Season 2 of the WSP podcast kicks off with a short piece from Egils Saga, which is part of the Icelandic Sagas...real life accounts of the first settlers of Iceland. Egils Saga was written around 800 years ago.

Egil Skallagrimsson has killed both sons of Eirik Bloodaxe - the King of Norway - in combat. The King has vowed revenge on Egil. On the advice of his lifelong friend, Arinbjorn the Hersir, Egil goes to meet the King, and throws himself on his mercy. At first, the King wants to kill Egil on the spot, but he relents, imprisoning Egil and giving him until the following morning to produce a poem praising the King. The stakes are high...if the poem fails to please the King, he will take Egils head off.

Many thanks and full credit to the Volfgang Twins for the backing track, Berserker.