The Saga of Hrafnkel

A summary and look at The Saga of Hrafnkel Frey’s Godi (Hrafnkels saga Freysgoða), one of the most famous and commented-on of the Icelandic sagas.
Dr. Jackson Crawford is Instructor of Nordic Studies and Nordic Program Coordinator at the University of Colorado Boulder (formerly UC Berkeley and UCLA). He is a historical linguist and an experienced teacher of Old Norse, Modern Icelandic, and Norwegian.
FAQs: • Video
Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Poetic Edda: www.amazon.com...
Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Saga of the Volsungs with The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok: www.amazon.com...
Jackson Crawford's Patreon page: / norsebysw

[@JacksonCrawford]

Before anybody tries to make fun of me about this, the job is called “sheepherder” in Wyoming and I wouldn’t be caught dead calling anyone I’ve met who actually is one a “shepherd.”

[@jeffreyoliver4370]

"Sheepherder" is the more modern and preferred term for the occupation in American English. It is also used in Antipodean English. Both New World societies have sheep husbandry on a larger scale than traditional shepherding societies, and both historically used horses in a manner similar to the herding of cattle. It is still common to refer to the person in this occupation as a "shepherd" in Old World societies, notably in Europe. There, a shepherd is usually closer to the sheep, often on foot beside or leading the flock, with dogs to assist rather than horses. Famously, the shepherd and his dog gather the sheep working together at a distance, as in the case of the Border Collie, rather than driving the sheep from horseback, often without dogs. At least, that's how my family and friends did it.

[@daveh3997]

Insert Montana sheep herder joke here:

[@slappy8941]

Sheep herders give the term "animal husbandry" real meaning.

[@Soitisisit]

What is the reason for it being offensive?

[@Tina06019]

"That's what horses say in Old Norse."

[@Srulio]

Thanks for this sympathetic view of this psychological complexity.

[@puckfairyprincess9971]

I really enjoy your pacing and thoroughness. You've got a great voice too.

[@williambilson1555]

I like these saga summary videos, Dr. Crawford!

[@AmyAnnLand]

Love your content. You know you're great when almost every video I watch of yours has no downvotes. Also, your voice is so soothing. I could listen to it all day.

[@babygandalf865]

I watch these videos as much for the backgrounds as the information gleaned.

[@pmjmiller]

me too! i find that it helps to visualize the sagas he is talking about. like the dramatic landscape of colorado acts as an inspirational proxy for iceland or norway. i wish he would give more info on the sites where he films though.

[@sigvarivarsson1285]

Really enjoying your videos all the way from Northern Ireland. Alongside the book i am using, your videos are really helping me to learn the Old Norse language and culture. Thank you.

[@arnimellner3357]

My Latin teacher does the same thing when he's telling myths and someone dies; he just crosses off the name from the board! He also made us read a 30 page paper on colors in Rome and Phoenician purple... Also didn't the ankle thing happen in the Odyssey at some point? I feel like it did Thanks for another great video!!

[@BBombshell26]

I can't remember how I came about your channel but I am glad I did!!

[@Oldmanleeroy]

Very interesting Saga that I was not at all familiar with. Thank you for that and all the best to you.

[@KSxJoker]

Did you hike on a trail in a suit?

[@Saint_nobody]

I would.

[@Pavlovska]

Dr Jackson Crawford is awesome!

[@Pavlovska]

J. R. Like a Drengr 😄

[@Tina06019]

Why not? Men's "dress" clothes and shoes are actually reasonably comfortable, unlike women's "dress" clothes and shoes. (It's also a clever take on dressing up to go kill someone formally.)

[@gweiloxiu9862]

Dressed to kill on the trail, who rode your horse hard and put it away wet? :-p

[@JugglerOfWords]

I read Ravnkel Frøjgodes saga many years ago in an Danish translation (probably from the 60's)... I remembered it as one of the weirder of the sagas, killing someone over riding a horse, and Frøj being a somewhat obscure god....

[@garychynne1377]

another great yarn. thank yew dr crawford

[@garychynne1377]

thank yew dr. crawford. truth is stranger than fiction.

[@lajakl]

It's debated how much truth and how much fiction there is in the sagas though. Many scholars believe they're largely made up with only a loose connection to real events that happened centuries prior.

[@keithrutherford5164]

Thanks for the video I have learned so much from all of them. Thank u for all your hard work

[@SvartUlf]

Thank you so much for posting these. Do you ever travel to give lectures? There is a viking festival here in Oklahoma that I'm sure would love to have you as a guest.

[@sofiegrnnli5464]

Good chanel! I'm studying old norse, and even though I am Norwegian - it's hard! Nice to listen to others who speak old norse. Or as we Call it gammelnorsk/norrønt.

[@Taggez1]

Sofie Michelle-Nova Grønnli We call it "fornnordiska" in Sweden

[@faramund9865]

Interesting!

[@gardenhead92]

Why was Hrafnkel convicted of murder, if the legal consequence of Einar's horse theft was murder anyway. Wasn't he technically just carrying out the law?

