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Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS6E1 - A Tale of MerlinS6E1David kicks off Season 6 with a story of Merlin. Why Merlin you ask? Isn't this a Norse Mythology Podcast? You'll have to listen to the episode to find out.David talks about what has been interesting him lately and trying to catch up with Shawn's understanding of Anglo-Saxon history.Hey you're reading the episode description. You must really enjoy our content. Do you ever listen all the way to the end of the episode to see if we left any surprises?Give us some encouragement and support the podcast:
2025-10-3117 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E20: Volsung Poems: Two Poems of Atli (Part 6 of 7)S5E20 Volsung Poems: Two Poems of Atli (Part 5)David continues his series of not so short solo episodes, deep diving into the Poems of the Poetic Edda which inspired the Saga of the Volsungs.In this episode:The Lay of AtliThe Greenlandic Lay of AtliThese poems connect the legends of Atli the Hun, to his wife Gudrun and the poems of Sigurd and his decent from the Norse Gods. Atli kills Gudrun's brothers. Some would say to avenge Sigurd and Brunhilde. Others would say to obtain Fafnir's Hoard o...
2025-08-1650 min
Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastNew Podcast Announcement - Sagas w/Shawn - Gods and KingsShawn has launched a solo podcast: Sagas w/Shawn – Gods and Kings.Don't worry, Between Two Ravens is not ending. This new series explores legendary and historical figures from Norse mythology and beyond, tracing the line between gods and kings, myth and history. Sort of like my solo episodes on "historical" figures with more of my stupid voice.I'll eventually discuss other world mythologies and may even branch out into fictional worlds as well, like the Elder Scrolls, Legend of Zelda, A Song of Ice and Fire, and Lord of the Rings to name a few. If you've en...
2025-08-0602 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E18: Ragnar Lodbrok VII: The Legacy of Ragnar's SonsIn this episode, Shawn and David wrap up the series on Ragnar Lobrok (cue dozens of solo episodes where Shawn and David have not in fact wrapped up their series on Ragnar Lodbrok), discussing chapters 18 - 20. In tandem with "The Tale of Ragnars Sons", you find out about the fates of the sons of Ragnar, including their deaths. There are then a couple of chapters of some nameless characters (well one is named), who in later years begin discussing the the heroic brothers either in their cups while getting drunk, or looking at monuments set to be reminders of them.
2025-04-281h 13Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E17: Volsung Poems: The Children of Giuki and Budli (Part 5 of 7)S5E17 Volsung Poems: The Children of Giuki and Budli (Part 5)David continues his series of not so short solo episodes, deep diving into the Poems of the Poetic Edda which inspired the Saga of the Volsungs.In this episode:The Second Poem of Gudrun.The Death of the Niflungs.Oddrun's Lament.These relatively late poems bridge The First Poem of Gudrun to the poems about Atli and the early poem Lay of Hamdir (coming soon). The children of Giuki are Gunnar, Hogni, and Gudrun. And as we saw previously, Gudrun h...
2025-03-3133 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E16: Ragnar Lodbrok VI: King Aela and the Blood EagleIn this episode, Shawn and David explore the aftermath of Ragnar Lodbrok’s death at the hands of King Aela of Northumbria, which initially causes a rift between his sons. While most are consumed by raw fury and seek immediate vengeance, Ivar takes a more calculating approach.Yet, despite their differences, the brothers share a common purpose—King Ælla must pay for their father’s death. As events unfold, Ivar receives the finest gift he could ask for and ensures that Ælla meets a gruesome fate through the infamous blood eagle.Ways to support us:If you have been enj...
2025-02-191h 06Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E15: Ragnar Lodbrok V: Ragnar and the Snake PitIn this episode, Shawn and David discuss chapter 15 of "The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok". Despite his absence in the previous episode, Ragnar knows full well about the successful military campaigns of his sons. Despite his past of slaying a dragon/serpent and being a great king among men, Ragnar sees his son's exploits beginning to exceed his own.In what seems to be a dark age mid life crisis, Ragnar decides to go to England with only 2 ships in an effort to take the land (with the justified lack of support of his wife, Aslaug). However, seeing she...
