Podcasts about Norse

Rick Broering joined us from Cleveland to talk about the Musketeers, Richard Pitino's future, the Norse, and why the Horizon League Tournament format is so janky. Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530. Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listenGet more: https://linktr.ee/MoEggerFollow on X: @MoEggerInstagram too: @MoEggerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Narrator: Thomas Jones

Gwyn and Ode (+Jax!) talk about Shapash, Anat, Nanahuatzin, Huixtocihuatl, Ah Puch and Kalfu.Special Guest: Jax.

The only literary sources we have about the Viking settlements west of Greenland come from the Icelandic Sagas. The only problem is that the Sagas can be totally off-the-wall. Corpses reanimate and speak prophecies, giant-eyed doppelgängers vanish into thin air, and one-legged creatures murder unsuspecting Norse explorers. But, this same sources also describe interactions between the Norse and the Vinland's first people that sound remarkably believable. The people the Norse called the Skraeling's act quite a lot like the Algonquin speaking peoples of Canada's east coast. How do we separate the historical wheat from the legendary chaff? Tune-in and find out how female axe murderers, Vinland's first Viking baby, and the loudest bull in the world all play a role in the story.Check out the merch at out T-Public store HERE! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week's episode, we're joined by Nordic witch, rune reader, and author of Queering the Runes, Siri Vincent Plouff, for a deep and delightfully bird-filled dive into runic magic. Siri shares the wild origin story of being claimed by Odin via the infamous “Minneapolis Murder” of crows, how that encounter led them into Heathenry, and what it really means to build a relationship with the runes as living spirits. We unpack common misconceptions about Norse culture, hint it is more than just Viking bros and dreads, the impact of Christianization on the myths, and how Hollywood has flattened an incredibly rich and complex spiritual history.Most importantly, we explore what it means to queer the runes, both as an identity and as a verb. Siri breaks down gender fluidity and performance in Old Norse mythology, Loki's shapeshifting chaos, Odin's relationship to feminine magic, and how queering spiritual systems helps us break out of rigid, heteronormative frameworks. We also talk about ethical rune practice, avoiding white supremacist co-optation, and simple low spoon ways to incorporate runes into daily life, including body poses, pocket magic, and protection work. Whether you're rune curious or already in deep, this conversation will expand your understanding of Nordic magic and maybe even your definition of tradition itself.Find more about Siri below:WebsitePatreonHeathen's Journey PodcastChaos and Cunning PodcastBlueSkyInstagramTikTokRegister for the Queering the Runes courseOrder Molly's book Mundane Magic A Lazy Witch's Guide to Hacking Your Brain, Building a Daily Practice, and Getting Stuff DoneJoin our Patreon for bonus episodes, magical downloads, and unhinged side quests: https://www.patreon.com/demystifymagic

Die gute Nachricht vorweg: Mikes PC läuft wieder! Es war das Netzteil. Wenn es schon die Einleitung mit der guten Nachricht gibt, muss es natürlich auch schlechte Nachrichten geben und davon leider einige. Derzeit gibt es einen Verkaufsstopp für Geräte von Asus und Acer. Aber warum? Nokia (oder was davon heute noch übrig ist) hat die beiden Hersteller verklagt wegen Verletzung von Patenten, die den Video-Codec H.265 bzw. HEVC betreffen. Und falls euch das bekannt vorkommt: Ja, das macht Nokia öfter. Sony wollte auch mal wieder in die Schlagzeilen und hat Bluepoint Games geschlossen. Die haben zuletzt das exzellente Remake zu Demon’s Souls zum Start der PS5 herausgebracht und galten als absolute Meister ihres Faches. Was haben die seitdem gemacht? Sie haben an God of War: Ragnarök mitgearbeitet und danach ein Service-Game im God-of-War-Universum entwickelt. Das wurde natürlich schon letztes Jahr eingestellt. Dabei gäbe es so viele Titel in der Playstation-Historie, die sich für ein Remake oder Remaster anbieten würden… Und weil Microsoft es anscheinend nicht ertragen kann, wenn Sony der Buhmann ist, ließen sie kurz vor unserer Aufnahme eine kleine Bombe platzen: Phil Spencer, CEO von Microsoft Gaming, ist zurückgetreten, direkt mit ihm Sarah Bond, President of Xbox. Nachfolgerin von Spencer wird Asha Sharma, bisher President of CoreAI Product bei Microsoft, war also für die ganzen tollen „AI“-Produkte wie Copilot und Recall verantwortlich. Das scheint auch nur die Spitze des Eisbergs zu sein. Zum Ausklang haben Mo und Mike „Norse: Oath of Blood“ gespielt, Rundentaktik gewürzt mit Rollenspiel-Elementen im Wikinger-Setting. Mike hat direkt wieder Lust auf die Serie „Vikings“ bekommen. Viel Spaß mit Folge 296! Sprecher:innen: Meep, Michael Kister, Mohammed Ali DadAudioproduktion: Michael KisterVideoproduktion: Mohammed Ali Dad, Michael KisterTitelbild: MeepBildquellen: Sony/Pixabay/pngfindAufnahmedatum: 20.02.2026 Besucht unsim Discord https://discord.gg/SneNarVCBMauf Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/technikquatsch.deauf Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@technikquatsch https://www.youtube.com/@technikquatschgamingauf TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@technikquatschauf Instagram https://www.instagram.com/technikquatschauf Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/technikquatsch RSS-Feed https://technikquatsch.de/feed/podcast/Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/62ZVb7ZvmdtXqqNmnZLF5uApple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/technikquatsch/id1510030975Deezer https://www.deezer.com/de/show/1162032 00:00:00 Herzlich willkommen bei Technikquatsch Folge 296! Mikes PC-Probleme und die (vorläufige) Lösung 00:11:16 teure Monitor-Halterungen fürs Auto, die einen 3D-Drucker rechtfertigen würden 00:18:16 Verkaufsstopp für Asus und Acer in Deutschland wegen Patentstreit mit Nokia, Treiber über Umwege zu laden.https://www.computerbase.de/news/notebooks/patenturteil-acer-und-asus-stellen-notebook-verkauf-vorerst-ein.96162/https://www.computerbase.de/news/mainboards/fuer-treiber-oder-bios-wie-man-trotz-sperre-auf-asus-de-und-acer-de-kommt.96210/ 00:25:56 Festplattenkontingente von WD und Seagate für 2026 komplett ausverkauft, für 2027 teilweise.https://www.heise.de/news/WD-und-Seagate-bestaetigen-Festplatten-fuers-Jahr-2026-ausverkauft-11178815.html 00:27:53 Welche Auswirkungen hätte es, wenn die Blase platzt. 00:35:14 Internetsuche nahezu unbrauchbar, Autocorrect auch immer schlechter 00:40:04 Sony schließt Bluepoint Games (u.a. Remakes von Shadow of the Colossus und Demon’s Souls).https://bsky.app/profile/jasonschreier.bsky.social/post/3mfab6e43uc2x 00:45:04 Phil Spencer verlässt Xbox, Sarah Bond tritt zurück; neue Chefin wird Asha Sharma, ehemals Präsidentin der Microsoft AI Plattform.https://www.ign.com/articles/phil-spencer-retiring-sarah-bond-out-matt-booty-promoted-as-microsoft-ai-exec-asha-sharma-named-new-xbox-boss-exclusive 00:54:39 PS6 soll wohl auf 2028/2029 verschoben werden.https://www.polygon.com/ps6-sony-playstation-6-release-date-price/ 01:05:08 Norse: Oath of Blood gespielt. https://store.steampowered.com/app/3054690/NORSE_Oath_of_Blood/ 01:18:43 Random Dudelsack-Geschichte von Mo 01:22:18 Abschluss zu Norse: Oath of Blood 01:25:49 Vorschau, Mo im Kurzvideo-Wahn und bis zum nächsten Mal!

