Norse Mythology: The Unofficial Guide
This podcast explores the original Norse myths from primary sources, examining what makes them 'Norse', why Thor kills giants, and what the stories reveal about Loki's gender identity. It aims to separate the ancient tales from modernized pop culture retellings by diving directly into the source material and consulting experts. The host invites listeners to learn about the real meanings of these stories and their impact on the ancient pagan north.
Episodes
Episode 39 - The Worship of Good and Evil
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 Nort
Episode 38 - Eating Hearts and Drinking Blood
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 Danoru
Episode 37 - Dead Women in Black
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,
Episode 36 - Blue as Hel
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 t
Episode 35 - Volsunga Saga Part III: The Fearless Heart
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, 2
Episode 34 - Volsunga Saga Part II: To Serve the Boatman
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
Episode 33 - Volsunga Saga Part I: The Sword in the Tree
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 stor
Episode 32 - Associated with Fire
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
Episode 31 - Read Saxo with AtiWati
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 b
Episode 30 - The Dark Tale of Wayland
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
Episode 29 - Spotting the Christian Influence
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:
Episode 28 - Runes and Magic
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 t
Episode 27 - Myths and Symbols with Joseph S. Hopkins
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
Episode 26 - Of Day, Of Night & Of Wolves
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
Episode 25 - Where Are the Nine Realms?
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 – b
Episode 24 - The Valkyries, Freyja, and Fólkvangr
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 wan
Corrections: Part I
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.
Contact:
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW
You can a
Episode 23 - It's the End of the World As We Know It
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 re
Episode 22 - Crime and Envy Part II: Loki Yees His Last Haw
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
Episode 21 - Crime and Envy Part I: Baldr's Death
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 St
Episode 20 - The Worst Love Story Ever
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 Te
Episode 19 - The Goddesses Time Forgot
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” b
Episode 18 - Fishing For a Monster
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 Corne
Episode 17 - Finally, Some Real Giant Giants
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
“
Announcement: Hurricane's a Comin'!
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!
Contact:
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW
You can also write me at waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com
Episode 16 - Loki and the Question of Gender
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 sexu
Episode 15 - Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones
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:
Episode 14 - A Holmgang with Hrungnir
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,
Episode 13 - An Apple a Day Keeps the Jǫtnar at Bay
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.
Episode 12 - The One Where Thor Wears a Dress
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 plac
Episode 11 - Óðinn, Hunter of Souls
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? An
Announcement: Join me on Discord!
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
Episode 10 - Fenrir the Fearsome Fiend
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 outca
Episode 9 - How Mischief Made Mjöllnir
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 o
Announcement: Let's build a community!
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!
Contact:
Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com
Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW
Episode 8 - Blood and Poetry Part II: Murder and Mead
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
Episode 7 - Blood and Poetry Part I: The Æsir-Vanir War
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
Episode 6 - Thor, Hero of Humanity
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 N
Episode 5 - The Flow of Time and the Birth of Sleipnir
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
Episode 4 - Wells, Wisdom, and Fate
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 wh
Episode 3 - Of Yggdrasill and the Cosmos
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 everyth
Episode 2 - Creation Part II: Humans are Just Trees
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 Cat
Episode 1 - Creation Part I: The Gods are Giants
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", R
Episode 0 - The Vikings and Their Myths
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 thousand
Introduction
Join me on a deep dive through history and mythology where we'll learn together from the experts about the stories and traditions held sacred and dear to the hearts of the ancient, medieval people of the north.
Music: Wild West Vikings by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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