Saga Thing8 Loka 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?

Or perhaps you'd like to start with Béroul’s The Romance of Tristan:

And finally, we make reference to one of our favorite scholarly articles on Grettir's Saga, Kathryn Hume's "The Thematic Design of Grettis Saga" from The Journal of English and Germanic Philology 73.4 (1974): 469-86. It's quite fascinating and worth a read. Free to everyone with access to JSTOR.

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Episode 41c - Víga-Glúm's Saga (chapters 10-15)

In this episode, Glúm continues to establish himself as a leading figure in southern Eyjafjörður. We start with a brief overview of the many marriages that take place at this stage of the saga, includ...

25 Helmi 1h 40min

Episode 41b - Viga-Glum's Saga (chapters 6-9)

Saga Thing returns after a much-needed holiday to pick up the story of young Glúm Eyjólfsson, better known to history as Víga-Glúm. When last we left you, Glúm's father (Eyjólf, who some called Lump) ...

5 Tammi 1h 45min

Episode 41a - Viga-Glum's Saga (chapters 1-5)

We’re thrilled to kick off our first episode of Víga-Glúms saga, the last of the sagas of Eyjafjörð. Víga-Glúms saga is one of the great character-driven Íslendingasögur, often drawing comparisons to ...

25 Marras 20251h 39min

Saga Short 15 - Halloween Tales featuring "The Cairn-Dweller's Tale" (Kumlbúa þáttr) and The Dream of Thorstein Siðu-Hallsson

A little Halloween treat for all you Saga Thing fans. You'll want to listen with headphones to get the full effect on these two spooky tales. Listen and then share your thoughts on our social media: S...

31 Loka 202525min

Hwaet a Movie - Episode 6 - Beowulf (2007)

Hwæt a Movie is back! This time we dive deep into the uncanny valley epic Beowulf from 2007. Released at the height of Robert Zemeckis's motion-capture mania, this version of our favorite Old English ...

20 Loka 20252h 18min

Saga Brief 28 - Ljósvetninga Saga Interview with Dr. Yoav Tirosh

In this episode, we finally sit down with Dr. Yoav Tirosh, one of the leading voices in Old Norse–Icelandic studies and an all-around fascinating person to talk to. Yoav has written extensively on top...

7 Loka 20251h 40min

Episode 40i - Ljósvetninga Saga (Judgments)

After nearly a year of working our way through Ljósvetninga Saga, it is finally time to bring it to the Saga Thing and pass judgments. As always, we'll pass out awards for Best Bloodshed, Nicknames, a...

17 Syys 20251h 56min

Episode 40h - Ljósvetninga Saga (chapters 28-31)

In this episode, we finally come to the end of Ljósvetninga saga! And there are a lot of loose ends to wrap up. Eyjolf Guðmundarson still burns for vengeance against his brother’s killers, but the cou...

12 Elo 20251h 31min

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