Volsungasaga, parts 5 and 6
Apr. 27th, 2014 12:04 pmThe Saga of the Volsungs, chapters 32 through 37.
And chapters 38 through 44, the end.
I got on a roll today and figured that I might as well finish it, so you get two segments today. The last one is a little shorter than normal but, well, there was no more saga to record.
In which rocks fall and everyone dies. Seriously, I'm not kidding - the reason the saga ends is that there are literally no Volsungs or Gjukungs left. People get stabbed, or stab themselves, or get set on fire, children are eaten, people are trampled to death by horses, or bitten by snakes, or have their hearts cut, or get stoned to death. There is also, notably, a guy who gets his hands and feet cut off, but doesn't die. (He is neither a Volsung or a Gjukung.) Also! There are a bunch of prophetic dreams that no one pays attention to, more magic potions, betrayals, battles, Gunnar showing us a nifty hidden talent, and Hogni being the most stone-cold badass of all time. And Odin (presumably) shows up again in the last paragraph, just for old times sake.
( A few explanatory notes! )
Previous parts of this saga can be found here. If you've enjoyed listening to me read this, I very much encourage picking up the text, as its explanatory notes are a lot better than mine. I also encourage tracking down a copy of Stephan Grundy's Rhinegold, as it is my favorite retelling of this story and I think it's great. 8)
So now you guys have to help me figure out what to read next. I have a bunch of cool sagas that would all be fun to read, so help me choose by telling me which one you want to hear.
And chapters 38 through 44, the end.
I got on a roll today and figured that I might as well finish it, so you get two segments today. The last one is a little shorter than normal but, well, there was no more saga to record.
In which rocks fall and everyone dies. Seriously, I'm not kidding - the reason the saga ends is that there are literally no Volsungs or Gjukungs left. People get stabbed, or stab themselves, or get set on fire, children are eaten, people are trampled to death by horses, or bitten by snakes, or have their hearts cut, or get stoned to death. There is also, notably, a guy who gets his hands and feet cut off, but doesn't die. (He is neither a Volsung or a Gjukung.) Also! There are a bunch of prophetic dreams that no one pays attention to, more magic potions, betrayals, battles, Gunnar showing us a nifty hidden talent, and Hogni being the most stone-cold badass of all time. And Odin (presumably) shows up again in the last paragraph, just for old times sake.
Previous parts of this saga can be found here. If you've enjoyed listening to me read this, I very much encourage picking up the text, as its explanatory notes are a lot better than mine. I also encourage tracking down a copy of Stephan Grundy's Rhinegold, as it is my favorite retelling of this story and I think it's great. 8)
So now you guys have to help me figure out what to read next. I have a bunch of cool sagas that would all be fun to read, so help me choose by telling me which one you want to hear.
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What saga should I read next?
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The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok
1 (33.3%)
The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki
1 (33.3%)
Njal's Saga
1 (33.3%)
Grettir's Saga
0 (0.0%)
Egil's Saga
0 (0.0%)
Eyrbyggja Saga
0 (0.0%)
Some other saga I will mention in the comments.
0 (0.0%)