Saga Thing

In this episode, we leave behind Thorstein's noble adventures in Ireland and return to Iceland to Iceland and check in on the goðorð he left in the hands of his onetime rival, Thorhadd. And while Thorhadd proves to be a capable goði in Thorstein's absence, two things tend to rub him the wrong way: not getting what he wants, and being asked to hand the goðorð back upon Thorstein's return. As you'll...

". . . and they both were killed." This promising but enigmatic sentence fragment opens Þorsteins saga Síðu-Hallssonar as it comes down to us. Let's be honest, the Saga of Thorstein Siðu-Hallsson has had a rough time surviving the centuries. This one only survives in a few paper manuscripts from the 17th century, and even these are missing the beginning and ending. The fact that we've got any part...

In this special Saga Brief recorded live at the University of Central Oklahoma, we explore an often-overlooked pillar of Viking Age society: the horse. (John wanted to call this presentation "A Horse for the Norse, with Sources (of course)," but Andy shot that down.) While our discussion is grounded in saga narratives and archaeology, we offer a wide-ranging discussion of how horses helped shape t...

Hwæt a Movie! returns with yet another adaptation of the epic Old English poem Beowulf. This time, we've got Outlander, a surprisingly fun tale of an alien crash-landing in 8th century Norway as he hunts down the monstrous Moorwen that killed his family. Of course, the Moorwen had some cause to be angry after a genocidal attack on the Moorwen planet. But let's not dwell on how it all started. Outl...

In this very special Saga Brief, we sit down with Ármann Jakobsson (one of our favorite saga scholars) to discuss his latest book,  Minor Characters in Icelandic Sagas  (Palgrave Macmillan). Following the theme of the book, we dive into the many overlooked and often nameless characters who so often breathe life and meaning into the sagas. Since we have mentioned Ármann so many times on the podcast...

It's finally time--time to bring the saga of Viga-Glúm before the Saga Thing for judgment. Join us as we hand out the awards for Best Bloodshed, Notable Witticism, Best Nickname, and more. Can Andy forgive this story for its wanton cruelty to animals? Will John reward or punish the saga for the weaselly trickery of Thorvard Pot-Stirrer? Who will the two judges choose to join their mead halls? And...

We want to share this little treat of a þáttr with you all before we release the Judgments episode for The Saga of Víga-Glúm. The Tale of Thorvald Chatterbox (Þorvalds þáttr tasalda) is a gem from the Flateyjarbók biography of King Ólaf (Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta). If Thorvald's fantastic revivification and battle prowess with a ship's oar left you wanting more, then this fast-paced Saga Sh...

When last we left Glúm, he was enjoying the fruits of his violent labors against the men of Espihóll and sharing an enigmatic verse about his personal body count. When Þorvarð the Troublemaker hears about this, he's quick to set Þórarin on the case, forcing Glúm to swear an oath that he played no part in the killing of Þorvald Hook. Will this oath clear Glúm of any guilt in the matter or will his...

At long last, we return . . . to the prophecy about the cousins Steinólf and Arngrím. Oddbjörg. What could possibly break the bond of these BFFs? Hopefully Arngrím’s wife can make some sense of their little feud and help heal the fracture in their relationship. Speaking of fractures, this is the episode where things really pop off between Glúm and the men of Espihóll and we begin rushing headlong...

In this episode, we catch up with an old friend called Killer-Skuta. You might remember him from The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and of Killer-Skuta. We'll revisit a familiar story from that saga where Killer-Skuta makes an attempt on the life of Killer-Glum and try to make sense of how it ended up in this saga (and that one). That leads to an inevitable conversation about saga writing, manusc...

In this episode, Glúm continues to establish himself as a leading figure in southern Eyjafjörður. We start with a brief overview of the many marriages that take place at this stage of the saga, including: Glúm - Halldóra Thórir of Espihóll - Thórdís Thórarinn of Espihóll - Thorgerd Thorvald Hook of Espihóll - Thorkötla Of course, the real trouble starts when Thórir's son Thorgrím sets his heart on...

Saga Thing returns after a much-needed holiday to pick up the story of young Glúm Eyjólfsson, better known to history as Víga-Glúm. When last we left you, Glúm's father (Eyjólf, who some called Lump) had passed away. Seeking any advantage they could get in the district, Thorkel the Tall and his son Sigmund claimed the best land at Thverá for themselves, pushing Ástrid and Glúm to the margins of th...

