UIcelandX: UOI001X The Medieval Icelandic Sagas

Hjalti‘s favorite saga woman is Þorbjörg of Grettis saga, whose actions saved Grettir in Chapter 52

Hjalti mentions a scene in Eiriks saga rauða in which we get a really good (rare) description of a pagan ritual done by a woman called the litlavölva. Read it in Chapter 4 here. This is the only scene in a saga which apparently passes the Bechdel test!

 Anita‘s favorite, Queen Gunnhildr, appears in both Egils saga and in Njáls saga. In the latter, she is most famous for putting a curse on the character of Hrút. After Hrút comes to Norway to petition her son, King Haraldr Finehair, for an inheritance which has become contested, she lures him into her bed, where he happily stays for some months. When it is time for him to leave, Gunnhildr asks if he has another woman waiting for him. Hrútr lies and says no. 

The queen lays a curse on Hrut: "You will not have sexual pleasure with the woman you plan to marry in Iceland, though you'll be able to have your will with other women. Neither of us comes out of this well, because you did not tell me the truth."

Later in the story, his now-wife, Unnr asks for a divorce:

Svo mun vera verða," segir hún. "Eg vildi segja skilið við Hrút og má eg segja þér hverja sök eg má helst gefa honum. Hann má ekki hjúskaparfar eiga við mig svo að eg megi njóta hans en hann er að allri náttúru sinn annarri sem hinir vöskustu menn."

"Hversu má svo vera?" segir Mörður, "og seg mér enn gerr."

Hún svarar: "Þegar hann kemur við mig þá er hörund hans svo mikið að hann má ekki eftirlæti hafa við mig en þó höfum við bæði breytni til þess á alla vega að við mættum njótast en það verður ekki. En þó áður við skiljum sýnir hann það af sér að hann er í æði sínu rétt sem aðrir menn."

"I want to divorce Hrut, and I can tell you what my main charge against him is - he is not able to have sexual intercourse in a way that gives me pleasure, though otherwise his nature is that of the manliest of men."

"How can that be?" said Mord. "Give us more details." 

She answered, "When he comes close to me, his penis is so large that he can't have any satisfaction from me, and yet we've both tried every possible way to enjoy each other, but nothing works. By the time we part, however, he shows that he's just like other men.”

Obviously, there is a lot to explore about women and gender issues in scenes such as this!

To explore the idea of Icelandic men who the ladies abroad can’t resist, I present you with hot Icelandic men, sexy Icelandic dads, and the more general  24 Scandinavian Men Who Have Ruined All Other Men. (Sure, Hjalti! It’s just a literary trope!) J

To learn more about Anita’s book on textiles in the sagas and in archaeological finds, see the link here.

Anita mentions the Woman in Blue, a startling find in women’s graves and in textiles. More about the exhibition from Iceland Magazine.

Anita discusses colors in the sagas and their potential importance. Here is an article on Norse-Icelandic color terms. Hjalti also mentions some colors described in Njáls saga.

For example, in this edition of the story:

1. Hallgerður is wearing dark blue in Chapter 13 when she meets her second husband (and we all know how that turned out)
2. Thráin is described as always riding out in a blue cloak in Chapter 90 when he becomes a  primary antagonist of the Njálssons
3.  Skarphéðinn is wearing a blue cape in the next chapter (91) when he and his brothers go to take vengeance on Thráin’s entourage – this is the example Hjalti explains
4. Njál is wearing a blue cape in Chapter 117 when he goes to speak to his sons about the disastrous course they are on.

Bernard of Clairvaux, in fact, wrote a whopping 85 sermons about the Song of Songs Bible verses (also known as the Song of Solomon) 

Here is the advert for Anita’s first handicrafts class on spinning:

Anita mentions Eyrbyggja saga’s descriptions of Katla, the witch whose powers are seen in her weaving. In Chapter 18 of the edition here, Katla gives her son Odd a new brown kirtle she has made, and during the battle which happens shortly after (it’s a saga; of course there is a battle), “no weapons would bite on Odd Katlason.”