It's one of the biggest news weeks of the year as ComicsPRO explodes with announcements, reveals, and long-term publishing plans from every major publisher in the industry. We're breaking it all down in a super-sized news segment that covers the headlines shaping 2026 and beyond. Marvel dropped its May 2026 solicitations, teased the beginning of the end in Avengers: Armageddon, confirmed Hulk War for 2027, revealed Infernal Hulk vs. the X-Men, and somehow still found time for Knull vs. Hela, a Spider-Man and Iron Man team-up, and Doctor Doom taking over OREO. Yes, really. Visit our Patreon page to see the various tiers you can sign up for today to get in on the ground floor of AIPT Patreon. We hope to see you chatting with us on our Discord soon! NEWS Marvel Solicitations May 2026 Infernal Hulk declares war on the X-Men in explosive issue #7 reveal - EXCLUSIVE Marvel reveals a Spider-Man and Iron Man team up coming in issue #6 Marvel teases “With Great Power…” as “Armageddon Assembles” this June Ultron crashes Wiccan and Hulkling's anniversary in Marvel's explosive Pride special Marvel teases 'The origin of the end' starts in 'Avengers: Armageddon' #1 It's Knull vs. Hela in 'Hel on Earth' Marvel Comics event JULY: Queen in Black! Doctor Doom takes over OREO in wild final Marvel Comics cookie collab Marvel announces new series 'X-Men: Outback' revisiting the iconic Outback Era Hulk War is coming: Marvel confirms Infernal Hulk finale in 2027 IDW is taking Godzilla back to 1954 and making it absolutely terrifying 'Star Trek' #1 launches a bold new era as IDW unveils massive 60th anniversary comic plans 'TMNT' #300 unleashes a massive new era, blind bag covers, and new 'Last Ronin' DC Solicits May 2026 DC Is going all-in on 'The Dark Knight Returns' for its 40th anniversary all year long DC and Sonic reunite for ‘Metal Legion' this May 2026 DC unveils major 2026 publishing plans at ComicsPro: Vertigo, new Absolute titles, and more Zorro and Tarzan are storming back to comics and we've got the exclusive first look Gail Simone is entering the Spawn universe with a brutal new 'She-Spawn' series New Image sci-fi series 'If Destruction Be Our Lot' features robo Abraham Lincoln finding purpose Skybound announces ‘DC Silver Age Covers and Stories' Artist Edition M.A.S.K. joins the Energon Universe in explosive new series from Dan Watters and Pye Parr Robert Kirkman returns to superheroes with 'Terminal' joined by Kubert, Finch, and Arthur Adams James Tynion IV takes on white supremacy and Norse gods in brutal new 9-part horror, 'Odin' 'The Cutting Garden' explores companionship, legacy, and sacrifice Ghost Machine just revealed 'The Unbelievables' and its first massive crossover EXCLUSIVE: Zack Kaplan unleashes three new Dark Horse series in 2026 Skateboarding is outlawed in new series 'Skate Ali' out June 2026 Jonathan Hickman's ‘Three Worlds/Three Moons' comes to Dark Horse this July Archie is going compact with new Oni Press collections starting in September 2026 'Ben 10' returns to comics this May with a new series from the original creators Oni Press unleashes 'Super Mondo Mega Mutts' #1 this July Oni Press announces Joe Palmer's dystopian thriller 'Destination Kill' #1 Our Top Books of the Week: Dave: Absolute Batman #17  (Scott Snyder, Eric Canete) Uncanny X-Men #24 (Gail Simone, David Marquez) Alex:​​ Exquisite Corpses #10 (Jordie Bellaire, Marianna Ignazzi) Dungeons of Doom #2 (PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON & BENJAMIN PERCY) Standout KAPOW moment of the week: Alex: Uncanny X-Men #24 (Gail Simone, David Marquez) Dave: Ultimate Spider-Man #24 (March Checchetto, Hickman) TOP BOOKS FOR NEXT WEEK Alex: Infernal Hulk #4 (Phillip KJ, Nic Klein) & Absolute Wonder Woman #17 (K Thompson, H Sherman) Dave: The Peril of the Brutal Dark #1 (Chris Condon, Jacob Phillips) but also Hulk Smash Everything #3 JUDGING BY THE COVER JR. Dave: Predator: Bloodshed #1 (Dan Panosian Virgin Cover) Alex: Power Fantasy #16 (Morgan Beem variant)

Rick Broering of Musketeer Report and NKU radio broadcasts joined us to discuss the Musketeers and the Norse. What a nice man. Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530. Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listenGet more: https://linktr.ee/MoEggerFollow on X: @MoEggerInstagram too: @MoEggerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rick Broering of Musketeer Report and NKU radio broadcasts joined us to discuss the Musketeers and the Norse. What a nice man. Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530. Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listenGet more: https://linktr.ee/MoEggerFollow on X: @MoEggerInstagram too: @MoEggerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meta has filed a patent for an AI system that trains a language model on a dead person's behavioral data and keeps their social media account running after they die. It can post, message, and simulate video calls. But this is not a new problem. Every major culture in human history developed elaborate rituals for managing the active dead, from Norse draugr to Roman Lemures to Japanese hungry ghosts to Chinese possession ceremonies. They all understood one thing - the channel has to close.​​If you are having a mental health crisis and need immediate help, please go to​ ​​​https://troubledminds.org/help/ and call somebody right now. Reaching out for support is a sign of strength. ​ ​ ​ ​​​LIVE ON Digital Radio! Http://bit.ly/40KBtlW ​​http://www.troubledminds.net or ​ ​ ​ ​​https://www.troubledminds.org ​​​​Support The Show! ​ ​ ​ ​​https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/troubled-minds-radio--4953916/support ​ ​ ​ ​​https://ko-fi.com/troubledminds ​ ​ ​ ​​https://patreon.com/troubledminds ​ ​ ​ ​​https://www.buymeacoffee.com/troubledminds ​ ​ ​ ​​https://troubledfans.com ​ ​Friends of Troubled Minds! - ​ ​ ​ ​​https://troubledminds.org/friends ​ ​​​Show Schedule Sun--Tues--Thurs--Fri 7-10pst ​iTunes - ​ ​ ​​​​https://apple.co/2zZ4hx6 ​Spotify - ​ ​ ​​​​https://spoti.fi/2UgyzqM ​TuneIn - ​ ​ ​​​​https://bit.ly/2FZOErS ​Twitter - ​ ​ ​​​​https://bit.ly/2CYB71U ​​​​​----------------------------------------​​https://troubledminds.substack.com/p/functional-ghosts-from-folklore-rituals​​https://x.com/rawsalerts/status/2023537963104158168​​https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2025117006A1/en​​https://www.troubledminds.org/episode/64073822​​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_Right_Back​​https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2290780/?ref_=mv_close​​https://black-mirror.fandom.com/wiki/Be_Right_Back​​https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1r6n7es/meta_patents_ai_that_takes_over_a_dead_persons/​​https://www.thoughtco.com/lares-larvae-lemures-manes-roman-ghosts-112671​​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaresThat's another dive into the mysteries they don't want you exploring here on Troubled Minds Radio. Keep Your Mind Troubled: If today's episode challenged your perception of reality, you're exactly where you need to be.Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and hit that notification bell so you never miss our investigations into the unknown.Your five-star rating and review helps other truth-seekers find us in this sea of mainstream disinformation. Join the Community: Connect with nearly 1,000 fellow researchers in our Discord server, follow @TroubledMindsR on X for breaking updates, and support independent media by upgrading to Spreaker Prime for exclusive bonus content.Share Your Truth: Got a paranormal encounter, conspiracy evidence, or inside knowledge they're covering up? Email troubledmindsradio@gmail.com - your story could be featured on an upcoming episode. This is your host reminding you that in a world of manufactured narratives, questioning everything isn't paranoia...

