The Show
800–1000
A musical encounter with the settlers
The people who sailed to Iceland in the 9th century in search of a safer life and a brighter future for their families.
SAGA MUSICA is an ambitious project sprung from a collection of songs and poems, written by Valgeir Guðjónsson, about the life and strife of the people of Iceland's Saga Age.
It is a collection of enthralling and beautifully lyrical songs and poems describing the Icelandic Saga Age. Experience the mindset and atmosphere of those turbulent times, when iconic archetypes — The Bard, The Berserker and The Beggar — became a part of history.
Like Óðinn's two ravens, we circle above the North Atlantic region, observing the behaviour and mindset of the people during the Epic Settlement Age. We witness common traits of the human race, as much alive today as they were a millennium ago.
The Origin Story
Bergen · Kirkwall · Eyrarbakki
The saga behind Saga Musica
The idea for Saga Musica was ignited over 30 years ago when musician and journalist Valgeir Guðjónsson sailed on Gaia, a marvellous 30-metre longship, from Bergen, Norway to Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands — the first leg of Gaia's journey, which ended in Rio de Janeiro.
A few years later Valgeir found himself in Washington DC, co-producing a PBS / Smithsonian Institution documentary, “Leif Eriksson – The Man Who Almost Changed the World”, commemorating the millennium of the voyage to Vinland in 1000 CE. Here the first Saga Musica opus, “Windsong”, was written for the film's opening titles.
Some 15 years passed, and Valgeir and his wife Ásta moved to Eyrarbakki on Iceland's South Coast. Here the elements, the nature and the history started fermenting in Valgeir's mind, and the Saga Musica collection of songs and lyrics began to grow.
Saga Musica is today a growing musical compilation about the characters, events, mindset and atmosphere in the north-western corner of Europe at the time Iceland was settled.
The Sagas and Mythology
Codex Regius
The Edda & the Sagas of the Icelanders
The Icelandic sagas are a body of stories written in medieval Iceland, mostly in the 13th and 14th centuries. They take place from the settlement of Iceland around 900 CE until the 11th century — and most of their writers remain unknown.
In a uniquely objective yet arresting style, these sagas recount conflicts between individuals and clans, often culminating in bloodshed. They provide an unparalleled insight into the medieval mind and its ideas of honour, revenge and justice.
The Sagas of Icelanders are acknowledged as one of Iceland's most important contributions to world literature. Still, they are only one branch of the saga tradition, which also includes the Sagas of Kings, Legendary Sagas and Contemporary Sagas.
The Eddas too are a well-known part of Icelandic literature. The title Edda applies both to ancient eddic poetry and to the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson, a 13th-century guide to Old Norse mythology and poetics. The Poetic Edda consists mainly of poems preserved in a 13th-century manuscript, the Codex Regius.
Bookings
Eyrarbakki
A private performance for your group
Saga Musica is frequently performed for groups who book directly or through their hotels and travel agents. The show pairs exceptionally well with a dining experience.
Call us: +354 821 2428