Norse mythology
I'm currently listening to Norse Mythology: The Unofficial Guide.
The podcast isn't really a retelling of the stories but more about going through what the old poems were and how they have reached us now. I had originally gone in looking for a storyteller in the vein of Jeff Wright and The Trojan War: The Podcast but this podcast is just as good in a different way.
I'm learning alot and enjoying myself thinking about what pagan life may have looked like in the Scandinavian countries.
The most interesting thing so far has been something the podcaster harps on which is that Jotnar got translated as giants but that's not actually what it means. They seem to simply be a different clan from the gods called the Aesir similar to the Vanir who also seem to be another name for Aesir.
It really changes the way I picture things. Tyr is also another interesting note, he seems to be a derivative of some ancient sky father that eventually became Zeus and Jupiter. However in Norse mythology Tyr is a smaller god while Odin is the leader of pantheon. It's mentioned that it is possible Odin was actually a god from a proto-germanic group that usurped the role of leader over time. This is wildly interesting.
I've been listening to these while driving and I think that might take something away from me. I feel like I have so much more to say and reflect on in the moment but now that I'm at my desk typing, I can barely remember anything.
I love the podcast because it goes into the linguistics of how words transform and how we figured out proto-indo-european. PIE has a special place in my heart for how much time I spent dreaming about the origin of us, specifically for language. The idea that our language and religion all stem from 1 specific place and people is a trip. I've fallen out of it now but I'd love to know what the current status of the theory is.