scandinavian Analogues. Medium Ævum Monographs. New Series XV. Exeter: Short Run Press,  1991. Saxo Grammaticus. The History of the Danes. Edited and Translated by Peter Fisher and H. R. Ellis Davidson. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 1996. Smyth, Alfred P. Scandinavian Kings in the British Isles, 850-880. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. Stenton, Frank M. Anglo-Saxon England. 2nd edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Valante, Mary A. The Vikings in Ireland: Settlement, Trade, and Urbanization. Portland, OR: Four Courts Press, 2008. Waggoner, Ben. The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok. New Haven, CT: 2009.   Episode Credits: Intro - VioDance cover of "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray with Hardanger Violin Closing Music - Logan Kendell's folk cover of "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray. To purchase a copy of the song, visit Logan Kendell's bandcamp page. Be sure to check out his other music while you're there. As a big fan of outlaws, I recommend his cover of "Not in Nottingham" from Disney's Robin Hood. 

In this episode, we tackle the life of Ragnar’s fiercest and most complex son, Ivar the Boneless. We begin with an investigation into Ivar’s birth and enigmatic nickname. From there we trace the path of his illustrious military career. Our journey will take us from Denmark to Ireland, where Ivar conquers Dublin and goes head to head with the High King of Ireland, Mael Sechnaill. From Dublin, we’ll follow Ivar to Anglo-Saxon England with the Great Heathen Army. There Ivar and company topple kingdom after kingdom with ruthless efficiency. Join us as we dive deep into the medieval chronicles, legends, and tales to uncover the stories behind Vikings’ most compelling character, Ivar the Boneless, King of the Vikings in Ireland and Britain. Previous Vikings Related Episode Links: <a href="https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-fgwbm-4d5928" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saga Thing 7: The Saga of Ragnar Loðbrok and His Sons</a> <a href="https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-yt9ic-4da8e4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saga Brief 1: The Blood-Eagle</a> <a href="https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-8vhtu-543d25" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saga Brief 3: Krákumál</a> <a href="https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-nucvz-5cd065" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saga Brief 5: The Story of Rollo the Viking</a> <a href="https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-jnbyz-83bab3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Saga Brief 11: The Lesser Ragnarssons</a> Interested in learning more about Mael Sechnaill and the Irish side of the Viking invasions? Check out this episode of the <a href="https://irishhistorypodcast.ie/raiding-and-trading-with-the-vikings-820-902/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Irish History Podcast – Vikings in 9th century Ireland</a>. Select Bibliography for this Episode: Æthelweard. Chronicon Æthelweardi. Edited and Translated by Alistair Campbell. New York: Oxford University Press, 1962. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Translated by Michael Swanton. New York: Routledge, 1998. The Annals of Ulster. Edited and Translated by Pádraig Bambury and Stephen Beechinor. Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition. Cork: Ireland, 2000. Asser, John. Alfred the Great: Asser’s Life of King Alfred and Other Contemporary Sources. Edited and Translated by Simon Keynes and Michael Lapidge. New York: Penguin Books, 1983. Brink, Stefan and Neil Price. The Viking World. New York: Routledge, 2008. Clarke, Howard B. and Ruth Johnson. The Vikings in Ireland and Beyond: Before and After the Battle of Clontarf. Dublin, Ireland: Four Courts Press, 2015. Crawford, B. E. Scandinavian Scotland. Leicester: Leicester University Press, 1987. Downham, Clare. Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014. Edinburgh: Dunedin, 2007. Fragmentary Annals of Ireland. Edited and Translated by Joan Newlon Radner. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1978. Jones, Gwynn. A History of the Vikings. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968. McTurk, Rory. Studies in Ragnars Saga Loðbrokar and its Major Scandinavian Analogues. Medium Ævum Monographs. New Series XV. Exeter: Short Run Press,  1991. Saxo Grammaticus. The History of the Danes. Edited and Translated by Peter Fisher and H. R. Ellis Davidson. Cambridge: D.S. Brewer, 1996. Smyth, Alfred P. Scandinavian Kings in the British Isles, 850-880. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. Stenton, Frank M. Anglo-Saxon England. 2nd edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Valante, Mary A. The Vikings in Ireland: Settlement, Trade, and Urbanization. Portland, OR: Four Courts Press, 2008. Waggoner, Ben. The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok. New Haven, CT: 2009. Episode Credits: Intro - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rQdSRdH-EA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">VioDance cover of "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray with Hardanger Violin</a> Closing Music - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YixRssZULG8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Logan Kendell's folk cover of "If I Had A Heart" by Fever Ray</a>. To purchase a copy of the song, visit <a href="https://logankendell.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Logan Kendell's bandcamp page</a>. Be sure to check out his other music while you're there. As a big fan of outlaws, I recommend his cover of "<a href="https://logankendell.bandcamp.com/track/not-in-nottingham-from-disneys-robin-hood" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Not in Nottingham</a>" from Disney's Robin Hood.

