In this episode, Egil arrives in Norway. While his brother Thorolf kisses up to Norwegian royalty and works his way into the families of Norway's most powerful influencers, Egil will travel to Atloy Island to help Olvir the Farmhand with a bit of rent collecting. When Atloy Bard, their gracious host tells them that there's no ale or meat to be spared, they happily make due with curds and whey. But something feels off. Atloy Bard is on edge and he keeps going in and out all night. Egil soon learn...
May 05, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 62
In this episode, we follow Thorolf Skallagrimsson to Norway with his newfound friend, Bjorn Brynjolfsson. While visiting Bjorn's father-in-law, Thorir the Hersir, they encounter a young Eirik Bloodaxe, heir to the throne of an aging King Harald Fairhair. Eirik and Thorolf soon become close friends and history appears poised to repeat itself. But there's something different about the future King Eirik. He's willing to befriend Thorolf against his father's better judgment. And he even offers his f...
Apr 28, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 61
We finally made it! The fourth episode of Egil's Saga actually takes place in Iceland (for the most part)! After burying his father, Skallagrim quickly establishes himself in Borgarfjorð, distributing land to all and sundry. We also get to meet his sons, Thorolf and Egil. That's right, Egil is on the scene. And young Egil makes quite a splash, providing us with some impressive poetry and a few killings to keep us entertained. This episode may not be packed with the same kind of adventure and act...
Mar 31, 2019•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 60
Those pesky Hildiridarsons are up to their same old tricks in this episode, causing further tension between King Harald Fairhair and the rapidly rising Thorolf Kveldulfsson. When King Harald learns that Thorolf has a large cargo ship laden with expensive English goods returning to Norway, he dispatches his most-trusted henchmen, Sigtrygg Travel-quick and Hallvard Travel-hard, to intercept and seize the ship. With that betrayal things reach a breaking point between the two men. Will Thorolf make ...
Mar 10, 2019•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 59
Our journey through Egil's Saga continues with chapters 7-15. This time, we're following the meteoric rise of Thorolf Kveldulfsson. Against his father's better judgment, Thorolf makes his way to the court of King Harald soon-to-be Fairhair. It's no surprise to anyone when Thorolf distinguishes himself and becomes Harald's most trusted and successful follower. But like Icarus, Harald flies too close to the sun. With all his success, he's managed to gather extensive landholdings, abundant wealth, ...
Feb 18, 2019•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 58
A few months ago we once again put the fate of Saga Thing in your hands. You had the option to choose our next saga, selecting between two of Iceland's greatest literary monuments and The Saga of the Foster-Brothers . The will of the people was made manifest and we got to work. You've been waiting patiently. Join us now for the first of many episodes on our listener selected saga of 2019, Egil's Saga . In this episode, we cover chapters 1-6. Here the dramatic tension revolves around King Harald ...
Feb 04, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 57
In this episode, Thorhall Ale-Hood burns down his woodlands making charcoal. Unfortunately for him, he also burns down the neighboring woods that belong to 6 of Iceland's most powerful chieftains. The woods aren't terribly important to them, but when Iceland's bully chieftains see a financial opportunity, they take it. This short saga tells the story of Ale-Hood's attempt to defend himself against the chieftains. If you liked Bandamanna Saga, then you'll love The "Saga" of Ale-Hood. It's a quick...
Jan 16, 2019•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 56
At long last, it's time to put Flóamanna saga on trial. In this episode we debate the literary merits of Flóamanna saga, trying to determine if there are any at all. Along the way, we highlight the saga's best moments, including some gems from little Thorfinn. There's also some of the usual bickering over the quality of our thingman selections. This was a fun one to record, probably because we were finally finished with this wacky saga once and for all. Is this the saga that sets the low bar for...
Dec 20, 2018•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 55
In this episode, we tackle the life of Ragnar’s fiercest and most complex son, Ivar the Boneless. We begin with an investigation into Ivar’s birth and enigmatic nickname. From there we trace the path of his illustrious military career. Our journey will take us from Denmark to Ireland, where Ivar conquers Dublin and goes head to head with the High King of Ireland, Mael Sechnaill. From Dublin, we’ll follow Ivar to Anglo-Saxon England with the Great Heathen Army. There Ivar and company topple kingd...
Dec 14, 2018•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 54
In this episode we rejoin Thorgils Scar-Leg’s Step-son on the icy shores of Greenland. Of the 35 men and women who traveled with him to Greenland, his only companions are his son Thorleif and a pair of helpful brothers, Kol and Starkað. And then there’s the child, Thorfinn, nourished by his father’s love and bloody breast milk. Together these castaways must battle the elements on land and sea to make their way home again. Along the way they’ll encounter troll women, a polar bear, terrible Viking...