2025-02-101h 08Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E14: Ragnar Lodbrok IV: Rome (well "almost") and Back Again. A Viking's Tale by Ivar the BonelessIn this episode, the sons of Ragnar— Ivar, Bjorn, Hvitserk, and Sigurd—along with Ragnar's wife Aslaug, invade King Eystein’s land to avenge their fallen brothers, Eirik and Agnar. Facing yet another magical cow on the battlefield, Ivar the Boneless (if his ability to live without bones didn’t make it obvious) reveals his own magical abilities in taking on the cow.After the invasion, the sons (this time without their mother) turn their ambitions south, raiding every land in their path with dreams of reaching Rome. However, their plans are interrupted by a familiar deity, one we've absolute...
2025-01-291h 06Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E14 Ragnar Lodbrok IV: Rome (well almost) and Back Again, a Viking's Tale by Ivar the BonelessIn this episode, the sons of Ragnar— Ivar, Bjorn, Hvitserk, and Sigurd—along with Ragnar's wife Aslaug, invade King Eystein’s land to avenge their fallen brothers, Eirik and Agnar. Facing yet another magical cow on the battlefield, Ivar the Boneless (if his ability to live without bones didn’t make it obvious) reveals his own magical abilities in taking on the cow.After the invasion, the sons (this time without their mother) turn their ambitions south, raiding every land in their path with dreams of reaching Rome. However, their plans are interrupted by a familiar deity, one we've absolute...
2025-01-271h 03Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E13: Volsung Poems: The Poems of Bynhild and Gudrun (Part 4 of 7)S5E13 Volsung Poems: The Poems of Brynhild and Gudrun (Part 4) David continues his series of not so short solo episodes, deep diving into the Poems of the Poetic Edda which inspired the Saga of the Volsungs.This is the story of the meeting of the hero with the beloved. The Valkyrie. I had to analyze the tragedy of Tristan and Iseult to find the archetypes which may be at play with the meeting of the hero with the beloved, and the meaning of the love triangle where the hero betrays his first love, in order to a...
2025-01-131h 34Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E12: Ragnar Lodbrok III: Aslaug's Ancestral Revelation and the "Betrayal" of King EysteinShawn apologizes for his audio quality. He needed to switch to a headset last minute after already marking himself as using a speaker when he entered the recording room. He is an idiot. - ShawnIn this episode, Shawn and David discuss chapters 9-11 of the "Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok". The duo discuss Ragnar playing politics with his vassals, specifically with a King Eystein, a man Ragnar gave much land in Sweden to run to thwart the aggression of his own sons. King Eystein's daughter, Inginbjorg, bats her eyelashes to Ragnar while he is drinking. The result is...
2024-11-111h 13Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E11: Why Study Norse Mythology and Archetypes of the Unconscious?This is a short episode where David talks about why a person might want to study Norse Mythology, Poetry, and Archetypes. My hope is that this episode would be a good introduction for anyone who is not already following Shawn and I on our 2 year journey of exploring the myths of the Norse Gods and the hero Sagas of the Volsung family and Ragnar Lothbrook. My takeaway is that archetypes help us find meaning in life. Accept fate and things in life that are difficult to accept. These are things which go beyond my work as a psychotherapist a...
2024-11-0311 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E10: Ragnar Lodbrok II: The Farmer's Daughter and the Birth of Ivar the BonelessIn this episode, Shawn and David discuss chapters 5-8 of "The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok", which details a now adult Aslaug (still disguised as "Kraka", the daughter of a farmer) distracting the eyes of the men of Ragnar, then Ragnar himself. They further go into their marriage and the birth of a few of their sons, including Ivar the Boneless, Bjorn, Hvitserk, and Rognvald. The sons, ever aspiring to live up to their father's name, decide to go on a daring military campaign to generate weath and fame. Unfortunately for them, they need to go against 2 co...
