WARNING: Tonight's chat involves some descriptions of gore and violence, as you might expect with the Vikings.Tom will tell us a few very old family stories by the light of tonight's full moon. We'll look deeply into Orkney's Viking history, as preserved in the Orkneyinga Saga. If you've ever considered reading the sagas, this episode of Ower wi' the Moon will set you up for a more informed first reading. You'll get an overview of the myth, the stories, the culture and the thinking behind these tales, and of course, you'll hear a few rip-roaring Viking stories!Support our heritage work, if you'd like to: https://ko-fi.com/orkneyologyTonight we discuss:   • Sagas are about people; Nordic tales of kin and myth   • The powerful jarls of Orkney and how the stories were preserved (Thank you, Iceland!) ... and how many of the precious sagas were lost   • Snorri Sturluson, Saxo Grammaticus Christians with a love for the stories of the old gods   • Some familiar characters' names that Tolkien borrowed from the sagas   • What saga would Tom recommend for a new saga-reader?   • Fáfnir the dragon   • The Orkneyinga Saga: the pagan jarls of Orkney - 874 through the year 1014, Brian Boru's Battle, or the Battle of Clontarf   • Some great Viking names, such as: Harald Finehair; Rognvald Mørejarl ; Thorri the Dry One; Snær the Old; Aud the Deep-minded; Calf Scurvy, Thorir Treebeard, Halfdan Highlegs, Thorfinn Skullsplitter, Erik Bloodaxe, Einar Butterbread, Sigurd the Stout ... and many more!   • How did the first Vikings end up in Orkney and Shetland, and where did they come from?   • Deeper cultural understandings of the mythological beginnings of the sagas   • The races of giants, and their relationship with the elements and seasons   • The gods of the north   • The weird revenge of the Pictish king, Maelbrigte the Tooth; and similar folk tales, including "the origin of the Kirkwall Ba' game"   • The story of a strong and wise Viking woman, Aud the Deep-minded   • The problem of the wild Viking raiders   • The blood eagle   • From Odal society to Fuedal society   • Strong women and bad press   • The story of Sigurd the Stout and the raven banner   • The terrible weaving of the Valkyries   • The Victorian obssession with Vikings, and the racial discrimination behind itAlso mentioned in this episode: A Halloween Visit with Hjörleifur Helgi Stefánsson, episode 10 https://www.orkneyology.com/orkneyology-podcast.htmlPodcast theme music courtesy of Fionn McArthur."Ower wi' the moon" artwork created by Jenny Steer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.