In Chapter 20, the connection is made even more explicit when a band of men come looking for her son Odd for vengeance. Katla tells him to sit near her while she spins. While she is doing so, the men cannot see Odd sitting beside her.

 Now at Holt was no man at home but Odd. Katla sat on the dais, and span yarn. She bade Odd sit beside her; "and be thou as near to me as thou may'st." She bade her women sit in their seats, "and be ye silent," quoth she, "and I will have words with them."

 So when Arnkel and his folk came, they went in there, and when they came into the chamber, Katla greeted Arnkel and asked for tidings. Arnkel said he had nought to tell, and asked where was Odd. Katla said he had gone south to Broadwick. "Nor would he have foregone meeting thee if he had been at home, for that we trust thee well for thy manliness."

 "That may be," said Arnkel, "but we will have a ransacking here."

 "That shall be as ye will," said Katla, and bade her cookmaid bear light before them and unlock the meat bower, "that is the only locked chamber in the stead."

 Now they saw, how Katla span yarn from her rock, and they searched through the house and found not Odd; and thereafter they fared away.

In discussing Needlebinding, a historical method of knitting, Anita and Hjalti mention that there is an example of this kind of textile making (in the form of a mitten) at the National Museum of Iceland.

 The (awful and hilarious) trailer we watch in the middle of our podcast is The Viking Women in the Sea Serpent (1957)

Erika Ruth Sigurdson has also written an exploration of the use of phrases like “rape and pillage” in popular culture representations of the Vikings. (Requires university access to get the full article) 

Zack mentions that he was first inspired to learn more about Vikings and reception theory in 19th century America by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He delved more deeply into these representations in his MA thesis, which you can take a closer look at.

 Zack mentions that his work was partly inspired by the use of medieval and Nordic symbolism in the Charlottesville riot in the summer of 2017. 

Zack discusses Jenny Jochens‘ work, “The Illicit Love Visit: An Archaeology of Old Norse Sexuality”

Zack also mentions Carl Christian Rafn and his 1837 work Antiquitates Americanae. It is considered the first scholarly exposition of the Pre-Columbian Norse exploration.

 For more early reception of Viking and Norse culture, try Marie A. B. Shipley’s 1887 publication The Icelandic discoverers of America; or, Honour to whom honour is due.

Another of Zack’s book recommendations: Annette Kolodny’s In Search of First Contact: The Vikings of Vinland, the Peoples of the Dawnland, and the Anglo-American Anxiety of Discovery

Hvítramannaland, or Great Ireland (literally “White Man’s Land”) has been used by a great number of writers to show some kind of entitlement to the United States by various supremacist groups.

The Woman’s Bible by a committee of 26 women led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton (#patriarchy)

The Lay of Sigurdrífa is one of the most well-known Eddic poems and tells of the plight of the character Sigurdrífa, who is known as Brynhildur (Beth’s favorite saga character) in Völsunga saga

Recently, Harper’s magazine ran a piece called “The Rise of the Valkyries,” tying ideas of women’s empowerment from the 19^th century to modern ideals of the alt-right.  

Finally, the popular Icelandic metal band Skálmöld has an alum called Baldur which is very saga-esque in that it is about a Viking and farmer named Baldur whose family is killed and thus he spends the rest of the story seeking vengeance. 

Medieval Icelandic Sagas Podcast Episode #5

Sigurboði mentions being inspired by the music of Bön monks. You can read more about the ancient religion of Tibet here.

 Sigurboði’s album is on Spotify as Niðafjöll. Check it out if you are in the mood for some “Symphonic pagan metal.” ;)

 Eistnaflug is a metal festival in Iceland that has taken place annually since the summer of 2005. Eistnaflug is an indoor festival situated in Neskaupstaður, a quaint little town located on the Norðfjörður fjord on the Eastern coast of Iceland, 700 km away from Reykjavik.

