I love how Ian's basically just along for the ride and happy to be here. They filmed a bunch of gun stuff for his channel and this is just a nerdy bonus.
I’m a master’s student at University of Iceland studying medieval Iceland, and I was at Snorralaug just a few weeks ago. There’s something surreal about Reykholt that I really enjoyed, and the effort, care, and money the local community has put toward preserving their history impressed and inspired me.
In Norway Snorre (which we call the the younger Edda) has always been a traditional Conformation gift, and certainly in my family. This changed when my brother asked his oldest son: - Do you want Snorre or a trip to Manchester to see Manchester United?
This is great timing. Just yesterday I was reading about the oldest written text in Swedish, the Westrogothic law code from the 1200s and to my surprise Snorre Sturlasson featured in the outskirts of that work. Just a few years before the codification of the Westrogothic code Snorre had visited the lawman, Eskil, who was responsible for it being written down. It's assumed that Snorre inspired Eskil to be the first man to put a Swedish law collection into writing. While staying with Eskil, Snorre would have been briefed on the recent (and more bygone) history of Sweden such as Eskil understood it, with the civil war between the Sverker and Erik dynasties that took place just a few years prior. Apparently the wife of Eskil gave to Snorre as a parting gift a banner that had been present at the decisive battle of Gestilren during the last civil war.
I first read Snorri after reading Morgan Llewellyn's book Lion of Ireland. The story of the Irish fighting the Norse and Danes got me interested in Norse mythology and a friend handed me a copy of the Prose Edda. I soon read what some call the Poetic Edda. Another friend recommended Jackson Crawford's channel here on UA-cam. I really appreciate Dr. Crawford's videos and explanations not only as to the language but the explanations of the sagas, stories and gods as well.
I would definitely put you and Snorri in the same sentence and respect. You are an intellectual hero to others in a similar way. "I stand on the shoulders of giants, and thus I see farther than they ever could." - Queen Koral of the First Ladies
I was at Reykholt for two nights this Spring, quite impressed by the research library at Snorrastofa and the museum exhibits under the church. In _Eyrbyggja Saga_ there's a passage in chapter 12 about how the chieftain Snorri Goði, predating Snorri Sturluson by centuries, got his name. For simplicity, this summary is from Wikipedia: "He was originally named Þorgrímr, but because he was a difficult child [Hann var heldr ósvifr í æskunni] he was called Snerrir and then later Snorri, both names meaning a turbulent warlike person." (I recall being told that Snerrir could mean a twister, one who rotates.) I was told that the name "Snorri" has never been attested in Old Norse (I didn't think to ask about the other Germanic areas?) prior to the time when it would have been used for Snorri Goði.
I have spent a year at home through cancer treatment & a hip operation and being educated & entertained via the multiplicity of great materials on various histories & cultural material around the world. The various tellings of characters such as Harald Hadrada puts him in pre-Russian Swedish dominated regions between Novgorod and Kiev, the Holy Land / Middle East as a member of the Varangian Guard as well as fighting for the Romans in the Eastern European regions near Macedonia. This is where & how warrior Vikings made their wealth to take on usurping leaders back home. It struck me how very much more mobile the Vikings were & how very much more integrated in very far flung regions than I had superficially thought previously. If trade was dominated by the Scandinavians across those regions - which it seems it was - it is no surprise when we encounter Vikings who subsequently settled in places like Norway, Ireland, England & Iceland bringing back stories, other cultures' religions & myths. A supremely interesting, highly mobile suite of nations from which the Vikings heralded. I really love Jackson's videos & the various guest speakers he collaborates with. So whacky to hear cowboy music & Grimfrost 'essence of historic Viking' vibe sorta smashed up together. Fitting in the above described sense that various cultures continue to filter to far flung places, intrigue & influence us.
Icelandic Scenery is IMHO the most beautiful and fascinating on this planet. Here in the US we do have several really cool places to visit and view but Iceland being relatively small is concentrated beauty in a smaller area. A bucket list place to visit before this earthly existence comes to a conclusion.
