Thor with Declan Taggart
He’s a comic book hero. He’s a movie star. He’s Earth’s mightiest Avenger, and a day of the week. He’s the god of thunder… or is he? This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Declan Taggart about Thor.
Viking Pagan Gods in Britain
Viking Pagan Gods in Britain Lecture by Ronald Hutton Given at Gresham College on March 8, 2023 Abstract: The Norse and Danish invaders…
Storyland with Amy Jeffs
There’s one thing that seems common to humankind across time and space: we love a good origin story. This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle speaks with Amy Jeffs about some of the medieval origin myths and legends surrounding the British Isles and its peoples, and how she’s retold them for a modern audience.
The Wild Hunts of Medieval Lore
What are these strange tales of ghostly armies?
The Legendary History of Norway
That the legendary forefathers of Norway are named after elements of nature (and winter) is interesting.
Fragments of the past: how to study old Norse religion
The state of the sources of the Old Norse religions presents a great problem. Most of them were written down two hundred or even three hundred years after the Christianization of the North, based on an oral tradition going back to the pre-Christian ages.
The Sirens: From Sage to Cannibal, From Goddess to Prostitute
Sultry and deadly seductresses, the Sirens are fearful, yet fascinating creatures that have captivated writers for centuries. But they weren’t always depicted this way – what were the origins of the Sirens and how did they become synonymous with death, destruction, and sin?
I Love You, Please Put Away the Bear: Valkyrjur-turned-Wife
Though they may marry and even support their husbands in the short term, they generally bring ruin upon their partners.
Ullr: A God on the Edge of Memory
In the Old Icelandic and Norwegian literary sources, Ullr is one of the least frequently occurring gods.
How well do you know Norse Mythology?
Try these 15 questions about Norse gods and goddesses.
Identifying the Ogre: The Legendary Saga Giants
The legendary saga giants are for the most part terrible and ugly. Some are also of incredible size, although no sources agree on how huge giants are.
The Wolf’s Jaw: an Astronomical Interpretation of Ragnarök
We identified thirteen celestial phenomena (comet passages and total eclipses of the Sun) that may have been collected in the construction of the Ragnarök image among the ancient Norsemen
How well do you know your Norse Mythology?
Test your knowledge of Norse gods and goddesses with these 15 questions
Smiths, Myths, and Viking Age Stones
In this lecture, Professor Williams will be examining depictions of smiths from Norse mythology on Viking Age stones in the British Isles, as well as on rune-stones and picture-stones from Scandinavia.
BOOK REVIEW: Spies, Sadists, and Sorcerers: The History You Weren’t Taught in School
A review of Dominic Selwood’s, ‘Spies, Sadists, and Sorcerers: The History you Weren’t Taught in School’
Movie Review: Pope Joan – Medieval Legend Comes to Life Onscreen
Released in 2009, also under its German title, ,Die Päpstin,, ,Pope Joan’ recounts the medieval legend of Johanna von Ingleheim, a woman who disguised herself as a man, lived as a monk, and eventually went on to become pope in the ninth century.
Snorri Sturluson: Viking Mythographer and Historian
I shall first tell you briefly about Snorri’s background and his education and discuss his Edda, where he appears as mythographer, among other things, and then tell you about his career as a politician and discuss his Sagas of the Norwegian Kings.
Medieval Animation: The Founding of Lithuania’s capital Vilnius
Created in 1990 by the Lithuanian Animated Film Studio, this film tells the mythological tale of the founding of Medieval Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
Celtic Mythology in the Arthurian Legend
The aim of this thesis is to find out whether there are some aspects, themes or symbols of the pagan Celtic mythology that appear in the Arthurian legend and if so, what role they play there and to what extent they influence the legend.
The Arrow of Sherwood by Lauren Johnson
My book review of Robin Hood tale, Arrow of Sherwood by Lauren Johnson.
Rich and Powerful: The Image of the Female Deity in Migration Age Scandinavia
I believe serious blunders have been made concerning the identification of males and females. It
is simply inadmissable to interpret any figure with open, shoulder-length hair as female when all the evidence for the centuries in question shows females have only been depicted with long hair tied in the Irish ribbon knot.
Philippa Langley: The End of Richard III and the Beginning of Henry I
Amidst all the excitement, and the whirlwind that was Richard III’s reburial in Leicester, I managed to catch up with one of the world’s most famous Ricardians, ‘the Kingfinder’, Philippa Langley.
The Anglo Saxons and their gods (still) among us
In this paper, I want to consider the arrival of Saxon culture in Britain, a culture which appeared before the Romans departed from Britain and continued after the arrival of Christianity which appropriated some Saxon traditions and practices.
Choosing Heaven: The Religion of the Vikings
The Viking-age gods stemmed from two races – Aesir and Vanir.
A Quick Guide to Norse Gods
The Norse pantheon includes some very interesting characters. This is a little guide to get you started about learning who these gods and goddesses were.