***welp, Shawn missed the years on the reigns of Hákon and Eric by an entire century. Edit to fix coming hopefully in the next day. yikes****

In this episode, Shawn follows up on the poems Eiríksmál and Hákonarmál, which detail the deaths of King Eric Bloodaxe and King Hákon the Good and depict both entering the Norse afterlife of Valhalla. From there, Shawn takes a closer look at what the surviving sources actually tell us about Odin's hall, who ends up there, and what exactly happens once they arrive.

The discussion starts with the actual description of Valhalla, including its insane number of doors, endless supply of food and drink, and the Einherjar, the warriors who spend their afterlives fighting and feasting. Shawn also looks at the Valkyries, whose side hustle apparently involves serving drinks to the slain in Valhalla when they aren't busy operating as Odin's arm on earth, guiding the outcomes of battles and selecting those who will join him in the afterlife.

The conversation then shifts to two members of the House of Volsung, Sigmund and his son Sinfjötli, who are among the heroes present in Valhalla when Odin prepares for Eric's arrival. Their stories introduce an entirely different side of Norse heroic tradition, including a family tree that, if it reflected the standard family values of the Dark Ages, makes you wonder if "family values" meant something very different at the time. Shawn also explores the role Odin plays in the deaths of both men and why they ultimately appear among the heroes of Valhalla.

 And Valhalla wasn't necessarily the only destination for those who died in battle. Grímnismál also tells us that Freyja receives half of the slain in Fólkvangr, her own realm, while Odin receives the other half in Valhalla. Beyond that, our sources tell us remarkably little about Fólkvangr compared with the much more detailed descriptions of Valhalla. So the Norse afterlife doesn't seem quite as simple as "die in battle, go to Valhalla." Maybe it's more so who you know, and who makes the best AI-generated posts on LinkedIn talking about their recruiting experience. 

Sources Used:

• The Poetic Edda (Hackett Publishing) - translations by Jackson Crawford
• The Saga of the Volsungs: With the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok (Hackett Classics)
• The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics) - translations by Jesse Byock
• Heimskringla (Dover Publications), translated with the assistance of A.H. Smith
• Eiríksmál, translated by Finnur Jónsson
• Egil's Saga (Penguin Classics), translated by Seamus Heaney

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In this episode, Shawn continues his series on the Kings of Norway with Hakon the Good, the first Christian king of Norway and another son of Harald Fairhair. Raised in the court of King Æthelstan of England, Hakon returns home to challenge the rule of his half-brother, Eric Bloodaxe. If you remember from our previous episode, the lords of Norway welcome this new claimant if it means they can be rid of Eric's wife Gunhild.  (To be fair, Eric also had the small problem of being an unlikeable kinslayer.) 

The episode follows Hakon's rise to power, his battles against his nephews (the sons of Eric) and their Danish allies led by King Harald Bluetooth, and the challenge of ruling a pagan kingdom as a Christian king (anddd,,,, yes he did want the Norwegians to give up their gods for the Christian faith).  Was Hakon hoping the Norwegians would simply 'know them by their fruits,' or was he always destined to move from persuasion to royal authority in these conversion attempts?  Shawn also explores the Norse sacrificial practices, and the growing religious tensions that nearly cost Hakon both his throne and the loyalty of the people who had chosen him to rule. 

Shawn wraps up exploring conflicting sources surrounding Hakon's legacy. Did Norway's first Christian king remain Christian until the end of his life, or did he drifted back toward the old gods?  From his  performative participation in pagan sacrifices to the poem Hákonarmál, where Odin himself welcomes him into Valhalla, the sources don't always tell the same story. 

Sources Used:

• Heimskringla (Dover Publications), translated with the assistance of A.H. Smith
• Heimskringla (Project Gutenberg), translated by Samuel Laing 
•  Historia Norwegiae (Viking Societ for Northern Research), translated by Devra Kunin

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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

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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

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In this episode, Shawn once again obsesses over the parallels between Tolkien’s work and the Norse myths he drew inspiration from, and once again attempts (with mixed results, by his own admission) to make the decisions of gods, wizards, and hobbits feel uncomfortably relatable to modern life. Along the way, he looks at two chapters from The Hobbit where Gandalf repeatedly proves that timing, presentation, and well-placed words can be more effective than magic or brute force.

The episode then shifts to the Poetic Edda poem Alvíssmál, where Thor, normally known for solving problems with Mjölnir, does something deeply un-Thor-like and wins a confrontation using patience, wordplay, and a well-timed sunrise. Together, these stories explore how persuasion, delay, and strategic speech show up not just in myth, but in everyday situations where most of us are trying to avoid disaster without flipping a table or throwing a hammer.

Sources Used:

• The Poetic Edda (Hackett Publishing) - translations by Jackson Crawford
• "The Hobbit" - JRR Tolkien

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In this episode, Shawn, still pretending he is an early teenager in 2001 pretending he would fit just right in with the fellowship of the ring, once again dives into Middle-Earth to talk about Bilbo Baggins, and his riddle contest in the dark with the creature Gollum resulting in him bearing the one ring, but NOT before Shawn goes over 2 similar situations with the god Odin, who also gets into a contest of riddles.

 The funny thing is that both Bilbo and Odin win their riddle contests without actually stumping their opponents with riddles (wtf). They both walk away with the “W” thanks to a gap in the rulebook, the kind of gap that basically lets someone shrug and say, “Well, nobody said I couldn’t.” Odin exploits the loophole on purpose, while Bilbo does it through sheer panic, dumb luck, and maybe a subtle shove from a cursed piece of jewelry that really, really wants to get out of the caves under the Misty Mountains. 

Shawn talks about how technicalities and loopholes in the system are often exploited on our world as well. Whether in sports or politics, or our own lives like with "work emails", the latter of which Shawn spends a suspiciously large amount of time discussing as being exploited by humans.

Sources Used:

• The Poetic Edda (Hackett Publishing) - translations by Jackson Crawford
• The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics) - translations by Jesse Byock
• The Saga of Hervor and Heidrik (Hackett Publishing) - translations by Jackson Crawford
• "The Hobbit" - JRR Tolkien

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In this episode, Shawn covers the ring-bearers of the cursed ring of fate, Andvaranaut. From dwarfs to gods to dragons to princesses to kings, this ring, influenced by the true power in the Norse world, the Norns, guides the fates of those who wield it. And it never turns out well for those who do.

The ring is what Tolkien drew inspiration from when crafting the one true ring from his works in "The Hobbit", and "The Lord of the Rings". Though it does not make its wearer invisible, it does instill a lust to own it, spawning greed and kinslaying for those who are influenced by it.

Shawn also has fun at the end when he discusses whether or not the ring (And Fafnir's treasure), have been found, and who its current wielder may be. What do the Norns have in store for it?

Sources Used:

• The Poetic Edda (Hackett Publishing) - translations by Jackson Crawford
• The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology (Penguin Classics) - translations by Jesse Byock
• The Saga of the Volsungs: With the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok (Hackett Classics)
• "The Fellowship of the Ring" - JRR Tolkien

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