I really enjoy seeing you two collaborating :-) Thanks for being such an honourable and erudite ambassador for the old, Nordic culture. My father was a teacher and would read to me from the sagas when I was a little boy, lying in the crook of his arm on the sofa. Action ! Adventure ! Violence ! And not least; a way with words that never leaves you. Høvisk hilsen fra en norsk 'kistnasmiðr'
I agree regarding Snorri's last words, since I'm half-convinced that "drengr" is like 3/4 saying something badass when you're about to die or think you're about to die. My favorite is probably "Thau tithkast hin breithu spjotin" which means "They are very fashionable, these broad-headed spears." Said, of course, by a guy who was stabbed with said spear.
Just found your channel. I picked up the prose Edda several years ago wanting to understand more about what inspired Tolkien. It's a heavy lift that I still pick up, glad I found this channel. Plus now I can finally hear the pronunciations.
6:08 We used to have that type of person in the US. Many of the founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Patrick Henry, etc. It seems that to some degree the time period at the beginning of a new nation fosters the emergence of those types of people. Men of letters deeply involved in the events of the day.
Maybe it's "cut" in the translation from the old icelandic word "höggva" but as a modern Icelander I would translate it to "chop" instead, which I think would make sense since I recall he was murdered with an axe. All that a side, I really enjoy watching your videos, especially regarding historic Icelandic people and places. Kveðja frá Íslandi!
I heard about him pretty early. I was 18 when was reading The origin of family, private property and state of Friedrich Engels. There Snorri Sturlusson and his Edda is mentioned a couple of times
Fascinating video, pretty cool to see your respect to Snorri and his legacy, the end of the video was pretty funny lol, I would imagine Snorri would be proud of the work you do. Keep it up!
You should make a whole vid on the colliding worlds of the Norse & Greeks. Interesting topic how various cultures believed to be descended from the Trojans
I'd love to read your translation of the Prose Edda. I love your Poetic Edda - to have the Prose Edda in your style would make such a fine, readable text. I have the version you recommend, but I find it less compelling than reading your version of the Poetic Edda.
Not to make assumptions about your camera setup (I know you're traveling and might not have your whole kit with you) but if you find you often have trouble with the wind it might be worth it to invest in a sandbag (assuming you haven't before, and don't already have one) I went to film school on lake Erie, and even with our more heavy duty tripods they were an absolute must to keep all our equipment standing!
I would guess a sandbag isn't that fun on international flights and public transport. (and not everywhere where there is wind, you find sand or anything to fill an empty sandbag)
Scholars speak of a "Europeanization" of Scandinavia in the High Middle Ages. It's not strange for an educated man in 13th century Iceland to be aware of the Trojan War, it'd be stranger if he wasn't. Likewise it makes perfect sense for books to be illustrated with jousting knights and not the antiquated shieldwall of the Early Middle Ages. In the 12th and 13th centuries Norway was trying its hardest to become a mainline European kingdom, importing scholars and artists from the continent. Perhaps most notable is the building of the Gothic cathedral in Nidaros, which was established as its own arcbishopric in 1152/1153. Norwegians lacked experience working in stone and architects were hired from England. In the countryside where they didn't have access to foreign architects but could tap into centuries of experience with working in wood, the stave churches were built as wooden imitations of a cathedral.
It is so interesting that other Europeans tried to connect themselves to the Trojans. I knew that the Romans did it with Virgil's Aeneid but had no idea other peoples did it too.
"Don't cut me" is exactly what you would make up as someones last words if you want to defame them. I don't know the wider story around Snorris death, but the fact that his nephew relayed the info is not in itself evidence against defamation.
Younger Futhark was in use at that time, though some likely did still use it-- just as some today still study and use Latin. Elder Futhark is *quite* old and was largely not in use in what we refer to as the Viking Age. Scandinavians of that era used the Younger Futhark. If you look into Dr. Crawford's videos on the subject he confirms this.
Man, this is not the collab that I expected. Does Ian have a particular interest in Norse myths and legends or are they both friends through a shared interest in firearms?
Cool of you to acknowledge the tripod literally blowing over after your statement of comparison. Great video. I understand his Prose Edda is a bit Christianized and some heathens coming from Christianity can easily see this. Especially compared to how the Poetic Edda was written and what is expressed.
Any young and ambitions Icelandic aristcrat sought the Court of The King of Norway with a long and complicated piece of skaldic poetry. It may be that the Icelandiv aristocracies' interest in the old tales was the reason for its preservation.
