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 in Iceland? How did he get to Iceland? Is that even the same Thorstein or is it Thorstein's son or maybe his grandson? And what the hell is happening here!?!

But never fear, we successfully steer the Saga Thing ship through the dangerous waters of the Big Lacuna and reach the other side of the saga safely. Along the way, we explore how a lacuna this big happens, what its effects are, and how scholars work to fill the empty space left in the narrative. Good times!

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Music Credits

Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod

Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod

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 lost his brother Thorolf in the battle. Eager to bury his beloved brother in style, Thorstein heads for the shores of Sweden where he'll meet an aging jarl with a problem that only the bravest of men could possibly resolve. This episode features a nice blend of all that good medieval literature has to offer.

Along the way, we navigate around a little lacuna at an important moment in the text and then get sucked into the gaping maw of the big lacuna that separates the two parts of this saga. It's a pretty wild ride.

If you're interested in learning more about the rules of the holmgang as it appears in the Icelandic sagas, check out this old Saga Brief on the subject: Saga Brief 2: Holmgang, or The Icelandic Art of Dueling

Share your thoughts on the saga so far and join in on the conversations here:

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Music Credits

Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod

Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod

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 MacLeod

Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod

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 Kötlum

Thirteen altogether,

They came from the mountains,

Creeping up, all stealth,

Grýla was their mother –

They hid where they could, with a cunning look or sneer,

They were called the Yuletide lads

And even when they were seen,

The first of them was Sheep-Cote Clod.

He came stiff as wood,

He wished to suck the ewes,

The second was Gully Gawk,

Hiding in the stalls,

Stubby was the third called,

And scurrying away with it,

The fourth was Spoon Licker;

Then stepping up, he grappled

Pot Scraper, the fifth one,

And they would rush to see

Bowl Licker, the sixth one,

And when the bowls were left

The seventh was Door Slammer,

he was happy as a lark

Skyr Gobbler, the eighth,

Then he stood there gobbling

The ninth was Sausage Swiper, a shifty pilferer.

Sitting on a crossbeam

The tenth was Window Peeper,

And whatever was inside

Eleventh was Door Sniffer,

He caught the scent of lace

Meat Hook, the twelfth one,

He snagged himself a morsel

The thirteenth was Candle Beggar –

He trailed after the little ones

On Christmas night itself

Then one by one they trotted off

Their footprints in the highlands

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.

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 MacLeod

Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod

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?

Join in on the conversation here:

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Music Credits

Intro Music - "Prelude and Action" by Kevin MacLeod

Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod

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 MacLeod

Review Music - "The Royal Vagabond Medley" by Jocker's Dance Orchestra

Poetry Music - – “Fornheim” by Danheim

Outro Music - "Stormfront" by Kevin MacLeod

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

Segment and Outro Music - Guilty (Juno Reactor Mix)

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!