Saga Brief 15 - Ivar the Boneless

In this epic multi-part episode, we tell the story of Iceland’s most famous and longest surviving outlaw, Grettir Asmundarson.  Join us as we trace his life, from its tempestuous beginning to its tragic end.  Before we delve into his amazing exploits as an adult, we must look back to his origins. In traditional saga fashion, we begin with his great grandfather, Onund Treefoot.  We follow Onund’s efforts to resist the increasing power of King Harald Fairhair and his struggles to come to terms with the loss of his property and his leg.  Forced to redefine his own identity and to make a new life in foreign lands, he emerges as the truest hero in the saga, renowned as “the bravest and most agile of all the one-legged men in Iceland.”  From Onund, we wend our way through battles over whale corpses, murder, and legal cases in the genealogy until we arrive at Grettir himself.  We’ll look briefly at Grettir’s inglorious youth, his troubled relationship with his father, Asmund, and the events leading up to his first outlawry.  Will Grettir learn to control his temper and put his strength to good use? Or will he flout the norms of society and continue to make his own way more difficult?  Find out as Saga Thing takes on Grettir’s Saga (chapters 1-20). This handy genealogy will help you keep some of the names straight in your minds

In this epic multi-part episode, we tell the story of Iceland’s most famous and longest surviving outlaw, Grettir Asmundarson.  Join us as we trace his life, from its tempestuous beginning to its tragic end.  Before we delve into his amazing exploits as an adult, we must look back to his origins. In traditional saga fashion, we begin with his great grandfather, Onund Treefoot.  We follow Onund’s efforts to resist the increasing power of King Harald Fairhair and his struggles to come to terms with the loss of his property and his leg.  Forced to redefine his own identity and to make a new life in foreign lands, he emerges as the truest hero in the saga, renowned as “the bravest and most agile of all the one-legged men in Iceland.”  From Onund, we wend our way through battles over whale corpses, murder, and legal cases in the genealogy until we arrive at Grettir himself.  We’ll look briefly at Grettir’s inglorious youth, his troubled relationship with his father, Asmund, and the events leading up to his first outlawry.  Will Grettir learn to control his temper and put his strength to good use? Or will he flout the norms of society and continue to make his own way more difficult?  Find out as Saga Thing takes on Grettir’s Saga (chapters 1-20). This handy genealogy will help you keep some of the names straight in your minds

Episode 16a - Grettir's Saga (Part 1)

