Episode 09: Norse Mythology Part I
/Follow us into Asgard and beyond with our crash course on Norse mythology! Thor, Loki and Odin are just the beginning. Plus, stick around to the end for a 'Spirits' first.
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Transcript
AM: Welcome to Spirits Podcast Episode 9: Norse Mythology 101.
JS: 101.
AM: Julia, tell us about what we're going to learn today.
JS: We are going to do a brief – and, when I say brief, I mean it's going to be like a lot of information, but it's only going to skim the surface of Norse Mythology. It's actually one that I wasn't too familiar with. I had to do a lot of research for this episode. And, you know? Still my information might be a little wonky.
AM: Yeah.
JS: But it's going to be jam-packed of like weird stories, gods of weird things.
AM: Avengers references.
JS: A lot of Avengers references.
AM: Yeah. We've hit the Greeks. We've hit the Egyptians. We've hit the – you know? The --
JS: Never done the Egyptians.
AM: -- the Celtic. We've gone Mesopotamia, which is close to Egypt.
JS: Right.
AM: But we've hit lots of major mythology systems and traditions, but not yet the Norse.
JS: It seems like the appropriate time.
AM: Good. Well, we're excited for it. Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed us on iTunes. We made the new and noteworthy section, which really makes us happy, who follow us on Twitter, who've interacted with us. We really, really love hearing from you.
JS: And tweeted us. We'd love to hear from you, we love to make new friends and new connections.
AM: Followers, all of it.
JS: What are we drinking tonight, Amanda?
AM: We're drinking mead!
JS: Yes, we are.
AM: True story. I ran into Dylan Sprouse over the weekend.
JS: I'm still like – I'm still overwhelmed by this story.
AM: Dylan Sprouse, a former Disney childhood star and --
JS: The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
AM: And current NYU grad, my alma mater, who is opening New York's first mead distillery.
JS: Which is insane.
AM: And, so, until we have that homebrewed, Indie mead to drink, we are simply drinking some store-bought mead. But it is delicious/a little bit sweet. I'm drinking it over ice like, you would champagne. If it's a little bit too sweet for you, it's my preferred champion drinking method. But it is quite on-brand for this Norse Mythology 101 episode coming at you right now.
Intro Music
JS: So, we're gonna break it down real quick. Norse Mythology 101 session.
AM: I know nothing except for Loki and Thor.
JS: Okay.
AM: Bring it.
JS: And, even then, you probably don't know as much as you think you know.
AM: I'm sure I know nothing.
JS: So, when we're talking about Norse Mythology, we're talking about the religion that – it, it extended through Germany, Scandinavia, and then like parts of England, all the way up until the Dark Ages.
AM: Cool. So Northwestern Europe.
JS: Right.
AM: Scandinavia, et cetera.
JS: So, starting with kind of the origin story, it involves the god, Odin.
AM: Okay.
JS: Whose - we're going to talk about him in a second. But he's basically like the king of the gods, Zeus-esque --
AM: Yeah. Cool.
JS: -- character.
AM: Name I've heard before.
JS: Yeah. So, he and his brothers kill this giant called, Ymir.
AM: Okay.
JS: And from his body, they create the nine realms.
AM: Okay, that also I heard of in the Avengers.
JS: Yes. Yes, of course. The nine realms.
AM: The nine – the nine like universes.
JS: Right.
AM: Yeah.
JS: It's – I mean universes. It's kind of – its worlds. It's --
AM: Okay.
JS: And they're all part of this giant --
AM: Planets or like dimensions?
JS: Dimension is probably more appropriate.
AM: Okay. It's like different universes in parallel. [inaudible 3:25]
JS: Right.
AM: Okay.
JS: They're all kind of interconnected because they're all part of this giant World Tree called, Yggdrasil.
AM: Huh.
JS: Which, that was a great pronunciation. Go me.
AM: That was really good. Go you.
JS: You know how I know how to pronounce that?
AM: How?
JS: I watched an episode of QI with Stephen Fry.
