Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology Podcast

In this episode, Shawn and David continue their series on "The Saga of the Volsungs", starting with the god, Odin. Odin's murderous son, Sigi, Sigi's son Rerir, then Rerir's son, Volsung. Volsung didn't have the easiest birth, as he grew for at least 6 years in his mother's womb.

The pair further discuss the idea that Odin siring a human son and playing a part in weaving the fates of his family line, and how this may fit Shawn's thought that gods may simply be bored and looking to interfere in the affairs of mortals for their entertainment.
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David presents a short episode series reviewing the book "The Ring of Power". A Jungian feminist perspective on Wagner's 4 part Opera based on the High German version of Saga of the Volsungs (Nibelungenlied).

David gives a brief synopsis of Opera 1, Das Rheingold, some of Jean Shinoda Bolen's interpretation on the significance of the story, and David's take on how the story fits into our larger arc on the archetypes of the Norse Gods and the transition into the Hero's Journey.

Bolen's book was one of the two books that inspired the psychological perspective of the podcast...

Shawn and David publish their first episode discussing the "Saga of the Volsungs". However, as opposed to starting from the top with the origins of the family, the pair decided to discuss the origins of another important character in the story. Specifically, Fafnir the Dragon. The pair felt this was the right story to start this series as the its beginning details an adventure between our friends Odin, Hoenir, and Loki. Spoiler alert, Loki screws up, and though he fixes the problem for his companions, the family of Hreidmar and his son's are screwed as a result.

They...

In this episode, Shawn and David discuss the other layer of the character Loki, not the one where he is a playful prankster, but the one where he becomes a psychopath who brings on Ragnarök after what happens to his children.

Shawn gets "deep" (or as deep as Shawn can go) when he discusses whether or not (again) that things need to die for society to grow, including ourselves. Did Loki's actions that led to Ragnarök need to happen so something better could be born? Do Boomers, then Gen Z, and then Millennials (like Shawn and Da...

In this episode, Shawn discusses the character of Halvdan the Black as described in Snorri Sturluson's work, Heimskringla.
Halvdan was a great king in his own right; however, this portion of Heimskringla also serves to describe the marriage to a woman named Ragnhild, and the resulting greatness of their family line, starting with their son Harald Fairhair, the supposed first king of a unified Norway.
Through the texts (along with "The Saga of the Volsungs") you can build out a line of Harald's ancestors that show he is descended from 2 gods. Freyr through his father, and Odin through...

In this episode, Shawn discusses Gorm "The Old", who is considered the first historically recognized King of Denmark. A kingdom which still exists today with Queen Margrethe II as its Head of State. Though the main points of his life are still fuzzy at best, Gorm does appear in later writings; however, we are confident of his historical existence in part to the 2 Jelling Runestone's, one of which was commissioned by Gorm himself for his wife, Thyra, and the other commissioned by Gorm's son Harald "Bluetooth" who built one in honor of both his mother and father. Of course, Shawn...

Shawn and David recap the stories of Loki. Starting with the more playful side of this Shadowy Trickster. Loki and Sif's hair. Loki and the birth of Slepnir. Loki and the apples of Idunn. Why is Loki obsessed with the goddesses? Maybe it is because you have to be tricked into approaching the feminine and accepting your fate. But by doing so you gain the greatest of gifts. The mighty hammer Mjolnir. Odin's steed Slepnir. Psychologically Speaking, what does Loki, the Trickster Archetype, have to do with the Shadow of Love? David has some theories. David's article on the 4 Greek...

In this episode, Shawn discusses the historical/legendary figure of Rollo, a Viking who founded the Duchy of Normandy. A man who had a somewhat famous descendant named "William the Conqueror, the man who eventually would invade England in 1066 and end the reign of the Anglo-Saxon Kings of England. Rollo's childhood is somewhat obscure, as we are currently unsure if he was from Denmark or Norway, though the case could be made for both. Though the obscurity of his childhood could mean simply that he came from no noble birth, but through his travels and raiding in West-Frankia he was...

A solo episode by David, where I have re-translated the Skaldic poem Haustlong which was featured in Episode 10 - Thor's Journey Part 1. Shawn and I found the poem really difficult to understand when we read it during episode 10, and I got a bit obsessed with trying to understand what they were actually going for in the Old Norse poem. As I started translating Old Norse words, I realized that there were many obvious and wonderful cognates where an English word could nearly mirror the Old Norse word. I particularly made efforts to capture the frequent alliteration in the Old Norse...

Part 2 of our recap on the god, Thor. In this episode we discuss a few of the stories where Thor may have shown personal growth and reflection in his action. Where Thor, without his hammer Mjollnir, relies on the help of others and potentially his own previous experiences to succeed. We also discuss his death at Ragnarök where he initially stands side by side with his father, Odin. Did Odin simply want Thor there next to him as he was a great warrior, or has Thor proven himself worthy as a son based on his recent actions? Thor's development a...

