MOKVII - I Honor with Words of Truth that Lady
Viking Age Podcast
In this episode we conclude the Mother of Kings series by exploring several stories of royal mothers in Old Norse literature. We then bring things to close, tracing Gunnhild's fall from power and her mysterious fate.
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Mother of Kings Supplement - Maiden Kings
Viking Age Podcast
In this supplemental episode, we explore a complex and fascinating set of characters found in several Sagas - the Maiden Kings.
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Mother of Kings VI - The Mother of Kings
Viking Age Podcast
In this episode, we follow Gunnhild konungamóðir as her sons ascend to the Norwegian throne and she finally acquires her famous title. We will then examine the significant authority which Gunnhild enjoyed at this time, as well as how Icelandic authors chose to depict her use of power.
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Mother of Kings V - I Lay This Curse on You
Viking Age Podcast
In this episode, we return to the life and legend of Gunnhild konungamóðir, exploring her time in exile in Denmark and her son's eventual return to power in Norway. We then turn our attention to the broader topic of women, power and magic in the Sagas.
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Mother of Kings IV - A Woman of Great Dignity
Viking Age Podcast
In this episode, we continue to discuss the life and legend of Gunnhild konungamóðir, tracing her path from Norway to Northern England and finally Denmark as her status was rapidly transformed from Royal to Refugee and back again.
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Mother of Kings III - Cold are the Counsels of Women
Viking Age Podcast
In this episode, we continue our exploration Gunnhild konungamóðir's life and legend, discussing the power of her words and the speech of powerful women throughout Old Norse Literature.
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Mother of Kings II - A Woman Small of Stature yet Great of Counsel
Viking Age Podcast
In this episode, we dive into the life and legend of Gunnhild konungamóðir - Mother of Kings - exploring the various stories regarding her origins and early years.
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Mother of Kings I - The Threshold
Viking Age Podcast
In this episode, we set off on a new mini-series exploring the life and legend of Gunnhild konungamóðir - Mother of Kings - and other powerful women in Old Norse Literature.
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Eastern Way IV - Gamla Uppsala
Viking Age Podcast
In this episode we are going to explore the rise of a major center of political, economic and religious life in the land of the Svear - the magnate's residence at Gamla Uppsala.
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Eastern Way III - Catastrophe and Opportunity
Viking Age Podcast
The 6th Century was a period of unrest and reorganization throughout Scandinavia. In this episode we are going to explore the evidence we have for these dynamic years and what may have caused this unrest. Ultimately, we want to discover how this era may have led to the establishment of powerful ruling dynasties like those who constructed Gamla Uppsala.
info_outlineIn this week's episode we explore the growing number of challenges faced by the Icelanders as the landnám period drew to a close in the 930s. We will then take a long look at the key components of the institution the Icelanders turned to in order to solve that problem - the thing.
Along the way we will talk about beheadings over fish, witness a chieftain get given a bloody nose by a silver-wielding farmer and we will even examine the ever dodgy - if very helpful - writings of Cornelius Tacitus.
This week's recommended reading is Debating the Thing in the North - a collection of papers edited by Alexandra Sanmark, Frode Iversen, Natascha Mehler and Sarah Semple. Covering a wide range of topics, including the origins of the thing, its religious and cultural significance and even its spacial organization, this is a must read for those interested in the legal and political history of Scandinavia. And even better - it’s available for free online.
For all of your Viking Drinking Horn Needs - please consider checking out https://www.thefroggyviking.com/. And you can use the promocode vikingage for 10% off!
Finally, for works cited and more information checkout our website: http://vikingagepodcast.com/conflict-and-things-in-early-iceland