They knew what was going on not just in Europe, but also in Arabia. The word "fíll" (elephant) was borrowed from Arabic, where it's cognate with Hebrew פיל.
In modern Swedish, the word "Snorre" is used as a diminutive slang for a penis. Everyone finds this name hilarious to the point that it is almost impossible to teach about Snorre Sturlasson because of all the giggle it will provoke.
How come his name is Sturluson, when his father's first name was Sturla? In Sweden we instead call him Sturlason. But I've noticed that in Icelandic and English he is called Sturluson.
As the others said it's about kasus. Icelandic has several of them (6?) and since names are nouns each name has many different forms, based on that. (Icelandic grammar is a pain to master.) Ég talar ekki íslensku, but my mother-in-law was from Iceland and went to high school at Reykholt. My (Swedish) wife is almost fluent in Icelandic, but refuses to write in Icelandic because of the grammar.
The Gods and Spirits are always listening out for Jackson's potential blasphemies, calling in some timely winds to take care of that camera, and keep him in check 😄
“Snorri christianized Norse” no, he did jot down all of the stories that were told to him as before him the Norse legends were oral and the story changed upon each tongue.
Scandinavians have some dope mustache-goatee-beard combinations such as Ian’s. Jackson fits right in, albeit his very Western style which is perfect for him. I just wish on some videos, just to be in line with Jackson’s very dry wit, that Jackson would wear an eye patch and maybe hold a long walking stick and drop some Havamal on us... 😊😎
For Dutch people i think as well. since 'Snor' means mustachio. To name a mustache small one might say: 'Snorretje' but you can kind of conjugate it to 'Snorri' which is grammatically incorrect, but it works, and is ok when used in a name for someone who has a small mustache. In a pejorative sort of way. That might not hold true in all dialects of Dutch but it works in mine, but dialects are a bit too nitty gritty to get into, lol.
Really digging the collabs with Ian. Two great content creators together for sure.
I love how Ian's basically just along for the ride and happy to be here. They filmed a bunch of gun stuff for his channel and this is just a nerdy bonus.
I’m a master’s student at University of Iceland studying medieval Iceland, and I was at Snorralaug just a few weeks ago. There’s something surreal about Reykholt that I really enjoyed, and the effort, care, and money the local community has put toward preserving their history impressed and inspired me.
In this video, do we see actual remnants of the foundation and cellar floor of the original building?
Not in this video, but the cellar is still there. The opening shot is of Snorri’s pool, or Snorralaug though.
In Norway Snorre (which we call the the younger Edda) has always been a traditional Conformation gift, and certainly in my family. This changed when my brother asked his oldest son:
- Do you want Snorre or a trip to Manchester to see Manchester United?
This is great timing. Just yesterday I was reading about the oldest written text in Swedish, the Westrogothic law code from the 1200s and to my surprise Snorre Sturlasson featured in the outskirts of that work. Just a few years before the codification of the Westrogothic code Snorre had visited the lawman, Eskil, who was responsible for it being written down. It's assumed that Snorre inspired Eskil to be the first man to put a Swedish law collection into writing. While staying with Eskil, Snorre would have been briefed on the recent (and more bygone) history of Sweden such as Eskil understood it, with the civil war between the Sverker and Erik dynasties that took place just a few years prior. Apparently the wife of Eskil gave to Snorre as a parting gift a banner that had been present at the decisive battle of Gestilren during the last civil war.
Interesting, as an Icelander I didn't know this 🙂
Snorri, the unsung hero of European literature.
How much would have been lost if not for his efforts.
@@VosperCDN No Thor comics or movies 😂
I first read Snorri after reading Morgan Llewellyn's book Lion of Ireland. The story of the Irish fighting the Norse and Danes got me interested in Norse mythology and a friend handed me a copy of the Prose Edda. I soon read what some call the Poetic Edda. Another friend recommended Jackson Crawford's channel here on UA-cam. I really appreciate Dr. Crawford's videos and explanations not only as to the language but the explanations of the sagas, stories and gods as well.
All ways good to see the two of you. Ian is an excellent interviewer. And any time Crawford open his word hoard I listen.
I would definitely put you and Snorri in the same sentence and respect. You are an intellectual hero to others in a similar way.
