The Sacred Flame
The Sacred Flame Podcast is about the pre-Christian traditions of Northern Europe hosted by Mathias Nordvig and Amina Otto. It's available on Buzzsprout and most podcasting platforms. The Sacred Flame Podcast comes out twice a month with information and perspectives on Northern European traditions, mythology, history, and philosophy.
Mathias Nordvig has a PhD in Old Norse mythology and teaches Scandinavian studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Amina Otto has an MA in Old Norse and Gaelic studies and is doing a PhD in Norse-Gaelic Viking culture at Glasgow University.
Podcasting since 2025 • 9 episodes
The Sacred Flame
Latest Episodes
Elves, Fairies, Hidden Folk, and Dwarfs - All the little people in the North
Amina and Mathias sit down and talk about elves, fairies, hidden folk, dwarfs, and all the different "minor" entities in Nordic and Gaelic mythology and folklore. They dig deep into folktales about elves, what the names of these categories of b...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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1:12:46
Ancient Nordic Sun Cults ... and a chat about the weather ...
It's a new year and a new season. Amina and Mathias sit down and chat about ancient Nordic sun cults. Did people really worship the sun that much and what is up with the claims that all the rock carvings around Scandinavia, Ireland and the Brit...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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1:09:43
Yule Traditions in the North Part 2: Spirits and Other Beings
Amina and Mathias continue their conversations about Yule traditions in the North. This time they are talking about spirits and other beings that we encounter in the folk traditions from the Alps and all the way through Scandinavia and Britain....
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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1:04:12
Yule Traditions in the North Part 1: Ancient Rituals
Amina and Mathias dive into Yule traditions in the North. first, they talk about some aspects of pre-Christian Scandinavian jól -including if it even really existed, its place in the calendar, and what rituals took place in the period- and then...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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1:17:04
Vikings in narration with author Gregory Amato
Amina and Mathias sat down with author Gregory Amato. He is the author of the book series Spear of the Gods, which takes place in the Viking Age. Gregory Amato has strong opinions about how authors represent the Viking Age and Vikings. He is no...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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1:28:28