For our second episode of Saga Shorts, we've chosen the brilliant "Tale of Thorstein Bull's-leg" (Þorsteins Þáttr uxafóts). As one of the longer þættir, this one defies categorization. It tells the story of Thorstein Oddnyarson, a child abandoned at birth who grows up to be a hero in the court of King Olaf Tryggvason. Along the way, he'll find his parents, do battle with the undead, raid the home of a troll family, experience a miracle, almost drown in vomit, and fight a pagan bull. It's got everything you could want in a saga and more, all wrapped in a nice little Þáttr sized package.
For this episode, we used George Clark's translation, "The Tale of Thorstein Bull's-Leg," in The Complete Sagas of Icelanders, Vol. 4, ed. Vidar Hrinsson (Reykjavik: Leifur Eiriksson Publishing, 1997), 340-54.
We mention Elizabeth Ashman Rowe's "Þorsteins þáttr uxafóts, Helga þáttr Þórissonar, and the Conversion þættir," Scandinavian Studies 76, no. 4 (2004): 459-74.
Music Credits:
Intro: From “Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom
Outro: From “Óðinn” by Krauka
Episode 22a - The Saga of the People of Vopnafjord
Episode 21 - The Saga of Thorstein the White
Saga Brief 8 - Interview with Dr. Ragnhild Ljosland on the History of Runes
Episode 20l - Njal's Saga (Judgments)
Episode 20k - Njal's Saga (Part 11)
Episode 20j - Njal's Saga (Part 10)
Episode 20i - Njal's Saga (Part 9)
Episode 20h - Njal's Saga (Part 8)
Saga Brief 7 - The Conversion of Iceland (Part 2)
Saga Brief 6 - The Conversion of Iceland (Part 1)
Episode 20g - Njal's Saga (Part 7)
Episode 20F - Njal's Saga (Part 6)
Episode 20e - Njal's Saga (Part 5)
Episode 20d - Njal's Saga (Part 4)
Episode 20c - Njal's Saga (Part 3)
Episode 20b - Njal's Saga (Part 2)
Episode 20a - Njal's Saga (Part 1)
Episode 19c - The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta (Judgments)
Episode 19b - The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta (Part 2)
Episode 19a - The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta (Part 1)
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
Everything Everywhere Daily