It's time to begin our series on Ljósvetninga Saga! In this episode, we introduce the saga and work our way through the first four chapters.

While Ljósvetninga Saga focuses on the career of Guðmundr inn ríki (Gudmund the Powerful), he plays a small role in this episode. Instead, we focus on a conflict between Thorgeir Lawspeaker and his sons over the fate of an outlaw. This one is the apéritif served to get you in the mood for an expansive and rather interesting saga that puts the elite chieftains of medieval Iceland on trial.

Throughout this series, we'll be making reference to Law and Literature in Medieval Iceland by William Ian Miller and Theodore M. Andersson. It is the translation we're using and it's full of valuable footnotes and discussion.

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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/

In this episode, we review the second Tale of Halldor Snorrason (Halldórs þáttr Snorrasonar inn síðari) from the 13th-century Morkinskinna (moldy or rotten skin/parchment). If you enjoyed the first of Halldor's tales, we think you'll like this one even more. Last time, Halldor pushed his relationship with King Harald Hardrada to the brink but in this episode he may just push things over the edge. One thing's for sure, these BFFs are heading for a nasty breakup.

Along the way, we talk about a place called Kaupangr and delve into the naming history of Trondheim. If you're curious about the appearance of Kaupangr/kaupangr in AM 66 fol. that we discuss in the first section, you are welcome to have a look for yourself:

Take a moment to explore AM 66 fol., also known as Hulda (Hidden Manuscript).  Why AM 66? Because there's a lacuna that cuts off the beginning of Halldor's tale in the Morkinskinna. Manuscripts be like that sometimes.

We also talk about an interesting little detail in the story concerning King Harald's efforts to introduce a coin-based economy into 11th-century Norway. The tale tells of Haraldsslátta (Harald's coins) and Halldor Snorrason's less than enthusiastic reception of these coins as a form of payment. Here are a few samples of the coins in question:

As if that weren't enough, we also get to talk about drinking horns and the feasting obligations, adding to our previous Saga Briefs on Drinking in the Viking Age - What They Drank and How They Drank.

This tale is full of fascinating little details about the culture that we don't often get in the more sparsely told sagas of Icelanders. We stop throughout the episode to appreciate some of these, so be warned that this episode has a fair amount of digressions. We just couldn't help ourselves.

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Music Credits

Intro Music - from “Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom

Poetry Music - "Morgana Rides " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outro Music - From “Óðinn” by Krauka

Gleðileg jól frá Saga Thing! Long before Charles Dickens penned his beloved A Christmas Carol, a well-known and infamous Icelander seems to have had a similar idea. While less wholesome and optimistic than the Dickens classic, there’s surely a lesson somewhere in this tale that we’re calling Egil’s Yuletide Carol.

Inspired by the 1930s radio dramatizations of A Christmas Carol starring Lionel Barrymore, we’ve tried our hand at producing a radioplay of our own here. Such an undertaking involves a lot of help from friends and family. Our thanks to all who contributed.

Cast (in order of appearance)

John Sexton: Narrator, Egil, Old Egil, and Servant Woman 2

Andy Pfrenger: Ketil Cratchet, Olaf Peacock, Thorolf Skallagrimsson, Skallagrim Kveldulfsson, Snorri Sturluson, and Other Voices

Wendy Pfrenger: Thorgerd Egilsdottir

Heather Nabbefeld: Thorgerd Brak

Sebastian Pfrenger: Grim Heggjason and Servant 2

Johnny Sexton: Very Young Egil

Carl Sexton: Young Egil

Gwen Pfrenger: Bera Yngvarsdottir (Egil’s Mother) and Other Kid

Joshua Eyler: Arinbjorn

With Rex Factor’s own Graham Duke guest starring as King Athelstan

Share your thoughts on this holiday special through our social media and let us know what you think the moral of the story might be.

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Music Credits

Intro Music – “Prelude and Action” by Kevin MacLeod (now with sleigh bells)
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4236-prelude-and-action

Egil’s Yuletide Carol Theme Music – “Canon and Variation” by Twin Musicom
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Narrator’s Music – “Drømde mik en drøm i nat is” performed by Mare Balticum

Brunanburh Party Music – “Cantina Band” composed by John Williams and performed on hammered dulcimer by TheEadgyth and Kravik Lyre – Nordic Folk Music (instrumental) by A Tergo Lupi

Egil’s Poetry Music – “Einvaldi” by Herknungr

Hwæt a Movie returns with Beowulf: Prince of the Geats! Given how hard this one is to find, we’d be surprised if any of you have seen it.

