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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
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/
Sunday Jun 21, 2020
Sunday Jun 21, 2020
Join us for a chat with Dr. Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir, author of Valkyrie: Women of the Viking World. We speak about Valkyries, shield-maidens, and famous women of Icelandic saga and legend. We also talk about the important contributions of Viking Age women to the success of medieval Scandinavian households, raiding parties, and armies. And since we're all medievalists, we inevitably get around to discussing the thrills and frustrations of working with medieval sources and the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving. We hope you enjoy.
Click here to pick up a copy of Valkyrie: Women of the Viking World.
Music Credits
Opening song – Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur
Outro – Ólafur Liljurós
Sunday May 24, 2020
Sunday May 24, 2020
It's time to start another saga! This time, we've decided to finish off the last of the "outlaw sagas." We're headed to south-western Iceland for the thrilling post-classical Saga of Hord and the Island-Dwellers, also known as Harðar saga og Hólmverja. In this episode, we meet all the principle characters (there are a lot) and get to know our protagonist a bit before he dives headlong into the life of a medieval Icelandic outlaw. This section of the saga features a troubled marriage, prophetic dreams, an abandoned child, a thrilling fight with an undead Viking, and an amazing head of hair. We hope you enjoy!
Music Credits:
Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Poetry Music - selections from "Skjoldborg" by Danheim
Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Selections from music by Kevin MacLeod licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sunday Apr 26, 2020
Sunday Apr 26, 2020
Warning: This episode may not be suitable for young children
It’s winter in Norway, a time when most people huddle together with family and friends to share warmth, tell stories, and await the coming of spring. But the Christian king Olaf the Stout has heard word about strange goings-on at a farm in the north, where the lady of the house has found a new way to pass the time—she’s starting her own religious cult. So the king and his friends must travel through the winter weather in disguise to learn just what this household is worshiping in the woods—and what they find is something altogether more ridiculous than they could have imagined.
This one’s unlike anything else we’ve read on the podcast so far—it’s got a well-endowed horse, a boy who’s given to shouting dirty poetry, an open-mike of verse-making at the farmhouse, three men who all choose the same disguise, and a dog who’s hungry for a good time. And what on earth is the farmer's wife keeping in that long box that smells of leeks and herbs? Enjoy the strange world of Völsa þáttr!
Music Credits:
Intro: From “Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom
Outro: From “Óðinn” by Krauka