Part 1 of 2 on Thor’s Hero’s Journey. Shawn recaps the myths where Thor learns painful lessons along his journey, either from his father Odin, Loki, or other powerful Giants. David reads the Skaldic poem Haustlong, which is a ‘chock-full-of-kennings’ rendition of Thor’s battle with Hrungnir. Thor’s early hero’s journey reinforces the importance of Havamal Virtues. David gives an example of divination using the I Ching which is particularly timely for this episode on Thor and raises the question “which of your demons are you unconsciously feeding?” A question from the episode, answered: Svolnir’s Widow is another name for Tho...

Shawn discusses the life of Penda: Last Pagan King of Mercia, as told in the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" and Bede's "Ecclesiastical History of the English People". 7th Century England saw many of the Petty Kingdoms converting to Christianity. However, King Penda of Mercia (626-655ce) remained a staunch pagan up until his death. During his reign he ravanged Northumbria (killing 2 of its kings), invaded East-Anglia (killing 3 of theirs), and routed King Kenwal from his kingdom of Wessex due to a slight against his sister. As the Anglo-Saxon gods are similar to the Norse gods, I would say Penda has earned a...

Shawn and David wrap up their series on the journey of Odin, from his birth to his death at Ragnarök. This week they focus primarily on what they consider to be an older Odin contemplating his life and mortality, and ask the question "Did Odin die a good death?" when swallowed by the wolf, Fenrir. The pair also discuss the idea of meditating on one's death and how we as humans can recognize the fact that we will die, but use that fact to enjoy life more as opposed to leading to an extreme existential dread in the years l...

Shawn and David continue part 2 of 3: The Journey of Odin. We continue with Odin’s stories of meddling in the affairs of mortals and gods. Odin, the King of the Gods, struggles to understand the ‘Good Father’ Archetype. We get a bit deep talking about the structure of the human psyche, whether God(s) exist or not, and whether immortality is really boring.  Watch Shawn takeover TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@tobiandwaylan Videos Mentioned: Ragnar and Egbert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3cimQ6yIT8 Ragnar contemplates fate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIPiLp9NwyY Announcements: David is startin...

Shawn and David recap the journey of Odin in a 3 part series. Part one is Odin’s younger years. Odin’s origin and the birth of the gods. Odin’s adventures to gain wisdom, poetry, and magic spells.

David and Shawn muse on the idea of why Odin is seeking Wisdom from The Feminine, what Odin has to sacrifice, and why it all has to do with learning to face your death.

Announcements: David is starting a mindfulness group. Learn about why mindfulness is the first step for any philosophical journey or process of self-transformation. Come practi...

In this episode, Shawn discusses the figure of Cerdic, the supposed first king of Wessex as told in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Cerdic and his son Cynric formed the kingdom in the year 519 ce. 400 years later, his house and descendants would form the Kingdom of England, a kingdom which still stands today in 2023 with King Charles III. The chronicle also contains 2 interesting notes. One in the year 495 ce which gives a preview of the list of Kings of Wessex/England from Cerdic to Edward the Martyr, who died in 978 ce (Kings they would be discussing later anyway on their respective years...

In this episode, Shawn and David discuss chapters 52 and 53 of Gylfaginning from the Prose Edda, which details the aftermath and rebirth of Ragnarök. They also further discuss the similarities with this story and Revelations from the Holy Bible. Shawn also talks about how he was the original "Shawn the Valet" and hints that Marvel owes him some money. Ways to support us: If you have been enjoying our show, please write a 5 star review on itunes to help spread our podcast to a wider audience: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/between-two-ravens-a-norse-mythology-podcast/id1604263830 Follow us or leave a message o...

In this episode Shawn and David discuss the battle of Ragnarök. We see the deaths of many of our favorite characters of Norse Mythology. ....It uhhhh, does NOT go well for the gods. David also is very excited that he watched a movie this century and was keen to discuss Thor: Love and Thunder. Ways to support us: If you have been enjoying our show, please write a 5 star review on itunes to help spread our podcast to a wider audience: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/between-two-ravens-a-norse-mythology-podcast/id1604263830 Follow us or leave a message on Twitter or Instagram: T...

Our first ever live Fireside Chat! In this episode the hosts (Shawn and David obviously) and fans discuss (over drinks) the poem Vǫlundarkviða from the Poetic Edda. The poem details the story of a talented elf's fall into a corrupted sole as he takes revenge on a king of men, Nithuth... We thank everyone for taking there time to join us for the event and we hope to see you again at the next one! Ways to support us: If you have been enjoying our show, please write a 5 star review on itunes to help spread our podcast to...

To kick off Season 3 Shawn and David are talking about Ragnarok. Loki is freed from his bonds and he is joined by his children Fenrir, Jormungandr, Hel and her army of the dead, The sons of Muspell (an army of Fire Giants), and an army of Frost Giants for good measure. It's a wild scene, but as David points out, not quite as wild as the book of Revelations (you really gotta read the book of Revelations). We also start to interpret what Ragnarok might represent psychologically. Stay tuned for Ragnarok (Part 2). But before that, we will have the Fireside...