Released in March 2007, shortly after SYFY's Grendel and ahead of Robert Zemeckis's Beowulf, this Scott Wegener-directed indie film dives into the epic tale with a unique take on the hero and his legendary battles. And while the film’s limited budget and production constraints might be apparent, its dedication to the original text shines through. Making the film more charming and admirable is the fact that the production team and actors all worked for free on this passion project. All proceeds from the sale of the DVDs for Beowulf: Prince of the Geats went to aid both the American and Norwegian Cancer Societies. Get a sense of the film by watching the trailer here.

The film stars both Jayshan Jackson and Damon Lynch III as the younger and older Beowulf. Wegener’s decision to depict Beowulf as the son of an adventuring African fisherman offers some interesting possibilities and an approach to the character that we haven’t seen yet. It’s also one of the few film adaptations to follow Beowulf home to Geatland after his time in Denmark.

As always, our episode includes an exhaustive summary of the film, a Q&A discussion, and our final ratings. How do these versions of Beowulf, Grendel, and Grendel’s Mother stack up against those we’ve seen before? And how does this quirky, low-budget film score on its fidelity to the source material and its overall entertainment value?

As the length of the episode might suggest, we’ve got a lot to say about this one. This was a delightful film to unpack, and we hope you enjoy hearing about it as much as we enjoyed discussing it.

If you’re interested in reading more about Wegener’s decision to cast black actors to play Beowulf and the responses it prompted, check out the following articles and discussions:

Clark, David. "Race/Ethnicity and the Other in Beowulf". In Beowulf in Contemporary Culture, edited by David Clark, 31-50. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019.

Nokes, Richard Scott. "Beowulf: Prince of the Geats, Nazis, and Odinists". Old English Newsletter. 41, no. 3 (2008): 26–32.

Listen to our overview, watch the trailer (or find the film if you can), and let us know what you think on our social media:

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Saga Thing returns once again to the tales of Icelanders from the sagas of Norwegian kings with a surprise double feature of tales involving Halldór Snorrason, the son of Snorri goði and longtime companion of King Harald "harðráða" Sigurdsson.

We open with The Tale of the Story-wise Icelander [Íslendings þáttr sögufróða], a fun little story about an Icelander who makes a name for himself telling tales and sagas in the court of an older King Harald. But how will the notoriously grumpy king react when the Icelander begins telling the saga of Harald's own adventures as a member of the Varangian Guard in Constantinople? And where might an Icelander who's never met King Harald have learned so many detailed stories about the king's life?

But that little þáttr is just an appetizer. The real meal here is The First Tale of Halldór Snorrason [Halldórs þáttr Snorrasonar]. Set during the early years of King Harald's reign in Norway, this tale shows what happens when Halldór steps in to defend an Icelander from Harald's wrath. Then things get real messy when Halldór has a run in with a kinsman of the powerful chieftain Einar Paunch-Shaker [þambarskelfir]. It's a real "out of the frying pan and into the fire" kind of story for Halldór in this one. How will Halldór manage to get out of this mess?

Along the way, we talk about the life of Halldór and some of his more noteworthy descendants. We also spend some time discussing his place in the various sagas of King Harald Sigurdsson. If you want to read the infamous Snorri Sturluson's version, which includes several episodes featuring his great-great-great-grandfather Halldór Snorrason, you'll want to pick up a copy of the Heimskringla or the stand-alone Penguin edition King Harald's Saga.

We'll be back soon with The Second Tale of Halldór Snorrason where his relationship with King Harald is once again tested.

Listen and then share your thoughts on our social media:

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Music Credits

Intro Music - from “Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom

Poetry Music - "Morgana Rides " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outro Music - From “Óðinn” by Krauka

Hwæt a Movie returns with the Beowulf film you didn’t know you needed to see: SYFY’s Grendel. Released at the start of 2007, ahead of Beowulf: Prince of the Geats and Robert Zemeckis’s Beowulf, Grendel rides the wave of Beowulf-mania that was sweeping nation back then. Or perhaps it started the craze?

And while you might think based on the title that this film picks up where Beowulf and Grendel left off with a more nuanced and sympathetic approach to this epic medieval monster, you’d be wrong. Grendel gives us the more violent and aggressive side of this famous shadow-walker.

Chris Bruno stars as Beowulf in this Nick Lyon directed film adaptation of our favorite Old English poem. As you’ll see, no one can spin a tale of exposition or spin round and round in combat this Beowulf. With Ben Cross as King Hrothgar and Marina Sirtis as his queen, Onela—wait, Queen Onela? If you know your Beowulf, or your Swedish history, then you may have spotted a problem here. But hey, the film also features a crossbow that shoots magic exploding arrows. Realism and textual fidelity isn’t what makes this movie fun!

Each episode of Hwaet a Movie includes an exhaustive summary and discussion of the film, a brief Q&A, 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 entertainment value.