Our journey through Egil's Saga continues with chapters 7-15. This time, we're following the meteoric rise of Thorolf Kveldulfsson. Against his father's better judgment, Thorolf makes his way to the court of King Harald soon-to-be Fairhair. It's no surprise to anyone when Thorolf distinguishes himself and becomes Harald's most trusted and successful follower. But like Icarus, Harald flies too close to the sun. With all his success, he's managed to gather extensive landholdings, abundant wealth, and a lot of followers. Before long, rivals at court are working to undermine him and sully his good name with King Harald. Who are these rivals? What cause do they have to hate this paragon of Norwegian virtue? And will King Harald fall under their spell? There's only one way to find out! This episode includes the famous and decisive Battle of Hafrsfjord, where King Harald vanquishes his enemies and unites Norway (at least a significant portion of it) under a single crown (or so legendary history would have us believe). The battle places Thorolf, Olvir Hump, Eyvind Lamb, and their new fried Bard Brynjolfsson at the prow of King Harald's ship. We've covered this battle before, but never from this perspective. Perhaps you'll encounter a familiar face on the enemy side if you pay attention.  Sverd i Fjell monument in Stavanger, Norway If you'd like to dive into the scholarship used to prepare this and other Egil's Saga episodes, visit the bibliography page on our blog site. Thanks again to Matt Smith for another original illustration. If you enjoy Matt's work for Saga Thing, you'll want to keep up with his latest doodles, drawings, and projects on Twitter. Music Credits: Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Summary Music - "April Showers" by Eddie Elkins' Orchestra Preview Music - "Black Vortex" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Our journey through Egil's Saga continues with chapters 7-15. This time, we're following the meteoric rise of Thorolf Kveldulfsson. Against his father's better judgment, Thorolf makes his way to the court of King Harald soon-to-be Fairhair. It's no surprise to anyone when Thorolf distinguishes himself and becomes Harald's most trusted and successful follower. But like Icarus, Harald flies too close to the sun. With all his success, he's managed to gather extensive landholdings, abundant wealth, and a lot of followers. Before long, rivals at court are working to undermine him and sully his good name with King Harald. Who are these rivals? What cause do they have to hate this paragon of Norwegian virtue? And will King Harald fall under their spell? There's only one way to find out! This episode includes the famous and decisive Battle of Hafrsfjord, where King Harald vanquishes his enemies and unites Norway (at least a significant portion of it) under a single crown (or so legendary history would have us believe). The battle places Thorolf, Olvir Hump, Eyvind Lamb, and their new fried Bard Brynjolfsson at the prow of King Harald's ship. We've covered this battle before, but never from this perspective. Perhaps you'll encounter a familiar face on the enemy side if you pay attention. Sverd i Fjell monument in Stavanger, Norway If you'd like to dive into the scholarship used to prepare this and other Egil's Saga episodes, <a href="https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/viking-language-and-old-norse-resources/select-bibliography-for-egils-saga/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">visit the bibliography page on our blog site</a>. Thanks again to Matt Smith for another original illustration. If you enjoy Matt's work for Saga Thing, you'll want to keep up with his latest doodles, drawings, and projects on <a href="https://twitter.com/barbarianlord" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter.</a> Music Credits: Intro Music - <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100887&amp;Search=Search" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Summary Music - <a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Eddie_Elkins_Orchestra_1937/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_04282015/April_Showers_-__Eddie_Elkins_Orchestra" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"April Showers" by Eddie Elkins' Orchestra</a> Preview Music - <a href="https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300037" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Black Vortex" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Outro Music - <a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/2012/03/stormfront/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a>

Episode 29b - Egil's Saga (Part 2)

In this episode, we introduce Gunnar Hamundarson and his wise friend Njal Thorgeirsson.  We'll follow Gunnar on a few adventures before he settles down with the lovely, but dangerous Hallgerd Hoskuldsdottir.  If you thought Hallgerd was harsh in Part 1 of our summer saga, just wait until you see what she's up to this time around.  Will the friendship of Njal and Gunnar survive the escalating violence spurred on by their wives, or will they be consumed by it and destroyed?  There's only one way to find out.      For anyone who's interested, we've put together a select bibliography for Njal's Saga.  We have mentioned a few of these, but there's plenty more here for your perusal. Obviously, you'll need a good library to access most of these.    Music Credits: Intro Music Prelude and Action by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Previous Episode Review Iron Horse by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Episode Summary Voces Thules - Varizk ér Ok Varizk ér  Outro Music Stormfront by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  

