In Our Time: The Orkneyinga Saga
Melvyn Bragg and esteemed guests explore the epic “Saga of the Earls of Orkney,” unraveling the Viking power plays and legends that shaped the icy isles and beyond.
Melvyn Bragg, cool as ever, sits down with his crew to dissect the badass “Saga of the Earls of Orkney,” laid down by some mysterious Icelandic scribe back in the 13th century. We’re talking about the prime real estate in the Viking empire—those icy, wind-lashed islands that were the ultimate power play. The Earls ran the show, ruling over Shetland, Orkney, and Caithness, with their eyes set on the Irish and British coasts. They hit Dublin, they hit Lindisfarne, and everywhere in between. This saga? It’s a cocktail of myth and history, breathing life into those old haunts where Vikings drank, schemed, traded tall tales, ascended to sainthood, and fought like hell.
