Saga Stories #5: Volcanoes In The Sagas

Join Dr Matthew Roby on a trip to see the volcanic eruption in Geldingadalur!

While we’re there, Matthew will explain the surprising absence of volcanoes in medieval Icelandic literature, before going on to talk about some of the rare instances in which they do appear. These include a few references from Íslendinga saga, the conversion narratives in Kristni saga and Njáls saga, and finally a cryptic poem spoken by the mysterious cave-dwelling creature in Bergbúa þáttr.

The translation of the poem from Bergbúa þáttr is by Marvin Taylor.

To watch, hear, and read more about the sagas, you can find Dr Matthew Roby’s blog

Facebook: @MatthewHRoby
Twitter: @MatthewHRoby
Instagram: @MatthewHaroldRoby

If you are struggling to understand the Icelandic names of people or places in this video, don’t forget to turn on closed captioning.

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