Interview starts at 34:10 Annie Cuglas Humphrey, PhD joins us to chat about the Norse and Gaelic Paganism were synchronized into a set of spiritual practices outside of the Roman influence. We chat about the Isle of Mann, Bernard Cromwell series, the Irish Sea God, Midsummer - Druids cutting mistletoe, folklore, the settlement of Iceland, the Vikings, the difference in slavery, the New Age reclamation, the summer warriors, the lost city of Ze, the difficulty with the academic study of heathenism, 19th century nationalism, mumming, Balder, battle myths and the great deluge. https://www.innertraditions.com/norse-gaelic-paganism   Become a Lord or Lady with 1k donations over time. And a Noble with any donation. Leave Serfdom behind and help Grimerica stick to 0 ads and sponsors and fully listener supported. Thanks for listening!! Help support the show, because we can't do it without ya. https://www.amazon.com/Unlearned-School-Failed-What-About/dp/1998704904/ref=sr_1_3?sr=8-3   Support the show directly: https://open.spotify.com/show/2punSyd9Cw76ZtvHxMKenI?si=ImKxfMHgQZ-oshl499O4dQ&nd=1&dlsi=4c25fa9c78674de3 Watch or Listen on Spotify https://grimericacbd.com/ CBD / THC Gummies and Tinctures http://www.grimerica.ca/support https://www.patreon.com/grimerica http://www.grimericaoutlawed.ca/support www.Rokfin.com/Grimerica   Adultbrain Audiobook YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@adultbrainaudiobookpublishing https://grimericaoutlawed.ca/The newer controversial Grimerica Outlawed Grimerica Show Check out our next trip/conference/meetup - Contact at the Cabin www.contactatthecabin.com Our audio book website: www.adultbrain.ca www.grimerica.ca/shrooms and Micro Dosing Darren's book www.acanadianshame.ca Grimerica on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2312992 Join the chat / hangout with a bunch of fellow Grimericans Https://t.me.grimerica https://www.guilded.gg/i/EvxJ44rk The Eh- List site. Canadian Propaganda Deconstruction https://eh-list.ca/ The Eh-List YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@theeh-list?si=d_ThkEYAK6UG_hGX Leave a review on iTunes and/or Stitcher: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/grimerica-outlawed http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/grimerica-outlawed Sign up for our newsletter https://grimerica.substack.com/ SPAM Graham = and send him your synchronicities, feedback, strange experiences and psychedelic trip reports!! graham@grimerica.com InstaGRAM https://www.instagram.com/the_grimerica_show_podcast/ Tweet Darren https://twitter.com/Grimerica Can't. Darren is still deleted. Purchase swag, with partial proceeds donated to the show: www.grimerica.ca/swag Send us a postcard or letter http://www.grimerica.ca/contact/ Episode ART - Napolean Duheme's site http://www.lostbreadcomic.com/ MUSIC https://brokeforfree.bandcamp.com/ - Something Jah Felix's Site sirfelix.bandcamp.com - A Grimerica Christmas Carols

Guest: Matthew Lockwood. Lockwood examines the history of exploration from non-European perspectives, including Carthaginian sailors and Chinese fleets. He explains how early accounts, like those of the Norse in Vinland, were often dismissed as myths.

In this episode, we continue our "Life, Death and Meaning with Beowulf and Boethius" series with the mythological death and resurrection of the Baldur, the Norse god.Watch the video of this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/K-DIsUnigngListen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts:Mythic MindMythic Mind GamesMythic Mind Movies & Shows(or become a patron to get all three shows in one ad-free feed)Become a Tier 3 patron to join our Silmarillion study, has now begun! patreon.com/mythicmindBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mythic-mind--5808321/support.

The Great Heathen Army: the cool, or terrifying, name given to a huge Norse army that landed in England in the middle of the 9th century and stayed for 13 years, devastating the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The Viking leaders are semi-legendary, cloaked in the mythology of the Norse and the scaremongering of the Anglo-Saxons. Was the army really led by the three sons of the infamous Ragnar Lothbrook, as depicted in Assassin's Creed Valhalla? What were they trying to achieve? And after Alfred the Great, would the Great Heathen Army have considered itself successful?Matt Lewis is joined by Dr Caitlin Ellis, Associate Professor of Nordic Medieval History at the University of Oslo. She'll be the guide to lead us on our quest for answers!Listen to our previous episode about the time Viking invaders nearly killed their nemesis, Alfred the Great.Echoes of History is a Ubisoft podcast, brought to you by History Hit. Watch these interviews and exclusive videos on our YouTube channel.Hosted by: Matt LewisEdited by: Michael McDaidProduced by: Robin McConnell, Matt LewisSenior Producer: Anne-Marie LuffProduction Manager: Beth DonaldsonExecutive Producers: Etienne Bouvier, Julien Fabre, Steve Lanham, Jen BennettMusic:The Fate of East Mercia by Sarah SchachnerRivers and Fjords by Sarah SchachnerIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, share, rate & review. Take part in our listener survey here.Tell us your favourite Assassin's Creed game or podcast episode at echoes-of-history@historyhit.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Connect with Mel Connect with Coach MikkiWhat if “unlucky” is just a story we inherited, and we're free to rewrite it? We kick things off with Friday the 13th and follow the thread through Norse myths, the Last Supper, and the Knights Templar to see how fear gathers power over time. Then we flip the script with Galentine's Day, turning a date with a bad reputation into a bright spot for friendship, humor, and everyday love that doesn't wait for a calendar prompt.From there, we lose it in laughter talking about  the rituals we learned as kids, honking through tunnels, lifting our feet over railroad tracks, counting cows until a cemetery reset, still echo in how we chase luck and ward off jitters. We share the nostalgia of vintage toys and board games (yes, Operation's terrifying buzz and Monopoly debt at age 10), plus the handmade Barbie outfits that prove fashion really does come back around—hello again, shoulder pads. These memories aren't just cute; they're a map of how culture changes and how we choose what to keep.We also open up about what we're building now. Mel's crafting seasonal word search books, sketching cozy mysteries, and launching a stock photo portfolio. Mickey's fresh off a keynote on why comfort zones kill success and is racing to finish a new book before a small East Coast signing tour. Creativity becomes our counterspell to superstition: show up, make something, share it. That's how we make our own luck.If you've ever wondered why 13 feels spooky, whether numerology helps or hinders, or how a sitcom joke turned into a global celebration of women's friendship, you'll feel right at home here. Come for the folklore and stay for the heart, the laughs, and the reminder that joy lands best when it's shared. If this conversation made you smile, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review, what superstition are you still carrying? We look forward to seeing you succeed! - www.KeepOnSharing.com - Code - KOSSupport the showJoin my guests on my YouTube Channel

If you walk under a ladder after breaking a mirror, does that make your day doubly unlucky? Since we’re a science program, we’ll say no. But that double-trouble philosophy underpins the superstitions about Friday the 13th. Both Friday and the number 13 have been considered bad luck. Put them together, and you have what may be the most feared of any day-and-date combo. The individual superstitions both have religious and mythological origins. In Christianity, for example, the Last Supper was shared by 13 men. And Jesus was crucified on a Friday. Just when the two were put together isn’t clear. The idea of Friday the 13th being unlucky shows up in some publications in France in 1834. The first record of it in the United States dates to 1882. How many people fear the date isn’t clear, either. But scientists have come up with a couple of names for it. The shorter one, believe it or not, is friggatriskaidekaphobia. Frigg was the Norse goddess for whom Friday is named, and triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13. Other than some unlucky teens in the “Friday the 13th” movies, there’s no evidence that the day is any more dangerous than any other. A study in 2011 compared hospital records for 13 Fridays the 13th to other date combinations. There was no bump in the number of emergency-room visits – nothing unlucky about Friday the 13th. Script by Damond Benningfield

