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Boreal Saga Play

by The Boreal Times · Duna Press Editions

29 stories · 29 games

Sagas & Kings

By the fire, memory becomes song.

Kings, poets and avengers, told by Icelanders long after the events. The sagas are literature and they are sources: sometimes confirmed by runestones and chronicles, sometimes pure storyteller's talent. Each text separates what the source says from what history supports.

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Illustration of an old white-bearded warrior in a dark cloak standing in an open field, the tip of his spear touching a half-buried horse skull in the grass from which a viper emerges, with three slim arrows stuck in the ground beside him Saga or medieval source · 20 Nov 2026 Örvar-Oddr and the horse Faxi: the hero who buried his horse to escape a prophecy In the Örvar-Odds saga, a seeress says the hero will die because of his horse Faxi. He buries the animal and travels the world for many years, but the prophecy waits for him at home. Read

Stories of this realm

Illustration of a young warrior woman in a dark cloak and helmet, holding a torch before a stone burial mound ringed by blue flames on a windswept island, with the pale figure of a warrior rising from the mound in the moonlight Saga or medieval source Hervör and the sword Tyrfing: the woman who woke her dead father to take his sword In the Hervarar saga, Hervör, raised as a warrior, goes to the island of Samsey at night and wakes her dead father to demand the cursed sword Tyrfing. Here is what the text tells. Read Illustration of an Icelandic turf farm at night, with pale wet figures standing at the door, cloaked men holding torches in a semicircle before them, and a seal's head rising from the packed-earth floor in the firelight Saga or medieval source The haunting of Fróðá: the door-court that tried the dead in Eyrbyggja saga In the Eyrbyggja saga, the dead return to an Icelandic farm and leave only when a door-court summons them one by one. Here is what the saga tells, and what we know about it. Read Illustration of warriors fighting on a moonlit beach, with a woman in a dark cloak standing among the fallen bodies, which rise in silence, while the silvery sea beats against low cliffs and mist covers the island Saga or medieval source Hjaðningavíg, the eternal battle: Hild, Heðinn and Högni, the fight that restarts every night until the end of the world According to Snorri, two kings fight without end because Hild raises the dead every night. See how the legend appears in the sources, from a 9th-century poem to Saxo's account. Read Illustration of a Norwegian king in a golden helmet and chain mail fallen at the foot of a mast on a pebble beach, his arm wounded, while two female figures in shining armour and spears descend from the clouded sky over a grey sea Saga or medieval source Håkon the Good and the poem that sent him to Valhalla: the battle of Fitjar according to the saga and the skald King Håkon, raised at the English court, died after the battle of Fitjar. The saga describes a good king, and the skald Eyvindr welcomes him to Valhalla. See what the sources say. Read Illustration of a dark-bearded man in a woollen cloak crouched in a shallow cave beside a snowy fjord, peering through a gap in the stone while in the distance riders with spears climb a slope at dusk Saga or medieval source Gísli Súrsson: the saga of the outlaw who ran for years through the fjords of Iceland, between dreams and ambushes Gísli's saga tells of a revenge that makes him an outlaw, hunted through the western fjords of Iceland. See what the saga narrates, how it is read and where history and literature mix. Read Illustration of a young man in a pale cloak kneeling in a small stone church on a flat island at dawn, praying with hands joined, while on the beach eight dragon-prowed ships have just anchored beside two smaller boats Saga or medieval source Magnus of Orkney: the earl who refused to fight and was killed on the island of Egilsay According to the Orkneyinga saga, Magnus Erlendsson was killed on his cousin Hákon's orders at a peace meeting. A find in 1919 may have revealed his bones. Read Illustration of a woman in pale armour asleep on a rocky hill, ringed by tall flames and a wall of shields, while a rider in a blue cloak with a sword in hand approaches on horseback through the fire Saga or medieval source Brynhildr and Sigurd: the valkyrie in the ring of fire and the betrayal that ended on the pyre After the dragon, the Saga of the Volsungs tells the fate of Sigurd and the valkyrie Brynhildr: an oath, a forgetting, a deception and a double pyre. Read Illustration of a dark-haired young man in clothes smeared with ash sitting by the hearth of a timber hall, with an alert gaze behind his vacant expression, while a cloaked man watches from a shadow and three parchment letters lie on the table Saga or medieval source Amleth: the Danish prince who feigned madness and whom Shakespeare turned into Hamlet Saxo Grammaticus tells, around 1200, the story of Amleth, who feigns madness to avenge a father killed by his uncle. Here is what the source says and what Shakespeare changed. Read Illustration of a brown-bearded poet in a red cloak standing in a wooden hall before a seated king, reciting, with symbols floating in the air: a horse of waves, a golden head of hair and a raven Saga or medieval source Kennings: how the skalds spoke of gold, ships and battles without saying the word Skaldic poetry said "Sif's hair" for gold and "sea-horse" for ship. Snorri Sturluson explained the trick in a handbook written around 1220. Read Illustration of a red-bearded Norse chieftain at the prow of a wooden ship, hurling two large carved pillars into the sea before an Icelandic coast of black mountains and steam rising from the ground Saga or medieval source Ingólfr Arnarson and the high-seat pillars: how tradition tells the founding of Reykjavík According to the Book of Settlements, Ingólfr threw his high-seat pillars overboard and settled where the waves left them. Here is what archaeology adds to the tale. Read Illustration of a Norse king on horseback galloping across a plain at dawn, scattering gold coins and rings behind him while riders in dark cloaks dismount to gather them Saga or medieval source Hrólf Kraki and the gold scattered on Fyrisvellir: the escape that became poetry Chased by the Swedish king Aðils, the Danish king Hrólf Kraki, according to Snorri, scattered gold along the road to buy time. The scene even became a poetic phrase. Read Illustration of a large Norse wooden hall at night, with a bare-chested fair-haired warrior gripping the arm of an enormous dark creature trying to flee through the door, while warriors watch from afar Saga or medieval source Beowulf and the hall of Heorot: the English poem set in Scandinavia and the monster Grendel The poem Beowulf was written in Old English, but tells a story of Denmark and southern Sweden. Its