In this episode, we introduce Gunnar Hamundarson and his wise friend Njal Thorgeirsson.  We'll follow Gunnar on a few adventures before he settles down with the lovely, but dangerous Hallgerd Hoskuldsdottir.  If you thought Hallgerd was harsh in Part 1 of our summer saga, just wait until you see what she's up to this time around.  Will the friendship of Njal and Gunnar survive the escalating violence spurred on by their wives, or will they be consumed by it and destroyed?  There's only one way to find out.   For anyone who's interested, we've put together a <a href="https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/viking-language-and-old-norse-resources/select-bibliography-for-njals-saga/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">select bibliography for Njal's Saga</a>.  We have mentioned a few of these, but there's plenty more here for your perusal. Obviously, you'll need a good library to access most of these. Music Credits: Intro Music <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100887" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prelude and Action by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a> Previous Episode Review <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100735" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Iron Horse by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a> Episode Summary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBVistSIjqM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Voces Thules - Varizk ér Ok Varizk ér</a> Outro Music <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=stormfront" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stormfront by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a>

Episode 20b - Njal's Saga (Part 2)

 In this Saga Brief, John and Andy visit Seminole State College to talk about Thor in all his incarnations, from the Proto-Germanic god of thunder to the hammer throwing stud of the Marvel Comic Universe.  You can access the PowerPoint slides here: Thor Presentation. Special thanks to Michael Mendoza for inviting us and organizing this event. We are also grateful to Aaron Hanlin and the Grindle Honors Insitute at Seminole State College for generously funding our travel. And thank you to the students of Seminole State for your kind attention and enthusiasm.  If you're interested in having Saga Thing come to your university, contact us at sagathingpodcast@gmail.com.Music: Intro to Saga Brief - from Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur Outro - Ólafur Liljurós

In this Saga Brief, John and Andy visit <a href="https://www.seminolestate.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Seminole State College</a> to talk about Thor in all his incarnations, from the Proto-Germanic god of thunder to the hammer throwing stud of the Marvel Comic Universe.  You can access the PowerPoint slides here: <a href="https://sagathingpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/thor-presentation.pptx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thor Presentation</a>. Special thanks to Michael Mendoza for inviting us and organizing this event. We are also grateful to Aaron Hanlin and the <a href="https://www.seminolestate.edu/honors/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grindle Honors Insitute at Seminole State College</a> for generously funding our travel. And thank you to the students of Seminole State for your kind attention and enthusiasm.  If you're interested in having Saga Thing come to your university, contact us at <a href="mailto:sagathingpodcast@gmail.com">sagathingpodcast@gmail.com</a>.Music:  Intro to Saga Brief - from<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNSt2qc7Ayk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur</a> Outro - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwfI6nvCShI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ólafur Liljurós</a>

Saga Brief 9 - Thor: The Intersection of Viking Mythology and Popular Culture (Live)

In Episode 3a, John and Andy discuss the difficulties of trying to cover Eyrbyggja Saga in one episode…which they then totally fail to do successfully.  So we present the first of a two-part episode! Never fear, there’s plenty here to enjoy.  You’ll meet Snorri the goði and his rival Arnkel Thorolfsson.   Listen as they battle for control of Snæfellsnes Peninsula.  This is a tale of fortunes and misfortunes, sweeping conflicts between huge kin-groups, the rise and fall of chieftains, and the little people that get swept up in the mess.  But it also features a steamy love affair, a dispute over fine linens, and the exploits of a spectral seal.  Don’t miss a moment!!!    Eyrbyggja Saga (Penguin Classics)

In Episode 3a, John and Andy discuss the difficulties of trying to cover Eyrbyggja Saga in one episode…which they then totally fail to do successfully.  So we present the first of a two-part episode! Never fear, there’s plenty here to enjoy.  You’ll meet Snorri the goði and his rival Arnkel Thorolfsson.   Listen as they battle for control of Snæfellsnes Peninsula.  This is a tale of fortunes and misfortunes, sweeping conflicts between huge kin-groups, the rise and fall of chieftains, and the little people that get swept up in the mess.  But it also features a steamy love affair, a dispute over fine linens, and the exploits of a spectral seal.  Don’t miss a moment!!! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140445307/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0140445307&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=sagthipod-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eyrbyggja Saga (Penguin Classics)</a>

Episode 3a - Eyrbyggja Saga

In this episode we follow Grettir through three of his most famous battles against an undead Kar the Old, a giant Norwegian bear, and Iceland's most famous draugr, Glam.  We also catch Grettir stumbling in a clumsy fight for fire that will eventually seal his fate as an outlaw forever.  This one runs a little longer than the average episode of Saga Thing, but with so much excellent material to cover, we just couldn't resist.