2024-10-151h 03Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E8: Ragnar Lodbrok I: King Ragnar and the DragonFinally, Between Two Ravens starts their series on "The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok" after only saying they were going to start it 8,000 times.In this episode, Shawn and David discuss chapters 1-4 of the saga, which details the journey of Heimir and a 3 year old Aslaug, escaping the the chaos that resulted in the death of her parents (Sigurd the Dragon Slayer and Brynhild the Valkyrie) into a farm in Norway where they find a "lovely" and totally not ugly older couple.They also talk about Ragnar's first wife and his happy marriage with the noble...
2024-07-161h 05Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E5: Kent, the First Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of EnglandIn this episode, Shawn discusses the kingdom of Kent, the first of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England post-Roman Britain as told by Bede's "Ecclesiastical History of the English People" and the "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle". Shawn delves into the legendary figures of Kent's inception, focusing on the brothers Hengest and Horsa, whose lineage traces back to the All-Father, Odin. He discusses King Aethelberht of Kent, the pioneering Anglo-Saxon monarch to embrace Christianity, setting a precedent for future rulers. The discussion extends to King Ecbert of Wessex, whose familial ties to Kent through his father, King Ealmund, raise intriguing qu...
2024-04-0829 min
Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E4: "When the Wolf Comes" - Interview w/Ian Sharpe, the Creator of the VikingverseIn this episode, Shawn and David delve deep into the immersive world of the Vikingverse with its creator and our special guest, Ian Sharpe. In this discussion, we uncover the alternate history where the norse religion and culture thrives, not succumbing to the influence of Christianity in the Dark Ages. Ian shares insights into his creation, spanning two books, a comic book series, and most recently, a role playing game called "When the Wolf Comes".Check out the Vikingverse --> https://vikingverse.com/Ways to support us:If you have been enjoying our show, please...
2024-03-251h 12Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E3: Volsung Poems: Ottar/Otter (Part 1 of 7)S5E3 Volsung Poems: Ottar/Otter (Solo Short Part 1)David isn't quite ready to put the Saga of the Volsungs to rest. This is the first of a series of shorts on the Poems of the Poetic Edda which inspired the Saga of the Volsungs. As Shawn and I found in Season 4, Saga of the Volsungs has a few inconsistent parts, where the author appears to have tried to reconcile multiple sources into a coherent story. So David is back to interpret the original sources to see...
2024-03-1123 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E2: The Sun and the Moon (Night and Day)For our 100th episode (shit!!), Shawn discusses the origin of the sun and the moon, along with the origins of night and day in Norse Mythology, as told by Gylfaginning in Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda. (Also with some stanzas from the Poetic Edda poems, Völuspá and Vafþrúðnismál.In it Shawn also explores the idea of looking to the divine when humans cannot currently explain something, and compares humans of 10,000 looking with a sense of wonder when looking at the sun and the moon, with humans today asking ourselves what happened before the universe started expand...
2024-03-0419 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS5E1: Volsung Recap and Ragnar Episode 0?In this episode, Shawn and David finally put the Volsung series behind them with and episode on,,,, the Volsungs. A recap of the series where we discuss the overall themes of the tragedy, and where we discuss what may seem to be the evilness of women, which seems to REALLY be the easy manipulation of men (gods we are stupid sometimes).... They also give a recap of the main players of the series.Also, Odin seems to play a part in the death of many of his descedents. The pair discuss his involvement while also discussing...
2024-02-201h 01Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E22 Volsung Saga XIV: Gudrun's Revenge and 3rd MarriageShawn and David finally wrap up the "The Saga of the Volsungs". Where Gudrun, fresh off of losing her 2 brothers, plots revenge on her husband Atli. After she takes care of him (and ugh her 2 sons with him), she then finds herself married for a 3rd time to a King Jonakr.Svanhild, daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun, also plays a part and does her fucked up duty as a princess in the dark ages and becomes bethrothed to a king way above her age. This leads to many more problems for the family. Including the deaths of 2 OTHER...