AM: Great.
JS: And he like, makes a point of saying like Yggdrasil and like that's how you say it.
AM: Thank you, Stephen Fry.
JS: I don't need – I don't need to know anything else other than that's how you pronounce, Yggdrasil. Okay.
AM: Stephen Fry, if you want to be a guest, get in touch.
JS: So, from the body of the giant, Ymir --
AM: Okay.
JS: -- his blood makes the seas of the planets.
AM: Cool. Cool.
JS: His skin makes the ground.
AM: Makes sense.
JS: And then his skull makes the heavens. Like, the dome in which the sky is over.
AM: Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Very good.
JS: So, that’s pretty cool. They help – Odin and his brothers, they helped shape the first mortals.
AM: All right.
JS: A man, which they make out of an ash tree.
AM: Ash trees, pretty. Okay. I get it.
JS: Yeah. And then the woman, they make out of a vine.
AM: Okay. Okay.
JS: So, important things to know before we go into like who the gods are and kind of from there, we talked about Yggdrasil. It is a mythical tree. It's usually an ash tree, which is kind of interesting when you look at the back and forth between the fact that the first man was created of an ash tree.
AM: Right.
JS: And the universe is created out of an ash tree.
AM: So, like, man is the most essential distillation of like the universe?
JS: Sure. That, that seems kind of all right.
AM: Makes sense, patriarchy, yeah?
JS: Yeah. It's nine worlds.
AM: Okay.
JS: They're all inhabited by different kinds of creatures.
AM: Interesting though, it's not seven worlds.
JS: Yes. Because seven is usually a pretty big mystical number.
AM: Right. Instead, it's nine.
JS: Right. So, the most important ones that we're going to talk about are Asgard --
AM: Okay.
JS: -- which is the the world of the gods.
AM: That's what I've heard of before.
JS: Yes.
AM: Midgard, is that Earth?
JS: And Midgard is Earth.
AM: Yeah.
JS: Good job, Amanda. A+.
AM: Yes. I've read enough Avengers fan fiction to understand Asgard and Misgard – Midgard.
JS: Okay. And then like the other worlds aren't super important, but they house creatures like giants, elves, dwarves, demons, et cetera.
AM: Makes super sense.
JS: Okay. Awesome. There's also – we should probably talk about the different levels of the Underworld because they kind of come important when we're talking about the gods later on.
AM: Okay.
JS: There's Hel, which is H-E-L.
AM: Okay.
JS: And is also the name of the goddess who controls that area.
AM: Makes sense.
JS: There is Valhalla.
AM: That I've heard of before as like a place – I know from the excellent Canadian show, whose name I'm forgetting right now.
JS: Lost girl.
AM: Lost girl.
JS: Yes.
AM: About like a bisexual succubus living in Toronto.
JS: Fantastic. Yes.
AM: So good, guys. Look it up. But is Valhalla like a – like a – I don't know – a heaven for warriors?
JS: Yes, sort of.
AM: Cool.
JS: We'll talk about that a little more.
AM: But it's the dimension of hell. We'll get there.
JS: Yeah. It's an – it's an Underworld.
AM: Okay.
JS: It's a place people go when they die.
AM: Okay.
JS: And then Folkvangr. So, we'll talk about those later on. They become super important.
AM: Good pronunciation. I am super in awe.
JS: Awesome. So, a thing you have to consider when I'm telling you these stories is that Norse Mythology is both linear and cyclical.
AM: Great.
JS: It gets a little confusing at times.
AM: Yeah.
JS: Because it's weird that they're both. So, the stories are linear, but there's a turning point where the world is destroyed and then recreated.
AM: Makes sense though, because, as relatively stable kingdoms, right? with like long traditions of rule in the royal families and a democratic tradition leader in the cycle. But, as countries that, obviously, cyclical like everybody else, there's seasons. There's, you know, growing seasons. There's generations, whatever. Like, I definitely see the way that both of those time streams could make a lot of sense in mythology.
JS: That's kind of important to know that the world is going to end at some point.
