In this gathering, Fjorn shares the stories of three legendary swords in Norse mythology and medieval saga literature: Gramr, Sköfnungr, and Grásíða! In doing so, we find them plunged into trees by a strange old man, stolen from burial mounds by Icelandic Vikings, and manhandled by a headstrong poet. If that’s not interesting enough somehow, we also 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 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!
Support the Skald: https://ko-fi.com/fjorntheskald
Read Fjorn’s Fantasy Work: https://feolnir.com
Explore Fjorn’s Saga Map: https://fjorntheskald.com/digital-maps/#medieval-iceland
Featured Artifact: https://gelmir.com/compendium_item/snartemo-sword-2/
Main Theme & Interlude: “Fjorn’s Harp” by Fjorn the Skald
Send a Raven: https://fjorntheskald.com/contact/
Primary Sources:
- Jesse Byock trans., The Saga of the Volsungs (Penguin Classics, 1999)
- Jesse Byock trans., The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki (Penguin Classics, 1999)
- Hermann Pálsson and Paul Edwards trans., The Book of Settlements: Landnámabók (University of Manitoba Press, 2006)
- Kormak’s Saga in Sagas of Warrior Poets (Penguin Classics, 2002)
- Keneva Kunz trans., The Saga of the People of Laxardal and Bolli’s Tale (Penguin Classics, 2008)
- Martin Regal trans., Gisli Sursson’s Saga (Penguin Classics, 2004)
Secondary Sources:
- Gisli Sigurðsson, The Medieval Icelandic Saga and Oral Tradition (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004).
- Theodore M. Andersson, The Growth of the Medieval Icelandic Saga (1180-1280) (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2006).
- Vésteinn Ólason, “Introduction,” in Gisli Sursson’s Saga and The Saga of the People of Eyri (London: Penguin Books, 2003).
- H.R. Ellis Davidsson, “The Sword at the Wedding,” Folklore 71, no.1 (Mar., 1960): 1-18.
- William Sayers, “Extraordinary Weapons, Heroic Ethics, and Royal Justice in Early Irish Literature,” Preternature: Critical and Historical Studies on the Preternatural 2, no.1 (2013): 1-18.
- Heather O’Donogue, The Genesis of Saga Narrative: Verse and Prose in Kormak’s Saga (repr., 1991; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002).
Additional Music Credits:
- “Epic Heroic Orchestral Music” by SoundFlakes
- “Medieval Combat” by Yap_Audio_Production
- “Bodhran Irish Drum” by pogmothoin (website)
- “Celtic Tin Whistle” by luis_audp
- “Macedonian Tambura” by Tomlija
All music and sounds are licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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