2024-01-081h 04Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E21 Volsung Saga XIII: Atli the Cruel, Brother of BrynhildIn this episode, Shawn and David discuss the aftermath of Sigurd's death, and the life of Gudrun as a recent widow. Though she has a goodbye moment with the corpse of her husband, she then travels the world to start fresh and finds herself at a kingdom in Denmark where she befriends a Princess Thora there. After 3.5 years, she slowly regains some happiness and everything is turning up for Gudrun.That is until Grimhild her witch of a mother finds her location and pulls her back into the arms of this disfunctional family. Grimhild gives her a spell...
2023-12-291h 09Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E20 Volsung XII: The Deaths of Sigurd and BrynhildDavid and Shawn discuss chapters 30 and 31 of the Saga, which features in back to back chapters the deaths of 2 major characters, in this case Sigurd the Dragon Slayer of the House of Volsung, and Brynhild the Valkyrie. Brynhild at this point is still depressed over her inability to affect her fate in life, specifically with her inability to be with Sigurd. As she has found out that Sigurd himself played a part in her downfall, she gives her husband Gunnar (and Sigurd's Blood-Brother) an ultimatum. One choice, he can perhaps finally appease his wife, OR, he can betray...
2023-12-2153 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E19 Volsung XI: Brynhild's DepressionIn this episode, Shawn and David discuss Chapters 28 & 29 of the Saga of the Volsungs. Gudrun taunts Brynhild on having won the better man (Sigurd) while also trying to convince Brynhild that her true love, Sigurd, isn't that great and Brynhild's husband, Gudrun's brother, is actually quite a catch.Brynhild's anger and resentment grow until she becomes defeated and depressed. When her husband is not able to cheer her up she ends up trying to kill him, so they send in Sigurd who unsuccessfully tries to convince her that her life is not all that bad. She ends up...
2023-12-141h 01Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E16 Volsung Saga IX: Brynhild the ValkyrieIn this episode, Shawn and David discuss Chapters 20-24 of the Volsung Saga, where Sigurd has 2 completely different meetings with the Valkyrie, Brynhild. There is also a chapter dedicated solely to how beautiful Sigurd himself is. Shawn says the word, "inconsistency" 40,384 times.Also, the pair discuss Brynhild's words to Sigurd and how she may actually be warning him of his lust for her as opposed to her accepting his advances. Apologies at the beginning of the episode David is still waking up and says Shawn McGrath-Muniz rather than Patrick McGrath-Muniz.Podcast Psyche...
2023-11-2757 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E13 Volsung Saga VI: Sigurd and ReginIn this episode, Shawn and David discuss the son of Sigmund and Hjordis, Sigurd (The main character of the entire saga). Though Sigmund died before his son was born, Sigurd was raised with many father figures, The Kings Alf and Hjordis, our friend (and Sigurd's great-great-great grandfather) Odin, and his foster-father, a figure named Regin.Regin sees the potential of Sigurd, and sees the potential to use him to satisfy an old family fued of his with his brother Fafnir, who happens to now be a dragon who took his entire inheritance.Shawn also talks a...
2023-11-0642 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E11 On BifrostIn this episode, Shawn discusses Bifrost (The Rainbow Bridge) as told in the sources. Primarily found in various chapters of Gylfaginning from Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, the bridge plays a pivitol role in the protection of Asgard,,, well until it doesnt.Shawn also briefly discusses Heimdal's role outside of causing controversy about him being the next James Bond, while also discussing Bifrost's potential location, its shape and its firey feature.Ways to support us:If you have been enjoying our show, please write a 5 star review on itunes to help spread our podcast...
2023-10-2615 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E9 Volsung Saga III: Sinfjotli, His Life and DeathIn this episode, Shawn and David are back after a bit of a hiatus due to busy real world demands. Shawn gives updates on his life and recent adventures.Shawn outlines Chapters 7, 8, and 10 of Volsung Saga, connecting the story of Sigmund and his son Sinfjotli. Chapter 9 on Sigmund’s son Helgi and the associated Eddic Poems will feature in the next episode Volsung IV. David and Shawn make connections back to the previous short episodes on the sagas of historical kings and David’s narrative on Richard Wagn...
