Fjörn's Hall Podcast

Behold! the first episode of our read-through of R.M. Liuzza's translation of Beowulf! In this gathering, we discuss pages 11 through 18 of the introduction, which provides us with the knowledge that we need to responsibly read this epic poem (and medieval literature as a whole). Along the way, we highlight the following questions: how did a burnt, genre-defiant manuscript barely live to see its explosive popularity in later periods? What made Beowulf so popular, anyway? What are its narrative roots? Is it historically accurate? How have scholars tackled this work? And how should we approach it for ourselves? Join us in the Hall to hear more! ☕️ This episode was fueled by The Burnt-Njal from Fjorn's tea shop, The Northern Herbalist.

Occasionally, Viking fans and modern-day Norse pagans throw around the term álfablót (elf-sacrifice), but what does that actually involve? What is an elf-sacrifice, anyway? And what is it for? In this episode of the Fjorn's Hall Podcast, I share a few stories from medieval sources dealing with this topic: sacrifices made to the elves. Although there's not enough evidence to make any concrete claims about the practice, we do at least come to a conclusion that we can all find some peace in. Enjoy this episode as a blog post with in-text citations and detailed endnotes here. Fjorn's other projects: Creative writing (Norse-inspired fantasy): Tumblr blog, Twitter, Patreon Norse-inspired tea (The Northern Herbalist): Etsy Shop, Tumblr blog, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook Want to help support Fjorn's Hall? Check out our Patreon or shop for your favorite books using this link. Want to learn more about some of the sagas mentioned in this episode? Check out the Saga Thing Podcast!

When it comes to love in the medieval North, these are some of the most essential stories to know. We start things off with a fairly detailed discussion of Freyja, the free-spirited goddess of love and war, which includes some coverage of her ferocious cats and her experience with magic (seiðr). But after that, we enjoy the stories of Freyja’s unwanted suitors, the bear-curse love story of Bjorn and Bera, and finally the destructive love triangle between Gudrun, Kjartan, and Bolli. But if all of that isn’t enough, we even discuss a few Icelandic love spells. What’s not to love about this episode? For a full list of sources, including in-text citations, detailed endnotes, and several useful links, see the forthcoming blog-post version of this podcast episode at fjorns-hall.com. (I’ll update this as soon as it is posted.) Magical staves (pictures): Stave #1, Stave #2 Want to read the sagas and lore featured in this episode? Use the links below the find them and support the Hall: The Saga of the People of Vatnsdal Prose Edda Poetic Edda The Saga of Hrolf Kraki The Saga of the People of Laxardal Voice criticism or enthusiasm by sending a raven to fjorntheskald@gmail.com, leaving a review on iTunes, or by finding Fjörn on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram Support Fjörn's Hall: Buy Books Patreon Music credits: Intro/Outro: "Celtic Impulse" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Reading 1: "This House" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Reading 2: "As Loud as Possible" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Reading 3: "Thinking Music" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Reading 4: “Snow Drop” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Reading 5: "Final Count“ by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Readings 6 & 7: "Evening Fall" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) All music used by this podcast is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

Meet Njal's Saga, a medieval best-seller that most people haven't heard of. But despite its relative obscurity today, it stands out as an epic story fused with both archetypal heroes and the tragic social realities of the 'Viking' world, which have become a cage trapping them and plunging them into a endless tide of human violence beyond their control. Join me in the Hall to unpack this saga's historical and social context, where we highlight the scholarly praise, historical inspiration, and contemporary politics that all contributed to the development of this saga's incredible legacy. For a full list of sources, including in-text citations, detailed endnotes, and several useful links, see the blog-post version of this podcast episode at fjorns-hall.com. Additional resources for Njal's Saga can be found here. Voice criticism or enthusiasm by sending a raven to fjorntheskald@gmail.com, leaving a review on iTunes, or by finding Fjörn on social media: Twitter Facebook Instagram Name drops: Saga Thing (website, blog post) Want to read Njal's Saga? Get your copy here and support the Hall. Support Fjörn's Hall: Buy Books Patreon Music credits: Intro/Outro: "Celtic Impulse" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Reading 1: "Evening Fall" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Reading 2: "Pale Rider" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Reading 3: "Frozen Star" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Reading 4: "Thinking Music" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) All music used by this podcast is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)

Many of the great sagas and ancient lore from the medieval North recount endless, bloody feuds between generations of prominent families: a conflict ends, peace is made, and two families become one through marriage—but slander, envy, and old wounds spoil the sweet sap of peace, leaving only the smoldering ash of conflict behind. But despite the fact that many sagas seem to be critical of feuding, it was still a sophisticated process with social norms and appropriate procedures imbedded into it. This podcast episode serves as an introduction to the complex world of feuding in the medieval North, which will help everyone to better understand and enjoy its fascinating literature and lore. For a full list of sources, including detailed endnotes, books, articles, and other resources, please visit the blog-post version of this episode at fjorns-hall.com If you'd like to voice any criticism or enthusiasm, feel free to send a raven to fjorntheskald@gmail.com---or, you can find me on social media: Twitter(@Fjorn_the_Skald) Facebook(@FjorntheSkald) Instagram(@fjorn_the_skald) Name Drops: Lee from the Viking Age Podcast Siobhán Clark from The Myths Legends & Lore Podcast Kevin McAllister from Going Viking John and Andy from Saga Thing Luke and Dan from the Northern Myths Podcast Noah from The History of Vikings Podcast Music Credits: Prelude ♪ "Snowdrop" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Intro/Outro ♪ “Celtic Impulse” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Speech ♪ "Blue Feather" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) All music used by this podcast is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)  

