VS02 - The Story of Harald Finehair II
Viking Age Podcast
Viking Age Podcast
4.9 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 21 June 2017
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode we trace King Harald Finehair's rise to power as he conquers his way up the Eastern Edge of Norway and then back down the West Coast. Along that way the young, shaggy king will kill, negotiate and bully his way into the history books.
Plus - this being the Viking Age Podcast - we also discuss some myths around the berserkir and Harald's administrative innovations!
For those who want to learn more about the Berserkar - check out this excellent MA Thesis by Roderick Dale: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/28819/
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Listen, Heroes in Arm rings, while I recount feats of weapon points concerning Harold, the exceedingly wealthy. |
| 0:14.0 | I shall recount the words which I heard, |
| 0:17.0 | a maiden of bright-tressed beauty, Bandy with a raven. |
| 0:22.0 | The Valkyrie thought her story. Bandy with a raven. |
| 0:26.0 | The Valkyrie thought herself wise. Men were not pleasing to the aggressive maid, |
| 0:30.0 | who understood the voice of Bird. |
| 0:34.0 | The white-throated in bright-eye-lashed one greeted the skull of Emir, |
| 0:40.0 | which sat on the edge of a cliff. |
| 0:44.0 | What worries you, ravens? |
| 0:46.0 | Where have you come from, |
| 0:48.0 | with beaks all bloody at break of day? |
| 0:51.0 | Flesh clings to your talons. Carion sense your mouths. Your night was |
| 0:58.8 | past. Near where you knew, corpses were lying. |
| 1:05.1 | The gray-feathered, sworn brother of the eagle, |
| 1:08.8 | gloated, wiped its bill, and gave thought to an answer. |
| 1:14.5 | We have followed Harold, son of Half Dane, |
| 1:17.6 | the young king, since we emerged from the egg. |
| 1:24.0 | Hello everyone and welcome back to the Viking Age podcast. |
| 1:29.0 | My name is Lee and this is part two of the Viking story of King Harold Fine Hair. |
| 1:37.0 | So the stances which you just heard were taken from Harold's Kfithi, Harold's poem, a work which is generally |
| 1:50.1 | attributed to the scald Thorbjorn Hornclovey. |
| 1:55.0 | And it is believed to have been composed by him around 900 CE, |
... |
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