Fluent Fiction - Swedish: Unearthed Secrets: A Viking Quest for the Heart Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/sv/episode/2026-02-13-23-34-02-sv Story Transcript:Sv: Det var en kall vintermorgon när Elof, Signe och Gustav stod vid den svenska kusten.En: It was a cold winter morning when Elof, Signe, and Gustav stood by the Swedish coast.Sv: Det gamla vikingaskeppet reste sig från isen och snön som ett bortglömt monument.En: The old viking ship rose from the ice and snow like a forgotten monument.Sv: Trät var grått och mossigt, och skrovet var delvis begravt i en snödriva.En: The wood was gray and mossy, and the hull was partly buried in a snowdrift.Sv: Ryktena sa att det fanns en skatt ombord.En: Rumors said there was treasure on board.Sv: En skatt som skulle vara förbannad.En: A treasure that was said to be cursed.Sv: Elof hade alltid varit fascinerad av nordisk mytologi.En: Elof had always been fascinated by Norse mythology.Sv: Hans ögon lyste av äventyr när han såg skeppet.En: His eyes shone with adventure when he saw the ship.Sv: Han ville verkligen hitta skatten, kanske mest för att imponera på Signe.En: He really wanted to find the treasure, perhaps mostly to impress Signe.Sv: Signe stod bredvid honom, skeptisk, men med en hemlig värme i hjärtat för Elof.En: Signe stood beside him, skeptical, but with a secret warmth in her heart for Elof.Sv: Gustav, alltid den förnuftiga, skakade på huvudet.En: Gustav, always the sensible one, shook his head.Sv: "Vi borde vända tillbaka", sa han.En: "We should turn back," he said.Sv: "Vädret blir värre, och tidvattnet stiger snart."En: "The weather is getting worse, and the tide will rise soon."Sv: "Vi måste ge det ett försök", insisterade Elof.En: "We have to give it a try," insisted Elof.Sv: "Det kan vara vår enda chans att bevisa att skatten finns."En: "This may be our only chance to prove the treasure exists."Sv: Skeppet var gammalt och tyst, som om det vaktade gamla hemligheter.En: The ship was old and silent, as if it guarded ancient secrets.Sv: De vandrade försiktigt runt på däcket, försiktiga för att inte väcka någon slumrande förbannelse.En: They walked carefully around on the deck, careful not to awaken any slumbering curse.Sv: Plötsligt skrek Signe till.En: Suddenly, Signe shouted.Sv: "Titta på det här!En: "Look at this!"Sv: ", sa hon och pekade på något som glimmade under snön.En: she said, pointing at something gleaming under the snow.Sv: Det var en märklig artefakt, dekorerad med vikingasymboler.En: It was a strange artifact, decorated with Viking symbols.Sv: När de lyfte den, blev vinden starkare och himlen mörkare.En: As they lifted it, the wind grew stronger and the sky darker.Sv: Gustav tittade oroligt på stormmolnen.En: Gustav looked worriedly at the storm clouds.Sv: "Vi måste gå nu", sa han med en röst som inte tålde motsägelse.En: "We have to go now," he said with a voice that didn't tolerate disagreement.Sv: Elof stod där med artefakten i händerna.En: Elof stood there with the artifact in his hands.Sv: Hans dröm var inom räckhåll, men något inom honom sa att Gustav hade rätt.En: His dream was within reach, but something inside him told him that Gustav was right.Sv: "Okej", sa han motvilligt.En: "Okay," he said reluctantly.Sv: "Vi lämnar skeppet."En: "We're leaving the ship."Sv: De sprang tillbaka över det hala däcket, vinden kämpade mot dem som om skeppet inte ville släppa dem.En: They ran back across the slippery deck, the wind fighting against them as if the ship didn't want to release them.Sv: När de nådde stranden kände de hur tidvattnet börjat stiga.En: When they reached the shore, they felt the tide starting to rise.Sv: Trion tog sig till säkerhet, och när de såg tillbaka, var skeppet nästan helt omslutet av vattnet.En: The trio made it to safety, and when they looked back, the ship was almost entirely enveloped by the water.Sv: Elof höll fortfarande artefakten.En: Elof still held the artifact.Sv: Det hade varit nära, men de hade klarat sig.En: It had been close, but they had made it.Sv: Signe log mot Elof.En: Signe smiled at Elof.Sv: "Du riskerade mycket för detta", sa hon.En: "You risked a lot for this," she said.Sv: "Men vi är alla oskadda."En: "But we're all unharmed."Sv: "Jag förstår det nu", sa Elof med en nyvunnen respekt för sina vänner.En: "I understand that now," said Elof with a newfound respect for his friends.Sv: "Vissa skatter är inte värda risken."En: "Some treasures aren't worth the risk."Sv: Gustav nickade, och de började gå tillbaka genom snön, med en gemensam känsla av lättnad och något mer mellan Elof och Signe.En: Gustav nodded, and they started walking back through the snow, with a shared sense of relief and something more between Elof and Signe.Sv: När vinden slutligen mojnade tittade de på artefakten, osäkra på vad de verkligen hade hittat.En: When the wind finally died down, they looked at the artifact, unsure of what they had truly found.Sv: Men en sak var säker: vännernas säkerhet var skatten som inte kunde mätas med guld.En: But one thing was certain: the safety of friends was a treasure that couldn't be measured with gold.Sv: Och någonstans i stormens avtagande mäktade trion med fler känslor än ännu en episod av vinterkylan.En: And somewhere amid the waning storm, the trio managed more emotions than just another episode of winter's chill.Sv: De lämnade stranden, inte rika av guld, men rika av något mycket bättre.En: They left the beach, not rich with gold, but rich with something much better. Vocabulary Words:winter: vintercoast: kustviking: vikingavessel: skepphull: skrovrumors: ryktentreasure: skattcurse: förbannelsemythology: mytologiskeptical: skeptisksensible: förnuftigtide: tidvattenancient: gammalslumbering: slumrandeartifact: artefaktsymbols: symbolerstorm clouds: stormmolnreluctantly: motvilligtenveloped: omslutetrisked: riskeradeunharmed: oskaddnewfound: nyvunnenshared: gemensamrelief: lättnademotions: känslorepisode: episodwaning: avtagandesafety: säkerhetmeasured: mättbeach: strand

Poetry and baring the soul.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.Arriving at her house, Leah and I carried my clothes up to the spare bedroom. I thanked Leah once again, then kissed her.Leah softly whispered, “Jorunn is downstairs!”I replied in the same whisper, “Then kiss me quietly.” And she did.I spent the remainder of the day doing my laundry, once Leah showed me how to use her Norwegian washing machine. Leah opened the clothes drying rack, and when done, I laid my clothes out to dry.For dinner, Leah prepared salmon fillets with boiled potatoes. As Jorunn and Leah washed the dishes, I sat on the center seat of the sofa, reflecting on the day. When they finished, both Jorunn and Leah rushed into the living room, extremely excited, and sat down on either side of me. Jorunn turned on the television and switched to Norwegian National Television. I wondered what the fuss was about.“Five more minutes,” yelped Jorunn.After a brief introduction, an old black-and-white movie started. Both Jorunn and Leah snuggled up tight against me and I put my arms around them. It felt great. The show, called “Dinner for One”, featured a 90-year-old countess celebrating her birthday. She invited four friends but outlived them all. Her butler decides to impersonate each of the four missing guests. As he slips into each of the roles, he drinks a toast, and quickly becomes intoxicated, leading to numerous sight gags. It felt good to laugh along with people again. It was rather short, and when it ended, Leah told me it was the most repeated television show of all time and is quite popular in Scandinavian countries and northern Europe.Leah and Jorunn went around rearranging and straightening Christmas decorations, then announced it was time to make Julekurver. I heard of them, but never actually made one. Made of paper, they are heart-shaped and filled with sweets.We quickly cleared the dining room table, then covered it with red and white paper, a plastic rule, a plastic circle, and scissor. Leah and Jorunn both moved quickly, folding a sheet of paper of each color, and I followed their action. Then it was time to measure and cut, and fortunately, they slowed down to allow me to keep up. Using a circle, we marked a half circle and cut the excess away. Then cut strips into the paper, not going all the way across. We wove the red and white papers together in a checkerboard pattern and unfolded them into a perfect heart shape. I thought the process rather inefficient and decided to show off my engineering skills from 3M by making a fancier one. As I unfolded it, Jorunn and Leah laughed, and a moment later, I discovered one way not to make a Julekurver.After a long and active day, I was tired, so I went to bed. Both Jorunn and Leah were talking softly in the