Saga Thing

Episode 38a - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 1-6)

We begin the new year with a saga that has been compared to the works of Shakespeare himself. Not necessarily in a favorable light, but definitely compared. As we hinted in our 10th Anniversary episode, we're jumping into the sagas of Eyjafjörður in Northern Iceland (including Svarfdæla saga, Valla-Ljóts saga, Víga-Glúms saga, and Ljósvetninga saga).
Up first is Svarfdæla saga, a surprisingly compelling (but sometimes frustrating) narrative that Jónas Kristjánsson described as "one of the greatest oddities among the sagas of Icelanders" in his book Eddas and Sagas (244). And if that doesn't sell you on it, then how about this fine quote from Fredrik Heinemann from his paper "Svarfdæla saga: The Norwegians and the Swedes," the saga efficiently characterizes minor and major figures with the deft brush strokes of saga writing at its best" (237). We think you'll agree after listening to this episode covering the first six chapters of the saga.
In this episode, we meet two brothers called Thorolf and Thorstein. One is a typical saga golden boy, the other is a kolbítr. But if you know your saga tropes, you know that big things are in store for that lazy coal-eater.
Along the way, we talk about other brothers we've met in the sagas, the sudden appearance of a castle in the narrative, and one of the more unbelievable candidates for Best Bloodshed we've seen in a while. We also get back to the listener runesack to address a question from our Discord page about Viking weddings.
There's all that and more in our first episode of 2024. It's good to be back!
If you're interested in doing your own word usage research, check out The Dictionary of Old Norse Prose.
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Music Credits
Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Yule Lads

Gleðileg jól frá Saga Thing! We're back with another exciting holiday discovery for you. This time, we share a bit of backgroundy stuff about the famous Yule Lads of Icelandic tradition before premiering a brand new poem about them. This may or may not be the oldest surviving poem about the Yule Lads, though we have some suspicions about the nature of the manuscript we were working from for the translation. Either way, it's a lot of fun.
Merry Christmas!
If you're interested, here's the original poem (in Icelandic) by Jóhannes úr Kötlum
“Jólasveinarnir” by Jóhannes úr KötlumEnglish translation by Hallberg Hallmundsson
Let me tell the storyof the lads of few charms,who once upon a timeused to visit our farms.
Thirteen altogether,these gents in their primedidn´t want to irk peopleall at one time.
They came from the mountains,as many of you know,in a long single fileto the farmsteads below.
Creeping up, all stealth,they unlocked the door.The kitchen and the pantrythey came looking for.
Grýla was their mother –she gave them ogre milk –and the father Leppalúdi;a loathsome ilk.
They hid where they could, with a cunning look or sneer,ready with their prankswhen people weren´t near.
They were called the Yuletide lads– at Yuletide they were due –and always came one by one,not ever two by two.
And even when they were seen,they weren´t loath to roam and play their tricks – disturbingthe peace of the home.
The first of them was Sheep-Cote Clod.
He came stiff as wood,to pray upon the farmer´ssheep as far as he could.
He wished to suck the ewes,but it was no accidenthe couldn´t; he had stiff knees –not to convenient.
The second was Gully Gawk,gray his head and mien.He snuck into the cow barnfrom his craggy ravine.
Hiding in the stalls,he would steal the milk,while the milkmaid gave the cowherda meaningful smile.
Stubby was the third called,a stunted little man,who watched for every chanceto whisk off a pan.
And scurrying away with it,he scraped off the bitsthat stuck to the bottomand brims – his favorites.
The fourth was Spoon Licker;like spindle he was thin.He felt himself in cloverwhen the cook wasn´t in.
Then stepping up, he grappledthe stirring spoon with glee,holding it with both handsfor it was slippery.
Pot Scraper, the fifth one,was a funny sort of chap.When kids were given scrapings,he´d come to the door and tap.
And they would rush to seeif there really was a guest.Then he hurried to the potand had a scrapingfest.
Bowl Licker, the sixth one,was shockingly ill bred.From underneath the bedsteadshe stuck his ugly head.
And when the bowls were leftto be licked by dog or cat,he snatched them for himself –he was sure good at that!
The seventh was Door Slammer,a sorry, vulgar chap:When people in the twilightwould take a little nap,
he was happy as a larkwith the havoc he could wreak,slamming doors and hearingthe hinges on them sqeak
Skyr Gobbler, the eighth,was an awful stupid bloke.He lambasted the skyr tubtill the lid on it broke.
Then he stood there gobbling– his greed was well known –until, about to burst,he would bleat, howl and groan.
The ninth was Sausage Swiper, a shifty pilferer.He climbed up to the raftersand raided food from there.
Sitting on a crossbeamin soot and in smoke,he fed himselfon sausage fit for gentlefolk.
The tenth was Window Peeper,a weird little twit,who stepped up to the windowand stole a peek through it.
And whatever was insideto which his eye was drawn,he most likely attemptedto take later on.
Eleventh was Door Sniffer,a doltish lad and gross.He never got a cold,yet had a huge, sensitive nose.
He caught the scent of lacebread while leagues away stilland ran toward it weightlessas wind over dale and hill
Meat Hook, the twelfth one,his talent would displayas soon as he arrivedon Saint Thorlak´s Day.
He snagged himself a morselof meet of any sort,although his hook at timeswas a tiny bit short.
The thirteenth was Candle Beggar –´twas cold, I believe,if he was not the lastof the lot on Christmas Eve.
He trailed after the little oneswho, like happy sprites,ran about the farm withtheir fine tallow lights.
On Christmas night itself– so a wise man writes –the lads were all restraintand just stared at the lights.
Then one by one they trotted offinto the frost and snow.On Twelfth Night the lastof the lads used to go.
Their footprints in the highlandsare effaced now for long,the memories have all turnedto image and song

Hwaet a Movie - Episode 2 - The 13th Warrior

It's time for another installment of our side quest podcast, Hwaet a Movie! In this episode, we review the other Beowulf movie from 1999. That's right, there were two. This one stars Antonio Banderas as the far-traveled Ahmed Ibn Fadlan, an unlikely hero and perhaps originator of the Beowulf legend. Sure . . . that's the ticket. Join us for a rather exhaustive overview of The 13th Warrior, Saga Thing style.
 