Beth mentions that heavy metal as a music genre may have different connotations based on where you are in the world. In the 1980s, for example, there were many groups in America who rushed to blame the popularity of this genre for various social ills at the time. You can learn more about this in Kieran Fisher’s article, “Satanic Panic: America’s War on Heavy Metal in the 1980s”

 Bibbi mentions that Skálmöld did a full concert with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, an indication of how widely accepted and known heavy metal is in Iceland and Scandinavia. Watch it here.

 Bibbi describes how he adapts Norse mythology, like the poem Hymskviða, about Thor going fishing for the mighty World Serpent Jörmungandr into some of his songs.

Hajlti mentions that the there have been councils throughout history such as the Council of Nicaea, who were responsible for deciding which were the accepted parts and books and stories of the Christian religion so as to reach a consensus about the primary sources of the religion.

As we mentioned in our course in Week 5, there have been many different gods and goddesses celebrated for different reasons in Scandinavia and perhaps Óðinn was not the principle god of the Icelanders until after the arrival of Christianity. Hjalti mentions that Baldur, god of light and the son of the all-father Óðinn, appears to have Christ-like qualities and Sigurboði comments, too, that Heimdallr is another interesting and complex figure.

When discussing the Ásatrúarfélagið, the Icelandic religious association of Heathenry, Sigurboði discusses the first goði (here, meaning priest). The organization was led by farmer and poet Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson from 1972 until his death in 1993. During most of this period membership did not exceed 100 people and after the initial enthusiasm faded, there was little activity, but that has changed today with renewed interest in pre-Christian beliefs. 

Obviously, there are many opinions out there when it comes to religion and spirituality. Sigurboði mentions the idea of “atheist pagans.” Here is just one opinion piece online which discusses this idea; feel free to look further into it if you would like to know more.

Sigurboði introduces Beth and Hjalti to the very funny term “Ásaboo,” a variation on the internet slang, “Weeaboo,” which is a derogatory term for a non-Japanese person who immerses themselves in Japanese culture to the exclusion of other things. As Sigurboði said, sometimes people become very excited by Viking Age and medieval Scandinavian culture and buy themselves a Thor’s hammer and become a “Viking bro.” 

The group discusses the Viking expansion into Byzantium and Greece, which refers generally to the Kievan Rus’ (though some scholars consider this group to be Swedish/Germanic in origin, and thus Scandinavian, some scholars from Russian areas assert that they are not!) As Beth mentions, runic inscriptions (graffiti) have been found in the Hagia Sofia, a church (then a mosque and now a museum in the present day) constructed in Constantinople in 537 AD. 

Another hot topic as far as Vikings in the East is the Verangian guard. One of the foremost experts on the Vikings in the East is Thorir Jonsson Hraundal, adjunct lecturer at the University of Iceland, who discusses some of his research here.

Sigurboði's lyre is designed after an archaeological find from Trossingen in Germany. This is the most complete lyre of its type ever uncovered. 

Sigurboði sings a song called “Norskt runaljóð” about Óðinn’s quest to acquire the knowledge of runes. Here is more about runic alphabets and this poem (Icelandic language; use a translator like Google Translate to help you)

Sigurboði’s song is also available on YouTube, with soothing and interesting graphics to accompany the music. 

In an awesome crossover event, here is Sigurboði singing Skálmöld’s song “Baldur,” accompanied once more by the lyre. 

