The Saga of Noggin the Nog

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

In the lands of the North, where the black rocks stand guard against the cold sea, in the dark night that is very long the Men of the Northlands sit by their great log fires and they tell a tale... They tell a tale of Noggin the Nog, the king of a land that strongly echoes popular culture's depiction of viking culture. Noggin the Nog is a shining example of British childrens' television which originally aired in 1959, but whose legacy has lasted for decades.

Tropes used in The Saga of Noggin the Nog include:
  • Cool Chair: King Knut's chair of stone. Placed at the top of a very tall, steep hill, King Knut would walk up to it every dawn and sit there to watch the sunrise, and watch over his Kingdom.
  • Cool Sword: The closest Nogbad ever got to ruling the Northlands (not to mention the world) was when he obtained the Sorcerer's Sword in "Firecake". It was a longsword that gave the wielder control over all living beings in the world, except for the stone giants. It was useless as a melee weapon, as Prince Knut was able to shatter it into pieces on a rock like glass, making it more like a magic wand than a sword.
  • Evil Uncle: Nogbad the Bad.
  • Evil Weapon: The Sorcerer's Sword, which was explicitly said to be full of evil magic.
  • Harmless Freezing: The Ice Dragon's breath encases an object or person in ice, but if they are thawed out soon enough, they suffer no ill effects.
  • Little People: The Omruds and the people of the Hot Water Valley.
  • Non-Fatal Explosions: Olaf's discovery of gunpowder (called "firecake") blows him through the castle wall, completely unharmed.
  • Old Soldier: Thor Nogson, Captain of the King's Guard and Noggin's constant companion. He gets bored in times of peace and is eager to challenge Nogbad to a duel when the opportunity presents himself. He is less than eager when it comes to new experiences though, such as flying or fighting a dragon.
  • Our Dragons Are Different: Fire-breathing dragons are only mentioned, but a dragon that breathes ice and can only be in hot areas for a limited amount of time becomes an ally of Noggin.
  • Plot-Triggering Death: The first episode involved the death of King Knut, which set off Prince Noggin's first quest; to find his bride and Queen.
  • Royals Who Actually Do Something: Noggin undertakes the various quests himself, usually with Thor Nogson and Graculus. In his spare time, he helps with the gardening.
  • Tears From a Stone: In the episode "Firecake", the statues (revealed to be hibernating guardians of the Sorceror's sword) can cry when faced with death/rejection.
  • The Good King: Noggin and his deceased father, King Knut.
  • The Lost Woods: The Great Black Forest of Troldeskow is a brief obstacle in "The Ice Dragon". The trees move around, allowing no paths and confounding any who enter.
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