This one was a real pleasure to discuss. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Once you've listened, reach out and let us know how we did. Was this the perfect Beowulf? Or is there still room for improvement? Have you seen Grendel? Share your thoughts on our social media:

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All music taken from the film for this episode is by Nathan Furst.

It's time to put Valla-Ljot's Saga on trial. How will this brief story that's less than a single Hrafnkel hold up under scrutiny? Is there enough violence for a proper round of Best Bloodshed and Body Count? With only a few nicknames, how will John stretch his section out to the usual length? What kind of surprise reveal does John drop on Andy at the start of Thingmen? And how does Valla-Ljot's Saga perform when all is said and done? Does it have what it takes to compete with the greats of Saga Thing past? There's only one way to find out!

While you're waiting for the next episode of Saga Thing, check out The Partially Examined Life.

Did we get things right? How would you have judged Valla-Ljot's Saga? Who would you have chosen for thingman? Share your thoughts on our social media:

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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’re back, and not a moment too soon! After the pot-stirring life and unceremonious death of Halli Troublemaker at the hands (and axe) of Valla-Ljöt Ljotolfsson, Halli’s older brother Hrolf Jaw retaliated by having Ljöt’s nephew Thorvard killed by a squad of murderers at a market. Now the whole valley’s on edge, waiting to see whether a carefully-brokered truce between Ljöt and Guðmund the Powerful can bring peace to the Tumultuous Valley. But men on both sides are looking for an excuse to shatter the peace once more.

What happens when Halli’s younger brother and son return from overseas to find out what’s been happening in their absence? Why is Thorvard’s foster-brother Sigmund skiing all over the valley in a snowstorm and disturbing everyone’s sleep? Can Havarð the Norwegian companion survive among all these pugnacious Icelanders? And why is Ljöt hiding a golden spear from his own family?

Join us for the conclusion to Valla-Ljöts saga!

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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/

While we may have finished Svarfdaela Saga, we're not done with the most tumultuous valley of medieval Iceland just yet. In this episode, we pick up with the next generation. The lead actors in this little drama are Halli, the grandson of Karl the Red, and Ljot (aka Valla-Ljot), the son of Ljotolf the godi. And though the tensions between Karl and Ljotolf's families had cooled at the end of Svarfdaela Saga, it doesn't take Halli long to get things boiling once again.

This saga also features the return of Gudmund the Powerful (Guðmundr inn ríki Eyjólfsson), who we've seen pop in from time to time in other sagas as a power broker. He's going to be playing a big part in this saga and then again in Ljósvetninga saga. Now's as good a time as any to start forming an opinion on this guy.

We hope you enjoy this one!

Listen and then share your thoughts on our social media:

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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/

It's time for the third installment of our side project known as Hwaet a Movie! In this episode, we give the Saga Thing treatment to the 2005 Canadian-Icelandic film Beowulf and Grendel. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and watch it (even if our review might not cast it in the brightest light). The film stars Gerard Butler as Beowulf, Stellan Skarsgård as Hrothgar, and Sarah Polley as Selma the witch. Don't worry if one of those characters doesn't sound familiar. And while the film could be better in a number of ways, we do appreciate much of what they were attempting here.

As an added bonus, the film was shot in Iceland. That means that no matter what's happening at the front of a scene, there's always a beautiful backdrop for this interesting interpretation of the epic Old English poem about a monster-fighting Geat in Denmark.

Each Hwaet a Movie episode includes an exhaustive summary and discussion, a brief Q&A, 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 entertainment value.

This one takes a while to get through, but that's because this one offers a lot of grist for the mill.

We'll be back after Valla-Ljot's Saga with the next installment of Hwaet a Movie. And don't worry, we've only scratched the surface of Beowulf movies so far.

Though Svarfdaela Saga itself is behind us, the story of the inhabitants of the Tumultuous Valley continues. In this episode, we follow Thorleif Asgeirsson, one of Klaufi's killers and the brother of Yngvild.

As you'll discover, Thorleif has that independent spirit that Icelanders carry with them into the courts of Norwegian rulers. He's also got a talent for poetry, which serves him well both at home and abroad. But his real talent is magic, which he learned from his uncle and father. All of this combines for some interesting encounters with Jarl Hákon Sigurdsson.

This short story is both shocking and hilarious. It's got everything you could ask for, including a young man chasing his hopes and dreams, a robbery, some senseless violence, black magic, plenty of poetry, and even a golem-like construct with a vengeful heart.  Oh, and it's pretty funny too. Needless to say, it's one of our favorite þættr.

Join us as we explore the Tale of Thorleif Earl's Poet!

Richard Cole's "French Connection, or Thorr versus the Golem."

Listen and then share your thoughts on our social media:

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Music Credits

Intro Music - from “Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom

Poetry Music - "Morgana Rides " Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Outro Music - From “Óðinn” by Krauka