We’re thrilled to kick off our first episode of Víga-Glúms saga, the last of the sagas of Eyjafjörð. Víga-Glúms saga is one of the great character-driven Íslendingasögur, often drawing comparisons to Egils saga. Now, whether that’s because it also happens to be a biographical saga or because it’s of a similar quality will have to be sorted out on the podcast across the overview and judgments. But...

A little Halloween treat for all you Saga Thing fans. You'll want to listen with headphones to get the full effect on these two spooky tales. 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 - from “Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom Outro...

Hwæt a Movie is back! This time we dive deep into the uncanny valley epic Beowulf from 2007. Released at the height of Robert Zemeckis's motion-capture mania, this version of our favorite Old English classic promised to bring the poem to life like never before. It was slated to be an event like no other, at least for John and Andy. In this star-studded and CG-saturated film, Ray Winstone voices a...

In this episode, we finally sit down with Dr. Yoav Tirosh , one of the leading voices in Old Norse–Icelandic studies and an all-around fascinating person to talk to. Yoav has written extensively on topics ranging from Ljósvetninga Saga and saga authorship to storytelling, cultural memory, and disability studies. He’s also the creative force behind the webcomic Viking Comics , a seasoned Icelandic...

After nearly a year of working our way through Ljósvetninga Saga, it is finally time to bring it to the Saga Thing and pass judgments. As always, we'll pass out awards for Best Bloodshed, Nicknames, and Notable Witticisms. We'll send one (or more?) scoundrel in Outlawry. And we'll also discuss the Body Count, pick Thingmen, and offer our Final Ratings. Does Ljósvetninga Saga have what it takes to...

In this episode, we finally come to the end of Ljósvetninga saga! And there are a lot of loose ends to wrap up. Eyjolf Guðmundarson still burns for vengeance against his brother’s killers, but the courts have spared the Möðruvellings, exiling them instead. The outlawed Möðruvellings plan to spread out across Northern Europe, but they have to get out of Iceland first—and the clock is ticking. Our s...

In this episode, the Ljósvetnings and Möðruvellings maneuver to position themselves to maximize potential outcomes in the aftermath of the battle of Battle Hill. While Þorvarður Höskuldsson does his best to calm tensions and shield his allies, Eyjólfur Guðmundarson wants more than financial compensation for the killing of his "beloved" brother Koðrán. And just like last time, both sides rally supp...

In this special Saga Brief, we wrap up our four-part series from Iceland with an interview recorded in the shadow of Snæfellsjökull, one of the most iconic landscapes in the country. This time, we are joined by Ragnhildur Sigurðardóttir, park manager of Snæfellsjökull National Park, for a wide-ranging conversation about the sagas, Icelandic heritage, and the powerful connection between people and...

Though Guðmund the Powerful has been laid to rest, tensions between the Möðruvellings and the Ljósvetnings continue into the next generation. In a bold move toward peace, Eyjólf Guðmundarson (the new leader of the Möðruvellings) attempts to create peace by forming an alliance with Þorvarð Hóskuldsson (grandson of Þorgeir Lawspeaker and leader of the Ljósvetnings). But there's a dark cloud on the h...

This special Saga Brief interview with Anna Melsteð (of the Eyrbyggja Saga Society) was recorded at the foot of Helgafell on a drizzly afternoon following a full day of exploring key sites from Eyrbyggja Saga with Anna, Eyberg, and Guðlaug as our guides. Our day began with a quick viewing of the original site of the Þórsnessþing, mainly to get a view of where drítsker might be. We followed that up...

In this special Saga Brief, we visit historic Reykholt, once home to Snorri Sturluson, for a fascinating conversation with Sigrún Guttormsdóttir Þormar, department manager at Snorrastofa. This interview is the second installment in our four-part series recorded on-site during our recent trip to Iceland. Sigrún generously met with us on a Saturday to talk about Snorri’s life, legacy, and the import...

With Þórir Helgason freshly outlawed, Guðmund inn ríki (the Powerful) turns his attention to Þorkell hák (Bully) to sate his thirst for revenge. Speaking of thirst, Þorkell lands one of the sickest burns we've heard in a long while at Guðmund´s expense. After butting heads since the first chapters of the saga, these two finally come to blows in a thrilling and hilarious climax. Who comes out on to...

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...