‘Gullrun’s Saga – She Built a Boat’ is an original story created by Danish storyteller Svend-Erik Engh in collaboration with musician Neil Sutcliffe from Scotland.

Neil is going to sing a Scottsih ballad he had composed and created the lyrics to. It will start and end the show. 

We are creating a new saga, a saga about a young woman from the landscapes around Steinkjer in Norway.

We call our saga ‘Gullrun’s Saga – She Built a Boat’ and we will bring this original tale to life through storytelling, singing and music, blending traditional and original pieces. 

The story

In 980 AD, a young woman named Gullrun with golden hair decided to leave the newly formed Norway and sail to Iceland. Her father wanted her to marry Svein Bergman, a mountain boy, but Gullrun, a sea girl at heart, found no connection with him. Their engagement party only highlighted their differences. 

Determined to forge her own path, Gullrun, set her sights on Iceland, the land of the sagas. There was only one obstacle: she needed a boat!  With her crippled mother’s unwavering support, they enlisted the help of skilled boat builders from the village. Together, they spent the entire winter building a boat and weaving a sail.

We will perform at Sagolandets Berattarfestival June 2025