Norse Mythology: The Old Man and the Stick

Jason Weiser· Host0:00

This week on Myths and Legends, we're back in Norse myth with the story of Skathi. We'll see what happens when the smartest famous guy in the world gets called to Valhalla to fix a problem for Odin, and that if you're riding with Thor on his goat chariot, you probably shouldn't eat week-old fish right before the trip. The creature this time is yet another reason not to litter. You might get pulled under the water by an octopus shark with hands. [upbeat music] This is Myths and Legends, episode 434, "The Old Man and the Stick." This is a podcast where we tell stories from mythology and folklore. Some are incredibly popular tales you might think you know, but with surprising origins. Others are stories that might be new to you, but are definitely worth a listen. At long last, we are back in Norse myth. We burned through those stories very early on in the podcast, with Ragnarok being episode 80. We always have the sagas, of course, but it is nice to be back in the world of Thor, Odin, Loki, Freya, Heimdall, and others. What we call Norse myth was the predominant religion of the Nordic countries in Northern Europe up until the ninth or 10th century, and we only have a few sources for it. The most comprehensive written by a Christian in the 13th century. Today's work was written in the 15th or 16th century, but we'll get to all that in the wrap-up. Today, we take a trip along the world tree