Saga Thing

By Saga Thing

What's Saga Thing about?

Discover what Vikings did when they were at home in this fun medieval history and literature podcast about the Icelandic sagas. Hosted by two medieval literature professors with beards.

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Saga Thing episodes:

04.14.2024
Episode 38e - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 14b-17)
In this episode, Klaufi rescues his friend Karl the Red from a terrible Viking called Atli. But don't get too excited about Klaufi becoming the hero of this saga. He also kills a whole bunch of people, causes general havoc,...
03.23.2024
Episode 38d - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 10-14a)
With the Big Lacuna now behind us, we embark onto a new adventure in what may or may not be (but probably is) a new saga. Is this the same Thorstein we've come to grow and love? Or is it...
03.11.2024
Episode 38c - Svarfdaela Saga (The Big Lacuna)
In this episode, we find ourselves navigating the murky depths of the massive gap in Svarfdæla saga that we call "The Big Lacuna." What happened to Thorstein Thorgnirsson when he left Sweden? Why is he feuding with someone named Ljotolf...
02.16.2024
Episode 38b - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 6-10)
We return to the tale of Thorstein as seeks fame, honor, and a bit of respect from his father. He's already defeated the great Viking known as Ljot the Pale, which is a big feather in his cap. Unfortunately, he...
01.19.2024
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...
12.24.2023
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...
12.12.2023
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,...
11.15.2023
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...
11.01.2023
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...
09.28.2023
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...
09.18.2023
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...
09.18.2023
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...
09.18.2023
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...
08.16.2023
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...
07.30.2023
Episode 37a - The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (chapters 1-5)
Saga Thing returns with a brand-new episode for a brand new saga from late medieval Iceland. In this episode, we dip our toes into the first five chapters of Hávarðar saga Ísfirðings, The Saga of Havard of Isafjord. It’s a...
07.03.2023
Saga Short 11 - The Tale of Bolli Bollason
With Laxdaela Saga behind us, we turn to the Tale of Bolli Bollason to bring the journey to a proper end. In this fun little story, Bolli Bollason finds himself swept into more than one conflict up in northern Iceland....
06.05.2023
Episode 36o - Laxdaela Saga (Judgments)
After a very close inspection and lengthy investigation, we are finally ready to put Laxdaela Saga on trial. As it's been over a year since we started, John and I take our time reviewing the candidates for our usual Saga...
05.09.2023
Episode 36n - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 72-78)
We began our journey through Laxdaela Saga in April of 2022. A year and many many episodes later, we finally come to the end. Please join us as we discuss the final few chapters of the saga. It may be...
04.10.2023
Saga Brief 24 - Slavery in the Viking Age (Live Presentation at the University of Connecticut)
We were recently invited to speak at the University of Connecticut's Annual Medieval Studies/ECE Outreach Seminar on a variety of subjects related to the Viking Age. We prepared and recorded our morning presentation on Slavery in the Viking Age as...
03.19.2023
Episode 36m - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 65-71)
In this episode, Guðrún Ósvífsdóttir teaches Helgi Harðbeinsson all about loopholes in betrothal oaths. And if Helgi was feeling bad after getting let down by Guðrún, he feels that much worse when he sees his fylgja walking the opposite direction...
02.27.2023
Episode 36l - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 59-64)
While 12 years may have passed since the slaying of Bolli, not a day passed that Gudrun wasn't thinking of getting her revenge on the Olafssons and their companions. Now that her two sons, Thorleik and Bolli, are old enough...
02.05.2023
Episode 36k - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 52-58)
In this episode, Bolli finds out what happens when you kill your foster brother. We discuss Thorgerd Egilsdottir's lust for vengeance, how the avengers assemble, and Gudrun's handling of yet another loss. This episode also features some special guest appearances...
01.08.2023
Episode 36j - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 47-51)
In this thrilling episode, Kjartan asserts his presence in the district (and gets a taste of revenge) by humiliating Bolli, Gudrun, and the Osvifssons. I'd love to tell you more in this teaser about how he goes about that, but...
12.24.2022
Holiday Special - The Tale of Frosti Snjokarlinn
Happy Holidays to all you amazing Saga Thing listeners out there! Over the past couple years we've put out a Holiday Special on or around Christmas Eve. It started with The Saga of Gudmund the Grunch. And then last year...
12.05.2022
Episode 36i - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 43-46)
This episode is all about Kjartan coming to terms with Bolli's betrayal. As he comes to realize his relationship with Gudrun came to an abrupt and unexpected end while he was overseas, Kjartan finds solace in his family and in...
11.06.2022
Episode 36h - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 40-43)
In this episode, Kjartan and Bolli say goodbye to Gudrun and to the safety of Iceland as they travel overseas to make a name for themselves in Norway. Unfortunately for them, Norway is in the midst of a political and...
10.08.2022
Episode 36g - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 35-40, but actually only to 38)
In this episode we go back to chapter 35 to pick up on the story of the Hebridean sorcerers. I don’t think you’ll be surprised to find out that they’re not exactly welcomed with open arms by the Icelanders. To...
09.06.2022
Episode 36f - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 31-36)
It's time to dive back into Laxdaela Saga! This time we're going to wander away from Olaf Peacock and his family for just a little while. Why? Because it's time to introduce Guðrún Ósvífsdóttir, one of the central figures of...
08.15.2022
Saga Brief 25: Saga Manuscripts and the Árni Magnússon Institute: An Interview with Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir
While Andy's away, John will play...a recording of his interview with Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavik. Join us for a discussion of Árni Magnússon's status as the savior of saga literature and the...
07.25.2022
Episode 36e - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 24-31)
In this episode, Olaf Peacock takes center stage as Hoskuld's life comes to a peaceful close. But don't think Hoskuld shuffles off this mortal coil before getting one last jab in at his estranged brother Hrut. This episode features an...
07.13.2022
Episode 36d - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 20-24)
In this episode, little Olaf Peacock travels to Norway and then to Ireland on a journey to meet his grandfather Myrkjartan. But how will he pay for it? Traveling overseas in the 10th century isn't cheap (it still isn't). How...
06.23.2022
Episode 36c - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 14-19)
We're back with the third installment of Laxdæla saga! In this episode, we meet a bunch of minor characters who play a role in the developing tensions in Laxárdalur (the Salmon River Valley). This surprisingly fun section starts with a...
05.20.2022
Episode 36b - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 7-13)
With the death of Aud the Deep-Minded and the marriage of her son Olaf Feilan at the end of last episode, you'd expect that we'd be following up on the trajectory of Olaf's life in this one. Instead, we stick...
04.27.2022
Saga Brief 24 - The Northman Interview with Robert Eggers and Sjón
In this episode, John and Andy sit down with Robert Eggers and Sjón to chat about the stories behind their recently released saga-inspired film The Northman. That’s right, we’re talking to the director and co-writers of the biggest Viking film...
04.16.2022
Episode 36a - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 1-7)
Laxdæla saga holds a special place in the world of medieval Icelandic literature. Of all the Sagas of Icelanders, Laxdæla saga is second only to Njáls saga in the number of surviving manuscripts, suggesting an evergreen enthusiasm and interest in...
03.28.2022
Episode 35b - Third Quarter Court (Results)
You voted for your favorites. Now it's time to hear the results. We discuss your choices and then answer some listener questions. Check out the results for yourself on our Third Quarter Court Results page here. Here are the Rus sources...
03.13.2022
Saga Brief 23 - Drinking in the Viking Age and the Sagas (Part II - How They Drank)
Skál! It's time for the second part of our Saga Brief series on Drinking in the Viking Age and the Sagas. We've already covered what they drank. Now it's time to look into how they drank. In this episode, we...
03.02.2022
Episode 35a - Third Quarter Court (Review)
After 5 action packed years, it's time to meet once again at the Saga Thing Quarter Court. In this episode, we review the judgment winners and a few interesting facts about our journey through the last 10 sagas. Now it's...
02.21.2022
Saga Brief 22 - Drinking in the Viking Age and the Sagas of Icelanders (Part 1 - What Were They Drinking)
In this long overdue Saga Brief, we discuss drinking in the Viking Age and the Sagas of Icelanders. This first part looks at what they were drinking and how it was perceived culturally. In the second part, coming soon, we'll...
02.13.2022
Episode 34c - The Saga of Gunnar of Keldugnup (Judgments)
It's time to put The Saga of Gunnar of Keldugnup on trial! And as much fun as it is to say Gunnars saga Keldugnúpsfífls, it's not one of medieval Iceland's better literary artifacts. We finally get to say what we've...
01.31.2022
Episode 34b - The Saga of Gunnar the Fool of Keldugnup
When last we left you, Gunnar had just killed a troll woman and a seemingly intelligent bear in an unknown frozen land (check out Jacob's great illustration of this and more of his work on his Instagram page). The troll...
01.19.2022
Episode 34a - The Saga of Gunnar the Fool of Keldugnup (chapters 1-5)
In this episode, we dive way down deep into the bag of Sagas of Icelanders to pull out a story that is rarely discussed or even read by experts much less casual fans of medieval Icelandic literature. That doesn't mean...
12.23.2021
’Twas the Night Before Christmas - A Visit from Glam
In this special Christmas episode of Saga Thing, John and Andy share a curious discovery from a very old journal. Few people know this, but 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (aka A Visit from St Nicholas) by Clement C. Moore...
12.21.2021
Saga Short 10 - The Tales of Thormod and Thorarin the Overbearing
If you thought we were done with The Saga of the Sworn Brothers, you were mostly correct. In this episode, we fill in a few gaps in the story of what happened around Thorgeir Havarsson's death. We start with Thormod's...
11.21.2021
Episode 33g - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (Judgments)
The time has come to put Fóstbrœðra saga (The Saga of the Sworn Brothers) on trial. In this episode, we review the whole saga as we run through our favorite judgment categories: Best Bloodshed, Body Count, Nicknames, Notable Witticisms, Outlawry,...
10.29.2021
Episode 33f - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (chapters 23-24)
In the final episode of our epic journey through Fóstbrœðra saga (The Saga of the Sworn Brothers) Thormod wraps up his business in Greenland and heads back to Norway and the loving companionship of his new BFF King Olaf. Unfortunately...
09.29.2021
Episode 33e - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (chapters 18-23)
In this episode, Thormod Kolbrun's-Poet sets out to avenge his sworn brother Thorgeir. But Thormod's in no hurry. First, he stops in Norway to bond with King Olaf. Then he travels to Greenland with a mysterious man called Gest to...
09.05.2021
Episode 33d - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (chapters 13-18)
In this episode, Thorgeir heads home to Iceland against King Olaf's advice. Despite being a known outlaw, things go pretty well for Thorgeir at first. His visit takes a turn for the worst when he encounters Gaut Sleituson up north....
08.08.2021
Episode 33c - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (chapters 7-13 with Thormod)
We're diving back into chapters 7-13 of The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (better known as Fóstbræðra saga). This time, we're featuring Thormod's side of the story. Whereas Thorgeir spends his time hacking and slashing his way toward a bad...
07.10.2021
Episode 33b - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (chapters 7-13 with Thorgeir)
When last we left you, Thorgeir and Thormod had decided to go their separate ways. In this episode, we follow Thorgeir on his travels as an outlawed exile from Iceland. As you'd expect, Thorgeir gets up to some things that...