Nov 23, 2018•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 53
Just in time for Halloween, John and Andy return for the second part of Flóamanna saga. When last we left you, our hero, Thorgils had battled two restless spirits. This time around, he's taking on berserks, madmen, and everyone's favorite hammer-wielding deity. As if that wasn't scary enough for you, Thorgils also contends with a shipwreck in Greenland, starvation, the walking dead, and a hungry baby. Along the way, we talk about keg duels, a lucky Norwegian companion, and male lactation. Check ...
Oct 26, 2018•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 52
This is the saga of the hero Thorgils Scar-leg's Stepson. In this episode, you’ll encounter a number of Thorgils’ ancestors, starting with Atli the Slender, who was given charge of Sogn in Norway by Halfdan the Black. The story of Thorgil’s family is tied to this land and their claim of sovereignty over it despite the objections of several generations of Norwegian royalty. You’ll also meet Thorgils’ great-grandfather, Hallstein Atlason, a noble chieftain who was forced to flee Norway due to risi...
Sep 22, 2018•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 51
Greetings from Iceland! In this episode, John and Andy sit down in the lobby of the beautiful Fosshotel in Reykholt to chat about the conference and Andy's travels around Iceland. Music Credits: Intro: Corvus Corax - Bibit Aleum Outro: Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Center of the Earth
Aug 17, 2018•34 min•Ep. 50
In this special episode of Saga Briefs, our side project here at Saga Thing, John and Andy sit down with Patricia Gonsalves and Stephen Fox for a chat about archery in the Viking world. But the conversation isn't limited to medieval Scandinavia. Patricia and Stephen, both experts in archery and its history, have travelled the world learning everything they can about the subject. We take full advantage of their expertise as we cover everything from Gunnar Hamundarson's request for a lock of hair ...
Aug 10, 2018•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 49
In this special episode, we pick up right where Kjalnesinga saga left off. Bui Andridson is lying dead on the ground, his ribcage crushed from the wrestling match with his son. Ashamed of his dastardly deed, Jokul Buason flees Iceland. And while Kjalnesinga saga assures us that there are no other stories about Jokul, one grouping of manuscripts appends a fun þáttr (tale) about where Jokul went and what became of him. Follow along as Jokul gets stranded at sea and then shipwrecked in strange land...
Jul 26, 2018•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 48
It's time to put The Saga of the People of Kjalarnes on trial. Listen in as Andy and John bicker over the severity of Bui's crimes. Will Bui be outlawed or redeemed and welcomed into the thingman group of one of your esteemed hosts? Will John find enough nicknames in the bare cupboards of this saga to fill his usual 20 minute lecture? And will Andy talk himself into another high score for a saga that no one has read? There's only one way to find out. Be sure to check out the recommended reading ...
Jul 03, 2018•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 47
In this episode, John and Andy continue to follow the adventures of the increasingly unlikable Bui Andridsson. We begin with a much needed change of scenery as Bui flees Iceland. I turns out that some people still hold a grudge for Bui's slaying of Thorstein. In Norway, Bui meets with a somewhat hostile King Harald Fairhair and his foster-father, King Dofri. Oh, and he happens to be a giant who lives in a mountain. What kind of shenanigans will Bui get up to this time? Will Bui reunite with his ...
Jun 18, 2018•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 46
As we have mentioned recently on social media, the great Matt Smith has agreed to join the Saga Thing team and provide us with an original drawing for each saga episode. We’re excited to be working with him. You’ll get a fuller appreciation of each image he creates for us by listening to the episode. I don’t think you’ll be surprised to hear that this image was inspired by one of the climaxes of the saga. One of the climaxes? Yes. Just one of many. Thanks again to Matt for donating his time and ...
Jun 04, 2018•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 45
In this special episode of Saga Thing, John sits down with Cat Jarman , bio-archaeologist at University of Bristol, for a Saga Brief about the Viking burials near Wystan's church at Repton in Derbyshire. The graves, containing roughly 300 individuals, have long been associated with the Viking Great Army that wintered in Repton in AD 873-74. While radiocarbon dating should have confirmed that link between these graves and the 9th century Viking invaders, results from select skeletons have been fr...
Apr 17, 2018•54 min•Ep. 44
Which of Ref's many killings will be awarded Best Bloodshed? Where are all the Notable Witticisms? Will our protagonist survive the outlawry section? And how does this saga rank against the greats? There's only one way to find out. Join us as we pass judgment on The Saga of Ref the Sly . Picture: adapted from MS Stowe 17, “The Maastricht Hours” Music Credits: Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Select...
