3-Week SASA Reading Group: Germanic Myth and Legend: The Saga of the Volsungs

This crash course offers an intense introduction to The Saga of the Volsungs, one of the most powerful and enduring works of medieval Norse literature based on much older Germanic legend. We’ll trace the rise and ruin of a legendary family line, following the blood-soaked path from the god-born hero Sigmund to his dragon-slaying son Sigurd, and on through treachery, tragic love, and the slow unraveling of a cursed legacy.

Told in stark, poetic prose and brimming with larger-than-life figures (Valkyries, shape-shifters, doomed lovers, and relentless avengers), the Saga of the Volsungs is a fierce meditation on power, kinship, and the high cost of heroism, yet it is also strikingly modern in its emotional depth.

3-Week Reading Group

Sunday 12pm Eastern Time

Session 1: Jun 15, 2025