David interviews Simon Drew, Poet, Podcaster, and Founder of The Walled Garden Philosophical Society. In our conversation, we talk about the founding of The Walled Garden, and it's mission of "finding Wisdom, wherever it might be found". How poetry and mysticism contribute to the mission of a philosophical society. We discuss pathways to initiation, including mythology and philosophy, as ways to understand Wisdom. We discuss our own journeys of coming to understand what we know and what we don't know. Simon also shares one of his poems, The Mystic, to explain "What is a Mystic anyways?" There is an event...

David brings a both light hearted and serious look at the celebration of Yule. A completely non-comprehensive take on the idea of celebrating the Winter Solstice from an archetypal perspective and reflecting on our modern traditions that reflect back to a much earlier time before the Christianization of the season. The Recipe for Wassail: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/2022/12/22/wassail-recipe/ Links, references, and sources of inspiration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Christmas_folklore https://www.learnreligions.com/holly-king-and-the-oak-king-2562991 https://www.learnreligions.com/go-a-wassailing-for-yule-2562973 https://www.learnreligions.com/history-of-yule-2562997 https://seawitchbotanicals.com/blogs/swb/celebrating-yule-the-chill-version-of-christmas https://wyrddesigns.wordpress.com/2018/12/21/the-twelve-days-of-yule-from-mothers-night-thru-twelfth-night/ https...

"The Wanderer" - A poem by Shawn Gaich to celebrate the Winter Solstice and the Holiday Season. 4 years ago, Shawn's colleagues at work asked him to write a holiday poem. So of course he writes a poem where Odin (The Wanderer) toys with the souls of mortals. Though the poem was lost, Shawn was able to remember enough of it and fill in the blanks everywhere else. Note --> The obvious portion of the poem Shawn used themes from "The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok", and a less obvious one from "How I Met Your Mother"... We hope you enjoy the...

Season 2, Episode 26. Shawn and David conclude the season long series on Loki: the cause of and solution to all of life's problems. Shawn recaps the adventures of Loki up to this point, and we explore the sections of Lokasenna and Gylfaginning Chapter 50 which provide the story of Loki fleeing from the Aesir after his involvement in the death of Baldur. Loki turns himself into a fish and we learn why Loki is his own worst enemy. Thor is finally not afraid to get wet, and surprise return of the long departed Kvasir. Does this prove that there is no continuity...

S2 Episode 25: B2R Short Norse Mythology and Exploring the Shadow. David shares his ideas on why there is a connection between Stoic Philosophy, Jungian Psychology, and Norse Mythology. They are all methods of seeking wisdom and healing the human soul.  I share my personal take on why Norse Mythology is the ideal mythology for understanding the archaic man within the soul of modern man and the personal shadow within the unconscious. A step which is necessary for Jungian individuation and, I argue, for Stoics on the path of the Prokopton. Follow us on Twitter (@TwoRavenPodcast https://twitter.com/TwoRavenPodcast) to...

S2 Episode 24: The Vikings of North America II: The Saga of the Greenlanders In this episode, Shawn discusses another version of the Norse discovery and settlement of Greenland, along with the settlement of North America, as told in "The Saga of The Greenlanders", a source written in the early to mid 13th Century. This story shows a similar but different version of events that detail these discoveries, one in which the Norse were the agressors in their first interaction with the Native Americans, killing 8 of them in cold blood. Freydis also schemes to kill a bunch of Norseman. Less awesome...

S2 Episode 23: The Vikings of North America: Eirik the Red's Saga In this episode, Shawn discusses the tale of the Norse discovery and settlement of Greenland, along with the accidental discovery by Leif Erikson of North America, as told in "Eirik the Red's Saga", a source written in the early 13th century. Although the story details the lives of the characters of Eirik the Red, his offspring Leif, Thorstein, and Freydis... It more so follows the adventures of Karlsefni and his adventures trying to build a permanent settlement on the New World only to fail in his venture due to...

Note --> Renamed on 7/3/23 to be the first episode on "The House of Yngling" In this episode, Shawn discusses the family line of the Ynglings. According to Snorri Sturlason's work "Ynglinga Saga", this family line supposedely started with a humanized version of the Vanir god, Njord (and his son, Freyr). The story states that Njord was a king in Uppsala, Sweden. Over the years the family of kings gained and lost land. The House of Ynglinga continued until it came to a man Named "Halvdan the Black". At this point his land controlled parts of Norway. Halvdan's son was supposedly...