2023-10-161h 12Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E8 The Ring Cycle: Siegfried (3 of 4)S4E8 The Ring Cycle: Siegfried (3 of 4) - David presents part 3 of 4 short episodes on the Ring of Power. A Jungian interpretation of Wagner's 4 part Opera inspired by the high German version of Saga of the Volsungs (Nibelungenlied - Song of the Nibelung).Apologies for the delay. Shawn and I have a lot going on in our personal lives. But we hope to get back to recording regular episodes soon.Opera 3, Siegfried presents the hero's journey. The Jungian interpretation of a hero's journey is the development from to true adulthood. From boy to man or the "hero as adult...
2023-09-2518 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E7 House of Yngling IV: Harald Fairhair - His Purpose and HappinessIn this episode, Shawn continues his series on the "House of Yngling", which starts with Harald cutting his hair for the first time in 10 years, after successfully his life goal after becoming the King of Norway. We see that although Harald accomplished his dream, his overall ambition doesn't change, and he still seems to live his life in the same way as he eager to aggression, and still looking for just one more wife to sire him many sons.Shawn then discusses the idea that accomplishing goals may lead to a loss of purpose for the person who...
2023-09-1114 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E3 Volsung Saga I: The Birth of VolsungIn 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.
2023-08-0741 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS4E2 The Ring Cycle: Das Rheingold (1 of 4)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...
2023-07-3109 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E17: The Journey of Loki II: Loki the Effing PsychoIn 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...
2023-07-1847 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E15: Gorm The Old: King of Denmark (936-958 CE)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...
2023-06-2620 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E14: The Journey of Loki (Part 1)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...
2023-06-201h 04Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E10: The Journey of Thor (Part 1)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...
2023-04-2459 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E9: Penda: The Last Pagan King of MerciaShawn 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...
2023-04-1115 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E8: The Journey of Odin (Part 3), Odin and DeathShawn 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...
2023-04-031h 01Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E7: The Journey of Odin (Part 2)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...
2023-03-271h 03Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E6: The Journey of Odin (Part 1)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...
2023-03-2056 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E5: The Ancestors and Descendants of Cerdic: First King of WessexIn 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...
2023-03-0616 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E4: Ragnarök III - The Aftermath and RebirthIn 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...
2023-02-211h 00Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E3: Ragnarök II - The Battle ("Of the Vigrid Fields")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...
2023-02-0651 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E2: Fireside Chat I - VǫlundarkviðaOur 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...
2023-01-301h 02Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS3E1: Ragnarök I - The OmensTo 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...
2023-01-1654 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E29: What Is A Mystic? An Interview with Simon DrewDavid 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...
2023-01-021h 08Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E28: B2R Short: What is Yule?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...
2022-12-2308 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E27: "The Wanderer" (A Winter Solstice poem by Shawn)"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...
2022-12-2103 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E26: The Capture and Torture of LokiSeason 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...
2022-12-1952 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E25: B2R Short: Norse Mythology and Exploring The ShadowS2 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.c...
2022-12-1213 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E24: The Vikings of North America II: The Saga of the GreenlandersS2 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...
2022-12-0727 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E23: The Vikings of North America I: Eirik the Red's SagaS2 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...
2022-11-2831 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E22: The House of Yngling I: The "Historical" Sons of FreyrNote --> 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...
2022-11-2118 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E21: Freyr's "Courtship" of Gerdr (Part 2)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 c...
2022-11-1458 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology Podcast50th EPISODE SPECIAL!!: Lokasenna - A Radio DramaShawn 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...
2022-11-1208 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS219: Freyr's "Courtship" of Gerdr (Part 1)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...
2022-11-0753 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E18: Lokasenna - Loki's Quarrel (Part 3)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-mindfulnessDonate to help buy Shawn & David matching drinking horns a...
2022-10-3148 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E17: Lokasenna - Loki's Quarrel (Part 2)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 argument with Fimafeng and Eldir. He kills...
2022-10-2443 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E16: Are Odin and Loki Brothers?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...
