Saga Thing

On our recent trip to Iceland, we had the pleasure of speaking to a variety of fascinating people about their interest in the sagas. Our goal was to get a sense of how these individuals read and engage with these medieval texts in a modern context. Saga Brief 27, a 4 part interview series, is the result of those efforts. In this first episode, we chat with Björn Júlíus Grímsson, an Icelandic tour guide who loves to share the stunning landscapes and rich culture of his country on sightseeing tours and excursions all over Iceland. He's also a regular Saga Thing listener! Though the interview itself is regrettably brief, we spent a great deal of time at lunch and after the interview chatting with Björn and his lovely wife Zoe about the sagas, about the logistics of running a tour in Iceland, about audio production, and about life in Iceland and America. It was such a pleasure getting to know them, being welcomed into their home, playing with their son, and sharing that time together. And Björn was kind enough

Tensions have been building in Eyjafjörður as nearly everyone in the north seems to have it out for Guðmundr inn ríki. Across the last few episodes, Guðmundr has taken loss after loss when pitted against some of the region’s heavy hitters. Perhaps things will turn out differently for him when he embarks on a campaign of legal vengeance against Þórir Helgason, a rival chieftain whose been spreading rumors about Guðmundr’s masculinity (or lack thereof). Guðmundr being Guðmundr, he will stop at nothing to . . . prosecute his opponents in court. You’re in for a treat with this one, dear listeners. Things are finally starting to pop off in chapters 13-17 of Ljósvetninga Saga! Oh, and this episode has some steamy goats in it. Also, this episode marks the occasion of our 200th episode and a moment when we cross the 3 million download boundary for the podcast. Not bad for such a niche subject! Thank you to everyone out there who is listening, re-listening, and spreading the good word about Saga Thing. Listen and the

We return with the tale of Vöðu-Brand, another entertaining þáttr from the opening section of Ljósvetninga Saga. This is the story of a troublesome young man who is bored with life the farm in northern Iceland. His restlessness carries him across the sea for a brief and somewhat turbulent stay in Norway. Once back in Iceland, young Brand can't seem to get out of his own way, causing a spot of trouble for himself that might just change the political landscape for our old friend Guðmund the Powerful. But don't worry, it all ends happily ever after. . .for most of the players in this fun little drama. This episode also features several familiar faces from Saga Thing past, including Þorkell Geitisson, Bjarni Brodd-Helgasson, and Þorstein Síðu-Hallsson. We also discuss the role of the þættir inserted into the saga, the rules and regulations of legal residency in medieval Iceland, the problems of finding the right voice for our characters, and the quality of Vöðu-Brand's character (or lack thereof). Listen and then

While we don't make major progress through Ljósvetninga saga in this episode, we have a great time talking about two of the three þættir that fill a gap in the manuscript. Another gap in a manuscript? Indeed. We open the episode with a very brief discussion of the A and C manuscripts to help explain what's going on there. At the heart of this episode are two tales. The first is known as Sörla þáttr Brodd-Helgasonar, about a young man called Sörli and his quest to make Guðmund the Powerful's daughter his bride. Unfortunately for Sörli, Guðmund isn't too happy about the prospect of their marriage. The second tale is Ofeig's þáttr, which tells of the trouble men in Reykjadal have with Guðmund the Powerful's visits. During a meeting of the rather interesting group of bændir known as the hreppr, Ofeig Jarngerdarson steps up with a cunning plan that just might work. As if that weren't enough, we cap the episode by revisiting the discussion of bookprose vs freeprose theory as it relates to Ljósvetninga saga. Lis

It's time to begin our series on Ljósvetninga Saga! In this episode, we introduce the saga and work our way through the first four chapters. While Ljósvetninga Saga focuses on the career of Guðmundr inn ríki (Gudmund the Powerful), he plays a small role in this episode. Instead, we focus on a conflict between Thorgeir Lawspeaker and his sons over the fate of an outlaw. This one is the apéritif served to get you in the mood for an expansive and rather interesting saga that puts the elite chieftains of medieval Iceland on trial. Throughout this series, we'll be making reference to Law and Literature in Medieval Iceland by William Ian Miller and Theodore M. Andersson. It is the translation we're using and it's full of valuable footnotes and discussion. Listen and then share your thoughts on our social media: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed unde