hero fights unarmed against the monster that attacks the king's hall. Read Illustration of a dark-bearded man seated at a wooden table in an Icelandic hall, writing on parchment by candlelight, with books and a stone hot tub in the background Saga or medieval source Snorri Sturluson: the Icelander who saved the Norse myths and died for politics Chieftain, poet and lawmaker, Snorri wrote the Prose Edda and the sagas of the kings of Norway in the 13th century. In 1241 he was killed at his home in Reykholt. Read Illustration of two warriors with round shields duelling in a rocky clearing under a grey sky, while a young woman in a blue cloak watches from afar, holding a dark cloth Saga or medieval source Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue and Helga the Fair: a love triangle that ended in a duel In the Icelandic saga, the poet Gunnlaug and his rival Hrafn compete for Helga's love. A broken agreement, a forced marriage and a duel in Norway seal the fate of all three. Read Illustration of a woman in a blue cloak standing at the prow of a Viking ship, her eyes on a sea of icebergs under a low sun, with a red-striped square sail behind her Saga or medieval source Gudríð: the Icelandic woman who crossed the Atlantic, had a son in America and went to Rome The sagas tell the life of Gudríð Þorbjarnardóttir, who travelled from Iceland to Greenland and Vinland, and later made a pilgrimage. She is one of the most widely travelled women of the Viking Age. Read Illustration of a great Viking dragon ship surrounded by smaller ships on a grey sea, with round-shielded warriors on the deck and an arrow crossing the sky Saga or medieval source Svolder, the year 1000: the last battle of King Olaf Tryggvason and the ship Long Serpent Eleven Norwegian ships faced three enemies in the year 1000. The battle of Svolder ended with a missing king, the biggest ship in enemy hands and a divided Norway. Read Illustration of a brown horse with a pale mane in an Icelandic valley, a young shepherd trying to mount it and a chieftain in a red cloak watching from afar with a spear Saga or medieval source Hrafnkell and Freyfaxi: the horse no one could ride and the chieftain who lost his gods In the Icelandic saga of Hrafnkell, a chieftain dedicates a horse to the god Freyr and swears to kill anyone who rides it. When he kills a shepherd, the oath sets off his fall and a doubt about the gods themselves. Read Illustration of an Icelandic woman in a white headdress before a turf farm at dusk, with four blurred silhouettes of men in the background and a grey fjord Saga or medieval source Gudrún and her four husbands: the most intriguing woman of the Laxdæla saga In the Laxdæla saga, Gudrún Ósvífrsdóttir marries four times, loves the wrong man and leaves a line about love that scholars have debated for centuries. Read Illustration of a king in a cloak and crown, leaning against a large stone and surrounded by warriors with shields and spears on a battlefield, under a sky where the sun is almost entirely covered and the light is reddish Saga or medieval source Stiklestad, 1030: the battle in which King Olaf died and Norway's saint was born Olaf Haraldsson fell before Norwegian chieftains who backed King Cnut. Snorri says the sun darkened, but the date of the battle and that of the eclipse do not match. Read Illustration of a Norse warrior in shaggy trousers inside a stone pit full of serpents, head held high, while a crowned king watches him from above Saga or medieval source Ragnar Lodbrok and the snake pit: the hero of the sagas and what the chronicles kept of him According to the sagas, Ragnar died in King Ælla's pit of serpents, singing. The chronicles record only a chief with a similar name and the Great Heathen Army of 865. Read Illustration of a large turf-and-timber house in flames at night on an Icelandic plain, with armed men in a circle and a figure leaping from the burning roof Saga or medieval source The burning of Njál: the Icelandic saga's revenge in which a whole house was set on fire In Njáls saga, the chieftain Flosi surrounds the farm of Bergþórshvoll and sets it alight. Njál and his wife refuse to leave, and only one man, Kári, escapes the flames. Read Illustration of a strong warrior in the middle of a wooden hall with a collapsing roof, facing a tall pale figure fallen on its back, whose eyes glow in the light of the moon coming out from behind clouds Saga or medieval source Grettir and the undead Glámr: the saga in which the moon reveals a ghost's eyes In Grettis saga, the outlaw Grettir faces a shepherd who has returned from death. The wrestling match ends in a curse, and the moon plays a decisive part. Read Illustration of a fleet of Viking ships entering a fjord of green slopes with glaciers behind, with a red-bearded man at the prow of the first ship Saga or medieval source Eirik the Red: the outlaw who gave Greenland the name of a good land Banished from Norway and then from Iceland, Eirik explored an unknown coast and called it Greenland to attract settlers. The sagas say 25 ships set out and 14 arrived. Read Illustration of a young Norse hero crouching in a pit on a rocky heath with a gleaming sword, while an enormous green dragon crawls over the pit in a stormy twilight Saga or medieval source Sigurd and the dragon Fafnir: how a hero killed the beast from a pit In the Völsunga Saga, Sigurd digs a pit on the dragon Fafnir's path and wounds him from below. The scene was carved on Norwegian church doors. Read Illustration of two medieval skiers in furs crossing a snowy mountain in a blizzard, one carrying a baby wrapped in furs Saga or medieval source The Birkebeiner and the ski crossing that saved the future King Haakon of Norway In the winter of 1206, two skiers carried little Prince Haakon over snowy mountains to Trondheim. The escape became a symbol of Norwegian skiing. Read Illustration of a Viking ship arriving at a wild coast at dawn, with turf houses on the beach and forest behind. Documented history Leif Eriksson and Vinland: what the sagas tell and what archaeology shows Two Icelandic sagas tell how the Vikings reached Vinland. In Newfoundland, Canada, an archaeological site confirms a Norse presence around the year 1000. Read Illustration of a naval battle between Viking ships in a Norwegian fjord, with a long-haired king at the bow of the lead ship. Saga or medieval source Harald Fairhair: the king who swore not to cut his hair until he united Norway According to the sagas, Harald swore to let his hair grow until he ruled all of Norway, which he achieved at Hafrsfjord. Historians view the story with caution. Read Illustration of a Viking poet in a candlelit hall, reciting before a seated king and queen, with warriors watching in the shadows. Saga or medieval source Egil Skallagrímsson and the poem that, according to the saga, saved his head Egil's saga tells how the warrior-poet escaped death in York by composing, in a single night, a poem in praise of King Eric Bloodaxe. Read

