Saga Thing

Episode 20b - Njal's Saga (Part 2)

In this episode, we introduce Gunnar Hamundarson and his wise friend Njal Thorgeirsson.  We'll follow Gunnar on a few adventures before he settles down with the lovely, but dangerous Hallgerd Hoskuldsdottir.  If you thought Hallgerd was harsh in Part 1 of our summer saga, just wait until you see what she's up to this time around.  Will the friendship of Njal and Gunnar survive the escalating violence spurred on by their wives, or will they be consumed by it and destroyed?  There's only one way to find out.  

For anyone who's interested, we've put together a select bibliography for Njal's Saga.  We have mentioned a few of these, but there's plenty more here for your perusal. Obviously, you'll need a good library to access most of these.

Music Credits:

Intro Music

Prelude and Action by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Previous Episode Review

Iron Horse by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode Summary

Voces Thules - Varizk ér Ok Varizk ér

Outro Music

Stormfront by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode 20a - Njal's Saga (Part 1)

In this first part of our epic summer saga, we introduce Njal's Saga and the initial section where marriage, gender roles, and female independence are the central themes.  We begin with the story of Hrut Herjolfsson, who leaves his bride-to-be in Iceland to fetch an inheritance in Norway.  Along the way, the handsome young Hrut finds himself more involved in the royal family than is proper.  Scandal!  After getting ensnared in the web of the Norwegian queen mother, Gunnhild, Hrut will bring home a curse that will set the whole action of Njal's Saga into motion.  We also meet Hrut's lovely and dynamic niece, Hallgerd Hoskuldsdottir, a fiercely independent woman who will play a significant role in the development of this saga. When we first meet her, we learn that she has the eyes of a thief, which never bodes well.  This episode covers Hallgerd's first two marriages, both of which involve domestic violence followed by a visit from Hallgerd's vengeful foster-father Thjostolf.  Hallgerd may be beautiful, cunning, and seductive, but she's hardly the passive female of most medieval literature.  We look forward to spending some time with her this summer and hearing how you all feel about her character.  

Don't forget to check out our blog for links to the scholarship we discuss in this episode.  

Episode 19c - The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta (Judgments)

In this fun-filled episode, John and Andy offer their judgments on The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta.  Listen and learn how a leather thong can really improve your spear-throwing distance.  It’s true.  You’ll also learn about the wonders of hearth bread with butter and be introduced to the BCDM, our newest method for calculating a saga’s body count.  It’s an action packed episode with plenty of laughs and some good discussion of history and literature.  Those of you who prefer a steady flow of action and laughs will have to forgive us for our scholarly tangents, but those with a genuine interest in saga literature will get what they came here for.

For those interested in the ankyle, we recommend the following:

“Throwing the Greek Dory: How Effective is the Attached Ankyle at Increasing the Distance of the Throw”

There are a number of videos featuring the use of the ankyle/amentum.  We’ve selected the following two as the most reasonable illustrations of the tool.

Ankyle for distance

Slo-mo ankyle

As promised, I’m including the recipe for hearth bread that John mentions in Notable Witticism:

Thorgeir Butter-Ring’s Bread

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat or rye flour

2 cups white or all-purpose flour

3/4 cup steel-cut or rolled oats

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups water

 

Items Needed

Baking Stone

Large Bowl

Wooden Spoon

Oven (I mean, go ahead and hearth-bake the bread if you want to be a stickler for accuracy).

 

Instructions

Mix together both kinds of flour, the oats, the salt, and the baking soda in a large bowl.

Gradually add water while stirring with a wooden spoon until it is stiff and difficult to stir further. NOTE: do not use an automatic mixer for this step. Seriously, how many 10th century Icelanders do you think had a KitchenAid?

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough (you may want to wet or flour your hands for this step). Stop when dough is malleable and thoroughly integrated.

Form the dough into a round or oval shape on a baking stone and place it in the oven. NOTE: The oven is still cold at this point.

Now set the oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit (190 Celsius), and bake for 55-70 minutes (depending on elevation and oven).

Take the bread out of the oven when it looks, you know, bready (I’m not a cook. Also, it’s unlikely that actual 10th century Icelanders, who cooked their bread in fire ashes or on a hearth-stone, were overly fussy about exact timing. Eyeball it). Let it cool on a rack.

Eat the bread while it’s warm. And of course, Thorgeir Butter-Ring recommends using plenty of butter, but I found cheese, honey, or apple slices works fine too.

 

 

Episode 19b - The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta (Part 2)

Come to Mývatn, where the scenery stuns, the flies bite, and swords sting! In this episode, we welcome Killer-Skúta back to Iceland.  Not bound by the conditions of the settlement established by Áskel on his deathbed, Skúta is free to wreak vengeance upon those who dishonored his family.  He’ll also have to contend with the various families in the region who don’t take so kindly to his handling of their kin folk. And that’s the story, more or less.  Killer-Skúta certainly earns his nickname in this one.  Along the way, you’ll also learn the worst way to die in Mývatn.  It's really unpleasant.  Enjoy!

Episode 19a - The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta (Part 1)

In this episode, we travel to the northern districts of Thingey and Eyjafjord where the Askel the goði spends most of his time working out settlements to save the skin of his nephews.  You won't meet a more saintly Icelander than the wise Askel goði, but you might question his loyalty to Vemund Fjorleifarson.  But, as Vemund's uncle, poor Askel is caught between a rock and a hard place.  Will his support of Vemund cost Askel the ultimate price in the end, or will he make an honest man of his wayward nephew?  Find out as Saga Thing takes on the first half of The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta.

Note: In the introduction, we mention the excellent blog The Saga-Steads of Iceland.  You can visit Emily Lethbridge's post on Reykjadal here.