Norse Mythology: The Unofficial Guide

Time for another deep dive! This time into the mysterious origins of the one called Hel: the daughter of Loki and the sister of two giant monsters. Who does she own upon death? The answer may not be quite as simple as you think.

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2007

• “Gesta Danorum” transl. by Karsten Friis-Jensen and Peter Fisher, 2015

• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs”, by John Lindow, 2002

• “The Road to Hel” by Hilda Roderick Ellis, 1968

• “Worlds of the Dead” by John Lindow and Anders Andrén in Pre-Christian Religions of the North volume II, 2020

• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014

• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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In our final installment of Völsunga Saga (for now), it's what you've all been waiting for: We finally cover the tale of Sigurðr, the most famous of all Norse heroes who slew the dragon Fáfnir, and his tragic love with the valkyire Brynhildr. There's fire, murder, mayhem, and one ring to curse them all. Don't miss it!

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2007
• “The Saga of the Volsungs”, transl. by Jesse Byock, 2004, supplemented by some of my own translations from the source text
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• "The Prose Edda", transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Story time continues with our second installment of the Saga of the Volsungs wherein another character goes to Valhöll without dying in battle, a valkyrie causes countless deaths for her own gain, and Sigmund's magic sword finally receives a name. Don't miss it!

Sources:

• “The Saga of the Volsungs”, transl. by Jesse Byock, 2004, supplemented by some of my own translations from the source text
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• "The Prose Edda", transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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It's story time again! And this time we're digging into what might be the most famous legendary saga ever to come out of Scandinavia: The Saga of the Vǫlsungs. As we dig in, it'll become clear how all of the principles we've talked about on the show so far come together to produce a story with a distinct Norse flavor, and one that has inspired tropes that have been repeated in story after story for the last thousand years. It's a long one this time, and I hope you enjoy it!

Sources:

• “The Saga of the Volsungs”, transl. by Jesse Byock, 2004, supplemented by some of my own translations from the source text
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• "The Prose Edda", transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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How many times have you heard in the past that Loki is associated with fire? It's true, in fact, but how many people who told you Loki was associated with fire ever provided any examples of that association? In this episode, we'll dig in to why your answer to that last question is "none of them", and what this association with fire really means. By the way, are you familiar with the Ash Lad?

Sources:

• “Loki, the Vätte, and the Ash Lad: A Study Combining Old Scandinavian and Late Material”, by Eldar Heide, 2011
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• "The Prose Edda", transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Our special guest today, AtiWati, has academic chops but prefers to keep his anonymity online. He currently moderates the r/Norse subreddit which is one of the largest academically-oriented internet communities focusing on Norse history and mythology. Today we'll be diving into Ati's specialty: the criminally under-discussed work Gesta Danorum by Danish author Saxo Grammaticus. We'll be talking about some of its unique stories, how it reinforces other Norse mythological sources, what Saxo sought to achieve when writing it, and why you should definitely not skip out on reading it.

Disclaimer:

Digital piracy may be illegal where you live. Don't do it.

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For our first excursion into Norse hero material, we'll be discussing two versions of a story about a character known across Norse, English, and German sources as Wayland the Smith. Prepare yourself for valkyries, dwarves, kidnapping, maiming, murder, intrigue, revenge, flying machines, and two surprising cameos from Sigurd the Dragonslayer and maybe even William Tell?

Sources:

• “The Context of Völundarkviða” by John McKinnel, 1993
• “Velents þáttr smiðs” as published on heimskringla.no
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Edward Pettit, 2023
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014

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Some Norse mythology enthusiasts are strangely terrified of Christian influence in our sources. And some will even go so far as advise others to ignore some of our most important sources, believing them to be full of corruption. In this episode, we'll talk about why there is no real need to be afraid of Christian influence in Norse mythology, and about how to recognize it when you see it.

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2007
• “Mímir: Two Myths or One?” by Jacqueline Simpson, 1965
• “The Conversion of Scandinavia: Vikings, Merchants, and Missionaries in the Remaking of Northern Europe” by Anders Winroth, 2012
• “The King, The Champion and the Sorcerer” by Lotte Motz, 1996
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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ᚠᚢᚦᚨᚱᚲ! What does it mean? On this episode we'll cover everything you ever wanted to know about pre-Christian runic writing and, maybe even better, we'll talk about how the runes were used anciently for magical practices. Be warned! We're going to be dispelling a lot of myths in this episode, so get ready to toss everything you thought you already knew right out the window. Ok, maybe it won't be that drastic, but you might be surprised.

