Saga Thing

By Saga Thing

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.... more

4.9

397397 ratings

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FAQs about Saga Thing:

How many episodes does Saga Thing have?

The podcast currently has 240 episodes available.

Saga Thing episodes:

October 08, 2015 Episode 16d - Grettir’s Saga (Part 4)
In the thrilling conclusion to Grettir’s Saga, we follow the slender armed Thorstein Dromund on
his quest to avenge his brother. Thorstein’s
adventures carry him from the shores of Norway to the bustling city of
Constantinople, where the exiled King Harald Hardrada leads a rag tag bunch of
Scandinavians called the Varangian Guard.
And if you thought the Grettir’s Saga author would pass up the chance to
throw in another giant of saga literature, you were sorely mistaken. Sadly, Harald is only featured in a
cameo. The real story of the Grettir’s
Saga epilogue is the love affair of Thorstein and Spes. Often referred to as the Spésar þáttr (The Tale of Spes “Hope”), the epilogue contrasts the
epic ethos of the saga world with the more playful spirit of the continental
romances. If you have ever encountered
the famous story of Tristan and Isolde, where the two lovers consistently
outwit Isolde’s bumbling husband, King Mark, you’ll feel right at home in the Spésar þáttr. Join us as we review this deceptively simple epilogue
and discuss its potential value for understanding the rest of Grettir’s Saga.

Along the way, we make reference to a few items of
interest. First among these are the blog
sites featuring Drangey Island. There
are some pretty impressive pictures on these blogs and stories about Drangey:

1. http://stuckiniceland.com/north/the-outlaws-paradise/

2. http://fooface.blogspot.com/2006/07/epic-climb.html

And if you want to take our advice and visit Drangey for
yourself, tours are available here: http://www.drangey.net/

Interested in the Brother Robert's 13th century Saga of Tristram and Isond
...more
1h 20min
September 22, 2015 Episode 16c - Grettir's Saga (Part 3)

The Saga of Grettir the Strong continues. In this episode, Grettir arrives home in Iceland only to discover that his father has passed away, his brother has been slain by Thorbjorn Oxen-might, and that he himself has been outlawed for the accidental burning of Thorir of Gard's sons in Norway. That's a lot to take in all at once. As an outlaw, Grettir is forced to lurk in the wilds, hide in caves, and rely on the kindness of others for food. Since Grettir's not terribly kind himself, he usually just steals what he needs. Join us as we discuss the last of Grettir's adventures, including amazing feats of strength, battles with a troll-hag and a giant, and a rocky encounter with a witch. Will Grettir get stumped by the witch's black magic? Will he go out in a blaze of glory? And will he ever recover from the embarrassment of his exposed manhood? Find out in this episode of Saga Thing.
...more
1h 32min
September 22, 2015 Episode 16c - Grettir’s Saga (Part 3)

The Saga of Grettir the Strong continues. In this episode, Grettir arrives home in Iceland only to discover that his father has passed away, his brother has been slain by Thorbjorn Oxen-might, and that he himself has been outlawed for the accidental burning of Thorir of Gard's sons in Norway. That's a lot to take in all at once. As an outlaw, Grettir is forced to lurk in the wilds, hide in caves, and rely on the kindness of others for food. Since Grettir's not terribly kind himself, he usually just steals what he needs. Join us as we discuss the last of Grettir's adventures, including amazing feats of strength, battles with a troll-hag and a giant, and a rocky encounter with a witch. Will Grettir get stumped by the witch's black magic? Will he go out in a blaze of glory? And will he ever recover from the embarrassment of his exposed manhood? Find out in this episode of Saga Thing.
...more
1h 32min
August 13, 2015 Episode 16b - Grettir's Saga (Part 2)

In this episode we follow Grettir through three of his most famous battles against an undead Kar the Old, a giant Norwegian bear, and Iceland's most famous draugr, Glam. We also catch Grettir stumbling in a clumsy fight for fire that will eventually seal his fate as an outlaw forever. This one runs a little longer than the average episode of Saga Thing, but with so much excellent material to cover, we just couldn't resist.
...more
1h 32min
August 13, 2015 Episode 16b - Grettir’s Saga (Part 2)

In this episode we follow Grettir through three of his most famous battles against an undead Kar the Old, a giant Norwegian bear, and Iceland's most famous draugr, Glam. We also catch Grettir stumbling in a clumsy fight for fire that will eventually seal his fate as an outlaw forever. This one runs a little longer than the average episode of Saga Thing, but with so much excellent material to cover, we just couldn't resist.
...more
1h 32min
July 23, 2015 Episode 15b - The First Quarter Court Results

