Episodes

Sunday Apr 18, 2021
Sunday Apr 18, 2021
Welcome to the first in a series of special Saga Briefs on Interpreting the Past, a series that looks at modern interpretations and perceptions of the medieval. In this episode, John and Andy welcome two scholars, Dr. Verena Höfig (Assistant Professor in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and Zachary Melton (Ph.D. student at the University of Iceland).
We cover a range of topics, including the appeal of Viking Age culture and mythology to modern religious and political movements; the role of literature, history, and social media in the construction of individual and group identities; and the challenges that we face, both as scholars and as citizens of this world, coming to terms with the many differences of interpretation that divide us.
As that list suggests, this isn't the usual light stroll through the sagas. This episode is short on jokes and heavy on substantive discussion of important issues. Whether you're an expert or an enthusiast, this one's worth your time. We hope you enjoy and we look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Here is a bibliography of the texts and studies referred to, either directly or indirectly, in this episode:
American Heathens: The Politics of Identity in a Pagan Religious Movement by Jennifer Snook
“Ethnicity as Cognition” by Rogers Brubaker, Mara Loveman, and Peter Stamatov
Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism by Mattias Gardell
Huginn’s Heathen Hof and Declaration 127
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild
Music Credits
Opening song – Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur
Outro – Ólafur Liljurós

Saturday Apr 03, 2021
Episode 32d - The Saga of Thord Menace (Judgments)
Saturday Apr 03, 2021
Saturday Apr 03, 2021
Welcome to the Saga Thing! It's time to put The Saga of Thord Menace on trial. Will Thord win Best Bloodshed for the many men he chops in half? Will his Body Count be high enough to earn him a respectable BCDM ranking? And will John ever stop talking about nicknames? There's only one way to find out!
Music Credits
Intro Music – “Prelude and Action” by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Outro Music – “Stormfront” by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/