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 12b - The Saga of Bjorn Champion of the Hitardal People (Judgments)
Episode 12a - The Saga of Bjorn Champion of the Hitardal People
Episode 11b - Kormak's Saga Judgments
Episode 11a - Kormak's Saga
Episode 10b - The Saga of Hallfred Troublesome-Poet (Judgments)
Episode 10a - The Saga of Hallfred Troublesome-Poet
Saga Brief 2: Holmgang, or The Icelandic Art of Dueling
Episode 9b - The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue (Judgments)
Episode 9a - The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue
Episode 8: Bandamanna Saga (The Saga of the Confederates)
Saga Brief 1: The Blood-Eagle
Episode 7 - The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and His Sons
Episode 6: The Saga of Hen-Thorir
Episode 5b - Gisli's Saga (Judgments)
Episode 5a - Gisli's Saga
Episode 4 - Eirik the Red's Saga
Episode 3b - Eyrbyggja Saga (Judgments)
Episode 3a - Eyrbyggja Saga
Episode 2: Hrafnkel's Saga
Episode 1c: What is a saga?
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