Between Two Ravens: A Norse Mythology Podcast

By: David Alexander and Shawn Gaich
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  • Summary

  • 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.

    Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tworavenspodcast/

    Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tworavenspodcast
    Copyright David Alexander and Shawn Gaich
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Social Sciences World
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Episodes
  • S5E17 Volsung Poems: The Children of Giuki and Budli (Part 5)

    S5E17 Volsung Poems: The Children of Giuki and Budli (Part 5)
    Mar 31 2025
    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 has sworn vengance against her brothers for killing her beloved Sigurd.
    The children of Budli are Brynhild, Atli, and Oddrun. These late poems explain that Budli wanted Brynhild to be a single shield maiden. Running her own kingdom and free from a husband. Oddrun was to be married to Gunnar to establish a peace between the clans.
    But Budli is dead, and Atli had other plans (perhaps the wealth of Sigurd threw off the initial plans). He married off Brynhild (likely so his sister would not have a neighboring kingdom to rival his own) and forbid the lovebirds, Gunnar and Oddrun, from marrying.

    We see in this episode how Gudrun wanted to grieve in peace, but the patriarchy, the brothers and parents, want her to reestablish the alliance formed by the marriage of Gunnar and Brynhild.
    My conclusion is that these particular poems are fan fiction. As the Poetic Edda scholar Carolyn Larrington says, these late contructions: "give more justification than seems necessary" for why the families go to war and why Atli kills Gunnar and Hogni. There are some very amusing verbal dueling between Oddrun and another lady of the court, the unwed and pregnant Borgny. A poetic battle conducted while Oddrun begrudgingly serves as her midwife. It finally answers Shawn's question from Season 1 on Havamal. Why should one not trust women serving drinks?




    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

    Buy Shawn and David a Beer or Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tworavenpodcast

    Follow us for updates or send us a message on Instagram:
    Instagram: (@TwoRavensPodcast): https://www.instagram.com/tworavenspodcast/

    Check out David’s writing: Walled Garden (https://thewalledgarden.com/davidalexander)

    Our podcast is part of The Walled Garden Podcast Network. The Walled Garden is committed to the pursuit of Truth, Wisdom, Virtue, and the Divine, wherever it might be found. Visit thewalledgarden.com to learn more.

    This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910787/advertisement
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    34 mins
  • S5E16 Ragnar Lodbrok VI: King Aela and the Blood Eagle

    S5E16 Ragnar Lodbrok VI: King Aela and the Blood Eagle
    Feb 19 2025
    In 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 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

    Buy Shawn a Beer or Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tworavenpodcast

    Follow us for updates or send us a message on Instagram:
    Instagram: (@TwoRavensPodcast): https://www.instagram.com/tworavenspodcast/

    Check out David’s writing: Walled Garden (https://thewalledgarden.com/davidalexander)

    Our podcast is part of The Walled Garden Podcast Network. The Walled Garden is committed to the pursuit of Truth, Wisdom, Virtue, and the Divine, wherever it might be found. Visit thewalledgarden.com to learn more.

    This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910787/advertisement
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 6 mins
  • S5E15 Ragnar Lodbrok V: Ragnar and the Snake Pit

    S5E15 Ragnar Lodbrok V: Ragnar and the Snake Pit
    Feb 10 2025

    In 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 cannot change his mind, Aslaug give Ragnar a hair shirt that would prevent him from taking harm on the battlefieldArmed with the hair shirt and the spear he used to slay the dragon and win over his first wife, Thora, Ragnar embarks on his journey. However, his voyage quickly takes a disastrous turn when he wrecks on the eastern shores of Northumbria.
    The hosts dive into the aftermath of Ragnar's ill-fated invasion. Did Ragnar truly believe he had a chance to conquer England, or was he already aware that his actions would set the stage for an even greater destiny—one that would elevate the legacy of his sons?


    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

    Buy Shawn a Beer or Coffee: https://ko-fi.com/tworavenpodcast

    Follow us for updates or send us a message on Instagram:
    Instagram: (@TwoRavensPodcast): https://www.instagram.com/tworavenspodcast/

    Check out David’s writing: Walled Garden (https://thewalledgarden.com/davidalexander)

    Our podcast is part of The Walled Garden Podcast Network. The Walled Garden is committed to the pursuit of Truth, Wisdom, Virtue, and the Divine, wherever it might be found. Visit thewalledgarden.com to learn more.

    This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5910787/advertisement
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 9 mins
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speak slower

it is a good story but it is very fast and hard to understand please speak slower

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great listen!

y'all mentioned a book about Odin's stories. what was it called?? keep up the good work!

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