living room as I drifted off to sleep.A nocturnal visitorDecember 23rd - Just Before MidnightI was startled awake when I heard my bedroom door close, followed by a soft, “Shush!”I listened closely in the total darkness for footsteps and heard someone approach my bed. Leah must be ready to resume what we started back at the hotel! A hand pulled back the covers, and instinctively I slid toward the middle of the bed to make space. Leah slid in next to me and drew the covers back over us.Leah moved and shifted, and a hand found the back of my head. I expected her lips to follow, and they did. Soft and gentle, a wonderful way for my nocturnal visitor to say hello. Leah told me at the hotel she did not want to feel rushed, so there was no urgency. Her lips retreated, and her hand slid down to caress my cheek, as delicate fingers gently stroked me.I reached out and found her left shoulder as Leah faced me, then marveled at the smoothness as my hand traced her arm downward. Approaching her hand, I extended further to touch her hip. I began softly rubbing, but her ass beckoned, and my hand moved to cup and squeeze her firm cheek. My fingers began shooting sensations of warmth, softness, and inner firmness directly to my brain. I pulled Leah tight against me and discovered she was already completely naked.Leah swung her left leg over me and moved to an upright position, straddling my crotch. Beneath my boxer shorts, my erect cock fought for release. Her hand found my cock within its shelter but did not liberate it. Instead, her hand pushed my cock flat against my lower stomach, and she slid forward, trapping it with the swollen outer lips of her pussy. Leah began slowly gyrating, and even through the fabric of my boxers, I felt her pussy lips spreading as they slid along either side of my hidden cock.The hushed sounds of Leah cooing and moaning barely reached my ears, as dampness built between us. I reached up with both hands, found her small breasts, and used my thumbs to tease her nipples to an erection. A heavy breath followed by a long ‘uh. Oh; Ah!’ brought me close to premature orgasm, but this was not what Leah wanted, so I held back.Leah must have sensed I was close. She stopped gyrating, lifted herself, and then began inching herself up my torso. She paused for a moment and sat on my chest, then her hands reached out to touch my face. Two fingertips began touring my facial features as if Leah wanted to memorize every feature of my face. In the darkness, my senses heightened, her fingers swirled, and circled, and glided over me. I never would have imagined how erotic it felt.Leah resumed moving higher, her knees passing over my shoulders until they rested on either side of my head. I reached up to confirm what lay just inches above my face and grazed the same hairy splendor I sampled back at the hotel. Inhaling deeply, I picked up traces of the same body wash on her thighs. I was ready to dive back in, so I reached up and grabbed Leah’s hips, then pulled her pussy down toward my awaiting tongue. I paused as her short curly hair began painting her scent onto my face. The scent of arousal overpowered my senses. But? Something strange? I froze. The contradiction awoke my twilight dream state.“Why did you stop, Gunnar?” From the darkness came Jorunn’s voice! The dream of Leah's nocturnal visit was replaced by the reality of a beautiful young woman revealing her devotion and desire to this 56 year old guy.I was stunned. I couldn’t reveal the real reason I stopped; was uncertainty. Jorunn’s pussy smelled different than Leah’s! I hadn’t noticed any difference between Leah’s and Jorunn’s tall, fit bodies. If there were any, they were undetectable in the darkness, especially with only my brief exposure to Leah. “I can’t do this with you, Jorunn.” I softly and sincerely spoke.“I want to make love to you tonight, Gunnar. More than anything in the world. Am I not pretty enough? Has not enough time passed since your wife’s funeral? You are the only man in the world I can love to, without fear of being hurt.”“Jorunn, you are an incredibly beautiful woman. For months, I fantasized about holding you in my arms, kissing you, and wishing to be exactly where I am now. But yesterday, I met your mother.”Jorunn asked, “Did she order you not to have sex with me?”I replied, “It’s not that. I think I’m falling in love with Leah. We spent a wonderful day together, and she swept me off my feet. If that love turns out to be mutual, I am prepared to pledge my heart totally to her and her alone. A lifetime commitment, one I will never dishonor. The only reason you and I got this far tonight is that in the darkness and my dream state, I thought you were Leah. I never would have done it otherwise.” But you are a lovely and desirable woman. I respect you and Leah. So much that I cannot be false to either of you. And I cannot dishonor myself, by doing what I know is dishonorable.”Jorunn shifted positions and lay next to me in the bed. In the darkness, Jorunn whispered, “You are so unlike my father. He always put himself first. I was ready to give myself to you tonight. You could have kept quiet and let it happen. Then lied about it to my mother in the morning. But you didn’t. You are a better man than my father ever was, and I know you will make my mother happy. Please don’t be afraid to give her, and yourself, a chance. She really needs someone like you in her life.”I heard a soft sob and reached out to touch Jorunn’s face. She was crying. Jorunn came into my bedroom tonight, looking for someone to love. She didn’t know about Leah and me, or what happened between us at the hotel. I very much doubt her mother would have told her. I admired what Jorunn just did. She was sacrificing her chance at love so that her mother might have one. Jorunn knew that she bore the duty to initiate affection, after so harshly rejecting my romantic advances, last week.Silence followed, before Jorunn finally said, “What you have shown me, Gunnar, is that there are still good men in this world. But I am still afraid to look for them.”I thought back to the day Jorunn and I went sledging. “Remember what you told me at Korketrekkeren? You don’t need to be afraid of looking for a man, Jorunn. What you need to be afraid of is being too afraid to try looking for a man. Promise me that you will push off, just like riding a sledge, and start looking. When you reach the bottom of that scary hill, you will no longer be afraid, and someone you love will be waiting there for you.”“I will, Gunnar. I promise. And thank you.” Jorunn climbed out of my bed and closed the door as she left.Christmas EveDecember 24 - MorningI woke up in the guest room bed. Hearing noises and holiday folk music in the kitchen, I dressed and went downstairs. Leah smiled and said, “God Jul!”, Norwegian's way of saying merry Christmas. Then she made me scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Afterward, I enjoyed a slice of fruited Christmas Cake with coffee.“Leah, there is something I need to tell you. Jorunn came into my room last night looking for a man to love. In the darkness and my dream state, I thought it was you. It took a moment for me to realize it was Jorunn, and I stopped myself before going too far. Jorunn and I talked, and I confessed my love for you, to her. She understood, and asked that I give that love a chance. I want to do that. I asked Jorunn to no longer be afraid to look for love, and she agreed.”“Thank you for telling me, Gunnar. I have struggled to get Jorunn to go on dates after her father hurt her so badly. You must be a special man to find a place in her heart.”Leah sat down at the table with me, and continued; “I trust Jorunn, and now I trust you. So you will know, I will come to you tonight, bearing a lighted candle.”I said, “That sounds romantic.” My cock jolted to attention, under my trousers. I smiled and winked.Leah replied, “Wait until you see what I will be wearing.” She stood and returned to her baking, as the soft holiday music filled the busy kitchen. Leah's hips softly gyrated to the soft beat as she hummed with the lyrics.Jorunn came down later for breakfast, and after eating, she announced she would be working on edits and voiceovers for her recent videos. Since they were related to Christmas, she wanted to finish them to post them later tonight.Just before lunch, Leah led me back to the television and as we snuggled on the couch, she turned on “Tre Notter til Askepott”, a 1973 Czech reenactment of Cinderella, dubbed into Norwegian. The story was familiar, with Cinderella granted three wishes. It was enjoyable, but the dubbed dialog did not quite match the lips of the actors, so I needed to concentrate on what they were saying. Leah mentioned that this show is so popular in Norway, that storms of