"I stand on the shoulders of giants, and thus I see farther than they ever could." - Queen Koral of the First Ladies
I was at Reykholt for two nights this Spring, quite impressed by the research library at Snorrastofa and the museum exhibits under the church.
In _Eyrbyggja Saga_ there's a passage in chapter 12 about how the chieftain Snorri Goði, predating Snorri Sturluson by centuries, got his name.
For simplicity, this summary is from Wikipedia:
"He was originally named Þorgrímr, but because he was a difficult child [Hann var heldr ósvifr í æskunni] he was called Snerrir and then later Snorri, both names meaning a turbulent warlike person."
(I recall being told that Snerrir could mean a twister, one who rotates.)
I was told that the name "Snorri" has never been attested in Old Norse (I didn't think to ask about the other Germanic areas?) prior to the time when it would have been used for Snorri Goði.
I saw Ian and hit subscribe. His presence is a stamp of good scholastic quality.
I think I speak for a lot of fans when I say we love it when you and Ian do videos together. More, please!
I have spent a year at home through cancer treatment & a hip operation and being educated & entertained via the multiplicity of great materials on various histories & cultural material around the world.
The various tellings of characters such as Harald Hadrada puts him in pre-Russian Swedish dominated regions between Novgorod and Kiev, the Holy Land / Middle East as a member of the Varangian Guard as well as fighting for the Romans in the Eastern European regions near Macedonia.
This is where & how warrior Vikings made their wealth to take on usurping leaders back home.
It struck me how very much more mobile the Vikings were & how very much more integrated in very far flung regions than I had superficially thought previously.
If trade was dominated by the Scandinavians across those regions - which it seems it was - it is no surprise when we encounter Vikings who subsequently settled in places like Norway, Ireland, England & Iceland bringing back stories, other cultures' religions & myths.
A supremely interesting, highly mobile suite of nations from which the Vikings heralded.
I really love Jackson's videos & the various guest speakers he collaborates with. So whacky to hear cowboy music & Grimfrost 'essence of historic Viking' vibe sorta smashed up together.
Fitting in the above described sense that various cultures continue to filter to far flung places, intrigue & influence us.
Snorri's ghost is like "GET OUT OF MY YARD" and kicking the tripod over. Absolutely priceless moment.
Snorri kicking the cam just at the right moment was terrific! 😆
Jackson “when I was near death” Crawford.
How much of a badass is this guy?!?!
You keep teach'n and I will keep learn'n!
Icelandic Scenery is IMHO the most beautiful and fascinating on this planet. Here in the US we do have several really cool places to visit and view but Iceland being relatively small is concentrated beauty in a smaller area. A bucket list place to visit before this earthly existence comes to a conclusion.
I really enjoy seeing you two collaborating :-)
Thanks for being such an honourable and erudite ambassador for the old, Nordic culture.
My father was a teacher and would read to me from the sagas when I was a little boy, lying in the crook of his arm on the sofa.
Action ! Adventure ! Violence ! And not least; a way with words that never leaves you.
Høvisk hilsen fra en norsk 'kistnasmiðr'
I agree regarding Snorri's last words, since I'm half-convinced that "drengr" is like 3/4 saying something badass when you're about to die or think you're about to die.
My favorite is probably "Thau tithkast hin breithu spjotin" which means "They are very fashionable, these broad-headed spears." Said, of course, by a guy who was stabbed with said spear.
I’ve been watching both Ian and yourself for a number of years. This is not a collaboration I ever expected, but I’m glad to see it happen.
Thank you!
The collaboration I didn't know I needed!!
It's good to see two of my favorite, and wildly unrelated UA-camrs together!
It’s so great getting to see you two together and you two have such rapport.
Just found your channel. I picked up the prose Edda several years ago wanting to understand more about what inspired Tolkien. It's a heavy lift that I still pick up, glad I found this channel. Plus now I can finally hear the pronunciations.
Excellent!
Hail the Patreon supporters! I appreciate you guys also! Love this channel!
Truly fascinating
Would love to have a beer with Dr Crawford, just seems like such a dude.
i love how we just throws away that off-handed "and when i thought i was dying..." and then never elaborates on that
Incredibly interesting, thank you for the collab and video!
You been visiting Norway, traveled to Iceland without stopping be the Faroese to say “hey”? ;)
Epic collab!