Season 2 Episode 2: Freyr’s “Courtship” of Gerder (Part 2) This week Shawn and David wrap up the 2 part series on the story of how Freyr sends his servant, Skirnir, to propose to the giantess Gerdr on his behalf. Last week with them discussing Chapter 37 of Gylfaginning from the Prose Edda; however, this week them discussing its Poetic Edda counterpart, the poem, “For Skirnis”. Skirnir in this poem is…. uhhhh slightly more sinister in his approach to “coercing” Gerdr to say yes. Meaning of course he threatened her for 11 stanzas with a horrific fate if she doesn’t agree to marry the Vanir god. David...

Shawn and David present "Lokasenna - A Radio Drama" In celebration of releasing our 50th episode. Share your vote for your favorite God/Goddess/Voice Actor on Twitter @TwoRavenPodcast Loki - The Trickster with a big mouth. Odin - King of the gods and Loki’s blood brother who swore an oath to listen to Loki’s bullshit. Bragi - The God of poetry and being inspired to write poetry after drinking good mead. Idunn - Goddess of beauty and the golden apples. Loki tried to sell her to some giants. Also Bragi’s wife. Gefjun - The goddess of plowin...

Season 2 Episode 19 Part 1 of 2 Frey's "Courtship" of Gerdr Shawn and David tell the story of Frey the lovesick lover from Snori’s Prose Edda  Frey shows up in relatively few stories, besides his arrival with the Aesir in a hostage exchange with the Vanir, Lokasenna, and Skirnismal - the story of Frey gaining the hand of the giantess Gerd, through the coercive efforts of his servant Skirnir.  Shawn and David talk about Frey as a fertility god and the archetypal Lover. David gives more detail on the myth of Percival, the Holy Grail, and the Fisher King, as a potential para...

Season 2, Episode 18. Part 3 of 3 for Lokasenna (Loki’s Quarrel). We complete Loki’s comedy roast of the Aesir Gods, with insults against Heimdall, Skadi, Sif (Poor Sif, what did she ever do wrong?) and Byggvir’s wife Beyla. Thor shows up and puts a bit of fear in Loki, but not before previews that the end of the Gods is nigh. Look forward to our future episode detailing the capture of Loki! David’s 1st Mindfulness Group at The Walled Garden November 5th, Saturday 7am Pacific 10am Eastern. Register here for free: https://thewalledgarden.com/post/what-is-mindfulness Donate to help buy Shaw...

Season 2, Episode 17. Lokasenna (Part 2 of 3). Loki’s Quarrel. In this episode, Shawn and David continue their series on Loki with part 2 of 3 of the Poetic Edda poem, Lokasenna (Specifically stanzas 29-46). Loki continues his efforts to insult nearly every god present, adding Njorth, Frey, Freya, Byggvir, and Tyr to his already large list. Loki seems to have specific attacks implying that some of the Vanir gods, (Njorth, Frey, and Freya) have a tendency to be a tad bit incestuous with each other, an attack which none of the 3 deny. Update to Lokasenna Part 1: In the introduction, Loki gets into an ar...

This week we improvise a short “bonus” episode, as we were inspired to really answer the question of what evidence supports the idea of Odin and Loki being “blood brothers” or even possibly actual brothers.  There are certainly interesting parallels between Loki and Odin and inconsistent sources as to whether Loki and Odin could be long time traveling companions or even brothers.  David gives some interpretations on the idea of Loki and Odin being sons of the mother, fatherless children. That they “adopted” each other as brothers seems to fit what we know about their history. David has a controversial theory of Odin...

Season 2, Episode 15. Lokasenna (Part 1 of 3). Loki’s Quarrel.  David and Shawn return from break and continue the series on Loki: the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems. Loki is in rare form and decides to provoke a fight while the Gods are having a party at Aegir’s hall. Loki roasts the gods one by one, as they make weak attempts to clap back at him. We discuss Stanzas 1 through 29, breaking where Loki reveals to Frigg that he was responsible for the death of Baldur. Loki calls the gods out for their hypocrisy. Shawn and David discuss...

David presents a short solo episode on the definition of the Archetype of the Psychopath based on Adolph Guggenbühl-Craig’s book “The Emptied Soul”. What does a psychopath have to do with Norse Mythology? Well apparently a lot, as Guggenbühl-Craig explicitly compares Norse Mythology to a state of “psychopathic depression” and nihilism. David critiques Guggenbühl-Craig’s understanding of Nordic Mythology as a whole and shares a personal theory of the transition from Loki the Trickster as a creative force, to the Trickster as a destructive force. David also reflects on the practical areas to recognize our “inner psychopath”, lust...

David put together a bonus short episode this week, talking more about the mythological idea of a Walled Garden and more practically what The Walled Garden Philosophical Society is all about. There will be a regular short episode to be released on Friday. The Walled Garden: https://thewalledgarden.com/ The Philosophers: https://thewalledgarden.com/philosophers Simon Drew: Poet and host of The Practical Stoic and Walled Garden podcasts. Brandon Tumblin: Host of The Strong Stoic podcast. Joshua Bertolotti: Host of In Search of Wisdom podcast. Juan Perez: Host of Estoicimo Practico podcast. Judith Stove: Author and co-host of Soul Searching...