Sources:

• “Germania” by Publius Cornelius Tacitus, 1st century
• “Gesta Danorum” transl. by Karsten Friis-Jensen and Peter Fisher, 2015
• “Runes: Reading the Past” by R.I. Page, 1987
• “Runic Amulets and Magic Objects” by Mary MacLeod and Bernard Mees, 2006
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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On this episode we are joined by Joseph S. Hopkins, an expert who has been quoted frequently on this show, to help us wrap our heads around our sources, how they fit into a broader sphere of Germanic religion, the importance of trees in Norse mythology, and just for fun, the often overlooked symbol of antlers and stags.

Sources:

• “The Norse Myths” by Kevin Crossley-Holland, 1981
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2002
• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2007
• “Old Norse Mythology” by John Lindow, 2020
• mimisbrunnr.info
• hyldyr.com

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One of the more difficult things to do in Norse mythology is understanding the way the sun and moon relate to day and night. Each one seems to have its own origin, and figuring out where the distinction between a shiny object and a divine person really is can be tricky. Add to this the big mess of wolf and horse names scattered all over the story and what we have is a big recipe for confusion. In this episode, we'll go through this together, figuring out who's who, what's what, and how everyone gets killed by which particular wolf.

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2007
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2001
• “The Historical Development of Basic Color Terms in Old Norse-Icelandic” by Jackson Crawford, 2014
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Way back in episode 1, I mentioned that the sources are not exactly as clear on what "the nine realms" are as popular media would have us believe. In this episode, we dig into all the ways the phrase "nine realms" is used in the sources, and try our best to put together a working model of how the Norse cosmos was really shaped.

Sources:

• “Contradictory cosmology in old norse myth and religion – but still a system?” by Eldar Heide, 2014
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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There's an intriguing stanza in one of our source poems mentioning a compromise between the goddess Freyja and the god Óðinn. It seems to tell us only half the slain warriors are received by Óðinn in Valhöll because the other half are chosen by Freyja for a place called Fólkvangr. But what does it really mean to choose the slain? Who decides who dies? And what happens when the god of the slain wants something that goes against the decrees of fate? This episode is a little more interpretive than others, but isn't speculation what makes the study of mythology fun?

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2007
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2001
• “The Ship in the Field” by Joseph S. Hopkins and Haukur Þorgeirsson, 2012
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Sometimes I make mistakes. We're all learning together from the experts here. This is a mini-episode addressing two mistakes I made in previous episodes that have been bothering me recently, and that I wanted to correct. There's nothing groundbreaking or foundational here, but I think it's good to fix mistakes when we find them.

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The moment has finally arrived! The doom of the gods (or is it, fate of the gods? ...or twilight of the gods?) is upon us! Listen as your dedicated host tirelessly strings together a narrative crafted from The Prose Edda, Völuspá, Vafþrúðnismál, Grímnismál, and Fáfnismál to finally present a full picture of Ragnarök. But what does Ragnarök really mean? Has it already happened? Are the dead gods really dead? Will there be another Ragnarök in the future? All this and more in today's episode and more to come in the future. 

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2007
• “Fimbulvintern, Ragnarök och klimatkrisen år 536–537” by Bo Gräslund, 2007
• “Sacred Tree and Holy Grove” by Joseph S. Hopkins, 2020, on mimisbrunnr.info
• “The mythic theme of the great winter in ancient Iranian traditions” by Anders Hultgard, 2002
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Previously, Loki took it upon himself to orchestrate the murder of the gods' golden boy, Baldr. In this episode, Loki's actions finally come back to haunt him as the gods exact their revenge. We'll discuss how this story differs between accounts in the two Eddas, and even dig in to a lesser-known part of the story preserved mainly in Gesta Danorum. And with this story out of the way, the stage has finally been fully set for Ragnarök.

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2007
• “Relative sá and the dating of Eddic and skaldic poetry” by Christopher D. Sapp, 2019
• “Studier over de nordiske gude- og heltesagns oprindelse” by Sophus Bugge, 1881
• “Gesta Danorum” transl. by Karsten Friis-Jensen and Peter Fisher, 2015
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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In this episode, the most beloved of all the gods suffers a tragic death as the result of what appears to be another god's jealous rage. This story has everything: murder, zombies, flaming dwarves, and possible hints at something akin to suttee– everything except the consequences. Those will come next time.