Winter Nights is nearly upon us! And what better time is there to chat about spirits? In this gathering, we explore the roles and importance of the land-spirits in Norse culture and society through 16 different primary sources from the medieval period. Along the way, we discuss the heathen holiday known as Winter Nights, some of Iceland’s earliest pagan laws, the reasons why Vikings put dragon-prows on their ships, Iceland’s settlement, dirty poetic slander, whale-wizards, expressions of power, and so much more! If you like elves, spirits, and norse mythology, then you definitely don’t want to miss this episode. Social Media Links: ➳ Blog➳ Twitter➳ Instagram➳ Facebook Name Drops: ➳ Saga Thing (John and Andy) Primary Sources Used/Mentioned: Gisli’s Saga Killer-Glum’s Saga The Book of Icelanders The Tale of Thorstein Bull’s Leg The Book of Settlements Heimskringla The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason The Saga of Hakon the Good The Saga of the Ynglings Njal’s Saga The Saga of the People of Vopnafjord The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and of Killer-Skuta The Saga of the People of Eyri Hen-Thorir’s Saga The Saga of the People of Floi Egil’s Saga  Gulathing Law Code (quoted here from Mundal, see below) Hauksbók Sermon (quoted here from Mundal, see below) The Tale of Thorvald the Far-Travelled Secondary Sources Used/Mentioned: Else Mundal, “Remnants of Old Norse Heathendom in Popular Religion in Christian Times.” (From Medieval Christianity in the North: New Studies) Margaret Clunies Ross, “Land-Taking and Text-Making in Medieval Iceland.” (From Text and Territory: Geographical Imagination in the European Middle Ages.) Jesse Byock, Viking Age Iceland. Music Credits: ♪ Intro/Outro: “Celtic Impulse” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)♪ Interludes: “Firesong” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)♪ All Music Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0) Acknowledgements: My sincerest thanks go to Fjörn’s Fellowship (on Patreon) for their gracious support. Without your companionship, this Hall would be nothing. Here are the names (taken from Patreon) of those who supported me while I wrote this post: Anasasia Haysler, Froggy, Jonas Lau Markussen, Kathleen Phillips, Patch, and Sarah Dunn. Þakka ykkur kærlega fyrir!

Behold! a modern Viking’s poem! Hear a skald recite the first part of an epic poem inspired by Gisli Sursson’s Saga, a work of medieval Icelandic literature written during the 13th century. This part of the poem recounts the first chapter of that saga, which takes place in Norway just a few generations before Gisli’s time. Quick to get bloody, it involves two duels and two men who struggle to the death over a precious sword. And did I mention a berserk named Bjorn? Who will prevail? How will these bloody duels end? Find out in this performance of Gisli Sursson’s Epic!

A bear is a Viking's best friend, so why not make it a fancy one? In this tale, we follow the journey of a humble Icelandic farmer named Audun, an attractive polar bear with rosy red cheeks, and two salty Norse kings who are at war with one another. Audun's goal is to deliver this bear as a gift to King Svein of Denmark, but will King Harald Hardradi of Norway allow Audun safe passage to his enemy? Will Audun always be running out of money? Could Audun's humility manage to bring these two kings together? And will our attractive polar bear companion ever be recognized for anything beyond its devastatingly good looks? Find out in this gathering at Fjörn's Hall!

In this gathering we talk about the remarkable Aud the Deep-minded, an impressive woman from medieval Iceland who boldly saved her family from destruction and became one of Iceland's most famous settlers. But there's a catch: she hasn't always been remembered in quite the same way. In the sagas recounting her deeds, she has been called both Unn and Aud; and although they each refer to the same person, those names reflect alternative versions of both her story and her identity. And so, the aim of this gathering is not only to enjoy her impressive saga(s), but also to unravel the different ways that she has been remembered by the authors who retold her story throughout the medieval period.

In this gathering by the hearthside, we’re sharing the stories of three legendary swords from the sagas of the medieval North: Gramr, Sköfnungr, and Grásíða! And while we do, we’re going to find them plunged into trees by a strange old man, stolen from burial mounds by Icelandic Vikings, and manhandled by a headstrong poet. But if that’s not interesting enough, we’re also going to slay a dragon, cut off someone’s back end, introduce ourselves to a sword-dwelling snake, and fix a broken blade with some sorcery. By the end, we’ll not only have cool stories to tell our friends, but also learn a thing or two about what these swords meant for the people telling their tales. Honestly, what’s not to like? It’s a great deal! So tune in to Fjörn’s Hall, if you’d like to hear more!