E11: Gandalf Trolls Trolls, Thor Trolls a Dwarf, and Beorn's Budget BnB

E16: Kings of Norway I | Eric Bloodaxe (930–934 CE)

In this episode, Shawn returns to his non-existent roots and once again discusses gods and kings. Specifically, Eric Bloodaxe, King of Norway (and later Northumbria), who according to the saga sources can trace his ancestry back to the Norse gods Odin, Freyr, and Njörðr.  The discussion begins with the rise of his father, Harald Fairhair, and the world he left behind for his many sons (Eric included). Shawn then follows Eric’s rise as well, while also exploring why his reigns in two separate kingdoms were both so brief. It may have had something to do with everyone’s thoughts on him killing several of his brothers… or having an unlikeable wife. Both may have been equally unforgivable in Dark Age Norway.  Shawn also crosses the North Sea to discuss the political situation in England, some of its early kings, and the rise of Eric’s half-brother, Haakon the Good.  Shawn closes with the poem Eriksmál, which imo immortalizes the legend of this king with an undeniably cool name,  and gives him a good enough reason to be the subject of a standalone episode of a not-particularly-popular podcast over a millennium later.  Sources Used: * Heimskringla (Dover Publications), translated with the assistance of A.H. Smith * The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Pantianos Classics), translated by Rev. James Ingram and Dr. J.A. Giles * Egil's Saga (Penguin Classics), translated by Seamus Heaney *  Hversu Noregr Byggðist, translated by George L. Hardman *  Historia Norwegiae (Viking Societ for Northern Research), translated by Devra Kunin * Eiríksmál, translated by Finnur Jónsson * The Saga of Hervor and Heidrik (Hacket Publishing) - Translations by Jackson Craword * The Saga of Ragnar and His Sons - (Translated be Chris Van Dyke) Follow on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/sagaswshawn/?next=%2F [https://www.instagram.com/sagaswshawn/?next=%2F] Follow on YT:  https://www.youtube.com/@SagasWithShawn [https://www.youtube.com/@SagasWithShawn]

E15: Odin and Thor – Mortality, the Measure of a Life, and What We Leave Behind (Part III)

In our final episode of our series on Thor, Shawn wraps up Thor's non-existent story arc, tying the Zelda I mean Norse timeline up in a way that makes sense to tell his story for the podcast. Thor continues to confront his own limits navigating life despite all of his strength. In doing so, he understands a couple very human traits of his, that he will never be perfect, and he will die.  The discussion focuses on the events surrounding the death of his half-brother Balder, and him being looked over on a mission to the underworld, a job given to another brother. Then we see Thor surprisingly know when to "last call" it when he convinces Loki he has had enough, as opposed to joining him for a night on the town. Then, in an effort to drive search traffic, Shawn discusses Thor’s role in RAGNAROK (capital letters included for hopefully a positive impact on the search engines), where at the end of his life he faces his final encounter with his nemesis, Jormangandr, while also standing side by side with his father, Odin.  The myths then offer a brief glimpse of what survives Thor: his sons, his daughter, and the idea that something of him carries on beyond the end of the world. Which raises the question of whether Thor, in his imperfect way, was slowly shifting his focus in his life, setting the stage for those who remain. Sources Used: * The Poetic Edda (Hackett Publishing), translated by Jackson Crawford * The Prose Edda (Penguin Classics) Follow on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/sagaswshawn/?next=%2F [https://www.instagram.com/sagaswshawn/?next=%2F] Follow on YT:  https://www.youtube.com/@SagasWithShawn [https://www.youtube.com/@SagasWithShawn]

E14: Tales of Ireland I - From Noah to the Milesians, the Mythic Invasions of Ireland

