Norse myths: everything you wanted to know

11/12/23 • 58 min

What myths did the Norse believe, and what influence did they exert on daily life? Was the trickster god Loki really that bad, and was Odin really that wise? And why is Christianity a crucial part of the story? Speaking to Kev Lochun, historian and broadcaster Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough answers listener questions about the pantheon of Norse myths, from the yawning void of Ginnungagap to the end of days, Ragnarok.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

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The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

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Previous Episode

Medieval Stalingrad: The siege of Calais

Dan Jones chronicles the brutal siege of Calais, an overlooked campaign in the Hundred Years’ War, and the focus of his new novel

During the Hundred Years’ War, after the English had stormed to victory at the battle of Crécy, they turned their attention northwards: to the prized port city of Calais. Dan Jones brings the lengthy siege to life in his latest historical fiction novel, Wolves of Winter, and here he spoke to Rhiannon Davies to reveal why those trapped inside the city considered turning to cannibalism.

(Ad) Dan Jones is the author of Wolves of Winter (Bloomsbury, 2023). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fwolves-of-winter%2Fdan-jones%2F9781838937942

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Next Episode

Magic books: a global history

What are the earliest forms of written magic? How do the stories of magic and religion intersect? And how will these stories’ continued presence in popular culture influence events yet to come? Professor Owen Davies takes Lauren Good on a journey through the twisting history of the Grimoire, from the use of papyrus to the effects of ‘WitchTok’.

(Ad) Owen Davies is the author of Art of the Grimoire: An Illustrated History of Magic Books and Spells (Yale University Press, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Grimoire-Illustrated-History-Spells/dp/0300272014/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

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