AM: Yeah.
JS: And it's going to be reborn. And it's probably going to end in the end. And it's going to continue on in the cycle.
AM: Sure. Very practical.
JS: Yeah. So, we're going to go into that. But, first, we need to know who the players are.
AM: Let's do it.
JS: Starting with Odin.
AM: Great.
JS: Odin is king of the gods.
AM: Papa Zeus. Papa Zeus.
JS: Papa Zeus. Well, Papa Zeus in that like his role with the gods is similar. But, if we're talking about like what he controls in north – what he controls in Norse Mythology --
AM: Yeah.
JS: He's more like Athena.
AM: Really?
JS: Yeah. So, he's the --
AM: What's his domain?
JS: He's the God of War and Wisdom.
AM: Okay.
JS: And like a little bit of fortune-telling.
AM: Okay. So, then like how future outcomes are going to go.
JS: Right. So, basically, a lot of what his character is, especially in his like really early stories, is that he's always like searching for knowledge and like, desire. Like, he fucks a lot of ladies.
AM: Okay.
JS: But he's also like he's using that like – he's using his wiles in order to like get more information to get ahead.
AM: Okay. So, he's like a player of fortune.
JS: So, kind of to describe like how big like learning knowledge is to him is one of his like key stories, which is he goes to his Uncle, Mimir --
AM: Okay.
JS: -- who is the – he's also known as ‘The Remember’. And he's in charge of guarding this thing called the Well of Knowledge.
AM: Sounds very important. Makes sense. Right. [Speaker? 8:44]
JS: Mimir is also like – he's the god of wisdom because he drinks from the well every morning.
AM: Okay.
JS: And it allows him to see like everything in the universe past, present, and future.
AM: He's got a direct line to that [inaudible 8:55].
JS: Yeah, he knows what up. So --
AM: He's Odin's brother or friend?
JS: Uncle.
AM: Okay.
JS: He wants it on that. Mimir is like that's a big fucking burden.
AM: Yeah. Yeah.
JS: You have to prove to me that like you can handle this shit. And he's like you need to sacrifice something of equal worth to me and Odin's like, "Hmm. Aight," and then pops out his eye.
AM: Oh, wow. Is that why Odin has an eyepatch in the Avengers?
JS: Yes.
AM: Yes.
JS: And also why my favorite book, American Gods, which is coming out with the Starz series really, really soon.
AM: It is.
JS: Also, why he has a glass eye – why the character of Mr. Wednesday in American Gods --
AM: Right.
JS: -- by Neil Gaiman has a glass eye.
AM: Makes total sense.
JS: Because like, I guess he doesn't want to rock the eyepatch as much because he’s kind of creepy.
AM: Yeah. So, giving up half of his literal vision for, you know? Great me-metaphorical vision.
JS: Exactly. So, he sacrifices his eye. He's allowed to drink from the Well. He becomes aware of everything past, present, and future.
AM: That's a burden I don't want.
JS: Which includes knowing that one day, all of the gods are going to die in this epic battle.
AM: Wow. That's pretty heavy.
JS: Well, most of the gods are gonna die in this epic battle, and the world is going to end.
AM: Wow.
JS: So, he's like, "Well, shit."
AM: Yeah.
JS: But he like, kind of comes to terms with it. We'll talk about that a little later. He like, is ready for that crap by the end of it.
AM: Right. It sounds like they're kind of quite well adjusted as a culture. Like, this is cyclical, things come and go.
JS: He's also the first being outside the giants to learn the art of poetry, which is like very wisdom-related, I guess.
AM: Yeah, poetry is how we work through big ideas that language can't even capture, you know?
JS: So, the way that he like, learns the art of poetry is like, super weird and like very Greek in my opinion. He has to go into an underground cavern. He sneaks through a hole in the cavern in the shape of a snake.
AM: Great.
JS: Turns back…
AM: Shapeshifting.
JS: Turns back into human form. Befriends the giant who owns this like potion that grants the ability to write poetry.
