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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.
Episodes
Saturday Oct 08, 2022
Saturday Oct 08, 2022
In this episode we go back to chapter 35 to pick up on the story of the Hebridean sorcerers. I don’t think you’ll be surprised to find out that they’re not exactly welcomed with open arms by the Icelanders. To be fair, this family of sorcerers are particularly bad.
As these illustrations by @skarphedin_illustrator suggest, it doesn't turn out too well for them.
We also get a chance to check in with some old friends in Laxardal and put an end to a longstanding rivalry.
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
Tuesday Sep 06, 2022
Tuesday Sep 06, 2022
It's time to dive back into Laxdaela Saga! This time we're going to wander away from Olaf Peacock and his family for just a little while. Why? Because it's time to introduce Guðrún Ósvífsdóttir, one of the central figures of the saga! In this episode, we discuss Guðrún's dreams, her troubled marriage, and some interesting scholarship on gender identity in the saga age.
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
Monday Aug 15, 2022
Monday Aug 15, 2022
While Andy's away, John will play...a recording of his interview with Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavik. Join us for a discussion of Árni Magnússon's status as the savior of saga literature and the work of the Institute still carrying on in his name. How important is Árni to Iceland? Well, we found this picture of him:
If that's not enough, learn how a fire in Copenhagen nearly wiped out the sagas, how vellum pages "wander" from one library to another, who upset a sixteenth-century reader so much that they wrote "damn him!" in a manuscript's margin, and why missing white gloves causes call-in complaints to Icelandic television.
Our thanks to Svanhildur for her time, expertise, and good humor. Enjoy the conversation, and we'll be back to Laxdæla saga as soon as John can convince Andy to come home...
Check out the Árni Magnússon Institute's website here.
Episode intro: Kent, “Då som nu för alltid”
Intro: Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur
Outro: Ólafur Liljurós
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Monday Jul 25, 2022
In this episode, Olaf Peacock takes center stage as Hoskuld's life comes to a peaceful close. But don't think Hoskuld shuffles off this mortal coil before getting one last jab in at his estranged brother Hrut. This episode features an impressive parade, a somewhat lackluster haunting, a trip to Norway, and funeral and wedding feasts. If that's not enough for you, then you'll want to stay tuned to hear how Egil Skallagrimsson's daughter handles a disagreement with her husband.
Thanks again to Jacob Foust (aka @skarphedin_illustrator) for providing us with an original illustration of Olaf's encounter with Hrapp. You can find more of his work here on Instagram.
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
Wednesday Jul 13, 2022
Wednesday Jul 13, 2022
In this episode, little Olaf Peacock travels to Norway and then to Ireland on a journey to meet his grandfather Myrkjartan. But how will he pay for it? Traveling overseas in the 10th century isn't cheap (it still isn't). How will King Myrkjartan and the Irish welcome the Icelandic son of the long lost Melkorka? And what familiar figure from Saga Thing past pops in for a visit and a quick marriage arrangement? There's only one way to find out!
We also discuss the presumed burial mounds of Thord Goddi and Skallagrim Kveldulfsson. We explore John's fascination with the Campbell's monomyth and similarities between Olaf Peacock and Anakin Skywalker (yes, you read that correctly). For the runesack, we address a funny little stick with strange scratches on it that leads us into yet another conversation about Celtic influences on medieval Icelandic culture and a chat about the origins of our names. There's a lot going on here!
As promised, here's a pictures of Andy's great-grandfather, Andrew Kormos:
And a picture of John's namesakes:
[forthcoming???]
As always, thank you to Jacob Foust (aka @skarphedin_illustrator) for another original illustration. You can find more of his work here on Instagram.
And finally, some promised bibliography, including works we referenced and some that were used while prepping the episode:
Clover, Carol J. The Medieval Saga. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1987.
Hastrup, Kirsten. Culture and History in Medieval Iceland: An Anthropological Analysis of Structure and Change. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985.
Kellogg, Robert. “Introduction.” In The Sagas of Icelanders: A Selection, edited by Robert Kellogg, pp. xv-lvii. New York: Viking, 2001.
Kristjánsson Jónas, and Peter Foote. Eddas and Sagas: Iceland's Medieval Literature. Reykjavík: Hiđ íslenska bókmenntafélag, 1997.
Morris, William. The Lovers of Gudrun. A Poem. Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1870.
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