49. When Winter Came and the Norse Myths were Born

The Norse myths - Thor, Odin, Freya, the Valkyries, Loki, Ragnorak and the World Tree, Yggdrassil - are so well known, they are almost hidden. We have made them so familiar in games, movies, children's stories - that their original power and strangeness is lost. This guide to Norse myths and the mental world of the Vikings recovers that strangeness with the help of two changes in perspective. 1. A fine book, Neil Price, The Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings (2020), and 2. the view form Lake Ilopango in El Salvador. What does El Salvador have to do with the Norse myths? Listen to the show and find out.

Also check out episode 32, This Archive is for the Players, when listener, Isaac Rich, joined the show and asked questions related to the theme of computer games and history, including about the Norse Myths.