Sagas w/Shawn - Gods and Kings
“Sagas w/Shawn: Gods and Kings” is an ambitious (and probably doomed) attempt to build a shared world where every god, legendary king, and mythical hero across world history actually coexists.
Hosted by Shawn, this podcast bridges the gap between mythology and history, from Norse sagas and ancient folklore to medieval pseudo-history, global pantheons, and even the lore of fantasy worlds and video games. Expect dry humor, deep dives, and a sincere curiosity about what people believed, why it mattered, and how these stories still shape us today.
Sagas w/Shawn - Gods and Kings
E13: Odin and Thor – Illusion, Fate, and the Limits of Power (Part II)
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In Part II of our series on Thor, we dive into the story of Utgarða-Loki and the two versions of Thor’s fishing trip, uncovering more of the limits of the mighty god. Specifically, the limits of the very things he claims to be best at. He may confidently declare, "“I drink and I kill things.” Tyrion Lannister I mean, Thor the Charioteer". But as it turns out, that résumé does not guarantee unlimited success in either category. Even gods run into walls when the forces of nature decide to push back.
Across these stories, Thor appears to be learning how to approach the obstacles in his life. That is, if and only if we and by we I mean Shawn ignore the actual chronological order of the myths and pretend this is intentional character development. (Please pay no attention to the man behind the curtain). We see disguises. We see subtle moments of empathy. We see losses that are not quite losses. And we see Thor come dangerously close to bending the will of nature and fate itself, though not quite breaking it. Strength alone does not rewrite reality, but it can certainly shake it.
Shawn also insists on forcing a discussion of The Matrix and the book of Exodus in what can only be described as a bold attempt to connect Hymisvitha to both bullet-time philosophy and the plagues of Egypt. This may result in eye rolls. But in his probable accidental blasphemy at least he is trying his best.
Sources Used:
- The Poetic Edda (Hackett Publishing), translated by Jackson Crawford
- The Prose Edda (Penguin Classics)
- Holy Bible (King James Version)
- Hversu Noregr byggdist, translated by George Hardman
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