Shawn presents a short solo episode during our brief mid-season break. Shawn talks about the history of Snori Sturluson’s Prose Edda and the book Gylfaggining. Outlining the chapters where King Gylfi visits Asgard to question the gods, creating a literary device for Snorri to share mythological lore.  Shawn gives a summary of the sections of Gylfaggining which roughly parallel our journey on the podcast exploring the creation of the cosmos, the gods and other beings of the 9 realms, adventures of Thor and Loki, and the events of Ragnarok. Shawn is sharing a document of his summary of the chapter of...

Season 2, Episode 11. The third and final installment in our series on the Ominous Dreams of the Beautiful Balder. Continuing Chapter 49 of Gylfaginning in the Prose Edda. A funeral pyre boat is prepared for Balder. Many of the gifts of the gods are sent along with Balder for his trip down the river Gjoll (again, not a river in Switzerland). Odin’s lad, Hermod, is tasked with traveling to the underworld in order to ask Hel for a chance to allow Baldur’s return to his family. Hel has a feast prepared for Baldur and is not ready to part with him...

Season 2, Episode 10. Continuing our series on the Ominous Dreams of the Beautiful Balder.  Chapter 49 of Gylfaganing in the Prose Edda.  Odin fears that his son’s premonitions of death will come true and Balder’s mother, Frigg, obtains the oaths of all the dangers of the natural world so that they will not harm her son.  Loki returns and wants to play a little game. The gods attempt to injure Balder to prove that the oaths of protection are working. Loki deceives Frigg and is able to learn that one small plant was too young to swear an oath to the que...

In this episode, Shawn and David discuss Balder's Draumar, a poem that is typically found in copies of the Poetic Edda, though not found in the Codex Regius Manuscript. In this short poem, Odin travels to Hel (Niflheim) to find out why his son Balder is having ominous dreams foretelling his own death. Of course the only way to do this (It is Odin, after all), is to wake a witch from the dead and ask her questions which contain answers he himself isn’t ready to hear. David discusses the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes, their similarities to aspects of...

Continuing with the “Monstrous Children of Loki”, This week we discuss Fenrir the Wolf and his particular connection with the god Tyr. Shawn discusses once again the idea of fate in this myth, as the gods take action on Fenrir to prevent his role in Ragnarök, are they actually helping to expedite it? David includes some interpretations on Tyr the King, the Warrior, and the Judge and how some Greek Stoic metaphors about Justice relate to Tyr “holding a thing with both hands”. We also return to discussing the Tyr rune and how you can actually apply magic to your life...

Season 2, Episode 7, We return to the stories of Loki, “The cause of and solution to all of life’s problems.” This week Loki settles down and becomes a family man. Raising one or two children with the goddess Sigyn and he has three legendary children with the Giant Angrboda of Jotunheim: Fenrir the Wolf, Jormungandr the World Serpent, and Hel the goddess of the underworld. The Aesir are not amused and fear the harm these children will cause, sending them off to distant lands. David gives one last interpretation on Loki, Svadilfari, and the importance of Love (Eros) for the Tricks...

We are taking a bit of a break this week and releasing a short episode. David had some interpretations on S2 Episode 4 that came to him a few days after the episode was released and clarifying his explanation of how to make sense of Loki's "sacrifice". We will be back next week continuing the series on Loki. Shawn is also working on another solo short episode coming soon. David's blog post associated with this podcast episode: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/2022/08/06/loki-svadilfari-and-the-walls-of-asgard/ David's related post at the Walled Garden: "Mythological Perspective on Trauma" expanding on my associations between Loki, Slepnir, and...

Our third guest interview. Kyle Kuypers is a friend/co-worker of Shawn and a generally eclectic individual who is passionate about Mythology, Story Telling, Dungeons & Dragons, and he co-hosts a fan podcast about the TV series Vanderpump Rules. We talk about Hero’s Journey, the flawed, “very human” Norse Gods. Kyle explains the history of Dungeons & Dragons, the table top role playing game which combines board gaming, war gaming, and story telling, along with its creator, Gary Gygax. How does Role Playing a character or leading a group of players compare to composing and performing Norse Skaldic Poetry? How would a char...

In this episode, Shawn and David discuss the myth about how Loki offers a set of ungivable gifts to a giant who was tasked to build (or repair?) the walls of Asgard. The catch being that the giant would need to finish the wall within a certain thought to be impossible timeframe. However, due to the giants trusty horse, Svadilfari, the giant seems on pace to finish in time. The gods, once again pissed off, threaten Loki to fix the situation, which he does. The good news is that Loki's actions pave the way for the birth of Odin's trusty...

Continuing our series on “Loki - The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.” Loki has pissed off Skadi, the giant goddess of hunting and skiing, by getting her father Thjazi killed. Loki solves problems the only way he knows how. By tricking her into marrying Njord rather than her preferred groom, the beautiful Baldur, and then Loki tries to make Skadi laugh by tying one half of a cord to his testicles, and the other half to a goat. It gets real weird this week. Shawn and David present their theories that Loki is the god of kin...

