Episode 4 - Wells, Wisdom, and Fate

Norse Mythology: The Unofficial Guide

In which Oðinn may not be the only Norse god to have ever sacrificed a part of his body for a drink from the well of wisdom. This episode covers the two most famous wells situated near the World Tree, Yggdrasill, as well as the beings who maintain them: Mímir whose severed head offers counsel to Oðinn, and the norns who author the fates of mankind. And did you know that the norns are the reason why the English word "weird" still exists today?

Sources:

• “Chronicles” Volume II by Raphael Holinshed, 1587
• “Dictionary of Northern Mythology”, by Rudolf Simek, 2010
• “Fate” by John Lindow in “Pre-Christian Religions of the North” Volume II, 2020
• “Norns” by Karen Bek-Pedersen in “Pre-Christian Religions of the North” Volume II, 2020
• “The History and Chronicles of Scotland” Volume II by Hector Boece, transl. by John Bellenden, early 1500s.
• “The Poetic Edda”, transl. by Carolyne Larrington, 2014
• “The Prose Edda”, transl. by Anthony Faulkes, 1995

Contact:

• Write in: waelhraefn (at) gmail (dot) com
• Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/Nvw5hmkRsW

Music:

Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com). Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/