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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
Monday Sep 07, 2020
Monday Sep 07, 2020
In this episode, we begin our summary and discussion of the fantastical Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss, The Saga of Bard the Snowfell God. This saga is set in the rugged and fantastic landscape of Snaefellsnes in West Iceland. Here you'll discover how trolls and giants migrated to Iceland alongside the humans. One of them, Bard Dumbsson, becomes a guardian spirit who wanders the land "in a grey cloak and hood with a belt of walrus-hide, carrying a two-pronged staff in his hand with a long spike for walking on the ice." We follow the saga of Bard and his family through multiple generations and quite a few calamities.
A special thanks to our guest illustrator, Jacob Foust, who will be working with us through Bard's Saga. You can find on Instagram as @skarphedin_illustrator. Jacob just recently started sharing his illustrations of the sagas and Norse myths. We find them absolutely delightful. Follow him on Instagram and let him know how much you love his work.
If you haven't seen it already on social media, here's Bard and giving his nephews a piece of his mind.
I'd put the bibliography John mentioned in right here if John had given me any. Alas, John left me hanging. Oh well.
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/
Poetry Music - "Plaint" by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4224-plaint
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/
Sunday Aug 16, 2020
Sunday Aug 16, 2020
In this episode, John and Andy sit down (virtually) with Dana Dalicsek to talk about sailing in the Viking Age, life onboard a ship, and the methodologies of modern maritime archaeologists who dive deep beneath the ocean's surface to excavate and study the shipwrecks the Vikings left behind. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.
Music Credits
Opening song – Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur
Outro – Ólafur Liljurós
Sunday Aug 02, 2020
Sunday Aug 02, 2020
It's time to put the Saga of Hord and the Holm-Dwellers on trial. As usual, we'll select winners in the following categories: Best Bloodshed, Nicknames, and Notable Witticisms. We'll also offer a Body Count for this surprisingly bloody saga. Plus there's Outlawry, Thingmen, and Final Ratings!
Does Hord have what it takes to make it into our group of Thingmen? Or has he pushed things too far and earned himself an official Saga Thing sentence of outlawry? 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/
Sunday Jul 19, 2020
Sunday Jul 19, 2020
It's time for the thrilling conclusion to The Saga of Hord and the Holm-Dwellers. In this episode, Hord and his followers continue to raid the farms of Hvalfjord like a bunch of unruly Vikings. Things don't go as planned when they target the livestock of Indridi, husband of Hord's sister Thorbjorg. Things get heated as Hord attempts to set fire to his kinsman's home. And while those flames are soon extinguished, the embers of hostility soon flare up into a wildfire that threaten to consume Hord and his outlaw companions.
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/
Review Music - "The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra
Preview Music - "The Descent" by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4490-the-descent
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Poetry Music - "Vega" by Danheim
Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Sunday Jul 05, 2020
Sunday Jul 05, 2020
In this exciting and action packed episode, Hord returns to Iceland with a rich wife and an enhanced reputation. After he inherits land from his father, Grimkel, things seem to be looking good for Hord and his young family. But things take a turn for the worse when the gods turn their backs on him and Hord's luck quickly begins to run out. An incident with some horses and a very sharp sword send him into outlawry. But Hord won't be going into the wilderness alone. Find out who goes with him and how they set up a base of operations on the island now known as Geirsholm (featured in the photo I took from the shore near Bjarteyarsundur).
If you're interested in visiting the stomping grounds of Hord and his men, then I highly recommend you spend the night at Bjarteyarsundur farm. You can camp in the field or stay in one of their cottages for a very reasonable price. And you can't beat the views and hospitality.
For those of you who like to hike, then you'll want to experience the nearby Glymur Falls hike. Here's one of many amazing vistas you get to see on the way up to one of Iceland's tallest and most beautiful waterfalls (note Geirsholm in the distance).
Finally, if you make it all the way through the episode you will hear us talk about resources for studying Old Norse. I recently created a page on our blog site specifically for Old Norse Language Resources. Check it out!
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/
Review Music - "The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra
Preview Music - "The Descent" by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4490-the-descent
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Poetry Music - "Gungnir" by Danheim
Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfront
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/