Episode 16b - Grettir's Saga (Part 2)

In this episode, Thorhall Ale-Hood burns down his woodlands making charcoal. Unfortunately for him, he also burns down the neighboring woods that belong to 6 of Iceland's most powerful chieftains. The woods aren't terribly important to them, but when Iceland's bully chieftains see a financial opportunity, they take it. This short saga tells the story of Ale-Hood's attempt to defend himself against the chieftains. If you liked Bandamanna Saga, then you'll love The "Saga" of Ale-Hood. It's a quick one, but it's full of laughs. Thanks, as always, to Matt Smith for another original drawing. This one depicts Thorkel Fringe, one of the saga's bad guys, in a compromising position. Listen to the episode to find out more. You can visit Matt's webpage and follow him on Twitter to see more of his work. We managed to do both the summary and the judgments for this one. It's been a while since that happened. Judgments start at 1:03:31. Music Credits: Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Summary Music - "Crowd Hammer" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In this episode, Thorhall Ale-Hood burns down his woodlands making charcoal. Unfortunately for him, he also burns down the neighboring woods that belong to 6 of Iceland's most powerful chieftains. The woods aren't terribly important to them, but when Iceland's bully chieftains see a financial opportunity, they take it. This short saga tells the story of Ale-Hood's attempt to defend himself against the chieftains. If you liked Bandamanna Saga, then you'll love The "Saga" of Ale-Hood. It's a quick one, but it's full of laughs. Thanks, as always, to Matt Smith for another original drawing. This one depicts Thorkel Fringe, one of the saga's bad guys, in a compromising position. Listen to the episode to find out more. You can visit <a href="http://www.matt-illustrations.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matt's webpage</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/barbarianlord" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">follow him on Twitter</a> to see more of his work. We managed to do both the summary and the judgments for this one. It's been a while since that happened. Judgments start at 1:03:31. Music Credits: Intro Music - <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100887&amp;Search=Search" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Summary Music - <a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/2015/09/crowd-hammer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Crowd Hammer" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Outro Music - <a href="https://incompetech.com/wordpress/2012/03/stormfront/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a>

Episode 28 - The Saga of Ale-Hood

Ragnar Lothbrok

In this special episode, we takea break from the family sagas of medieval Iceland and look forward to thesecond season of History Channel’s Vikingsby delving into the medieval sagas and legends behind the show.  Discussion centers on The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his Sons, but Saxo Grammaticus’ Gesta Danorum, the Krákumál, and The Saga ofRagnar’s Sons are referenced here as well. There’s a bit of history, a bit of myth, and a few laughs to be hadalong the way.  If you’re unfamiliar withthe show, maybe this episode will entice you to give Vikings a try.  You can checkout the first season at http://www.history.com/shows/vikings. If you’re not a fan of the show (for shame),then listen anyway. This is a podcast about Ragnar Lothbrok, his family, andthe legends surrounding their exploits in medieval Europe.  We hope you enjoy.

In this special episode, we take a break from the family sagas of medieval Iceland and look forward to the second season of History Channel’s Vikings by delving into the medieval sagas and legends behind the show.  Discussion centers on The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his Sons, but Saxo Grammaticus’ Gesta Danorum, the Krákumál, and The Saga of Ragnar’s Sons are referenced here as well.  There’s a bit of history, a bit of myth, and a few laughs to be had along the way.  If you’re unfamiliar with the show, maybe this episode will entice you to give Vikings a try.  You can check out the first season at <a href="http://www.history.com/shows/vikings" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.history.com/shows/vikings</a>.  If you’re not a fan of the show (for shame), then listen anyway. This is a podcast about Ragnar Lothbrok, his family, and the legends surrounding their exploits in medieval Europe.  We hope you enjoy.