The results are in and your votes have been tallied. Listen to the Quarter Court Results show to find out how your favorite candidates did. John and Andy also take time to answer your questions about podcasting, sagas, and which character they each resemble most. We'll provide links to some of the websites and other podcasts we mention on our own webpage www.sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com
As always, thanks for listening!
...more
53min
July 17, 2015 Episode 16a - Grettir's Saga (Part 1)
In this epic multi-part episode, we tell the story of Iceland’s most famous and
longest surviving outlaw, Grettir Asmundarson.
Join us as we trace his life, from its tempestuous beginning to its
tragic end. Before we delve into his
amazing exploits as an adult, we must look back to his origins. In traditional
saga fashion, we begin with his great grandfather, Onund Treefoot. We follow
Onund’s efforts to resist the increasing power of King Harald Fairhair and his struggles
to come to terms with the loss of his property and his leg. Forced to redefine his own identity and to
make a new life in foreign lands, he emerges as the truest hero in the saga,
renowned as “the bravest and most agile of all the one-legged men in
Iceland.” From Onund, we wend our way
through battles over whale corpses, murder, and legal cases in the genealogy until
we arrive at Grettir himself. We’ll look
briefly at Grettir’s inglorious youth, his troubled relationship with his
father, Asmund, and the events leading up to his first outlawry. Will Grettir learn to control his temper and
put his strength to good use? Or will he flout the norms of society and
continue to make his own way more difficult?
Find out as Saga Thing takes on Grettir’s
Saga (chapters 1-20).
This handy genealogy will help you keep some of the names straight in your minds
...more
1h 15min
July 17, 2015 Episode 16a - Grettir’s Saga (Part 1)
In this epic multi-part episode, we tell the story of Iceland’s most famous and
longest surviving outlaw, Grettir Asmundarson.
Join us as we trace his life, from its tempestuous beginning to its
tragic end. Before we delve into his
amazing exploits as an adult, we must look back to his origins. In traditional
saga fashion, we begin with his great grandfather, Onund Treefoot. We follow
Onund’s efforts to resist the increasing power of King Harald Fairhair and his struggles
to come to terms with the loss of his property and his leg. Forced to redefine his own identity and to
make a new life in foreign lands, he emerges as the truest hero in the saga,
renowned as “the bravest and most agile of all the one-legged men in
Iceland.” From Onund, we wend our way
through battles over whale corpses, murder, and legal cases in the genealogy until
we arrive at Grettir himself. We’ll look
briefly at Grettir’s inglorious youth, his troubled relationship with his
father, Asmund, and the events leading up to his first outlawry. Will Grettir learn to control his temper and
put his strength to good use? Or will he flout the norms of society and
continue to make his own way more difficult?
Find out as Saga Thing takes on Grettir’s
Saga (chapters 1-20).
This handy genealogy will help you keep some of the names straight in your minds
...more
1h 15min
June 10, 2015 Episode 15 - The First Quarter Court
Join us as we gather at the Saga Thing law rock for a Quarter Court to review the judgments for the first 10 sagas of the podcast (Hrafnkel through Bjorn Champion of the Hitardal People). After reviewing the greatest hits from each category, we turn it over to you, our loyal thingmen, to judge the winners. Cast your vote for Best Bloodshed, Nicknames, Notable Witticisms, Outlawry, and Thingmen by visiting our website sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com between June 12th and July 19th. We'll present the results at the end of July or beginning of August.
In that episode we will also make time to answer your questions about all the saga things you care to ask about and to share any comments you might have. Send comments and questions to our email [email protected] or to our Twitter (sagathingpod) or Facebook (sagathingpodcast). We look forward to hearing from you!
...more
1h 18min
May 29, 2015 Episode 14c - The Saga of the People of Vatnsdal (Judgments)
It’s time to put Vatnsdæla Saga on trial. We've got plenty of bloodshed, a decent pile of bodies to count, too many nicknames for one episode, and much much more. This saga also boasts the largest number of potential outlaws we've seen, which raises the question: Will Hrolleif's crimes continue to go unpunished? John and Andy sift through all the villains and heroes for you. But with so many excellent men to choose from, who will make the cut and join the ranks of the podcast's thingmen? And just how many large cats do you think you could take out with Aettartangi? The answers to many of these questions can only be found here in the conclusion to Saga Thing's coverage of Vatnsdæla Saga.
...more
1h 14min

FAQs about Saga Thing:

How many episodes does Saga Thing have?

The podcast currently has 240 episodes available.

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