In this fun-filled episode, John and Andy offer their
judgments on The Saga of the People of
Reykjadal and Killer-Skuta.  Listen
and learn how a leather thong can really improve your spear-throwing
distance.  It’s true.  You’ll also learn about the wonders of hearth
bread with butter and be introduced to the BCDM, our newest method for
calculating a saga’s body count.  It’s an
action packed episode with plenty of laughs and some good discussion of history
and literature.  Those of you who prefer
a steady flow of action and laughs will have to forgive us for our scholarly
tangents, but those with a genuine interest in saga literature will get what
they came here for.



For those interested in the ankyle, we recommend the
following:



“Throwing
the Greek Dory: How Effective is the Attached Ankyle at Increasing the Distance
of the Throw”



There are a number of videos featuring the use of the
ankyle/amentum.  We’ve selected the
following two as the most reasonable illustrations of the tool.


Ankyle for distance


Slo-mo ankyle

As promised, I’m
including the recipe for hearth bread that John mentions in Notable Witticism:




Thorgeir
Butter-Ring’s Bread




Ingredients



3 cups whole wheat or rye flour



2 cups white or all-purpose flour



3/4 cup steel-cut or rolled oats



1 tsp. salt



1 tsp. baking soda



2 cups water




 
Items Needed


Baking Stone



Large Bowl



Wooden Spoon



Oven (I mean, go ahead and hearth-bake the bread if you
want to be a stickler for accuracy).




 
Instructions


Mix together both kinds of flour, the oats, the salt, and
the baking soda in a large bowl.



Gradually add water while stirring with a wooden spoon
until it is stiff and difficult to stir further. NOTE: do not use an automatic
mixer for this step. Seriously, how many 10th century Icelanders do you think
had a KitchenAid?



On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough (you may
want to wet or flour your hands for this step). Stop when dough is malleable
and thoroughly integrated.



Form the dough into a round or oval shape on a baking
stone and place it in the oven. NOTE: The oven is still cold at this point.



Now set the oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit (190 Celsius),
and bake for 55-70 minutes (depending on elevation and oven).



Take the bread out of the oven when it looks, you know,
bready (I’m not a cook. Also, it’s unlikely that actual 10th century
Icelanders, who cooked their bread in fire ashes or on a hearth-stone, were
overly fussy about exact timing. Eyeball it). Let it cool on a rack.



Eat the bread while it’s warm. And of course, Thorgeir
Butter-Ring recommends using plenty of butter, but I found cheese, honey, or
apple slices works fine too.




 



 

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