2022-10-1736 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E15: Lokasenna - Loki's Quarrel (Part 1)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 the relationship between Loki and Odin, and...
2022-10-1057 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E14: The Archetype of The Psychopath - The Trickster Without Eros.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 psyc...
2022-09-3015 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E13: Bonus Episode - What Is The Walled Garden?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 S...
2022-09-2506 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E12: Gylfaginning: A Chapter BreakdownShawn 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 cha...
2022-09-2318 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E11: Balder's Ominous Dreams (Part 3)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 so e...
2022-09-1653 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E10: Balder's Ominous Dreams (Part 2)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 queen o...
2022-09-0941 min
Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E9: Balder's Ominous Dreams (Part 1)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 as...
2022-09-0239 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E8: Fenrir's Torture and Tyr's HandContinuing 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 l...
2022-08-2639 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E7: The Children of LokiWe 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 Trickster Archet...
2022-08-1938 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E6: Loki, Sleipnir, and the Walls of AsgardWe 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...
2022-08-1210 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E5: D&D and Norse Mythology - An Interview with Kyle KuypersOur 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 wo...
2022-08-051h 01Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E4: The Walls of Asgard and the Birth of SleipnirIn 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...
2022-07-2941 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E3: The Wrath of Skadi and Loki's BallsContinuing 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...
2022-07-2248 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E2: Loki and the Apples of IdunnContinuing 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 on the relat...
2022-07-1543 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS2E1: Loki and the Gifts of the GodsThe 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...
2022-07-0842 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E25: Viking Age England, The Battle of Edington (878 CE)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...
2022-07-0325 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E24: Interpreting Voluspa - Interview with Ashley McKennaThis 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.htmBetween Two Ravens is a podcast about the psychological significance of No...
2022-06-2450 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E23: Bonus Episode: S0 “Episode 0.2” - "What are we doing, Shawn?"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...
2022-06-1757 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E22: Divination and the I Ching.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...
2022-06-1019 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E20: On Fate (Grimnismal Part 3)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 t...
2022-05-2714 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E19: Grímnismál (Part 2)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 po...
2022-05-2053 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E18: The "Historical" Sons of OdinIn 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...
2022-05-1520 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E17: Grímnismál (Part 1)This week is part 1 of our episode on the Poetic Edda poem, Grímnismál . 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 realms an...
2022-05-0645 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E16: Thor Travels to Geirrod's CourtIn 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 al...
2022-04-2958 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E15: Thor Tricks a DwarfIn 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 did not 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...
2022-04-2256 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E14: Thor, The Bride to BeIn 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 T...
2022-04-1547 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E13: Thor the FishermanIn 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 con...
2022-04-0854 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E12: Thor's Adventure to Utgard (Part 2)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.wordpres...
2022-04-0147 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E11: Thor's Adventure to Utgard (Part 1)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/TwoRavenPodcastFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweentworavens/Between Two Ravens is a podcast about the psy...
2022-03-2545 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E10: Thor v HrungnirIn 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 and talks 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 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 n...
2022-03-1850 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E9: The Runes (Part 2)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=nyyoaP0JRxW62xTWz4mPCQPodcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ 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 books about Ca...
2022-03-111h 00Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E8: Thor and the FerrymanIn 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 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...
2022-03-0443 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E7: The Runes (Part 1)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. We plan to follow up with Runes Part 2 in a couple weeks.Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ 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 books about Carl Jung's t...
2022-02-2548 min
Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E6: Hávamál (Part 3) - Odin's Shamanic JourneyIn 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.Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b...
2022-02-1847 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E5: Hávamál (Part 2)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.Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betweentworavens/Between Two Ravens is a podcast a...
2022-02-1151 minBetween Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E4: Hávamál (Part 1)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.Podcast Website: https://tworavenpodcast.wordpress.com/ 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...
2022-02-031h 08Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology PodcastS1E3: Heimdall and the Social ClassesIn 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.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 books about Carl Jung's theories on the collective unconscious and individuation.David's...
2022-01-2759 min