AM: Wow. It's a potion.
JS: Seduces his daughter.
AM: Oh, my.
JS: Of course. Then has her get the mixture while he keeps the giant distracted.
AM: Uses, or like – okay. I can't construct this pun, because I'm too drunk.
JS: Oh, my god.
AM: But something about using his snake and --
JS: Oh, no.
AM: -- the literal snake --
JS: Snake on the side.
AM: -- snaking through the hole.
JS: Oh! Amanda, no.
AM: I didn't even do the whole – Oh, listeners, oh, this is what you come to us for. Quality content.
JS: So, quality.
AM: Wait. So, he – why is he in this cave? I don't know. I got confused.
JS: Because the giant has a potion that allows him to learn how to be a poet.
AM: Why does he want to do that?
JS: Because he's – it sounds nice.
AM: Okay, fine.
JS: So, the daughter steals the potion while he keeps the giant distracted.
AM: Yes, not with his dick but something else.
JS: Something else. His lovely personality.
AM: Sure.
JS: Once he has a potion, he flies back to Asgard in the form of an eagle, but not before killing the giant that he made friends with.
AM: Oh, no. Ugh! Typical Odin.
JS: Yeah.
AM: Worst friend.
JS: Though, to be fair, he then does a super Prometheus thing, where he like gives all the humans the potion and then like humans could be poets now.
AM: I mean he got laid already. So, why does he --
JS: Like, why the fuck not?
AM: He's got no worries.
JS: Like everyone share the wealth with me.
AM: He's got no worries. He's in a post-coital bliss. Here you go, humans. Poetry. Enjoy.
JS: So, so, gods in Norse Mythology, could age.
AM: Okay.
JS: So, they, they age. One of the ways --
AM: Slowly or normally?
JS: Normally. But the way that they would like, rejuvenate themselves normally is like, one of the goddesses in Norse Mythology had these golden apples, and the gods would just eat them and then they would like, stay young.
AM: Convenient.
JS: Odin's like, "I don't want to do that. Fuck these apples."
AM: Okay.
JS: So, he picks a really like difficult way of staying young forever. He decides that he's going to do this like ritual.
AM: Okay.
JS: So, what this ritual kind of is, is he stabs himself with his own spear.
AM: Oh, boy.
JS: And then hangs himself from Yggdrasil for nine days.
AM: Wow.
JS: Yeah.
AM: Why nine days?
JS: Because that's the magic number in Norse Mythology. Nine realms. Nine days.
AM: But, wait, does he die during that time?
JS: Kinda.
AM: And just his body is like hanging?
JS: Yeah.
AM: Interesting.
JS: And then – so, when he wakes up on the ninth day --
AM: Convenient.
JS: Like, he comes out of his weird death coma.
AM: Okay.
JS: He becomes ageless.
AM: Okay.
JS: And he learns the secret of the magic runes.
AM: That sounds valuable.
JS: The runes are basically like – if you've ever – I don't know if you've been to like a psychic medium or whatever.
AM: No.
JS: Sometimes, they have these like little tiles that have like weird symbols on them.
AM: Okay.
JS: And they're able to like tell the future or whatever.
AM: Okay.
JS: It's another skill he teaches humans afterwards too.
AM: Oh, fortunately. Right.
JS: So, it helps them like see the future, know what to do, tell – the universe tells them like what the – what's the deal.
AM: Interesting.
JS: So, that's like, totally his thing.
AM: Thanks, Odin. A+. Good work.
JS: And then his like two sidekicks, during all this, are two ravens that kind of fly around the world and bring him information.
AM: Okay.
JS: They are called Huginn, which is thought, and Muninn, which is memory.
AM: Okay. Two important functions of the brain.
JS: I mean especially for like a wisdom god, you know? Like --
AM: Yes.
JS: -- he knows all of the thoughts and all of the memories of the world because of these two birds.
AM: Yeah, this is reminding me of the two lions in front of the New York Public Library, which are named Patience and Fortitude.
JS: Oh, the lions.