Awesome to see two of my favorite UA-cam content creators collaborate. Especially from two very different but also related fields of interest.
That tub was at best cold "plus". Snorris spot was pretty cold !
Between Ian and yourself, you guys have two of the best channels on this platform, Jackson.
The end was truly funny. Thank you guys
Absolutely hallowed ground, very cool, will definitely have to visit there in the future.
6:08 We used to have that type of person in the US. Many of the founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Patrick Henry, etc.
It seems that to some degree the time period at the beginning of a new nation fosters the emergence of those types of people. Men of letters deeply involved in the events of the day.
Well, that was a collab I wouldn't expect.
Excellent save after the spirit of Snorri got offended!
Maybe it's "cut" in the translation from the old icelandic word "höggva" but as a modern Icelander I would translate it to "chop" instead, which I think would make sense since I recall he was murdered with an axe.
All that a side, I really enjoy watching your videos, especially regarding historic Icelandic people and places.
Kveðja frá Íslandi!
Always commendable content. Never fails to be interesting & insightful. Thanks!
Haha! Wow. Sudenly to of my favorites together.
Absolutely Great episode
Love
I heard about him pretty early. I was 18 when was reading The origin of family, private property and state of Friedrich Engels. There Snorri Sturlusson and his Edda is mentioned a couple of times
You are doing absolutely amazing and important work! Thank you!
I read Snorri at UW Madison, Scand. Lit. 101, my fave college course.
Fascinating video, pretty cool to see your respect to Snorri and his legacy, the end of the video was pretty funny lol, I would imagine Snorri would be proud of the work you do. Keep it up!
Vengeful spirits always seem to have it in for Crawford. Watching over him, listening what he says about them and stuff.
Didn't know Snorri's ghost was so temperamental! Good vid
Excellent video!
Great video
Great video!
Cheers! 💚
My great great great great great great great grandfather was snorri sturluson
You should make a whole vid on the colliding worlds of the Norse & Greeks. Interesting topic how various cultures believed to be descended from the Trojans
I'd love to read your translation of the Prose Edda. I love your Poetic Edda - to have the Prose Edda in your style would make such a fine, readable text. I have the version you recommend, but I find it less compelling than reading your version of the Poetic Edda.
Not to make assumptions about your camera setup (I know you're traveling and might not have your whole kit with you) but if you find you often have trouble with the wind it might be worth it to invest in a sandbag (assuming you haven't before, and don't already have one) I went to film school on lake Erie, and even with our more heavy duty tripods they were an absolute must to keep all our equipment standing!
I would guess a sandbag isn't that fun on international flights and public transport. (and not everywhere where there is wind, you find sand or anything to fill an empty sandbag)
which reminds me of " The technicolor time machine" by Harry Harrison , science fiction with viking twist 😁
Scholars speak of a "Europeanization" of Scandinavia in the High Middle Ages. It's not strange for an educated man in 13th century Iceland to be aware of the Trojan War, it'd be stranger if he wasn't. Likewise it makes perfect sense for books to be illustrated with jousting knights and not the antiquated shieldwall of the Early Middle Ages. In the 12th and 13th centuries Norway was trying its hardest to become a mainline European kingdom, importing scholars and artists from the continent. Perhaps most notable is the building of the Gothic cathedral in Nidaros, which was established as its own arcbishopric in 1152/1153. Norwegians lacked experience working in stone and architects were hired from England. In the countryside where they didn't have access to foreign architects but could tap into centuries of experience with working in wood, the stave churches were built as wooden imitations of a cathedral.
lol crazy that I was just researching this guy a few days ago.
It is so interesting that other Europeans tried to connect themselves to the Trojans. I knew that the Romans did it with Virgil's Aeneid but had no idea other peoples did it too.
"Don't cut me" is exactly what you would make up as someones last words if you want to defame them.
I don't know the wider story around Snorris death, but the fact that his nephew relayed the info is not in itself evidence against defamation.
Can you make a video about laws in pagan scandinavia Contrary to the later christian laws?
Whoah, two sides of my youtube world just collided!
if you wont compare yourself to snorri, i will. thank for all you do big dog
What subspecies of bison are those?
Dr. Crawford, can you confirm if the "Elder Futhark" was the written word widely used in Norway 850 C.E.?