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2007
• “The Road to Hel: A Study of the Conception of the Dead in Old Norse Literature” by Hilda Ellis Davidson, published under the name Hilda Roderick Ellis, 1968
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Today we dive into the god Freyr's most famous mistake: the time he traded his magic sword for the favor of a woman and, in so doing, sealed his fate in the coming battle of Ragnarök. We'll learn a little about rune magic, coercion, and the time-less behavior of mopey, love-sick teenagers.

Sources:

• “Blótgyðjur, Goðar, Mimi, Incest, and Wagons: Oral Memories of the Religion(s) of the Vanir” by Terry Gunnell, 2017
• “How Uniform Was the Old Norse Religion” by Stefan Brink, 2007
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2001
• “Origo Gentis Langobardorum”, 7th century
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Our sources for Norse mythology are pretty male-centric. But even so, when we tally up the names of all the gods we have vs. all the goddesses, it turns out we actually have a lot more goddess names than gods. Goddesses certainly played an important role in the lived religion of ancient Scandinavians, so this episode is a tribute to a few of the goddesses forgotten by time.

Sources:

• “Germania” by Publius Cornelius Tacitus, 1st century
• “Great Goddess Theory in Ancient Germanic Studies” by Joseph S. Hopkins, 2019
• “Goddesses Unknown I: Njǫrun and the Sister-Wife of Njǫrðr” by Joseph S. Hopkins, 2012
• “Goddesses Unknown II: On the Apparent Old Norse Goddess Ilmr” by Joseph S. Hopkins, 2014
• “Goddesses Unknown III: On the Identity of the Old Norse Goddess Hlín” by Joseph S. Hopkins, 2017
• “Heimskringla”, transl. by Alison Finlay and Anthony Faulkes, 2011
• “Meeting the Other in Norse Myth and Legend” by John McKinnell, 2005
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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We've paid a lot of lip service to the idea of variation in myth, but in this episode we'll dig into a prime example as we have two full versions of the story where Thor goes fishing surviving from Iceland. This myth challenges some scholarly ideas, showcases some unusual relationships, and features what is probably our only attestation of Thor shapeshifting.

Sources:

• “Germania” by Publius Cornelius Tacitus, 1st century
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2001
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Our story today is a big one, just like the jǫtnar it features, so we'll spend a lot more time story telling and a lot less time interjecting theories from scholars. But, not to worry. You'll finally get to listen to yours truly, one of the biggest Thor fans of all time, finally talk about some of Old Redbeard's famous failures.

Sources:

• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Just a quick update on the release cycle since it's going to be affected by the hurricane currently in the Gulf of Mexico. No need to worry!

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All Norse gods and goddesses are subject to some level of mischaracterization in popular media, but Loki's frequent shapeshifting into female form have made him a particularly attractive target for embellishment of the story. In this episode I won't be telling you what you should think about Loki, but I will be compiling every little detail we have that could possibly relate to his gender and sexuality, and examining them through the lens of the ancient Scandinavian mindset. Spoiler alert: ancient people didn't conceptualize gender and sexuality the way we do today, but there's no reason why you should be forced to view Loki the way ancient people did a thousand years later. The myths are what you make of them.

Sources:

• “Coming to terms with Navajo Nádleehi: a critique of berdache,’gay’, ‘alternative gender’, and ‘two-spirit’” by Carolyn Epple, 1998
• “Lokasenna: The Norse Poem of Loki’s Locker Talk” by Jackson Crawford on YouTube, 2017
• “Loki” by Jens Peter Schjødt in “Pre-Christian Religions of the North” Volume III, 2020
• “Níð, Ergi and Old Norse Moral Attitudes” by Folke Ström, 1974
• “The Unmanly Man: Concepts of Sexual Defamation in Early Northern Society” by Preben M. Sørenson, translation by Joan Turville-Petre, 1983
• “The Poetic Edda”, original translations in this episode by me
• “The Prose Edda”, original translations in this episode by me

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Once upon a time, Thor made a journey into jǫtunheimr without his magic hammer. Or at least, that's one version of the story. So along the way he had to make due with other weapons. But do these other weapons preserve a more ancient memory of the thunder god's arsenal? And by the way, has Mjǫllnir always been a hammer? Let's dig in together.

