Welcome to the first in a series of special Saga Briefs on Interpreting the Past, a series that looks at modern interpretations and perceptions of the medieval. In this episode, John and Andy welcome two scholars, Dr. Verena Höfig (Assistant Professor in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and Zachary Melton (Ph.D. student at the University of Iceland).
We cover a range of topics, including the appeal of Viking Age culture and mythology to modern religious and political movements; the role of literature, history, and social media in the construction of individual and group identities; and the challenges that we face, both as scholars and as citizens of this world, coming to terms with the many differences of interpretation that divide us.
As that list suggests, this isn't the usual light stroll through the sagas. This episode is short on jokes and heavy on substantive discussion of important issues. Whether you're an expert or an enthusiast, this one's worth your time. We hope you enjoy and we look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Here is a bibliography of the texts and studies referred to, either directly or indirectly, in this episode:
American Heathens: The Politics of Identity in a Pagan Religious Movement by Jennifer Snook
“Ethnicity as Cognition” by Rogers Brubaker, Mara Loveman, and Peter Stamatov
Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism by Mattias Gardell
Huginn’s Heathen Hof and Declaration 127
Karl Seigfried on Ásatrú, Anti-Racism, and Rescuing the Past – quote taken from “What To Do When Racists Try To Hijack Your Religion” in The Atlantic
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild
“William Cullen Bryant’s American Antiquities: Medievalism, Miscegenation and Race in The Prairies” by Andrew Galloway
Music Credits
Opening song – Icelandic Folk Music: Tröllaslagur
Outro – Ólafur Liljurós
Episode 38f - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 18-21)
Episode 38e - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 14b-17)
Episode 38d - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 10-14a)
Episode 38c - Svarfdaela Saga (The Big Lacuna)
Episode 38b - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 6-10)
Episode 38a - Svarfdaela Saga (chapters 1-6)
The Yule Lads
Hwaet a Movie - Episode 2 - The 13th Warrior
Episode 37e - The Saga ofHavard of Isafjord (Judgments)
Episode 37d - The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (chapters 19-24)
Episode 37c - The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (chapters 11-18)
Hwæt a Movie! - Episode 1 - Beowulf (1999)
10th Anniversary of Saga Thing (Part 2) - How Well Do You Know Your Co-Host (with Totalus Rankium)
10th Anniversary of Saga Thing
Episode 37b - The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (chapters 6-11)
Episode 37a - The Saga of Havard of Isafjord (chapters 1-5)
Saga Short 11 - The Tale of Bolli Bollason
Episode 36o - Laxdaela Saga (Judgments)
Episode 36n - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 72-78)
Saga Brief 24 - Slavery in the Viking Age (Live Presentation at the University of Connecticut)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
History Obscura
Historycal: Words that Shaped the World
The Rest Is History
Lore