Season 2 Episode 2. Continuing our series on “Loki - The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.” Loki gets himself in a pickle and the only solution is to sell out the goddess Idunn to the giant Thjazi. The only problem is, all of the Aesir are dependent on Idunn to supply them with magic apples that give the gift of eternal youth.  Under threat of torture and execution, Loki once again has to finish what he started.  Shawn has some background on the “Norse Trinity” of gods, the confusion about Thjazi the Giant / Dwarf / Dark Elf, and fan-theory o...

Episode description: The start of Season 2! Shawn and David discuss the myth of Sif’s Golden Hair and Loki’s gifts for the gods from The Prose Edda, Skaldskaparmal. Loki creates one problem after another, but it all pays off for the gods in the end.  Shawn provides some context on sources outside of Prose Edda relating to the gifts of the gods and the dwarven smiths. David interprets potential meanings of the symbols represented in each gift given to the gods in exchange for Loki’s offense. We provide some updates on Shawn’s travel plans and David’s new writing...

In this episode Shawn discusses Viking Age England from 787-878 CE in part 1 of the series as told by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. He briefly discusses the first centuries of Anglo-Saxon England in the lead up to the Viking Age. He then goes on to discuss the Viking Age itself along with the early raids, and the lead up to the arrival of the Great Heathen Army in 866. One by one the kingdoms fell, until the last Kingdom of Wessex, and its King Alfred defeated the pagan general Guthrum in a decisive battle. In the episode Shawn discusses the ambition of...

This week David is interviewing Ashley McKenna, a seeker of Wisdom with education in Transformational Psychology and experience related to Shamanism. David and Ashley look at the myth Voluspa and get Ashley’s interpretation; not only what does the myth mean, but what does it make you feel? We talk about phenomenology in psychology and Ashley shares how the idea of mythological Origin Story can apply to understanding ourselves and our own origin story. Read Voulspa free online: https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe03.htm Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn is...

Season 0 "Episode 0.2". This is the first episode we recorded December 9, 2021. In the initial planning episode we talk about what we think our podcast might be about and testing how bad our recording equipment is. Feel free to skip this episode, unless you are interested in our brainstorming process. In this episode David and Shawn describe how we got into this whole Norse Mythology idea, Shawn talks about his interest in Dark Ages history, the historical method as a way to understand mythology and David discusses "what is truth anyways?" We have a new introduction to our show that we recorded...

This week David is sharing his thoughts on the psychological significance of divination, using the I Ching, the ancient Chinese “book of changes,” as an example. I discuss the chapter written by Carl Jung on his interpretation of what is happening when someone does divination. I connect this back to what might be learned about the process of divination using Nordic Runes, by examining the process of the I Ching. I also give an example of myself divining the future of our Podcast and write jokes for Shawn since it gets lonely doing a solo podcast. See the associated blog post...

Episode 21 is our first guest interview. Our good friend Chuck Sebian-Lander is a poet, Master of Fine Arts, and published poetry translator. He helps us understand how poetry and the English language works. What decisions have to be made when translating poetry across languages, cultures, and The Ages? We spend a little time going deep on understanding, from Chuck’s perspective, what decisions Jackson Crawford had to make when creating a modern update of Poetic Edda. David publicly apologizes to Jackson Crawford for being overly critical of his translation. We discuss Beowulf, Shakespeare, and how high school English class could be...

This week it is David's turn to do a short solo episode. I am reading a blog post I wrote on the topic of Fate versus Free Will, as it relates to the poem Grimnismal. I connect ideas of Stoic and other Philosophy to the existential questions of how do we choose to act, when fate may appear to be predetermined? What does it mean to love your fate (Amor Fati)? Between Two Ravens Blog: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/2022/05/13/on-fate-grimnismal-and-amor-fati/ We are going to be trying some new episode formats in the next few weeks and then returning with Season 2 i...

This week is part 2 of our episode on the Poetic Edda poem, Grímnismál . This week we discuss stanzas 21-54 of the poem, and how often Odin seems to take a brake in delivering his cosmic lore in order to ask the Valkyries and other gods for a little help (or a drink). Odin eventually reveals who he is and delivers the list of names he has been called. Do we all want to be remembered by all of our own names? If you are enjoying the show, please consider a donation to help keep the podcast ad-free. https://tw...

In this episode, Shawn discusses the Prologue of "The Prose Edda", and supposed historical family line of Odin, and their similarities with the fiction stories, "The Saga of the Volsungs", "The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok", but more interestingly, its similarities with the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle" which is primarily a historical work. In looking at these family lineages, Shawn discusses his fascination with the questions of "When does Myth become Legend? And when does Legend become Reality/History?" Also, what drives a person to want to log their own family histories to the point where they start making parts of it up? S...