In this episode, we review the second Tale of Halldor Snorrason (Halldórs þáttr Snorrasonar inn síðari) from the 13th-century Morkinskinna (moldy or rotten skin/parchment). If you enjoyed the first of Halldor's tales, we think you'll like this one even more. Last time, Halldor pushed his relationship with King Harald Hardrada to the brink but in this episode he may just push things over the edge. One thing's for sure, these BFFs are heading for a nasty breakup. Along the way, we talk about a place called Kaupangr and delve into the naming history of Trondheim. If you're curious about the appearance of Kaupangr/kaupangr in AM 66 fol. that we discuss in the first section, you are welcome to have a look for yourself: Take a moment to explore AM 66 fol., also known as Hulda (Hidden Manuscript).  Why AM 66? Because there's a lacuna that cuts off the beginning of Halldor's tale in the Morkinskinna. Manuscripts be like that sometimes. We also talk about an interesting little detail in the story concerning King Har

Gleðileg jól frá Saga Thing! Long before Charles Dickens penned his beloved A Christmas Carol, a well-known and infamous Icelander seems to have had a similar idea. While less wholesome and optimistic than the Dickens classic, there’s surely a lesson somewhere in this tale that we’re calling Egil’s Yuletide Carol. Inspired by the 1930s radio dramatizations of A Christmas Carol starring Lionel Barrymore, we’ve tried our hand at producing a radioplay of our own here. Such an undertaking involves a lot of help from friends and family. Our thanks to all who contributed. Cast (in order of appearance) John Sexton: Narrator, Egil, Old Egil, and Servant Woman 2 Andy Pfrenger: Ketil Cratchet, Olaf Peacock, Thorolf Skallagrimsson, Skallagrim Kveldulfsson, Snorri Sturluson, and Other Voices Wendy Pfrenger: Thorgerd Egilsdottir Heather Nabbefeld: Thorgerd Brak Sebastian Pfrenger: Grim Heggjason and Servant 2 Johnny Sexton: Very Young Egil Carl Sexton: Young Egil Gwen Pfrenger: Bera Yngvarsdottir (Egil’s Mother) and Othe

Hwæt a Movie returns with Beowulf: Prince of the Geats! Given how hard this one is to find, we’d be surprised if any of you have seen it. Released in March 2007, shortly after SYFY's Grendel and ahead of Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf, this Scott Wegener-directed indie film dives into the epic tale with a unique take on the hero and his legendary battles. And while the film’s limited budget and production constraints might be apparent, its dedication to the original text shines through. Making the film more charming and admirable is the fact that the production team and actors all worked for free on this passion project. All proceeds from the sale of the DVDs for Beowulf: Prince of the Geats went to aid both the American and Norwegian Cancer Societies. Get a sense of the film by watching the trailer here. The film stars both Jayshan Jackson and Damon Lynch III as the younger and older Beowulf. Wegener’s decision to depict Beowulf as the son of an adventuring African fisherman offers some interesting possibilities

Saga Thing returns once again to the tales of Icelanders from the sagas of Norwegian kings with a surprise double feature of tales involving Halldór Snorrason, the son of Snorri goði and longtime companion of King Harald "harðráða" Sigurdsson. We open with The Tale of the Story-wise Icelander [Íslendings þáttr sögufróða], a fun little story about an Icelander who makes a name for himself telling tales and sagas in the court of an older King Harald. But how will the notoriously grumpy king react when the Icelander begins telling the saga of Harald's own adventures as a member of the Varangian Guard in Constantinople? And where might an Icelander who's never met King Harald have learned so many detailed stories about the king's life? But that little þáttr is just an appetizer. The real meal here is The First Tale of Halldór Snorrason [Halldórs þáttr Snorrasonar]. Set during the early years of King Harald's reign in Norway, this tale shows what happens when Halldór steps in to defend an Icelander from Harald's w