protest arose one year when they decided not to broadcast it. They ended up sending it out later in the holiday.Jorunn joined Leah and me for lunch. We ate Risengrynsgrot, which is rice porridge cooked with milk, sugar, and vanilla. We each had a bowl, and hiding in one of the three bowls was an almond. I suspected possible cheating such that I would be the one getting the almond, but as it turned out, Jorunn got the lucky bowl. As her prize, Leah gave Jorunn a chocolate-covered marzipan pig, an oddity for certain, but part of the tradition. There was porridge left over, and Leah said she would use it to make Riskrem, the delicious rice dessert eaten after tonight’s dinner. Solveig’s Riskrem was one of my favorite parts of the holiday season, and I was looking forward to tasting Leah’s.Leah turned to me and said, “If you want to eat, you must help in the kitchen.”Cooking was not something I knew very well, and after Leah led me into the kitchen, I let her know that. But since we were alone, I moved behind her, pulled her blonde hair aside, and nuzzled her neck.Leah said, “If you don’t stop, Gunnar, it will take longer before we eat.” But she wiggled her hips into my crotch before spinning out of my embrace.I helped Leah remove a large roasting pan from the refrigerator and put it in the oven. “That’s a strange-looking piece of meat,” I said.Leah replied, “It is called Ribbe, or roasted pork belly. It is one of the most popular Christmas meals in Norway. I scored the fat layer on top two days ago into a checkerboard pattern. Once cooked, the bottom meat stays tender while the cracklings on top get crispy.”Leah handed me a vegetable peeler and pointed to a bag of potatoes. I needed no further instructions on this. While I worked, Leah flittered around the kitchen, preparing the side dishes. She looked genuinely happy, and we talked and laughed and told tales of Christmases long ago.Just as we pulled the Ribbe from the oven, church bells began ringing from multiple sources. It was 17:00.“It seems like an odd time for church bells,” I said.Leah replied, “In Scandinavia, a new day traditionally starts at sundown, not midnight. Following the old ways, Christmas Day has arrived. It is time to eat.”Jorunn joined us in the mad flurry of activity as places were set, and food moved from the kitchen to the dining room. On the table was Ribbe, boiled potatoes, meatballs, gravy, sausages, sauerkraut, prunes, and lingonberries. Leah poured each of us a tall glass of juleøl, a dark spiced ale, brewed during Christmas all over Norway. She said at one time, a Norwegian king made it illegal to Not brew Christmas Ale. Everything was delicious, and I ate until I could stuff in no more.After dinner, we cleaned up and went into the living room to enjoy coffee, cookies, and a small bowl of Riskrem. I wondered why Leah brought out four bowls of Riskrem. Three topped with whipped cream and a berry sauce, one with only a blob of butter in the middle.Leah said, “We set out a bowl of porridge every Christmas for the fjøsnissen. The tradition evolved from the days when farming families would offer porridge to their barn elf, or nisse. The nisse takes care of the animals in the barn during winter so they don’t get sick. If you don’t do this, the fjøsnissen will play tricks on you.”As we nibbled, Jorunn set the bowl of porridge outside the front door for the fjøsnissen. Then we sat and watched an American Christmas movie on television. After it ended, Leah announced it was time to open the presents. I suspected this would happen and was glad I bought a gift for both Leah and Jorunn. We each dispersed, returned with our packages, and placed them under the Christmas tree.As expected, Leah and Jorunn shared the most gifts for each other, opening the usual mix of chocolates, clothing, and kitchen items. Then Jorunn handed me a gift from her. I opened it and found a DVD labeled, 'Christmas in Norway Tour’, along with a link and instructions to download the video if I preferred. Jorunn told me she made an hour-long video of all the things we did together over the past week, adding music and voiceovers so I would remember the now-completed tour. In exceedingly small letters, at the bottom of the instructions, I saw a link for a story with a similar name and suspected it might be one full of adjectives.Jorunn then opened my gift to her. I remembered the small camera she used this past week and bought her a new top-of-the-line digital camera. From her reaction, I did well.Leah then opened my gift to her. I purchased a genuinely nice Advent star to hang in her window, since she did not have one. It was large and electrically lit and after opening it, she wanted to hang it up right away, which we did. Then we went outside to see how it looked. Leah kissed me and whispered that the Advent Star possessed a special meaning for her this year, a sign of brighter days ahead.Seeing us standing outside, a Julenissen crossed the street and came up to us. The man, dressed in a red jacket with a matching pointed red hat, carried a cloth sack. He was older, and his white beard looked genuine.Jorunn yelled, “God Jul, Julenissen!”As the Julenissen joined us, Leah said, “Nice to see you again, Mr. Bjornstad.”The Julenissen opened a small cloth sack, pulled out a straw goat wrapped with red ribbons, and handed it to Jorunn. Leah explained that the Julenissen come around to houses on Christmas Eve to hand out presents and chocolate to the children. Often, more than one Julenissen would knock on your door during the evening. Unlike America, children get to meet the Julenissen in Norway.“It wouldn’t be the same this year without one of your julebukk!” said an excited Jorunn. Mr. Bjornstad had been coming to Jorunn’s house for a long time, and told us he likes to keep alive the old Norse traditions, such as the julebukk. In addition to handing out hand-made gifts, he tells folklore stories and tales from the days of the Vikings. What a wonderful thing to do to preserve the ancient Norse legacy of sagas and storytelling.Leah excused herself as Mr. Bjornstad started telling such a tale to Jorunn and me. He described Valhalla, where Odin and the brave warriors would train by day, and feast on roast boar and ale at night. Leah returned a moment later with four glasses of Aquavit. We toasted the season and sipped our Aquavit with the Julenissen after the story ended. We then sang a Christmas song together.Then we went back inside and watched the DVD that Jorunn made. The tour sounded exciting and full of fun, which indeed, it was. It also gave Leah another chance to see me in action. It was a full evening, and close to 23:00 when the DVD ended. We were all tired, and it was time for bed. Jorunn told us she was going upstairs to take a shower. Leah and I followed her up to our two bedrooms.A Single CandleDecember 24th - Late EveningFive minutes later, there was a knock on my bedroom door. Opening it, Leah stood there, holding a single candle, and wearing a lavender-colored silk nightgown and robe set. The half-sleeve wrap robe only partially covered her nightgown, leaving the lace-trimmed bustline and hem of her nightgown exposed. She put a finger to her mouth and whispered, “Shhh!” Then she led me by hand to her bedroom. The only light inside came from her single candle.My eyes quickly adjusted, or perhaps it was just my intent stare, “You look incredible.”Leah

Poetry and baring the soul.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.Arriving at her house, Leah and I carried my clothes up to the spare bedroom. I thanked Leah once again, then kissed her.Leah softly whispered, “Jorunn is downstairs!”I replied in the same whisper, “Then kiss me quietly.” And she did.I spent the remainder of the day doing my laundry, once Leah showed me how to use her Norwegian washing machine. Leah opened the clothes drying rack, and when done, I laid my clothes out to dry.For dinner, Leah prepared salmon fillets with boiled potatoes. As Jorunn and Leah washed the dishes, I sat on the center seat of the sofa, reflecting on the day. When they finished, both Jorunn and Leah rushed into the living room, extremely excited, and sat down on either side of me. Jorunn turned on the television and switched to Norwegian National Television. I wondered what the fuss was about.