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Are the gods the good guys or the bad guys? On that note, did ancient Norse people ever worship the jötnar? This week we take a look at what it really means to be a god in the Norse mind. Two surprising sources will help inform our analysis: a horse phallus preserved in herbs and an Icelandic volcano. Don't miss it! Sources: Giants” by Margaret Clunies Ross in Pre-Christian Religions of the North volume II, 2020“Cyclical Rituals” by Jens Peter Schjødt, also in Pre-Christian Religions of the North volume II, 2020.“Ritual responses to catastrophic volcanism in Viking Age iceland: Reconsidering surtshellir cave through bayesian analyses of AMS dates, tephrochronology, and texts” by Kevin Smith, et al in the Journal of Archaeological Science volume 126, 2021.“Lausavísa from Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar in Heimskringla 1” by Diana Whaley in “Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to circa 1035. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 1.” 2012.“The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014“The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) comJoin the Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This time we dig into a rarely discussed aspect of Norse mythology: stealing your enemy's power by eating their heart or drinking their blood. But just who's power can be stolen by way of this gory ritual? Animals? Monsters? Humans? Let's find out together. Sources: “Heimskringla Volume 1, The Beginnings to Óláfr Tryggvason” transl. by Alison Finlay and Anthony Faulkes, 2011“Gesta Danorum” transl. by Karsten Friis-Jensen and Peter Fisher, 2015“The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki” transl. By Jesse Byock, 1998“The Dating of Eddic Poetry: Evidence from Alliteration” by Haukur Þorgeirsson, 2016“Dating the Old Norse Poetic Edda” by Christopher Sapp, 2022"Eaten hearts and supernatural knowledge in Eiríks saga rauða" by Andrea Maraschi, 2018“The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Edward Pettit, 2023“The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) comJoin the Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

After a nice, long break, NMTUG is back to cover a relatively obscure topic in Norse mythology: the dísir. What makes the dísir distinct from valkyries, norns, and other death-entangled women? Let's find out. Sources: “The Merseburg Spells” by Joseph S. Hopkins, 2023 “Dísir” by John Lindow in Pre-Christian Religions of the North volume III, 2020  “Dictionary of Northern Mythology” by Rudolf Simek, 2007 “Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs”, by John Lindow, 2002 “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014 “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) comJoin the Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: ⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW⁠⁠⁠ Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW⁠⁠ Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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. Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW⁠ Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW⁠ Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Episode Thumbnail Art By: Rim Baudey for mimisbrunnr.info

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 Contact: Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/