Medieval Icelandic Sagas Podcast Episode #6

0:00 – Hello & welcome
0:25 – What‘s on this episode
1:16 – Life in a Northern Town
8:16 – Teresa‘s Research at the Árni Magnússon Institute
13:30 – Sigurboði‘s Experience with Spiritual Leaders
20:15 – More on Teresa‘s Book,  Runes: The Icelandic Book of Futhark 
23:00 – The Supernatural Power of the Runes (Magical Thinking)
30:12 – When Runes Go Wrong (Egils saga)
32:47 – Runes and Christianity (“Haraldr made this stone”)
37:20 – Wait, there are more runic alphabets than the younger and elder futhark? 
38:20 - Runeology is a neglected field (Come to Iceland, scholars!)  
38:50 – Do 50% of Icelanders believe in elves? (Everyone rolls their eyes)
42:50 – Damn house elves stole my keys!
44:15 – Supernatural creatures and their strange evolution in pop culture
45:17 – Have Teresa and Sigurboði seen an elf? (Hjalti has a story!)
49:25 – The Icelandic Association of Heathenism (Ásatrúfélagið) 
52:00 – Who is allowed to be a pagan? (Hint: Everyone)
54:40 – Living in a Box
57:00 – Advice for Those who Want to Learn More (Vítoð ér enn eða hvat?)
59:40 – One More Podcast

At the beginning of the podcast, everyone shares stories about home. 



Jokes about people from Hafnarfjörður are fun entertainment for people in Iceland, much like blonde jokes elsewhere in the world. Read more about this phenomenon here.

Beth’s favorite Hafnarfjörður joke, told to her by her father-in-law, is this:

Q: How did the guy from Harfnarfjörður drown in a submarine?
A: He opened the window to get some air!

Teresa recommends that everyone planning to visit Iceland check out our very own Henge! (It‘s actually in Raufarhöfn, but that‘s very close to her hometown of Bakkafjörður!)

Teresa mentions confusing her new neighbors on “Ash Day,” also known as Öskudagur (Ash Wednesday). On this day, children dress in costumes and sing for candy from local businesses or their neighbors. Learn more about this holiday here.

Teresa and Hjalti discuss her work with rímur, which we have learned about from Matthew Driscoll in Week 2. For those interested in hearing more from this scholar, here is a 2013 interview he did at the University of Copenhagen, again on his own research on rímur.  

Teresa mentions that rímur are like TV shows with their openings and endings (“Previously on this episode…” and “In the next rímur, the hero will do this…”) You can read examples of rímur and their style in this MA thesis by Hannah R.F. Hethmon, available on the University of Iceland open access portal, Skemman.is

Teresa‘s book is called Runes: The Icelandic Book of Futhark (English language)

When speaking of the discovery of the runes in the Eddic poem Hávámál, Sigurboði quotes the following verse:

Here is what this verse looks like when written in runes!

When Teresa describes Tyr and how he became the one-armed god, she is retelling the story of The Binding of Fenrir. Perhaps in reference to this story, the later runic alphabet shows the T rune with only one arm. (Check out my awesome art, everyone!) 

Teresa also mentions a rune called Berkanan and its strange association with Loki (See the Old Norwegian version of the verse here). However, when one considers that possibly the rune is meant to represent a pregnant woman, the connection becomes more clear. In Norse mythology, Loki is known to take female form occasionally, and in the form of a mare, he gave birth to Sleppnir, Óðinn‘s eight-legged horse, while distracting a particularly industrious stallion in the story Loki og Svaðilfari.

Teresa discusses a scene in Egils saga where a woman is sick and the hero, Egil, finds  “dark runes” in her sickbed which are keeping her from healing. You can read this Chapter online (Chapter 75).

Theresa mentions Búmerki, or runic designs of one’s initials that could be used to sign one’s name to legal documents. Here are 4 examples of Búmerki. The first 2 are Icelandic; the last 2 are Swedish.

From left to right: the mark of the Icelander Ormur Ketilsson (1369), the mark of the Icelander Þórður Snorrason (1439) the mark of the Swedish court judge Sweder Scalle (1413) the mark of a stonemason in Uppsala Cathedral, Sweden.

 Teresa and Sigurboði comment that the Icelandic runes are similar to the younger futhark (fuþark).