“Five more minutes,” yelped Jorunn.After a brief introduction, an old black-and-white movie started. Both Jorunn and Leah snuggled up tight against me and I put my arms around them. It felt great. The show, called “Dinner for One”, featured a 90-year-old countess celebrating her birthday. She invited four friends but outlived them all. Her butler decides to impersonate each of the four missing guests. As he slips into each of the roles, he drinks a toast, and quickly becomes intoxicated, leading to numerous sight gags. It felt good to laugh along with people again. It was rather short, and when it ended, Leah told me it was the most repeated television show of all time and is quite popular in Scandinavian countries and northern Europe.Leah and Jorunn went around rearranging and straightening Christmas decorations, then announced it was time to make Julekurver. I heard of them, but never actually made one. Made of paper, they are heart-shaped and filled with sweets.We quickly cleared the dining room table, then covered it with red and white paper, a plastic rule, a plastic circle, and scissor. Leah and Jorunn both moved quickly, folding a sheet of paper of each color, and I followed their action. Then it was time to measure and cut, and fortunately, they slowed down to allow me to keep up. Using a circle, we marked a half circle and cut the excess away. Then cut strips into the paper, not going all the way across. We wove the red and white papers together in a checkerboard pattern and unfolded them into a perfect heart shape. I thought the process rather inefficient and decided to show off my engineering skills from 3M by making a fancier one. As I unfolded it, Jorunn and Leah laughed, and a moment later, I discovered one way not to make a Julekurver.After a long and active day, I was tired, so I went to bed. Both Jorunn and Leah were talking softly in the living room as I drifted off to sleep.A nocturnal visitorDecember 23rd - Just Before MidnightI was startled awake when I heard my bedroom door close, followed by a soft, “Shush!”I listened closely in the total darkness for footsteps and heard someone approach my bed. Leah must be ready to resume what we started back at the hotel! A hand pulled back the covers, and instinctively I slid toward the middle of the bed to make space. Leah slid in next to me and drew the covers back over us.Leah moved and shifted, and a hand found the back of my head. I expected her lips to follow, and they did. Soft and gentle, a wonderful way for my nocturnal visitor to say hello. Leah told me at the hotel she did not want to feel rushed, so there was no urgency. Her lips retreated, and her hand slid down to caress my cheek, as delicate fingers gently stroked me.I reached out and found her left shoulder as Leah faced me, then marveled at the smoothness as my hand traced her arm downward. Approaching her hand, I extended further to touch her hip. I began softly rubbing, but her ass beckoned, and my hand moved to cup and squeeze her firm cheek. My fingers began shooting sensations of warmth, softness, and inner firmness directly to my brain. I pulled Leah tight against me and discovered she was already completely naked.Leah swung her left leg over me and moved to an upright position, straddling my crotch. Beneath my boxer shorts, my erect cock fought for release. Her hand found my cock within its shelter but did not liberate it. Instead, her hand pushed my cock flat against my lower stomach, and she slid forward, trapping it with the swollen outer lips of her pussy. Leah began slowly gyrating, and even through the fabric of my boxers, I felt her pussy lips spreading as they slid along either side of my hidden cock.The hushed sounds of Leah cooing and moaning barely reached my ears, as dampness built between us. I reached up with both hands, found her small breasts, and used my thumbs to tease her nipples to an erection. A heavy breath followed by a long ‘uh. Oh; Ah!’ brought me close to premature orgasm, but this was not what Leah wanted, so I held back.Leah must have sensed I was close. She stopped gyrating, lifted herself, and then began inching herself up my torso. She paused for a moment and sat on my chest, then her hands reached out to touch my face. Two fingertips began touring my facial features as if Leah wanted to memorize every feature of my face. In the darkness, my senses heightened, her fingers swirled, and circled, and glided over me. I never would have imagined how erotic it felt.Leah resumed moving higher, her knees passing over my shoulders until they rested on either side of my head. I reached up to confirm what lay just inches above my face and grazed the same hairy splendor I sampled back at the hotel. Inhaling deeply, I picked up traces of the same body wash on her thighs. I was ready to dive back in, so I reached up and grabbed Leah’s hips, then pulled her pussy down toward my awaiting tongue. I paused as her short curly hair began painting her scent onto my face. The scent of arousal overpowered my senses. But? Something strange? I froze. The contradiction awoke my twilight dream state.“Why did you stop, Gunnar?” From the darkness came Jorunn’s voice! The dream of Leah's nocturnal visit was replaced by the reality of a beautiful young woman revealing her devotion and desire to this 56 year old guy.I was stunned. I couldn’t reveal the real reason I stopped; was uncertainty. Jorunn’s pussy smelled different than Leah’s! I hadn’t noticed any difference between Leah’s and Jorunn’s tall, fit bodies. If there were any, they were undetectable in the darkness, especially with only my brief exposure to Leah. “I can’t do this with you, Jorunn.” I softly and sincerely spoke.“I want to make love to you tonight, Gunnar. More than anything in the world. Am I not pretty enough? Has not enough time passed since your wife’s funeral? You are the only man in the world I can love to, without fear of being hurt.”“Jorunn, you are an incredibly beautiful woman. For months, I fantasized about holding you in my arms, kissing you, and wishing to be exactly where I am now. But yesterday, I met your mother.”Jorunn asked, “Did she order you not to have sex with me?”I replied, “It’s not that. I think I’m falling in love with Leah. We spent a wonderful day together, and she swept me off my feet. If that love turns out to be mutual, I am prepared to pledge my heart totally to her and her alone. A lifetime commitment, one I will never dishonor. The only reason you and I got this far tonight is that in the darkness and my dream state, I thought you were Leah. I never would have done it otherwise.” But you are a lovely and desirable woman. I respect you and Leah. So much that I cannot be false to either of you. And I cannot dishonor myself, by doing what I know is dishonorable.”Jorunn shifted positions and lay next to me in the bed. In the darkness, Jorunn whispered, “You are so unlike my father. He always put himself first. I was ready to give myself to you tonight. You could have kept quiet and let it happen. Then lied about it to my mother in the morning. But you didn’t. You are a better man than my father ever was, and I know you will make my mother happy. Please don’t be afraid to give her, and yourself, a chance. She really needs someone like you in her life.”I heard a soft sob and reached out to touch Jorunn’s face. She was crying. Jorunn came into my bedroom tonight, looking for someone to love. She didn’t know about Leah and me, or what happened between us at the hotel. I very much doubt her mother would have told her. I admired what Jorunn just did. She was sacrificing her chance at love so that her mother might have one. Jorunn knew that she bore the duty to initiate affection, after so harshly rejecting my romantic advances, last week.Silence followed, before Jorunn finally said, “What you have shown me, Gunnar, is that there are still good men in this world. But I am still afraid to look for them.”I thought back to the day Jorunn and I went sledging. “Remember what you told me at Korketrekkeren? You don’t need to be afraid of looking for a man, Jorunn. What you need to be afraid of is being too afraid to try looking for a man. Promise me that you will push off, just like riding a sledge, and start looking. When you reach the bottom of that scary hill, you will no longer be afraid, and someone you love will be waiting there for you.”“I will, Gunnar. I promise. And thank you.” Jorunn climbed out of my bed and closed the door as she left.Christmas EveDecember 24 - MorningI woke up in the guest room bed. Hearing noises and holiday folk music in the kitchen, I dressed and went downstairs. Leah smiled and said, “God Jul!”, Norwegian's way of saying merry Christmas. Then she made me scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Afterward, I enjoyed a slice of fruited Christmas Cake with coffee.“Leah, there is something I need to tell you. Jorunn came into my room last night looking for a man to love. In the darkness and my dream state, I thought it was you. It took a moment for me to realize it was Jorunn, and I stopped myself before going too far. Jorunn and I talked, and I confessed my love for you, to her. She understood, and asked that I give that love a chance. I want to do that. I asked Jorunn to no longer be afraid to look for love, and she agreed.”