AM: Right.
JS: I didn’t know they had names.
AM: Patience and Fortitude. Do you not know that?
JS: I did not know that.
AM: Yes. They were on my planners throughout middle and high school. I had a library-themed agenda book.
JS: No one is surprised by that.
AM: Nope. No one is. And I love that the librarians – like the two virtues that they choose are patience because shit takes a long time.
JS: Jesus fucking Christ.
AM: And fortitude, because like research is boring and long.
JS: Those are pretty good reasons. I like that.
AM: I love them.
JS: Odin, like I said, wisdom god, but also war god.
AM: Right. Didn't touch on that yet.
JS: So, he, he was like a really fabulous warrior. So, like, just appearing on the battlefield would strike his enemies blind, deaf, and impotent.
AM: That – whoa.
JS: It's like – it's like, okay, blind, deaf, impotent – oohh.
AM: Ohhh.
JS: All right.
AM: Triple threat there.
JS: So, he valued courage as like, a human thing more than anything.
AM: Okay.
JS: And that's because he knows – he knows that the universe is doomed.
AM: Right. Yeah. So, like courage in the face of that is really important.
JS: So – right. Like, you know, knowing that everything is hopeless, but like still fighting anyway.
AM: Right. Yeah.
JS: Like, it's a big fucking deal.
AM: That's shit’s noble.
JS: So, he wanted people to have courage no matter what.
AM: Okay.
JS: He's like, "No matter what's going on, these people have to have courage." So, he actually had this group of women spirits called the Valkyries.
AM: Ahh, Harpy, wonderful.
JS: Yes. You know they're Valkyries.
AM: Yes. Like, winged creature demon things.
JS: Right. So, they would go to the battlefield. They would observe battles, and then choose the most valiant fallen warriors to dine in Valhalla, which is a – is the Underworld for any warrior chosen to be courageous enough to fight on the side of Odin.
AM: So, like warrior heaven.
JS: Yeah.
AM: I'm now imagining a podcast of these Valkyries as they sit and watch and do like figure skating-style commentary of a battle.
JS: Someone spear throw, 10 points.
AM: Right. Oh, no, he Iike didn't stick the landing there. Oh, damn it.
JS: Oh, he's got a spear in the heart now.
AM: Right. Ugh.
JS: These fallen warriors are going to have like, a really big role to play in Ragnarok.
AM: Which is what we're going to talk about next time.
JS: Yes.
AM: Okay.
JS: We'll talk about it later. Next, we're going to talk about your fave, the big T.
AM: Thor?
JS: Yeah.
AM: Loki is my fave, fave.
JS: Okay. Whatever. I like --
AM: Thor is my second fave.
JS: I like the handsome blonde, Chris Hemsworth if you don't – if you don't mind me.
AM: I get them confused.
JS: Really?
AM: Yes.
JS: Okay. The Chris' or Thor and Loki? Because they're very --
AM: The Hemsworths.
JS: Okay. Liam's little younger, less attractive one.
AM: That name immediately turns to dust in my mind.
JS: So, Thor, god of storms and thunder, obviously. He was a total hothead. Like a super, mighty fighter. He had a bunch of cool gear that made him a better fighter. Like, he had like iron gloves and like a girdle that doubled his power.
AM: A souped-up Ferrari. I was telling you.
JS: And, of course, you know, the hammer.
AM: The hammer.
JS: The hammer. He also had like a – like it – when he rode around into battle and stuff, he had a chariot with goats that like led it.
AM: Awesome.
JS: And then also like, if he got hungry, he would just kill and eat the goats. And then like --
AM: That's awesome.
JS: And then they would just be reborn again.
AM: Wow.
JS: So, like he had an endless cycle of goats.
AM: Transpo and also snacks.
JS: Yes.
AM: Shwarma on the go.
JS: Shawarma on the go.
AM: Oh, no!
JS: It’s so funny!
AM: Unli [18:16] goat! You're welcome, audience.
