In this special Saga Brief recorded live at the University of Central Oklahoma, we explore an often-overlooked pillar of Viking Age society: the horse. (John wanted to call this presentation "A Horse for the Norse, with Sources (of course)," but Andy shot that down.) While our discussion is grounded in saga narratives and archaeology, we offer a wide-ranging discussion of how horses helped shape the literature, culture, and history of medieval Iceland. Along the way, we cover the following categories: Everyday Use Status Masculinity Horse-Fighting Ritual Action and Religious Belief Of course, any one of these could be a book-length study on its own. We’ve done our best here to provide a broad overview of the horse’s place in medieval Iceland and beyond. Naturally, that “beyond” allows us some wiggle room to talk a little about Anglo-Saxon England (and to maybe squeeze in a Beowulf reference or two). As you’ll hear, horses are far more than livestock and convenient tools. They emerge across the literary, historical, and archaeological record as vital mediums for social, political, and spiritual identity. More than that, this talk explores a relationship between the human and horse that is deeply personal. We hope you enjoy! A very special thanks to Reid Weber and the sponsors of this event: The Medieval Society at the University of Oklahoma University of Oklahoma College of Liberal Arts Scandinavian Club of Oklahoma Sons of Norway The slides for this presentation, including a brief bibliography, are available as a .pdf in our show notes for this episode at sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com. Once you’ve listened, reach out via our social media and share your thoughts on horses in the sagas: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord Music Credits: Introduction – from Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur Outro – Ólafur Liljurós
Hwæt a Movie! returns with yet another adaptation of the epic Old English poem Beowulf. This time, we've got Outlander, a surprisingly fun tale of an alien crash-landing in 8th century Norway as he hunts down the monstrous Moorwen that killed his family. Of course, the Moorwen had some cause to be angry after a genocidal attack on the Moorwen planet. But let's not dwell on how it all started. Outlander is also a Beowulf story wrapped up in a neat little sci-fi package! This time around, Jim Caviezel stars as Kainan (our space Beowulf). You might know Caviezel from 2002's The Count of Monte Cristo or from 2004's The Passion of the Christ. He's joined by the beloved John Hurt as Rolhgar (I legitimately thought he was called Hrothgar through the whole movie and I'm only learning as I write this that he was Rolhgar...), the talented Sophia Miles as Freya, the dreamy Jack Huston as Wulfric, and the inimitable Ron Perlman as Gunnar. As always, we provide an extensive summary (prepared with exhaustive detail by John) and discussion, a brief Q&A inspired by the film, and then our final ratings categories for the film's take on Beowulf, Grendel, and Grendel's mother. We conclude by rating the film for its faithfulness to the source material and then for its overall entertainment value. Like some of our other Hwæt a Movies, this one runs a bit long. There's just so much to talk about as we get deeper and deeper into the Beowulf movie swamp. As of right now, you can watch Outlander for free on YouTube here. Let us know what you think on our social media: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Or join others like you on Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord
In this very special Saga Brief, we sit down with Ármann Jakobsson (one of our favorite saga scholars) to discuss his latest book, Minor Characters in Icelandic Sagas (Palgrave Macmillan). Following the theme of the book, we dive into the many overlooked and often nameless characters who so often breathe life and meaning into the sagas. Since we have mentioned Ármann so many times on the podcast, we also take advantage of the opportunity to revisit his extensive bibliography, including The Troll Inside You, A Sense of Belonging: Morkinskinna and Icelandic Identity c. 1220, and his reimagining of the life of Þórólfr bægifótr in Glæsir. Of course, it wouldn't be a Saga Brief interview without a little discussion of the sagas and their place in Icelandic culture. And all of this leads to a brief philosophical exploration on the power (and potential peril) of doubt as a driving force in human society. All of this and more awaits you (like which great saga character Ármann finds most boring)! Once you've listened, reach out via our social media and let us know about your favorite minor characters in the sagas we've covered. Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord Music Credits: Introduction –from Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur Outro – Ólafur Liljurós
It's finally time--time to bring the saga of Viga-Glúm before the Saga Thing for judgment. Join us as we hand out the awards for Best Bloodshed, Notable Witticism, Best Nickname, and more. Can Andy forgive this story for its wanton cruelty to animals? Will John reward or punish the saga for the weaselly trickery of Thorvard Pot-Stirrer? Who will the two judges choose to join their mead halls? And just who the heck was that masked Thundarbenda, anyway? Listen and let us know what you think on our various socials: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord Music Credits Intro Music – “Prelude and Action” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Outro Music – “Stormfront” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
We want to share this little treat of a þáttr with you all before we release the Judgments episode for The Saga of Víga-Glúm. The Tale of Thorvald Chatterbox (Þorvalds þáttr tasalda) is a gem from the Flateyjarbók biography of King Ólaf (Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta). If Thorvald's fantastic revivification and battle prowess with a ship's oar left you wanting more, then this fast-paced Saga Short might just satisfy your craving. Thorvald journey's to Norway starts out like many other tales of Icelanders visiting Norwegian royalty. And, of course, with King Ólaf Tryggvason involved, this one includes plenty of pressure to abandon the Norse gods in favor of the much stronger and kinder (sometimes) Christian god. The story follows Thorvald as he sets off on a mission to prove himself to the king by tracking down Bárð the Stout, a fiercely independent figure who has already made two of the king's troops of emissaries disappear. Will Thorvald live up to the reputation of the capable Icelandic retainer so thoroughly established in other tales? Or will he succumb to the strength and will of the powerful Bárð the Stout? And what's all this about Bárð's beautiful daughter Thora? There's only one way to find out (assuming you don't want to just read the story yourself). Grab your headphones and enjoy Saga Thing's retelling of The Tale of Thorvald Chatterbox! Listen and then share your thoughts on our social media: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord Music Credits Intro Music - from “Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom Outro Music - From “Óðinn” by Krauka