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!
Fjörn’s Virtual Halls:
Read this Tale Yourself:
- Örnólfur Thorsson ed., The Sagas of Icelanders: A Selection (London: Penguin Books, 2001)
Recommended Reading:
- William Ian Miller, Audun and the Polar Bear: Luck, Law, and Largesse in a Medieval Tale of Risky Business (Leiden: Brill, 2008).
Complimentary Map:
As promised, here’s a map showing Audun’s journey! (if on iTunes, click here to view the map)
Academic Works Mentioned:
- William Ian Miller, Audun and the Polar Bear: Luck, Law, and Largesse in a Medieval Tale of Risky Business (Leiden: Brill, 2008).
- Ármann Jakobsson, “The Life and Death of Medieval Icelandic Short Story,” The Journal of English and Germanic Philology 112, No. 3 (July 2013): 257-291.
Acknowledgements:
I would like to offer my most sincere thanks and gratitude to Fjörn’s Fellowship. Without their support, this post would not be possible. In fact, this entire Hall would be nothing if not for their support and companionship. Here are the names (taken from Patreon) of the members of this Fellowship who supported me during the time I wrote this post:
Anastasia Haysler, Cataclysmit, Froggy, Jonas Lau Markussen, and Kathleen Phillips.
♪ All music is original and owned by the creator of this podcast.
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