Sources:

• “Agricola’s Ukko in the light of archaeology: a chronological and interpretive study of ancient Finnish religion” by Unto Salo, 1990
• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2010
• “Encyclopedia of Russian & Slavic Myth and Legend” by Mike Dixon-Kennedy 1998
• “Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic” by Guus Kroonen, 2013
• “Gesta Danorum” transl. by Karsten Friis-Jensen and Peter Fisher, 2015
• “Hamarinn Mjǫllnir: The Eitri Database and the Evolution of the Hammer Symbol in Old Norse Mythology” by Katherine Beard, 2019
• “Herkuleskeule und Donar-Amulett” by Joachim Werner 1964
• “How Thor Lost His Thunder” by Declan Taggart, 2018
• “In Search of the Indo-Europeans” by J.P. Mallory 1991
• “Lithuanian Mythology” by Gintaras Beresnevičius
• “Shepards' crowns, fairy loaves and thunderstones: the mythology of fossil echinoids in England” by Kenneth McNamara 2007
• “The History of the Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen” transl. by Francis Tschan, 2002
• “The Thunderweapon in Religion and Folklore” by Christian Blinkenberg 1911
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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In which we cover Thor's legendary duel with Hrungnir. Unlike your average Norse duel, this one is actually intended to end in death. But the moral of the story is, whether you're nine miles tall or have a heart made of stone, you're just never a match for the awesome power of thunder. 

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2010
• “Haustlǫng”, transl by Richard North, 2010
• “How Thor Lost His Thunder” by Declan Taggart, 2018
• “Kormáks saga” transl. by W.G. Collingwood and J. Stefansson, 1901
• “Táin Bó Cúailnge” transl. by Joseph Dunn, 1914
• “The Earliest Norwegian Laws, Being the Gulathing Law and the Frostathing Law” by Lawrence M. Larson, 2008
• “The history of Lapland wherein are shewed the original, manners, habits, marriages, conjurations, etc. of that people” by Johannes Scheffer, 1674
• “Thor’s Duel With Hrungnir” by John Lindow, 1996
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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In this episode we dig into the kidnapping of Iðunn, a goddess whose magic apples keep the gods perpetually young. But this story is a lot less about the apples and a lot more about the goddesses. Join me as we focus in on both Iðunn and Skaði, a jǫtun who becomes a goddess by marriage, and the way Loki plays a prominent role in both of their stories.

Sources:

• “Apple and Apple Tree” by Joseph S. Hopkins, 2020, from mimisbrunnr.info
• “De Gamle Eddadigte,” transl. by Finnur Jónsson, 1932
• “Haustlǫng”, transl by Richard North, 2010
• “Lokrur, Lóðurr and Late Evidence” by Haukur Þorgeirsson 2011
• “The Poetic Edda: Volume II - Mythological Poems” by Ursula Dronke, 1997
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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In one of the most famous Norse myths of all time, Thor's hammer is stolen by the jǫtnar and the only way to get it back is to dress in drag. But this story is much more than a surface-level comedy. It turns Norse ideas about gender and societal expectations on their heads and teaches us a lot about the personalities of the gods. It also seems to prove the age-old adage that comedy is the one place where anything goes.

Sources:

• “Negative Reciprocity” by Margaret Clunies Ross in “Prolonged Echoes” Volume I, 1994
• “Níð, Ergi and Old Norse Moral Attitudes” by Folke Ström, 1974
• “Paganism at Home: Pre-Christian Private Praxis and Household Religion in the Iron-Age North“ by Luke John Murphy, 2018
• “The dating of Eddic poetry – evidence from alliteration” by Haukur Þorgeirsson, 2017
• “Þrymsvkiða, Myth and Mythology” by John Lindow, 1997
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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In this episode we'll cover some of your deepest and most pressing questions about Óðinn, the chief of the Norse gods. What does he want? Where did he come from? And I don't mean who was his father, I mean, where did he really come from? How was Óðinn worshipped in ancient times? Did everyone venerate him or just a select few? Is there a secret to getting into Valhǫll without dying in battle? And if someone decides to worship Óðinn, what are the chances he might kill them himself? Join me on a deep dive into the character of this enigmatic hunter of souls and his ancient, frightening origins.