JS: So bad. So, so bad. So, most of his stories kind of involve him tricking and then smashing the heads of a bunch of people in the heat of rage.
AM: Wow.
JS: There's one that involves his hammer, which is also, you know, a big fucking deal because, it's Thor's hammer.
AM: Right. Which only the worthy can move.
JS: That's a Marvel thing actually.
AM: That's the only frame of reference I have.
JS: Okay. Anyone can really pick up the hammer. Well, not anyone, but like, you know? if you're strong enough, you can pick up the hammer.
AM: Okay.
JS: But the whole, "He who is mighty thing," --
AM: Right.
JS: -- totally Marvel.
AM: Interesting.
JS: Yeah. Thor's hammer was stolen by a giant called Thrym.
AM: Okay.
JS: Thrym refuses to return the hammer, says the only way that he's going to return it is that if he's allowed to marry the goddess, Freya, who's the goddess of love and beauty.
AM: Sounds like a good goddess to want to marry.
JS: Yeah. She's the goddess who, you know, had the Valkyries take the fallen warriors who are courageous --
AM: Back to Valhalla.
JS: The ones who aren't picked by the Valkyries, she controls the Underworld where they go.
AM: Okay.
JS: Which – she controls the underworld called, Folkvangr, which is basically where these fallen warriors can like, sit and rest and, you know, have a nice afterlife and can be peaceful.
AM: Sounds nice.
JS: Yeah, it's, it's fine.
AM: That's good.
JS: You don't have to really complain too much.
AM: So, being a warrior whether or not you're extremely valiant.
JS: Yeah.
AM: You still did good. You did good.
JS: Yeah. It's kind of like – kind of like peaceful fields of niceness. Not like – not like super like send me a mead kind of thing. Like, Valhalla is.
AM: It’s tranquil.
JS: They’re all like rowdy and fighting.
AM: It's tranquil.
JS: These guys get to – yeah – just relax.
AM: It's like the nerd frat house.
JS: The nerd frat house, that is exactly right. So, Freya is just like totally not interested in this giant. She's like, "Oh, fuck, no. I'm not going to marry him." And, so, Loki who's the trickster god.
AM: Yes!
JS: We'll talk about him a little bit more later. Helps Thor out by suggesting he should disguise himself as Freya.
AM: Hmm.
JS: So, the story like they'd go to the giant's realm. The stories very like, very little red riding hood where --
AM: Right.
JS: -- they're like, "Oh, your cheeks are very red for a woman." And he's like, "It's because we've been traveling." And then like shit like that.
AM: Aww... I mean it's not like gigantic broad shoulders and body parts.
JS: Maybe Freya was very masculine. Who knows?
AM: Who knows? Who knows?
JS: So, Thrym finally is like ready to marry her. So, marry her, meaning Thor.
AM: Right.
JS: So, as part of the like proposal and like getting ready for marriage thing, he places the hammer down at Thor's feet, and Thor's like, "Haha. You fucking douche bag." Picks it up and then kills everyone in the room.
AM: Whoa.
JS: Yeah. Like really intense.
AM: That's the ultimate like she's the man finale.
JS: The movie would have been so much better if that's what actually happened.
AM: So much better if Mjolnir shows up in the finale.
JS: So, that's Thor. He's a total hothead. He's basically like really --
AM: Sounds like a playboy.
JS: Yeah. He sounds like a giant frat boy, and that's basically what he is.
AM: Cool. Good job, Hemsworth --
JS: Yeah.
AM: -- whichever one you are.
JS: Pretty accurate portrayal by Hemsworth.
AM: Cool.
JS: And good directing by Kenneth Branagh. Next is Baldr.
AM: Okay.
JS: Baldr is the son of Odin. He is the golden child.
AM: Okay.
JS: He is considered the most beautiful of the gods.
AM: Great.
JS: And he's like – it's never really clear what he's actually the god of. So, it's kind of theorized he's a bunch of like really good things like love, peace, forgiveness, justice, light, et cetera.
AM: All the good shit. Oh, wow.
