Saga Thing

Episode 5a - Gisli's Saga

The tragic story of the outlaw Gisli Sursson, whose profound sense of honor forces him into violent action.  Whereas most Icelanders who receive the penalty of outlawry flee the land and seek their fortune abroad, Gisli refuses to leave his wife, Aud, behind to fend for herself.  Unfailingly devoted to his wife, Gisli slips through the fingers of the bounty hunters Bork the Stout, Eyolf, and Helgi the Spy time and time again.  Join us as we review one of Icelandic literature's most endearing and heroic characters as we call Gisli's Saga to the Thing.

Gisli Sursson's Saga and The Saga of the People of Eyri (Penguin Classics)

Episode 4 - Eirik the Red's Saga

It’s time to strike out for the west in the latest installment of Saga Thing. Join us as we sail through stormy and unpredictable seas in the Saga of Eirik the Red!

The Vinland Sagas: The Norse Discovery of America: “Graenlendinga Saga” and “Eirik’s Saga” (Classics)

The first of the two so-called Vínland sagas to be reviewed, Eiriks saga offers up a story that’s part travelogue, part bloodbath, and part confusing as heck. In this episode, we’ll learn all about Eirik the Red’s bad habit of killing almost everyone he meets, his son Leif’s discovery of Vínland through the magic of pure navigational incompetence, the volatile natives of this dangerous new land, and another round of hauntings (much to Andy’s delight).

Will Eirik ever meet a nice neighborhood and settle down (without killing anyone who lives there)? Why does a Greenland seeress need such fancy seat-cushions? Is that a Uniped hopping through the Vínland woods? And just whereare Helluland and Markland, anyway?

Episode 3b - Eyrbyggja Saga (Judgments)

Who will win Best Bloodshed?

How many bodies hit the floor?

Who will win the award for best nickname?

Who will be banished from Iceland forever?

Will Andy get to honor his hero Snorri by choosing him as thingman?

What do we really think of Eyrbyggja Saga?

Find out in the latest installment of Saga Thing!

Episode 3a - Eyrbyggja Saga

In Episode 3a, John and Andy discuss the difficulties of trying to cover Eyrbyggja Saga in one episode…which they then totally fail to do successfully.  So we present the first of a two-part episode! Never fear, there’s plenty here to enjoy.  You’ll meet Snorri the goði and his rival Arnkel Thorolfsson.   Listen as they battle for control of Snæfellsnes Peninsula.  This is a tale of fortunes and misfortunes, sweeping conflicts between huge kin-groups, the rise and fall of chieftains, and the little people that get swept up in the mess.  But it also features a steamy love affair, a dispute over fine linens, and the exploits of a spectral seal.  Don’t miss a moment!!!

Eyrbyggja Saga (Penguin Classics)

Episode 2: Hrafnkel's Saga

Our grand quest to place the sagas of the Icelanders on trial begins with an acknowledged classic–the relatively brief (but totally epic) Hrafnkels saga Freysgoði. The story of a harsh chieftain who falls from power and rises again, the men who band together against him, and the horse at the center of it all,Hrafnkels saga offers a listener-friendly introduction to the complex and blood-drenched world of the Icelandic sagas. And it comes with torture! 

Hrafnkel’s Saga and Other Icelandic Stories (Penguin Classics)

But is that enough to earn it a top score from John and Andy, or will the saga be judged harshly for its lack of scope and poor treatment of animals? Find out now!