Hwæt a Movie returns with the Beowulf film you didn’t know you needed to see: SYFY’s Grendel. Released at the start of 2007, ahead of Beowulf: Prince of the Geats and Robert Zemeckis’s Beowulf, Grendel rides the wave of Beowulf-mania that was sweeping nation back then. Or perhaps it started the craze? And while you might think based on the title that this film picks up where Beowulf and Grendel left off with a more nuanced and sympathetic approach to this epic medieval monster, you’d be wrong. Grendel gives us the more violent and aggressive side of this famous shadow-walker. Chris Bruno stars as Beowulf in this Nick Lyon directed film adaptation of our favorite Old English poem. As you’ll see, no one can spin a tale of exposition or spin round and round in combat this Beowulf. With Ben Cross as King Hrothgar and Marina Sirtis as his queen, Onela—wait, Queen Onela? If you know your Beowulf, or your Swedish history, then you may have spotted a problem here. But hey, the film also features a crossbow that shoo

It's time to put Valla-Ljot's Saga on trial. How will this brief story that's less than a single Hrafnkel hold up under scrutiny? Is there enough violence for a proper round of Best Bloodshed and Body Count? With only a few nicknames, how will John stretch his section out to the usual length? What kind of surprise reveal does John drop on Andy at the start of Thingmen? And how does Valla-Ljot's Saga perform when all is said and done? Does it have what it takes to compete with the greats of Saga Thing past? There's only one way to find out!   While you're waiting for the next episode of Saga Thing, check out The Partially Examined Life.   Did we get things right? How would you have judged Valla-Ljot's Saga? Who would you have chosen for thingman? Share your thoughts on our social media: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky   Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons

We’re back, and not a moment too soon! After the pot-stirring life and unceremonious death of Halli Troublemaker at the hands (and axe) of Valla-Ljöt Ljotolfsson, Halli’s older brother Hrolf Jaw retaliated by having Ljöt’s nephew Thorvard killed by a squad of murderers at a market. Now the whole valley’s on edge, waiting to see whether a carefully-brokered truce between Ljöt and Guðmund the Powerful can bring peace to the Tumultuous Valley. But men on both sides are looking for an excuse to shatter the peace once more. What happens when Halli’s younger brother and son return from overseas to find out what’s been happening in their absence? Why is Thorvard’s foster-brother Sigmund skiing all over the valley in a snowstorm and disturbing everyone’s sleep? Can Havarð the Norwegian companion survive among all these pugnacious Icelanders? And why is Ljöt hiding a golden spear from his own family? Join us for the conclusion to Valla-Ljöts saga! Listen and then share your thoughts on our social media: Sagathingpodca

While we may have finished Svarfdaela Saga, we're not done with the most tumultuous valley of medieval Iceland just yet. In this episode, we pick up with the next generation. The lead actors in this little drama are Halli, the grandson of Karl the Red, and Ljot (aka Valla-Ljot), the son of Ljotolf the godi. And though the tensions between Karl and Ljotolf's families had cooled at the end of Svarfdaela Saga, it doesn't take Halli long to get things boiling once again. This saga also features the return of Gudmund the Powerful (Guðmundr inn ríki Eyjólfsson), who we've seen pop in from time to time in other sagas as a power broker. He's going to be playing a big part in this saga and then again in Ljósvetninga saga. Now's as good a time as any to start forming an opinion on this guy. We hope you enjoy this one!   Listen and then share your thoughts on our social media: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Sagathingpod on X (Twitter) Saga Thing’s unofficial offici

It's time for the third installment of our side project known as Hwaet a Movie! In this episode, we give the Saga Thing treatment to the 2005 Canadian-Icelandic film Beowulf and Grendel. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and watch it (even if our review might not cast it in the brightest light). The film stars Gerard Butler as Beowulf, Stellan Skarsgård as Hrothgar, and Sarah Polley as Selma the witch. Don't worry if one of those characters doesn't sound familiar. And while the film could be better in a number of ways, we do appreciate much of what they were attempting here. As an added bonus, the film was shot in Iceland. That means that no matter what's happening at the front of a scene, there's always a beautiful backdrop for this interesting interpretation of the epic Old English poem about a monster-fighting Geat in Denmark. Each Hwaet a Movie episode includes an exhaustive summary and discussion, a brief Q&A, and then our final ratings categories for the film's take on Beowulf, Grende