Episode 37e - The Saga ofHavard of Isafjord (Judgments)

After 4 episodes of reviewing The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (Hávarðar saga Ísfirðings), it's time to take it to the Saga Thing. In this episode, we pass judgment on the usual categories: Best Bloodshed, Nicknames, Notable Witticisms, Outlawry, and Thingmen. This saga proved to be more interesting in some categories than in others, but does Havard's Saga have what it takes to earn a good score from John and Andy in Final Ratings? Listen and find out.
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Music Credits
Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode 37d - The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (chapters 19-24)

While Havard and his band of merry cousins and bloodthirsty tweens hides out at Atli's, his good friend Steinthor is heading to the Althing to work his magic on a settlement for all the killings. But there's one more brother of the sons of Thjodrek out there. His name is Thorarin and he's a chieftain of some consequence. He's hatched a plot that could earn him a healthy settlement and a bloody revenge that depends on Atli being the kind of cowardly pushover his reputation suggests. Does Havard have what it takes to defend himself against these powerful men or will he fall victim to their cunning plan?
 
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Music Credits
Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode 37c - The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (chapters 11-18)

What do you do after a successful killing spree? Kill some more! At least that seems to be Havard of Isafjord's motto. There's a certain logic to it as one killing begets another. But Thorbjorn has a lot of brothers and there's only so much killing Havard can do before he needs to find a sweet spot to hide out. Perhaps that nice fella from the Althing who offered his help will provide the protection Havard needs?
This episode moves quick. We meet some new characters, see some familiar faces, and get a shocking surprise involving two young boys who stand up to a local bully. We also spend some time talking Old Norse poetry. All in all, a good time.
One more episode of Havard's saga to go before we take it to the Saga Thing!
Music Credits
Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-actionLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Review Music - "The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra
Poetry Music - – “Fornheim” by Danheim
Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4421-stormfrontLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Hwæt a Movie! - Episode 1 - Beowulf (1999)

As part of our 10th Anniversary extravaganza, we are launching what could become a new podcast: Hwæt a Movie! It's a movie review podcast focusing on films with a medieval (or medieval adjacent) setting.
To get this little experiment off on the right foot, we are starting with a series on Beowulf movies. There are a lot of them and they aren't necessarily good representations of the poem. But that doesn't matter.
Join us as we discuss, review, and rate 1999's Beowulf, starring Christopher Lambert, Rhona Mitra, and Mac from Night Court!
Music Credits
Intro Music - Beowulf
Performed by Jonathan David Sloate (as Jonathan Sloate)
Written by Jonathan David Sloate (as Jonathan Sloate)
Published by Sorcerer's Apprentice Publishing Company
 
Segment and Outro Music - Guilty (Juno Reactor Mix)
Performed by Gravity Kills
Written by Gravity Kills
Published by TVT Music, Inc.
Gravity Kills appears courtesy of TVT Records
p1997 TVT Records

10th Anniversary of Saga Thing (Part 2) - How Well Do You Know Your Co-Host (with Totalus Rankium)

One episode wasn't enough to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. In this special bonus episode, you get double the podcast hosts! We're joined by our good friends Rob and Jamie from Totalus Rankium for another thrilling edition of How Well Do You Know Your Co-Host! Originally intended to be part of a single anniversary episode, we had so much fun that we had to break it off into its own special episode.
We hope you enjoy!

10th Anniversary of Saga Thing

Join us as we celebrate our 10th Anniversary with some reminiscing, listener interaction, ridiculous bits, and a lot of laughs. There might even be a hilarious surprise guest appearance here as well. And if that's not enough for you, we've got two more bonus episodes to sate your appetite.
As we say more than once in this episode, thank you for listening. Whether you've been listening for 10 years or 10 days, we appreciate you and we're honored that you are sharing this journey with us.
Skál!

Episode 37b - The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (chapters 6-11)

[Quick Note: This episode appears to be over 8 hours long. It's a cruel joke by the podbean upload. The actual length is just over 90 minutes. It will end where it's supposed to.]
We’re back with another installment of Hávarðar saga Ísfirðings, The Saga of Havard of Isafjord. This one is quickly becoming a new Saga Thing favorite. In this episode, Havard lays around, Bjargey gets busy, Thorbjorn takes a nasty fall, and Vak meets one of the more surprisingly stupid but realistic demises we’ve seen on this podcast. Along the way, Havard cracks the door open to let a new God into his heart, but only if said new God can provide him with the bloody revenge he's been praying for.
We also dig into the runesack and discuss the wonders of whale rib rollers and what exactly Thorbjorn is doing with Sigrid and the other young women he takes into his household.
Thanks to Will Bilson for the beautiful painting of Havard and Bjargey's touching goodbye as Havard leaves to seek vengeance against Thorbjorn. You can find more of Will's work at https://www.instagram.com/willjah_art.thing
If you’d like to send us a message, a question, a comment, or compliment for our 10th Anniversary Special, you’ve got lots of options:
Sagathingpodcast on Facebook
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Sagathingpod on X (Twitter)
Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord
Music Credits
Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
First and Second Verse Music - "Despair and Triumph" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Third and Fourth Verse Music - “Valravn” by Danheim
Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeodLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/