JS: Yeah, like just bunch --
AM: Everything.
JS: Everything good in the world is Baldr.
AM: The opposite of all the bad shit, that's Baldr.
JS: So, pretty much everyone everywhere loves him. All the things in the realm like really, really are into him. But Odin, who’s seen the future, knows that, for whatever reason, Baldr is going to die. But he doesn't know exactly how. For some reason, he – that's not like, something he knows.
AM: Oh, shit.
JS: In order to make sure that Baldr like, isn't going to die anytime soon, Odin has every living thing and object swear that they're never going to hurt him.
AM: Makes sense.
JS: However, the only thing that doesn't make this promise is Mistletoe, because no one remembered to ask him.
AM: Oh, no. I'm seeing a classic tale here where like the under-loved and underappreciated thing --
JS: The gods are super excited about it. They're like, "Okay, everything promised not to hurt him. We're all good."
AM: Let's not celebrate people.
JS: A+. Good job. They do end up celebrating.
AM: Oh, no.
JS: Because now Baldr is invulnerable.
AM: So, they think.
JS: Yes. And, so, in order to celebrate, they come up with a game, which is basically like everyone throw shit at Baldr because he can't get hurt by it.
AM: That sounds really bad.
JS: I mean like, if you knew like, "Oh, I couldn't be hurt by anything," and your friends are like, "Good job. We're just gonna throw all this shit at you now."
AM: I would say, "Please, no. Let's go to Wendy's --
JS: A+. Good.
AM: -- instead.
JS: So, Loki, again --
AM: Trickster god.
JS: Trickster god.
AM: Everyone's little brother.
JS: Super jealous of how popular Baldr is.
AM: I bet he is.
JS: So, he sets out to destroy him.
AM: Okay.
JS: He finds out that Mistletoe never promised to hurt Baldr.
AM: Classic Mistletoe.
JS: So, the next time the gods started game of throw shit at Baldr --
AM: Oh, no.
JS: -- Loki gives a spear carved out of Mistletoe to Baldr's blind brother, Hoder.
AM: Okay. Like the god in Game of Thrones or the troll on Games of Thrones.
JS: Well, It's ER instead of OR, but --
AM: Yeah, basically.
JS: And tells him like, "Oh, this is just a regular spear."
AM: No, it's not.
JS: And Hoder is like, "Oh, awesome." And he throws it and he stabs Baldr right in the heart.
AM: Uugghh!!
JS: So, it pierces his heart. Kills him. Baldr is sent to --
AM: Kills him?
JS: Kills him.
AM: My god.
JS: Spears his heart.
AM: Ugghh!!
JS: He's a dude. I mean he's a god, but he's still a dude.
AM: Wow.
JS: Baldr gets sent to the Underworld, Hel, which is where the gods go when they die.
AM: This is like the worst thing Mistletoe's done since like the Christmas Party of '09 where I didn't kiss anybody.
JS: That's all very specific. Thank you for that, Amanda.
AM: You're welcome.
JS: He goes to Hel. The gods are trying to get him back. So, Hel promises to release him if every being in the realm cries over his death.
AM: Okay. Seems attainable.
JS: Yeah. But Loki disguises himself as a giant, doesn't cry, because, obviously, like he's like, "Haha. I killed this motherfucker."
AM: Fucking, Loki. God.
JS: And, so, Baldr has to remain in Hel. Odin finds out that Loki's behind this shit.
AM: Good. Discipline your son, Odin.
JS: And has Loki bound in a cave and has a poisonous painful venom from a snake dripped on him constantly.
AM: That's horrific.
JS: And, so, Loki, as you would imagine, not gonna be super pleased about this shit.
AM: No.
JS: Yeah.
AM: I would be murderously pissed.
JS: Yes. So, Loki.
AM: Yeah.
JS: Loki, he’s usually described like really handsome, super wicked, wild --
AM: Nice.
JS: Wild. Kind of wild.
AM: The kind – the kind of guy you want to date in high school, but not bring home to your parents.