Younger Futhark was in use at that time, though some likely did still use it-- just as some today still study and use Latin. Elder Futhark is *quite* old and was largely not in use in what we refer to as the Viking Age.
Scandinavians of that era used the Younger Futhark. If you look into Dr. Crawford's videos on the subject he confirms this.
Man, this is not the collab that I expected.
Does Ian have a particular interest in Norse myths and legends or are they both friends through a shared interest in firearms?
If we say Snorri Sturluson was the Homer of ancient Norse history and religion, would that be a reasonable characterization?
Vá, tveir góðir á klakanum. Velkomnir.
Cool of you to acknowledge the tripod literally blowing over after your statement of comparison. Great video. I understand his Prose Edda is a bit Christianized and some heathens coming from Christianity can easily see this. Especially compared to how the Poetic Edda was written and what is expressed.
What is the water body below you
Snorri knocked your camera down! haha
Any young and ambitions Icelandic aristcrat sought the Court of The King of Norway with a long and complicated piece of skaldic poetry. It may be that the Icelandiv aristocracies' interest in the old tales was the reason for its preservation.
Ahahah i actually have my university in the same valley, we got to visit the place with my class
They knew what was going on not just in Europe, but also in Arabia. The word "fíll" (elephant) was borrowed from Arabic, where it's cognate with Hebrew פיל.
Edda-fication?
that is a cool story
In modern Swedish, the word "Snorre" is used as a diminutive slang for a penis. Everyone finds this name hilarious to the point that it is almost impossible to teach about Snorre Sturlasson because of all the giggle it will provoke.
Gladstone? If you are looking for scholar/politicians.
How come his name is Sturluson, when his father's first name was Sturla? In Sweden we instead call him Sturlason. But I've noticed that in Icelandic and English he is called Sturluson.
Sturlu is the genitive of Sturla. So it's like "Sturla's son"
@@Mosil0 That explains it. Thanks.
As the others said it's about kasus. Icelandic has several of them (6?) and since names are nouns each name has many different forms, based on that. (Icelandic grammar is a pain to master.)
Ég talar ekki íslensku, but my mother-in-law was from Iceland and went to high school at Reykholt. My (Swedish) wife is almost fluent in Icelandic, but refuses to write in Icelandic because of the grammar.
The Gods and Spirits are always listening out for Jackson's potential blasphemies, calling in some timely winds to take care of that camera, and keep him in check 😄
lol it always happens xD
Why is there *always* so much wind in your vids??😂
Gun Jesus on Iceland ❤️
I wonder if Snorri had heard the legend of the Trojan Aeneas and the founding of Rome. I guess everybody wanted to be a Trojan
That was funny.
If Ian is Gun Jesus, what is Jackson? Linguistic Odin? Except head two eyes, so not…
Phodin. Phoneme + Odin.
Cowboy Bragi perhaps
@@1tpkdm Gun Jesus and Cowboy Bragi. It works.
Cow Baldr
“Snorri christianized Norse” no, he did jot down all of the stories that were told to him as before him the Norse legends were oral and the story changed upon each tongue.
1:37 thats funny, cause "snorre" means "penis" in swedish so that means we swedes appearently have long...
Scandinavians have some dope mustache-goatee-beard combinations such as Ian’s. Jackson fits right in, albeit his very Western style which is perfect for him. I just wish on some videos, just to be in line with Jackson’s very dry wit, that Jackson would wear an eye patch and maybe hold a long walking stick and drop some Havamal on us... 😊😎
12:26 hehe
Early bird
killed the cat
@@athelonus Met the moose.
🙂
Gun Jesus and Dr. Crawford!?
Jackson AND Ian?!?!?!? Am I in Valhalla?
Didnt expected Gun Jesus here!
4th
fif
Snorre, an unfortunate name that gives childish laughs to many! (Swedes at least)
For Dutch people i think as well. since 'Snor' means mustachio. To name a mustache small one might say: 'Snorretje' but you can kind of conjugate it to 'Snorri' which is grammatically incorrect, but it works, and is ok when used in a name for someone who has a small mustache. In a pejorative sort of way. That might not hold true in all dialects of Dutch but it works in mine, but dialects are a bit too nitty gritty to get into, lol.
Which country has 68.7% Irish D.N.A. and begins with an I and ends with a D ??? Iceland !