Though Svarfdaela Saga itself is behind us, the story of the inhabitants of the Tumultuous Valley continues. In this episode, we follow Thorleif Asgeirsson, one of Klaufi's killers and the brother of Yngvild. As you'll discover, Thorleif has that independent spirit that Icelanders carry with them into the courts of Norwegian rulers. He's also got a talent for poetry, which serves him well both at home and abroad. But his real talent is magic, which he learned from his uncle and father. All of this combines for some interesting encounters with Jarl Hákon Sigurdsson. This short story is both shocking and hilarious. It's got everything you could ask for, including a young man chasing his hopes and dreams, a robbery, some senseless violence, black magic, plenty of poetry, and even a golem-like construct with a vengeful heart.  Oh, and it's pretty funny too. Needless to say, it's one of our favorite þættr. Join us as we explore the Tale of Thorleif Earl's Poet! Richard Cole's "French Connection, or Thorr versus th

Join us for an in-depth interview with Dr. Rebecca Merkelbach, Assistant Professor of Old Norse-Icelandic Studies at the University of Tübingen, Germany. Her latest book, Story, World and Character in the Late Íslendingasögur: Rogue Sagas, offers a fresh perspective on the often overlooked "post-classical" sagas. We delve into the complex and fascinating nature of these sagas, exploring their social and artistic dimensions, as well as the rich tapestry of the "saga-verse." Our discussion spans many of your favorite sagas featured on the podcast. And given that we just finished recording our series on Svarfdæla saga before this interview, there's plenty of talk about that saga in particular. It was a great pleasure speaking to a fellow saga enthusiast, especially one so knowledgeable and passionate about Old Norse-Icelandic literature. Dr. Merkelbach's enthusiasm for the sagas comes through clearly in this interview, as does her remarkable ability to recall intricate details and character names from many diff

After 7 exciting episodes (they were exciting, right?), we're finally ready to put Svarfdaela Saga on trial. As usual, we drag the text to the Saga Thing and review it through our judgment categories: Best Bloodshed Body Count Nicknames Notable Witticisms Outlawry Thingmen Final Ratings How does Svarfdaela Saga stack up against the 30+ other sagas we've reviewed so far? Do we judge it as harshly as the scholars who came before us? And how can the Big Lacuna not walk away with Best Bloodshed???? There's only one way to find out. Listen and then share your thoughts on our social media: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Sagathingpod on X (Twitter) Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ht

This is it. We've reached the end of Svarfdaela Saga. In this episode, we discuss the aftermath of Karl the Red's death. Will Ljotolf step up and retake control of the valley? Or will a new contender emerge to challenge his authority? And what becomes of Skidi and Yngvild? The answers may shock you. Seriously. This is a tough one for a number of reasons. We've mentioned that the end of this saga is pretty brutal. Now that we've arrived, it's worth saying it again. This episode features the abuse of Yngvild that we've warned you about. Listen and then join in on the conversation here: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Sagathingpod on X (Twitter) Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License ht

In this episode, things come to a head between the factions of Thorstein the Tumultuous and Ljotolf the godi (quite literally). Listen in and find out what happens as Karl the Red learns about the death of his best friend and the whole valley is thrown into chaos. We're in the heart of the saga now and things are getting real juicy. Join in on the conversation here: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Sagathingpod on X (Twitter) Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord Music Credits Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Poetry Music - Adapted from "Vega" by Danheim Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode, Klaufi rescues his friend Karl the Red from a terrible Viking called Atli. But don't get too excited about Klaufi becoming the hero of this saga. He also kills a whole bunch of people, causes general havoc, and even gets married by dubious means. We also get to see him in full berserker mode, which can be fun (if viewed from a distance). All of this makes one wonder, just how long will the people of Svarfaðardalur continue to put up with Klaufi and his shenanigans? Along the way, we talk about the tendency of this saga narrative to dip out when it's time for action. We look a little deeper into the question of Gris and his motivations. And we dip our toes briefly into the subject of medieval Icelandic dying herbs and mosses. If you're interested in learning more about club moss and its uses in medieval Iceland, check out the following: Viking Age Dyes Using Clubmoss as an Alum Mordant And, since Andy mentions it in the episode, grab yourself a copy of the Eyrbyggja Saga graphic novel. Join i