Ignore the part of the episode where I stated the "Magog and Gomer, Father's of Ireland" in the title. Love, Shawn. In this St. Patrick’s Day episode of Sagas w/ Shawn - Gods and Kings, we dive into one of the most fascinating medieval texts in Irish tradition, the Lebor Gabála Érenn, also known as the Book of Invasions. The text attempts to explain the origins of Ireland and its people by, like every text Shawn has reviewed, weaving together mythology, genealogy, and the biblical worldview of the time, with a bunch of pagan gods the Christian writers needed to humanize to fit their worldview Following the narrative arc from Shawn's horrible calculations of the years 2,348 BCE to 1,047 BCE, this episode explores 6 legendary waves of settlers said to have arrived in Ireland, including the mystical Tuatha Dé Danann, their conflicts with the mysterious Fomorians, and the final arrival of the Milesians, who become the legendary ancestors of the Gaelic people. Along the way Shawn discusses how each and every invader (minus 1) is descended from Noah's grandsons, Magog and Gomer. Sources Used: * lebor Gabala Erenn, translated by R.A.S. Macalister * Holy Bible (King James Version) Follow on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/sagaswshawn/?next=%2F [https://www.instagram.com/sagaswshawn/?next=%2F] Follow on YT:  https://www.youtube.com/@SagasWithShawn [https://www.youtube.com/@SagasWithShawn]

E13: Odin and Thor – Illusion, Fate, and the Limits of Power (Part II)

In Part II of our series on Thor, we dive into the story of Utgarða-Loki and the two versions of Thor’s fishing trip, uncovering more of the limits of the mighty god. Specifically, the limits of the very things he claims to be best at. He may confidently declare, "“I drink and I kill things.” Tyrion Lannister I mean, Thor the Charioteer". But as it turns out, that résumé does not guarantee unlimited success in either category. Even gods run into walls when the forces of nature decide to push back. Across these stories, Thor appears to be learning how to approach the obstacles in his life. That is, if and only if we and by we I mean Shawn ignore the actual chronological order of the myths and pretend this is intentional character development. (Please pay no attention to the man behind the curtain). We see disguises. We see subtle moments of empathy. We see losses that are not quite losses. And we see Thor come dangerously close to bending the will of nature and fate itself, though not quite breaking it. Strength alone does not rewrite reality, but it can certainly shake it. Shawn also insists on forcing a discussion of The Matrix and the book of Exodus in what can only be described as a bold attempt to connect Hymisvitha to both bullet-time philosophy and the plagues of Egypt. This may result in eye rolls. But in his probable accidental blasphemy at least he is trying his best. Sources Used: * The Poetic Edda (Hackett Publishing), translated by Jackson Crawford * The Prose Edda (Penguin Classics) * Holy Bible (King James Version) * Hversu Noregr byggdist, translated by George Hardman Follow on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/sagaswshawn/?next=%2F [https://www.instagram.com/sagaswshawn/?next=%2F] Follow on YT:  https://www.youtube.com/@SagasWithShawn [https://www.youtube.com/@SagasWithShawn]

E12: Odin and Thor – Power, Humiliation, and the Making of a God (Part I)

In this episode, we follow Thor across a string of myths that repeatedly undermine the idea that strength alone is all he needs in life. We start with Odin and Thor trading insults (though completely 1 sided), where Thor learns that brute force does not win every contest, especially when language and experience are involved. From there, we see Thor used as a blunt instrument against giants, praised for his power but quietly limited by it, while Odin (BY MY SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATION FOR FUNZIES) plays the long game of legacy, foresight, and survival in a world he knows he will not outlast.  We end with Þrymskviða, where yet another giant wants to marry Freya, Thor wants his hammer back, and there is a solution that Thor absolutely hates for reasons he insists are very serious and not at all about vibes. Disguised as a bride, Thor proves that wearing a dress does not reduce his strength, but it does trigger a deep concern about perception, reputation, and what the comment section is going to say. The violence that follows has nothing to do with clothing and everything to do with humiliation and fragile pride. Thor does not lose his power in a dress, but he clearly worries about losing his image, his brand, and possibly a few followers on Asgardian Instagram. We close by setting up Part II with the story of Utgarða-Loki, where Thor’s limits are tested even further, because being the strongest god alive still does not protect you from being completely outplayed.  Sources Used: * The Poetic Edda (Hackett Publishing) - translations by Jackson Crawford * The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics) * "The Hobbit" - JRR Tolkien Follow on IG - https://www.instagram.com/sagaswshawn/?next=%2F [https://www.instagram.com/sagaswshawn/?next=%2F] Follow on YT - https://www.youtube.com/@SagasWithShawn [https://www.youtube.com/@SagasWithShawn]