Teresa describes “magical thinking,” as what gives runes their power – if you believe they are powerful, then they are. To learn more about this concept, try:

Magic, Science and Religion and Other Essays  by Bronislaw Malinowski
“Finding Folk Religion: An Archaeology of ‘Strange’ Behaviour” by Sonja Hukantaival (full text)

Beth mentioned seeing trivia on her arrival in Iceland which claimed 50% of Icelanders believe in elves (or fairies, as the media sometimes calls them)!

Whatever the people may believe, Iceland has made a few major decisions based on where the elves may be living. 

Be careful: The elves that take your car keys and hide them from time to time are known as Búálfar, a house elf with a mischievous nature.

Teresa tells the story of Ólaf Geirstaða Álfr, where King Ólafr of Norway (not the same Ólaf who brought Christianity to Iceland!) died from an illness (either gout or an attack of the plague). After his death, he was worshipped as an elf; offerings were made at his burial site for good luck. Most scholars do not take this interpretation to mean that the king became a literal elf, but as a form of ancestor worship.

Teresa also does this by thinking of her departed father as a “land spirit” or “elf,” which helps her feel close to her father and also helps her daughter feel connected to the grandfather who passed away when she was just 3 months old.

Teresa and Sigurboði both happen to be members of the Ásatrúfélagið in Iceland (although, as they say, one does not have to be a member of a group in order to practice the pagan or heathen faith).

 Theresa says you don’t have to follow “rules” as a heathen, such as wearing your lopapeysa.

Sigurboði recommends reading the Eddas to know more about Norse pagan or heathen ideas and stories. There are 2 Eddas, or collections of poetry. One is called the Elder Edda (also Sæmundur Edda or Eddukvæði). The other is the Prose Edda, also called Snorra Edda, because it was written by Snorri Sturluson, the great Icelandic chieftain and saga author. 

For English speakers, he suggests Neil Gaiman’s book Norse Mythology. Teresa recommends Old Norse Religion in Long-Term Perspectives: Origins, Changes & Interactions by Anders Andrén and Kristina Jennbert (eds.)

Medieval Icelandic Sagas Podcast Episode #7 

0:00 – What‘s on this episode 
1:00 – Haraldur‘s background and research interests
7:30 – Haraldur‘s advice for learning Old Norse or modern Icelandic
9:30 – Reconstructed versus non-reconstructed (modern Icelandic) pronunciation
10:35 – Beth is waaaay too into the sagas
12:45 – Thoughts about our edX course and its success
14:55 – Programs at the University of Iceland (VMN and MIS)
18:35 – Haraldur‘s thoughts on why Norse culture is so interesting across the world
20:35 – Research projects and comparing cultures
22:10 – More about the structure of VMN and MIS
26:40 – Haraldur and the rock stars of the Árni Magnússon Institute
27:45 – A little encouragement
29:15 – How to be a good scholar
30:00 – Hjalti‘s advice
33:50 – Keep learning, everyone! (Beth‘s advice)
36:40 – Our goodbyes (and Beth‘s Icelandic gets her again!) 

Haraldur tells us he grew up in Akureyri.

Haraldur is familiar with the Proto-Indo-European family of languages.

Haraldur mentions that a great way to practice modern Icelandic is to find a job or volunteer in Iceland. Read some suggestions from Lonely Planet here.

Beth tells a story about the fortune she received this year inside her Easter egg. Here‘s an example of what you find inside a páskaegg.

Once again, you can find information about the Viking and Medieval Norse Studies program and its sister program, Medieval Icelandic Studies, on the university website.

After a long discussion of what makes a good scholar and why we do this crazy, frustrating, wonderful work that we do, Beth and Hjalti and Haraldur had a laugh over this footnote.

Beth and Hjalti discuss the fact that there is so much material in Icelandic history to cover, it‘s a shame we couldn‘t find time for the Age of the Sturlungs, which is a post-medieval part of history which led to Iceland becoming a Norwegian territory and ending the Icelandic Commonwealth. (Iceland would regain its independence, this time from Denmark, in 1944.)