Sorli's Yarn: The Saga of Hedin and Hogni

by Jon Thordarson, Gavin Chappell (Translator)

Sorli’s Yarn, or The Saga of Hedin and Hogni is one of several stories found in the manuscript Flateyjarbok, a collection of stories about kings of Norway written by two Icelandic priests in the 15th century. It includes a euhemerised account of the Norse gods, followed by a version of the once famous story of the battle of Hedin and Hogni, the Hjaðningavíg, an eternal battle between two heroes brought about, in this version of the story at least, by the wiles of the god Odin, followed by an account of how one of the retainers of Olaf Tryggvason, violent evangeliser of Norway, brought an end to the curse.The endless battle itself is a motif that also appears in the Welsh Mabinogion, where Gwynn and Nudd and Gwythyr ap Greidawl fight every May Eve until Doomsday for the hand of Creiddylad daughter of Lludd. The earliest references to a Germanic form of the legend appear in the Anglo Saxon poems Deor and Widsith, although the battle is not explicitly described. It also appears in Saxo Grammaticus’ Gest Danorum, Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, and the Middle High German poem Kudrun, amongst other sources. In most versions the battle is endless, although in Sorli’s Yarn, the power of Olaf Tryggvason and his new religion of Christianity is indicated by the ability of his follower to end to this hangover of pagan days.The story is also notable for its references to the eponymous Sorli, who also had a longer saga to himself, The Saga of Sorli the Strong (in preparation), and to Halfdan, the protagonist of The Saga of Halfdan, Foster Son of Brana (also in preparation).

27 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2019

Reviews

[Paul Curless · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short story.

[Ocean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This publication is missing the footnotes for some reason. But the story is a fun take on the legend of Freyja's necklace that she obtains from the dwarves. Fun little legend and a quick read.