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 36m - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 65-71)
Episode 36l - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 59-64)
Episode 36k - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 52-58)
Episode 36j - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 47-51)
Holiday Special - The Tale of Frosti Snjokarlinn
Episode 36i - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 43-46)
Episode 36h - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 40-43)
Episode 36g - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 35-40, but actually only to 38)
Episode 36f - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 31-36)
Saga Brief 25: Saga Manuscripts and the Árni Magnússon Institute: An Interview with Svanhildur Óskarsdóttir
Episode 36e - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 24-31)
Episode 36d - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 20-24)
Episode 36c - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 14-19)
Episode 36b - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 7-13)
Saga Brief 24 - The Northman Interview with Robert Eggers and Sjón
Episode 36a - Laxdaela Saga (chapters 1-7)
Episode 35b - Third Quarter Court (Results)
Saga Brief 23 - Drinking in the Viking Age and the Sagas (Part II - How They Drank)
Episode 35a - Third Quarter Court (Review)
Saga Brief 22 - Drinking in the Viking Age and the Sagas of Icelanders (Part 1 - What Were They Drinking)
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