[@gweiloxiu9862]

The fact that Hrafnkel bullied his way through the Thing and was likewise bullied out of it should answer your question.

[@infernalone666]

it's very easy to a get someone convicted of anything you want when you don't even allow them in to speak their own case.

[@sunshinesilverarrow5292]

Thank you! Hugs & sunshine 🌞 N

[@Saint_nobody]

As one who walks, frequently, I about felt that pain of being pierced behind the heel and strung upside-down. 🤐

[@giovannicolpani3345]

It is interesting that in this saga as well as in Njals saga a prominent lawyer who helps the minority party at the Thing is injured in the foot/leg.

[@kaguth]

Great video! Thanks. I would love to hear you describe the Norse discovery of America, I believe in Eric the Red's Saga.

[@tessastrong1770]

"hi, i'm sám bjarnison. did you know you have rights? the Gods say you do"

[@Michael-ou6du]

If anybody wants to have more summaries about sagas from professors of the sagas, try out the podcast Saga Thing, the hosts are intelligent and fun. Saga Thing Podcast

[@fredblonder7850]

Simon and Hrafnkel were pretty popular in the ’60s.

[@faramund9865]

Hnegg sounds a lot like neighing sounds a lot like Dutch hinniken as well.

[@sigrid2242]

I've seen the term Goði used a lot in the Icelandic sagas, but did it ever occur earlier and/or in continental Scandinavia? Or was the role a unique blend of priest and chieftain that was born out of the utilitarian needs of the early settlers in Iceland?

[@vp4744]

Why is that every ancient culture has clever ways of torture? It's like they spent all their free time in devising ways to torture. May be they had torture competitions, you know the most creative sadist got the prize (or was denied the prize, whatever).

[@dragatus]

They had to do something in the absence of TV and video games.

[@EdithMildred]

From Freysgoða to goðlauss? Why is it Hrafnkels saga freysgoða and not Hrafnkels saga goðlauss? “Ek hygg þat hégóma at trúa á goð” It is fun for me to compare the general narratives of The Book of Job and Hrafnkel’s Saga. Both faithful and successful, both tormented and losing things dear. Frey is absent, Job’s god(s) are present and interact (i.e. tell Job to STFU). Hrafnkel responds with “belief in gods is vanity” and Job continues to believe. Both are not only reinstated in their success, but their holdings are multiplied in the journey. Hrafnkel reinstates himself without faith in gods where Job is said be given his holdings by his god(s).

[@steakslapn9724]

My uncle's name is Thorbjorn.

[@sheeti4467]

I don't know why, but when I first read it I pronounced it as 'ha'-'frank'-'el'

[@melkorama]

I thought they didn't bury their dead on Iceland during this time, or does this story take place on post-christian Iceland?

[@TheOneCalledSloth]

Who told you that?

[@melkorama]

Well, I read about an instance of an arabian man writing down his experience with the norse. Apparently the arab wrote that the norseman said something along the lines of "You're stupid to bury the dead, then they just get eaten by worms". I think the guy who said this name was Ahmad ibn Fadlan. Fadlan apparently also witnessed a norse funeral of their chieftain, it apparently involved a ship.

[@ibbi30]

I am pretty sure both groups buried their death in Iceland, but the pagan custom is to put their dead into a mound with gravegoods while the christian put their dead into a pretty modern western grave with no gravegoods generally, although newly converted christians would sometimes put gravegoods into the graves.

[@Julian_The_Apostate]

Melkorama Both things are true, I'm not sure about Icelands precise burial practices but in several Nordic country's burial mounds have evidence the body is cremated before burial with their grave goods. And Snorre wrote in the Heimskringla that Odin decreed all men of worth would be cremated then laid to rest in the earth or the ocean, so take that for what it's worth. At the very least it means Icelanders were aware of the concept of cremation before burial.

[@LahmOfGod21]

Oh I legitimately cringed when you brought up that torture method.

[@murunbuchstanzangur]

Do you think the old man asked for an arbitrated blood price so hrafnkel would be publicly shamed at the allthing?

[@akshat680]

I only know Vinland saga

[@Dadutta]

could you elaborate on the evil eye in norse culture?

[@helenakarlsson4708]

Why did he make an oath that nobody should ride the horse. Was the horse going to be sacrificed later on or something?

[@RadianHelix]

Giving something up is its own sacrifice, especially since Frey is a lifeforce god full of giving and generosity, as opposed to Othinn or some other war/mystery/death/confusion god demanding that what be given be killed. Frey represents another spectrum of emotion and giving up for the benefit of growth, rather than for, say, destruction and path clearing. Different methods for different gods. Hravnkel being a prolific farmer and a wealthy man is part of that too, since agriculture is Frey's domain, more or less.

[@helenakarlsson4708]

Is this something you know or is it pure speculation? Because in many pagan religions, Animals and even humans who were to be sacrificed were treated really well for a time period before they met their end.

[@johnl9015]

Wow 562 likes and ZERO dislikes

[@tompatterson1548]

well, he never said when the guy would have to be killed.

[@evarichards9862]

Better call sám

[@jamesstevenson7725]

Why kill the pagan priest?? He was the only noble one there!