Episode 7 - The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and His Sons

In the third part of Njal's Saga, we find Gunnar suffering an identity crisis after being pulled into a series of feuds.  As Njal tells him, this is the beginning of Gunnar's career in killing.  In addition to a lot of fighting, this episode also features a discussion of saga-age masculinity, cheese theft, horse fighting, and famine survival.  Yes, that's right.  I said cheese theft.  Listen and learn, people.  Listen and learn.    Click here if you're interested in any of the bibliography we mention. Get in touch with us if you'd like to get involved in the bibliography and resource building for this or any other saga.    If you're an academic type who wants to write about women in the sagas for our panel "The Second Sex: Women and Power in Old Norse-Icelandic Literature" at the Medieval Congress at Western Michigan University, submit an abstract and paper proposal form to sagathingpodcast@gmail.com     Music Credits  Intro Music Prelude and Action by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  Previous Episode Review Duke Ellington Orchestra - "Jubilee Stomp"   Episode Summary Wardruna - Solringen  Outro Music Stormfront by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In the third part of Njal's Saga, we find Gunnar suffering an identity crisis after being pulled into a series of feuds.  As Njal tells him, this is the beginning of Gunnar's career in killing.  In addition to a lot of fighting, this episode also features a discussion of saga-age masculinity, cheese theft, horse fighting, and famine survival.  Yes, that's right.  I said cheese theft.  Listen and learn, people.  Listen and learn.  <a href="https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/viking-language-and-old-norse-resources/select-bibliography-for-njals-saga/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Click here if you're interested in any of the bibliography we mention</a>. Get in touch with us if you'd like to get involved in the bibliography and resource building for this or any other saga. If you're an academic type who wants to write about women in the sagas for our panel "The Second Sex: Women and Power in Old Norse-Icelandic Literature" at the <a href="http://www.wmich.edu/medievalcongress/submissions" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Medieval Congress at Western Michigan University, submit an abstract and paper proposal form</a> to sagathingpodcast@gmail.com Music Credits Intro Music <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100887" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prelude and Action by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a> Previous Episode Review <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiuzOytFYfo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Duke Ellington Orchestra - "Jubilee Stomp"</a> Episode Summary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSBxWUs8ZD8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wardruna - Solringen</a> Outro Music <a href="http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=stormfront" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stormfront by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)</a> Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/</a>

Episode 20c - Njal's Saga (Part 3)

The Saga of Grettir the Strong continues.  In this episode, Grettir arrives home in Iceland only to discover that his father has passed away, his brother has been slain by Thorbjorn Oxen-might, and that he himself has been outlawed for the accidental burning of Thorir of Gard's sons in Norway.  That's a lot to take in all at once.  As an outlaw, Grettir is forced to lurk in the wilds, hide in caves, and rely on the kindness of others for food.  Since Grettir's not terribly kind himself, he usually just steals what he needs.  Join us as we discuss the last of Grettir's adventures, including amazing feats of strength, battles with a troll-hag and a giant, and a rocky encounter with a witch.  Will Grettir get stumped by the witch's black magic? Will he go out in a blaze of glory? And will he ever recover from the embarrassment of his exposed manhood?  Find out in this episode of Saga Thing.

The Saga of Grettir the Strong continues.  In this episode, Grettir arrives home in Iceland only to discover that his father has passed away, his brother has been slain by Thorbjorn Oxen-might, and that he himself has been outlawed for the accidental burning of Thorir of Gard's sons in Norway.  That's a lot to take in all at once.  As an outlaw, Grettir is forced to lurk in the wilds, hide in caves, and rely on the kindness of others for food.  Since Grettir's not terribly kind himself, he usually just steals what he needs.  Join us as we discuss the last of Grettir's adventures, including amazing feats of strength, battles with a troll-hag and a giant, and a rocky encounter with a witch.  Will Grettir get stumped by the witch's black magic? Will he go out in a blaze of glory? And will he ever recover from the embarrassment of his exposed manhood?  Find out in this episode of Saga Thing.

Episode 16c - Grettir's Saga (Part 3)

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