Saga Thing Podcast – 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 … Continue reading Episode 42b – The Saga of Thorstein Siðu-Hallsson (cha...

“. . . 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 … Continue reading Episode 42a – Th...

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 … Continue reading Saga Brief 30 – F...

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 … Continue reading Hwæt a Movie! –...

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 … Continue reading Saga Brief 29 – Intervie...

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 … Continue reading Episode 41g – Viga-Glum’s Saga (Judgments)

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 … Continue reading Saga Short 16 – The Tale of...

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 … Continue reading Episode 41f – Víga-Glúm’s Saga (chapters 24-28)

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 … Continue reading Episode 41e – Víga-Glúm’s Saga (chapters&#160...

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 … Continue reading Episode 41d – Víga-Glúm’s Saga (chapters 16-19)

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: Of course, the real trouble starts when Thórir’s son Thorgrím sets his heart on the lovely Thórdís. Things get interesting … Continue reading Episode 41c – Víga-Glúm’s Sag...

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 … Continue reading Episode 41b – Víga-Glúm’s Saga (chapt...

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 … Continue reading Episode 41a – Víga-Glúm’s Saga...

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 – … Continue reading Saga Sho...

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 … Continue reading Hwæt a Movie – Episode 6 – Beowulf (20...

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 … Continue reading Saga Brief 28 –...