This week is part 1 of our episode on the Poetic Edda poem, Grímnismál . This week we discuss the prologue, featuring two princes, Agnar and Geirroth. Agnar gains the favor of the goddess Frigg and Geirroth is favored by Frigg's husband Odin. Odin is up to his usual shenanigans and this time it catches up to him. We discuss the similarities with other world mythologies and Shawn brings in some history about the succession of kings. The poetic portion of Grimnismal features Odin revealing his disguise as old man Grimnir. He reveals his wealth of knowledge about the many re...

In Episode 16 we discuss Thor's journey to Geirrod's Court. Thor once again bailing Loki out of situations where Loki's mouth starts something he can't finish. Shawn and David explore the symbols present in the myth and introduce Thor's half-brother Vidar. We compare Snori Sturluson's Prose Edda version of the myth to the Skaldic Poem Thorsdrapa by Eilífr Gudrúnarson, which is known for it's "creative kennings and labyrinthine complexity." David gives some more psychology depth on how to develop the primary archetypes in the psyche and how they relate to Thor's development through his hero's journey. David also asks ra...

In this episode, we discuss the poem, Alvíssmál, which is a story of how an ugly dwarf named Alviss enters Thor's hall to make the claim that Thor's daughter had agreed to marry him. Thor thinks the dwarf is ugly and not worthy of the match to a goddess. Needless to say the whole ordeal didn't go well for Alviss. Shawn and David also completely forget to discuss how the poem obviously influenced J.R.R. Tolkien write a certain scene from "The Hobbit" because they were too excited to talk about the potential pagan roots of Easter al...

In this episode, we discuss the story of how Thor gets his hammer stolen and how the Aesir's plan to retrieve it results in Thor marrying the giant, Thrym. As told in the Poetic Edda poem, Thrymskviða. A poem which reads like a comedy and features many of the Aesir, primarily Thor, Loki, Freya, Heimdall, with Odin weirdly being absent. Shawn and David discuss the similarities of Thor sacrificing who he is (the stereotypical "man" who wouldn't be reduced to wearing a dress) to Odin Sacrificing destroying himself via hanging to learn the runes. We also further discuss Thor's b...

In Season 1 Episode 13, we present the story of Thor the Fisherman. It is one of the few myths well represented in both Prose Edda (Gylfaginning chapter 48) and in the Poetic Edda - Hymiskviða. There is a lot of interesting nuance to the differences between these versions and the poem is packed with kennings.  We discuss our personal theories on the mythology and psychology of this story, and gain some more understanding of the Norse Mythological figures Aegir, Njord, Tjalfi, Tyr, and Loki. Outro - Die Forelle by Franz Schubert  If you are enjoying the show, please consider a donation to...

In Season 1 Episode 12, we finish presenting the story of Thor’s Adventure with Utgarda-Loki. We analyze what the story means about Thor and talk more about the archetype of the trickster god. David explains Freudian defense mechanisms and how once you understand them, you see them everywhere. Bonus: Shawn and David do voice acting and we discuss the Rooster’s of the Apocalypse. Fact Checking: As far as we know, Tjalfi is a human. His father is the husbandman of the farm Thor visits. If he is in fact Tjalfi’s real father… Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow us on Tw...

In Season 1 Episode 11, Shawn and David continue with the Adventures of Thor. Shawn explains what shows are hot on Netflix; David explains Dank Memes.  We introduce Loki, the trickster god, and follow Thor on his mission to smash all the giants. David talks about the idea of being possessed by an archetype and what is the “Hero Archetype”? Water Jar Boy makes a return. Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoRavenPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweentworavens/ Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn...

In Season 1 Episode 10, Shawn and David discuss the myth of Thor's battle with the strongest of all giants, Hrungnir. Is it all a secret plot by Odin to teach his son Thor a lesson? David discusses potential meanings of Hrungnir's 3 pointed heart, often associated with the symbol of the Valknut, and talk more about Archetypes and the hero's journey. Bonus myth at the end of the episode! Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoRavenPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweentworavens/ Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance...

In Season 1 Episode 9 Shawn and David take a deeper dive into the runes. How would a person go about learning the runes? What it means to say runes have "power"? Runes Part 1: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ZnolNzsHpG29e1m6iJQLI?si=nyyoaP0JRxW62xTWz4mPCQ Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoRavenPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweentworavens/ Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn is an amateur Norse Mythology expert. David is not a Jungian Analyst, but he reads a lot of...

In Season 1 Episode 8 Shawn and David perform a rendition of Hárbarðsljóð, The Lay of Harbard, Thor and the Ferryman. Shawn explains what a flyting is, David makes connections to rap battles, Monty Python, and schoolyard disses. Is Harbard Odin? Is Odin a bully? Does Thor need to work on his Game? Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoRavenPodcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweentworavens/ Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn is an amateur Norse Mythology expert. David is not a Jung...