What's Saga Thing about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Saga Thing episodes:

Episode 38e - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 14b-17)

Episode 38d - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 10-14a)

Episode 38c - Svarfdaela Saga (The Big Lacuna)

Episode 38b - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 6-10)

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

The Yule Lads

Hwaet a Movie - Episode 2 - The 13th Warrior

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

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

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

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

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

10th Anniversary of Saga Thing

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

Episode 37a - The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (chapters 1-5)

Saga Short 11 - The Tale of Bolli Bollason

Episode 36o - Laxdaela Saga (Judgments)

Episode 36n - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 72-78)

Saga Brief 24 - Slavery in the Viking Age (Live Presentation at the University of Connecticut)

Episode 36m - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 65-71)

Episode 36l - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 59-64)

Episode 36k - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 52-58)

Episode 36j - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 47-51)

Holiday Special - The Tale of Frosti Snjokarlinn

Episode 36i - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 43-46)

Episode 36h - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 40-43)

Episode 36g - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 35-40, but actually only to 38)

Episode 36f - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 31-36)

Saga Brief 25: Saga Manuscripts and the Árni Magnússon Institute: An Interview with Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir

Episode 36e - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 24-31)

Episode 36d - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 20-24)

Episode 36c - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 14-19)

Episode 36b - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 7-13)

Saga Brief 24 - The Northman Interview with Robert Eggers and Sjón

Episode 36a - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 1-7)

Episode 35b - Third Quarter Court (Results)

Saga Brief 23 - Drinking in the Viking Age and the Sagas (Part II - How They Drank)

Episode 35a - Third Quarter Court (Review)

Saga Brief 22 - Drinking in the Viking Age and the Sagas of Icelanders (Part 1 - What Were They Drinking)

Episode 34c - The Saga of Gunnar of Keldugnup (Judgments)

Episode 34b - The Saga of Gunnar the Fool of Keldugnup

Episode 34a - The Saga of Gunnar the Fool of Keldugnup (chapters 1-5)

’Twas the Night Before Christmas - A Visit from Glam

Saga Short 10 - The Tales of Thormod and Thorarin the Overbearing

Episode 33g - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (Judgments)

Episode 33f - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (chapters 23-24)

Episode 33e - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (chapters 18-23)

Episode 33d - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (chapters 13-18)

Episode 33c - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (chapters 7-13 with Thormod)

Episode 33b - The Saga of the Sworn Brothers (chapters 7-13 with Thorgeir)