Sources:

• "Die wilde Jagd bei Schwarzkosteletz" by Josef Virgil Grohmann in “Sagen-Buch von Böhmen und Mähren. Erster Theil: Sagen aus Böhmen”, 1863
• “Germania” by Publius Cornelius Tacitus, 1st century
• “Óðinn” by Jens Peter Schjødt in “Pre-Christian Religions of the North” Volume III, 2020
• “Óðinn’s Path to Greatness” by Anatoly Liberman in “In Prayer and Laughter: Essays on Medieval Scandinavian and Germanic Mythology, Literature, and Culture”, 2016
• “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”
• “The History of the Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen” by Adam of Bremen 10th century, translated by Francis Tschan
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Thanks for all of your support and feedback so far! The purpose of this announcement is to let you know that you are all invited to join me on a new Discord server! If you aren't familiar with Discord, it's an app you can visit in the browser or download to your devices that allows you to chat with people who are interested in similar topics. Our community is intended to be open and friendly. Here's the link:

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In the future the world as we know it will be destroyed. But this can't happen before we introduce all the major players. In this episode we'll discuss the origins of Hel, the World Serpent, and the monstrous wolf Fenrir, and we'll see how the way Fenrir became an enemy of the gods is all too easy to misunderstand without the proper context of the Norse world view. What does it mean to be an outcast? What does it mean to have your fate decreed by prophecy? And could things have gone another way? Let's find out together.

Sources:

• “Fate” by John Lindow in “Pre-Christian Religions of the North” Volume II, 2020
• “Norse Mythology” by Neil Gaiman, 2017
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2001
• “The Historical Development of Basic Color Terms in Old Norse-Icelandic” by Jackson Crawford, 2014
• “The Níðingr and the Wolf” by Bernt Øyvind Thorvaldsen, 2011
• “Wolves, Serpents, and Birds: Their Symbolic Meaning in Old Norse Belief” by Anne-Sofie Gräslund, 2004
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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Thor hasn't always had his famous hammer. And for that matter, Óðinn hasn't always had his famous spear. As it turns out, these gods only came to possess their signature weapons as the result of Loki being a trouble-maker. In this episode we'll talk about rowan trees, golden hair, infidelity, dwarves, and some likely shape-shifting shenanigans. By the end, we'll have finally gotten to the bottom of what magical powers the weapons of the gods actually have, and why Loki once had his mouth sewn shut.

Sources:

• “Avlsten” by P. V. Glob, 1959
• “Myth and Religion of the North: The Religion of Ancient Scandinavia” by Gabriel Turville-Petre, 1964
• “The History of the Archbishops of Hamburg-Bremen” by Adam of Bremen 10th century, translated by Francis Tschan.
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2001
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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A big thank you to everyone who's subscribed and started listening! The show is starting to do pretty well and it's time for me to start getting some feedback from you. So here's an email: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com. Looking forward to hearing from you!

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After the Æsir-Vanir war ends, a strange sequence of events is set in motion that results in mankind acquiring a talent for poetry. But did the gods intend for us to have this skill or did we acquire it entirely by accident? And how do a couple of serial-killer dwarves factor into the equation? What exactly is a dwarf, by the way? And is Oðinn canonically an evil-doer? Have a listen for answers to these questions and for some poignant thoughts by the Alföðr himself.

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2010
• “Heimskringla”, transl. by Alison Finlay and Anthony Faulkes, 2011
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2001
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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This episode covers the very first war that ever occurred in the world. But why did it happen and who exactly is fighting who? Did the Aesir kill the goddess Freyja three times over? And who exactly are the Vanir? Are they original to the pagan tradition or did Snorri make them up to fill in some gaps? You might be surprised how hard some of these questions are to answer and you might be surprised at how weird modern scholarship can get sometimes.

Sources:

• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2010
• “Gesta Danorum” Volume I, translated and edited by Karsten Friis-Jensen and Peter Fisher
• “Heimskringla”, transl. by Alison Finlay and Anthony Faulkes, 2011
• “In Defence of the Vanir” by Clive Tolley, 2011
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2001
• “Relative sá and the dating of Eddic and skaldic poetry” by Christopher D. Sapp, 2019
• “The Role of Hostages in Roman Diplomacy with Sasanian Persia” by A. D. Lee, 1991
• “The Vanir: An Obituary” by Rudolf Simek, 2010
• “Vanir and Æsir” by John Lindow in “Pre-Christian Religions of the North” Volume III, 2020.
• “Verses versus the Vanir: Response to Simek’s ‘Vanir Obituary’” by Frog & Jonathan Roper 2011
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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This episode does a deep dive into almost everything we know about Thor. What did he look like? Was he a good father? How did the ancient Norse people pray to Thor? How does his hammer work? Does he ever strike anyone with lightning? And, wait... was Thor actually god of the sea?