JS: Yeah. He's a very like tall, dark, and handsome kind of dude.
AM: For sure.
JS: Like, he would maybe like have a motorcycle --
AM: I'm already there.
JS: -- in black leather jacket.
AM: Oh, yes.
JS: Yes.
AM: Already there.
JS: We're all into it. He's not as dorky as Tom Hiddleston makes him look.
AM: The [inaudible 25:49] of the group.
JS: Yes. Okay. That's fair. I'll give you that. He, despite his trickeries, is actually like pretty good buddies with most of the gods in the Norse Mythology.
AM: Okay.
JS: So, he's like – he's kind of like Finnick Odair in Hunger Games. He's pretty good friends. He's, he's like Finnick where he's like he knows everyone's secrets kind of thing.
AM: Sure.
JS: Like, they confide in him and shit like that for whatever reason.
AM: It's easy to confide in the trickery god.
JS: So, before he --
AM: I say with no personal experience.
JS: So, before he was bound by Odin for the whole killing Baldr thing --
AM: Okay.
JS: There's – one of the last things he does is go to this feast that's being thrown by the god of the sea, Aegir. Loki wasn't invited to that shit. He just shows the fuck up. And, so, he forced his way into the hall. Everyone's like, "Hmm, Loki." Like, he's, he's a trickster god.
AM: Why are you here?
JS: Like, that's not cool. And, so, like they're having a good time. So, like, no one's super pleased that he's there. But Loki is like, "Yo, there are hospitality rules. You guys have to treat me as like a fucking equal."
AM: Give me beer. Give me bread.
JS: Yeah. And like I'm doing – like, there's Odin. He and I are buddies, right Odin? And Odin’s like, "Huh. I guess.”
AM: Awww…
JS: So, they finally let him in. But Loki's feeling snubbed --
AM: Right.
JS: -- as fuck. So, he starts like verbally attacking all of the gods in the room.
AM: Oh, no.
JS: Like, letting their secret slip. Like every like affair and like cowardly moments.
AM: Ugh, Loki.
JS: He's telling all of their most embarrassing stories. So, like some of the gods are trying to apologize. He's like, "Nope, fuck you. Here's the other thing you did --
AM: Too late! Oohh!
JS: -- and then this thing. And then you fucked this other woman instead of your wife. And --
AM: Just let Loki sit at the cafeteria table, guys.
JS: Yeah, and then like – and then other ones are trying to attack him, but he's like comes up with like a thousand times better stories for everyone they try and use.
AM: Oh, Lord. This sounds stressful.
JS: Then Thor arrives. Thor's like, "What the fuck are you doing?"
AM: Oh, no.
JS: And like threatens him. Like – he's like, "I'm gonna bash your fucking head in."
AM: Bodily harm. Right.
JS: And then Loki's like, "Hmm," and, so, he like – is like scampering out of the hall. But he kind of like turns around, and he's like, "Well, listen, this is the last feast you all are going to be at," and then bounces.
AM: Oh, man.
JS: Because he's like the world is gonna fucking burn.
AM: That's ominous.
JS: Yeah.
AM: Wow.
JS: Yeah.
AM: So, what happens?
JS: Well, next episode, we're going to talk about Ragnarok.
AM: Is this a cliffhanger?
Outro Music
AM: Spirits was created by Julia Schifini and, me, Amanda McLoughlin. It's edited by Eric Schneider with music by Kevin MacLeod, and visual design by Allison Wakeman.
JS: Subscribe to Spirits on your preferred podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr, @SpiritsPodcast.
AM: On our Patreon page, patreon.com/Spiritspodcast, you can sign up for exclusive content like behind the scenes photos, audio, extras, director's commentary, blooper reels, and beautiful recipe cards with custom drink and snack pairings.
JS: If you like the show, please share with your friends and leave us a review on iTunes. It really does help.
AM: Thank you so much for listening, ‘til next time.
Transcriptionist:
Rachelle Bacharo
Editor:
Krizia Marrie Casil