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New The Birkebeiner crossing Ski down the mountain with little Prince Haakon, dodging trees and rocks, until you reach safety. Play Leif's voyage Steer Leif Eriksson's ship through ice and rocks, from Helluland to Markland and on to Vinland, as the sagas tell it. Play Egil’s night Tap the words that start with the verse’s letter and compose six verses before dawn, as Egil did to save his head. Play Rögnvald’s comb Untangle Harald’s hair by dragging over the knots, as in the scene where Rögnvald combs it after Hafrsfjord. Play New The dragon's pit Dig the pit on the dragon Fafnir's path and strike the moment the pale spot on his belly passes over Sigurd. Play New The snake pit Memorise the order in which the snakes rise in King Ælla's pit. Play New Twenty-five ships Steer Eirik the Red's fleet between ice and rocks toward Greenland. Play New Kári's escape Jump the flames of Njál's house and reach the roof, as Kári does in the saga. Play New Glámr's eyes Strike the undead Glámr only when the clouds cover the moon and his gaze loses its force. Play New Hold the line at Stiklestad Hold King Olaf's line against the enemy's surges until the sun darkens. Play New Gudrún's dreams Memorise the order of Gudrún's four husbands and tap the names in the right sequence. Play New Freyr's horse Tap only the one riding Freyr's sacred horse and let the other shepherds pass. Play New The battle of Svolder Draw the bow to the exact point and hit the enemy ships without breaking the bow. Play New Snorri's pairs Find the six pairs of runes, as a skald trains the memory. Play New Gunnlaug's duel Block Hrafn's high and low blows in the duel from Gunnlaug's Saga. Play New Gudríð's route Steer Gudríð's ship through the ice floes of the North Atlantic. Play New Ingólfr's pillars Throw the high-seat pillars into the sea and hit the bay, allowing for the wind. Play New Hrólf's gold Scatter gold across Fyrisvellir to slow the pursuers of King Aðils. Play New Kenning riddles Decipher the skalds' roundabout phrases, such as "whale-road". Play New Grendel's arm Pull Grendel's arm with no weapons, like Beowulf in the hall of Heorot. Play New The swapped letter Follow the letter with the seal while the three change places. Play New The ring of fire Put out the flames of the wall of fire around Brynhildr. Play New Magnus's ships Count the ships that appear and vanish at sea, without being fooled by the rocks. Play New The shields of Fitjar Remove groups of shields of the same colour and clear the beach after the battle. Play New Gísli's hideout Push the stones onto the marks on the floor and close the hideout. Play New The battle without end Parry each blow back before it gets past you. Play New Hervör's flames Memorise and repeat the order of the flames and runes. Play New The accused at the door Find, in eight tries, the secret order of the accused at the door. Play New Odd's years Merge equal numbers until you reach Odd's years. Play

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