Mar 27, 2018•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 43
Saga Thing returns with the wild adventures of Ref the Sly. Follow us as we track this wily character as he travels all throughout medieval Scandinavia leaving piles of wood shavings and bodies in his wake. Picture: Taken from Grayson del Faro's recap of Ref the Sly on the Reykjavik Grapevine Music Credits: Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Summary Music - "Industrial Cinematic" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod (in...
Mar 16, 2018•1 hr 56 min•Ep. 42
John and Andy return from a short break to update listeners on all the stuff that's been happening, what we've got planned for the immediate future, and to kick off the Saga Thing listener promotion contest. Yes, that's right, we're asking our loyal listeners to help us promote the podcast by spreading the word through creative expression. Evan Quinlan got the ball rolling without even realizing we were planning this. You can see his handywork in the image above. He's the first entry into the co...
Mar 09, 2018•19 min•Ep. 41
Before we get back to the sagas of the Icelanders, we're pausing once again to provide you with some of the more interesting history and stories behind the History Channel's Vikings . We've got two lengthy Saga Briefs for you chock full of Vikings goodness ripped straight from the medieval sources that inform the show. We've already covered The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, his death poem, Rollo and the Vikings in Paris, and the mythology surrounding the blood-eagle. This time around we've got our ey...
Jan 16, 2018•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 40
Dr. Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson is a researcher in the department of Archaeology and Ancient History at Uppsala University in Sweden. You might recognize her name as the lead author of the recent article, "A Female Viking Warrior Confirmed by Genomics, " which identified the famous Birka warrior of grave Bj 581 as a woman. It's no surprise that this revelation attracted a lot of attention from both scholars and fans of the Viking Age. In this special Saga Brief, Andy sits down to talk with Dr....
Dec 01, 2017•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 39
In this Saga Brief, John and Andy visit Seminole State College to talk about Thor in all his incarnations, from the Proto-Germanic god of thunder to the hammer throwing stud of the Marvel Comic Universe. You can access the PowerPoint slides here: Thor Presentation . Special thanks to Michael Mendoza for inviting us and organizing this event. We are also grateful to Aaron Hanlin and the Grindle Honors Insitute at Seminole State College for generously funding our travel. And thank you to the stude...
Nov 17, 2017•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 38
The Second Quarter of our Saga Thing comes to a close with the results episode. In this special episode, John and Andy review your choices for Best Bloodshed, Nicknames, Notable Witticisms, Outlawry, Thingmen, and Final Ratings. Will Skarpheðin emerge as the poster boy for Saga Thing's Best Bloodshed and Notable Witticism categories? What role might the Russians have played in the Thingmen voting? Does Njal's Saga maintain its position on the throne of saga literature? Or will another contender ...
Oct 16, 2017•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 37
For our second episode of Saga Shorts, we've chosen the brilliant "Tale of Thorstein Bull's-leg" (Þorsteins Þáttr uxafóts). As one of the longer þættir, this one defies categorization. It tells the story of Thorstein Oddnyarson, a child abandoned at birth who grows up to be a hero in the court of King Olaf Tryggvason. Along the way, he'll find his parents, do battle with the undead, raid the home of a troll family, experience a miracle, almost drown in vomit, and fight a pagan bull. It's got eve...
Oct 05, 2017•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 36
From 2015-2017 we covered a grand total of 10 sagas. You listened. You laughed. You cried. And when each saga was finished, you heard John and Andy pass judgment on the characters and their actions. Now it's your turn to be heard. As always, the Quarter Court reviews the winners from the past 10 judgment episodes. The polls will be open until September 30th. At that time, John and I will close them down and review the results in the judgment section of the Second Quarter Court. Remember to send ...
Sep 08, 2017•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 35
It's time to put The Saga of Droplaug's Sons on trial. We've got spears flying through dung beetles and testicles left and right in this episode. If that's not enough for you, there's a man running across the heath in nothing but a bed sheet. And don't even get me started about Helgi D.'s heroics on the battlefield or his brother Grim's hole digging prowess. But will either brother make it out of our outlawry section and into the ranks of Andy and John's thingmen? And if you had to guess, is Joh...
Aug 16, 2017•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 34
It’s time for the thrilling conclusion to The Saga of Droplaug’s Sons . This episode begins with an ambush as Helgi Asbjarnarson finally catches up with Helgi Droplaugarson. You won’t want to miss this epic battle. It provides some of the more detailed descriptions of battle we’ve encountered on this podcast. If you follow us on Twitter , then you already know something of who gets hit where. Poor, poor, Thord Cormorant. If you listen carefully, you can still hear the shrieking. And if that’s no...
Jul 28, 2017•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 33