Sources:

• “Bleikr, Gulr, and the Categorization of Color in Old Norse” by Jackson Crawford, 2016
• “Gods and Myths of Northern Europe” by H. R. Ellis Davidson, 1964
• “How Thor Lost His Thunder” by Declan Taggart, 2017
• “Medieval Folklore: A Guide to Myths, Legends, Tales, Beliefs, and Customs” by Carl Lindahl, John McNamara, and John Lindow, 2002
• “Teutonic Mythology” by Jacob Grimm, 1882, transl. by James Stallybrass
• “Þórr and wading” by Tarrin Wills, 2017
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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How does time work in mythology? Is it always present, cyclical, or normal and linear? More importantly, was Loki once impregnated by a horse? In this episode, we'll correct a few common misconceptions about Norse mythic time and dig into the origin of Óðinn's famous steed, Sleipnir. There are some sensitive topics in this one, but there's no reason why we can't discuss historical interpretations without a little modern sensitivity.

Sources:

• “Concepts of Time in Old Norse Myth” by Margaret Clunies Ross in “Prolonged Echoes” Volume I, 1994
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2001
• “Profane Duration and Sacred Time” by Mircea Eliade in “The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion”, 1963
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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In which Oðinn may not be the only Norse god to have ever sacrificed a part of his body for a drink from the well of wisdom. This episode covers the two most famous wells situated near the World Tree, Yggdrasill, as well as the beings who maintain them: Mímir whose severed head offers counsel to Oðinn, and the norns who author the fates of mankind. And did you know that the norns are the reason why the English word "weird" still exists today?

Sources:

• “Chronicles” Volume II by Raphael Holinshed, 1587
• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology”, by Rudolf Simek, 2010
• “Fate” by John Lindow in “Pre-Christian Religions of the North” Volume II, 2020
• “Norns” by Karen Bek-Pedersen in “Pre-Christian Religions of the North” Volume II, 2020
• “The History and Chronicles of Scotland” Volume II by Hector Boece, transl. by John Bellenden, early 1500s.
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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The universe according to Norse mythology is organized around a giant ash tree called Yggdrasill. But did you know that the motif of worshiping a giant, cosmically-central tree shows up in 8th-century Christian literature from England? And did you know the word "Yggdrasill" might be a reference to a story about Odin learning the runes by means of hanging himself? This episode doesn't cover everything the myths say about the famous World Tree, but it does dive into the importance of the great, cosmic ash to the ancient Norse and other pagan, Germanic societies.

Sources:

• “Cosmology” by Mathias Nordvig in “Pre-Christian Religions of the North” Volume III, 2020
• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology”, by Rudolf Simek, 2010
• “Dream of the Rood”, transl. by Richard Hamer, 1970
• “Evergreen Ash: Ecology and Catastrophe in Old Norse Myth and Literature”, by Christopher Abram, 2019
• “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs” by John Lindow, 2001
• “Sacred Tree and Holy Grove” by Joseph S. Hopkins at mimisbrunr.info, 2020
• “The Forest in Old High German Literature” by Michael J. Swisher in “Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Germanistik”, 1988
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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In this episode we complete the creation of the world and dive into the origins of humanity. We'll talk about Christian influence in our sources, the dangers of taking our source texts too literally, and the difference between humans and trees in Norse poetic culture. Spoiler: there is no difference.

Sources:

• "Dictionary of Northern Mythology", Rudolf Simek, 2010
• "Evergreen Ash: Ecology and Catastrophe in Old Norse Myth and Literature", Christopher Abram, 2019
• "Sacred Tree and Holy Grove", Joseph S. Hopkins, 2020, mimisbrunnr.info
• "The Poetic Edda", transl. Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• "The Prose Edda", transl. Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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In this episode we dig into where the universe began, how the gods came to be, and where that information comes from. We also tackle misconceptions about the differences between gods and "giants" and the famous "nine worlds" of Norse cosmology. Spoiler: gods are giants but giants aren't giant.

Sources:

• "A Handbook of Germanic Etymology", Vladimir Orel, 2003
• "Dictionary of Northern Mythology", Rudolf Simek, 2010
• "Nío man ec heima, nío íviði, miǫtvið mæran fyr mold neðan. Tid og rum i Vǫluspá 2", Jens Peter Schjødt, 1992
• "The Poetic Edda", transl. Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• "The Prose Edda", transl. Anthony Faulkes, 1995

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People often associate Norse mythology with the vikings. But "viking" was just one of many jobs in medieval Scandinavia where farmers, poets, lawspeakers, and all sorts of people incorporated this northern version of Germanic paganism into their daily lives. The Viking Age itself only lasted about two and a half centuries whereas the religion of the north had been growing and evolving for thousands of years. In this episode we'll talk about what Norse mythology is, where it comes from, and where to find it in modern times.

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