In Season 1 Episode 7 Shawn and David geek out about runes, what they mean, whether magic exists, and how the myths and sagas provide information about what runes might be used for. W
e plan to follow up with Runes Part 2 in a couple weeks.
Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ 
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Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn is an amateur Norse Mythology expert. David is not a Jungian Analyst, but he reads a lot of books about Carl Jung's theories o...

In Season 1 Episode 6, we continue our series on the Havamal. The sayings of the high one. We finish the poem from line 138 onward. Shawn recaps the journey Odin has been on up to the point in his quest for Wisdom.
David explains what a Shaman is, how Odin is an example we might be able to learn from, and how Shamanism relates to Carl Jung's theory of integrating the psyche.
Outro: Lord of the Dance / Simple Gifts - Traditional. Performed by David.
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In Season 1 Episode 5, we continue our series on the Havamal. The sayings of Har. Life advice from Odin.
Shawn gives an update on Dark Age history, and makes an argument for Viking Individualism. We discuss Odin's life advice from Stanzas 81 to 137. Who is Loddfafnir? Does Odin hate women? Is he a scorned lover? Does corn aid against witchcraft? Who could trust Odin anyways?
Outro: The Havamal Breakdown (Earth Strength) arranged and performed by David.
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Between Two Ravens is a podcast a...

In Season 1 Episode 4, we begin our 3 part series on the Havamal. The sayings of Har. Sayings of the High One. Life advice from Odin.
David describes the Cardinal Virtues of classical philosophy and Stoicism, comparing and contrasting with the values identified in Havamal. Shawn talks about his adventures in beer brewing. We bring in life advice connected to the poems that strike us from stanzas 1 through 80.
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Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn is an...

In Season 1 Episode 3, the guys address the controversial myth of Heimdall and the social classes. Shawn discusses whether Rigsthula is cannon Poetic Edda or propaganda. David brings Plato into the conversation and the guys discuss what wisdom can be found within the story.
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Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn is an amateur Norse Mythology expert. David is not a Jungian Analyst, but he reads a...

In this episode, Shawn and David read the story of Mimir’s well and the price Odin had to pay to drink from it. Shawn brings in additional sources that detail Odin's sacrifice of his eye, and family tree background on Mimir. 
We discuss the idea of sacrifice. David feels it necessary to explain why it's important to sacrifice your phallus (metaphorically speaking) and we unsuccessfully try to not make each other laugh.
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In this episode, Shawn and David discuss a sequel story to the Aesir/Vanir War, "The Mead of Poetry".
The story features the origin and journey of the character "Kvasir", two deplorable Dwarves, and a family of Giants who are trying to put their lives back together only to unfortunately get in the way of Odin and his quest for wisdom.
Shawn discusses Kennings, the Zelda Timeline, and also worries about accidentally offending Russians for the 2nd consecutive episode. David talks about brewing beer, Freud, and the archetype of James Bond. Outro: "The Wild Rover" - Traditional. Performed...

In Season 0, Episode 3, David explains the psychological significance of the three levels of the world tree Yggdrasil. We read the myth of the Aesir/Vanir war from Snorri Sturlson's Ynglinga Saga and discuss mummified heads and why a man is only as good as his word.  
Coursera course Shawn mentioned: https://www.coursera.org/learn/old-norse-mythology-sources Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/
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Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn is an amateur N...

In Season 0, Episode 2, we discuss the "9 realms" of Norse Mythology, what are they, who lives there, what does it all mean?
Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn is an amateur Norse Mythology expert. David is not a Jungian Analyst, but he reads a lot of books about Carl Jung's theories on the collective unconscious and individuation.
Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoRavenPodcast
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweentworavens/
Some links to related content:
Echo of...

In Season 0, Episode 2, we discuss the "9 realms" of Norse Mythology, what are they, who lives there, what does it all mean?

Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn is an amateur Norse Mythology expert. David is not a Jungian Analyst, but he reads a lot of books about Carl Jung's theories on the collective unconscious and individuation.

Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoRavenPodcast
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweentworavens/

Some Links to related content...

Season 0 Episode 1. Sources of Norse Mythology. Cosmology. Creation of the Universe. In Season 0, we are brainstorming what the podcast will be about and how we will structure episodes. See Season 1 for how we want our episodes to be structured, with telling a myth and then diving in to analysis.

Note --> Edited and Re-Uploaded Episode on 2/20/2022 so you only heard Shawn say "Um" 25 times instead of 147 times. -Shawn

Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of Norse Mythology. Shawn is an amateur Norse Mythology Expert. David is not a Jungian Analyst but he...

We are releasing this episode as a new introduction to the podcast.
Initially recorded as Season 1, Episode 23. We have a little bit different type of episode today. Shawn and David talk about what it has been like recording the podcast over the past 6 months. We reflect on what we’ve taken away from Season 1, and what inspired us to create the podcast in the first place.
This episode serves as a review of the past season and a recap of our first recording, Season 0 “Episode 0.2”, where we brainstormed what the podcast should be about. We also go off the ra...