“Thank you for telling me, Gunnar. I have struggled to get Jorunn to go on dates after her father hurt her so badly. You must be a special man to find a place in her heart.”Leah sat down at the table with me, and continued; “I trust Jorunn, and now I trust you. So you will know, I will come to you tonight, bearing a lighted candle.”I said, “That sounds romantic.” My cock jolted to attention, under my trousers. I smiled and winked.Leah replied, “Wait until you see what I will be wearing.” She stood and returned to her baking, as the soft holiday music filled the busy kitchen. Leah's hips softly gyrated to the soft beat as she hummed with the lyrics.Jorunn came down later for breakfast, and after eating, she announced she would be working on edits and voiceovers for her recent videos. Since they were related to Christmas, she wanted to finish them to post them later tonight.Just before lunch, Leah led me back to the television and as we snuggled on the couch, she turned on “Tre Notter til Askepott”, a 1973 Czech reenactment of Cinderella, dubbed into Norwegian. The story was familiar, with Cinderella granted three wishes. It was enjoyable, but the dubbed dialog did not quite match the lips of the actors, so I needed to concentrate on what they were saying. Leah mentioned that this show is so popular in Norway, that storms of protest arose one year when they decided not to broadcast it. They ended up sending it out later in the holiday.Jorunn joined Leah and me for lunch. We ate Risengrynsgrot, which is rice porridge cooked with milk, sugar, and vanilla. We each had a bowl, and hiding in one of the three bowls was an almond. I suspected possible cheating such that I would be the one getting the almond, but as it turned out, Jorunn got the lucky bowl. As her prize, Leah gave Jorunn a chocolate-covered marzipan pig, an oddity for certain, but part of the tradition. There was porridge left over, and Leah said she would use it to make Riskrem, the delicious rice dessert eaten after tonight’s dinner. Solveig’s Riskrem was one of my favorite parts of the holiday season, and I was looking forward to tasting Leah’s.Leah turned to me and said, “If you want to eat, you must help in the kitchen.”Cooking was not something I knew very well, and after Leah led me into the kitchen, I let her know that. But since we were alone, I moved behind her, pulled her blonde hair aside, and nuzzled her neck.Leah said, “If you don’t stop, Gunnar, it will take longer before we eat.” But she wiggled her hips into my crotch before spinning out of my embrace.I helped Leah remove a large roasting pan from the refrigerator and put it in the oven. “That’s a strange-looking piece of meat,” I said.Leah replied, “It is called Ribbe, or roasted pork belly. It is one of the most popular Christmas meals in Norway. I scored the fat layer on top two days ago into a checkerboard pattern. Once cooked, the bottom meat stays tender while the cracklings on top get crispy.”Leah handed me a vegetable peeler and pointed to a bag of potatoes. I needed no further instructions on this. While I worked, Leah flittered around the kitchen, preparing the side dishes. She looked genuinely happy, and we talked and laughed and told tales of Christmases long ago.Just as we pulled the Ribbe from the oven, church bells began ringing from multiple sources. It was 17:00.“It seems like an odd time for church bells,” I said.Leah replied, “In Scandinavia, a new day traditionally starts at sundown, not midnight. Following the old ways, Christmas Day has arrived. It is time to eat.”Jorunn joined us in the mad flurry of activity as places were set, and food moved from the kitchen to the dining room. On the table was Ribbe, boiled potatoes, meatballs, gravy, sausages, sauerkraut, prunes, and lingonberries. Leah poured each of us a tall glass of juleøl, a dark spiced ale, brewed during Christmas all over Norway. She said at one time, a Norwegian king made it illegal to Not brew Christmas Ale. Everything was delicious, and I ate until I could stuff in no more.After dinner, we cleaned up and went into the living room to enjoy coffee, cookies, and a small bowl of Riskrem. I wondered why Leah brought out four bowls of Riskrem. Three topped with whipped cream and a berry sauce, one with only a blob of butter in the middle.Leah said, “We set out a bowl of porridge every Christmas for the fjøsnissen. The tradition evolved from the days when farming families would offer porridge to their barn elf, or nisse. The nisse takes care of the animals in the barn during winter so they don’t get sick. If you don’t do this, the fjøsnissen will play tricks on you.”As we nibbled, Jorunn set the bowl of porridge outside the front door for the fjøsnissen. Then we sat and watched an American Christmas movie on television. After it ended, Leah announced it was time to open the presents. I suspected this would happen and was glad I bought a gift for both Leah and Jorunn. We each dispersed, returned with our packages, and placed them under the Christmas tree.As expected, Leah and Jorunn shared the most gifts for each other, opening the usual mix of chocolates, clothing, and kitchen items. Then Jorunn handed me a gift from her. I opened it and found a DVD labeled, 'Christmas in Norway Tour’, along with a link and instructions to download the video if I preferred. Jorunn told me she made an hour-long video of all the things we did together over the past week, adding music and voiceovers so I would remember the now-completed tour. In exceedingly small letters, at the bottom of the instructions, I saw a link for a story with a similar name and suspected it might be one full of adjectives.Jorunn then opened my gift to her. I remembered the small camera she used this past week and bought her a new top-of-the-line digital camera. From her reaction, I did well.Leah then opened my gift to her. I purchased a genuinely nice Advent star to hang in her window, since she did not have one. It was large and electrically lit and after opening it, she wanted to hang it up right away, which we did. Then we went outside to see how it looked. Leah kissed me and whispered that the Advent Star possessed a special meaning for her this year, a sign of brighter days ahead.Seeing us standing outside, a Julenissen crossed the street and came up to us. The man, dressed in a red jacket with a matching pointed red hat, carried a cloth sack. He was older, and his white beard looked genuine.Jorunn yelled, “God Jul, Julenissen!”As the Julenissen joined us, Leah said, “Nice to see you again, Mr. Bjornstad.”The Julenissen opened a small cloth sack, pulled out a straw goat wrapped with red ribbons, and handed it to Jorunn. Leah explained that the Julenissen come around to houses on Christmas Eve to hand out presents and chocolate to the children. Often, more than one Julenissen would knock on your door during the evening. Unlike America, children get to meet the Julenissen in Norway.“It wouldn’t be the same this year without one of your julebukk!” said an excited Jorunn. Mr. Bjornstad had been coming to Jorunn’s house for a long time, and told us he likes to keep alive the old Norse traditions, such as the julebukk. In addition to handing out hand-made gifts, he tells folklore stories and tales from the days of the Vikings. What a wonderful thing to do to preserve the ancient Norse legacy of sagas and storytelling.Leah excused herself as Mr. Bjornstad started telling such a tale to Jorunn and me. He described Valhalla, where Odin and the brave warriors would train by day, and feast on roast boar and ale at night. Leah returned a moment later with four glasses of Aquavit. We toasted the season and sipped our Aquavit with the Julenissen after the story ended. We then sang a Christmas song together.Then we went back inside and watched the DVD that Jorunn made. The tour sounded exciting and full of fun, which indeed, it was. It also gave Leah another chance to see me in action. It was a full evening, and close to 23:00 when the DVD ended. We were all tired, and it was time for bed. Jorunn told us she was going upstairs to take a shower. Leah and I followed her up to our two bedrooms.A Single CandleDecember 24th - Late EveningFive minutes later, there was a knock on my bedroom door. Opening it, Leah stood there, holding a single candle, and wearing a lavender-colored silk nightgown and robe set. The half-sleeve wrap robe only partially covered her nightgown, leaving the lace-trimmed bustline and hem of her nightgown exposed. She put a finger to her mouth and whispered, “Shhh!” Then she led me by hand to her bedroom. The only light inside came from her single candle.My eyes quickly adjusted, or perhaps it was just my intent stare, “You look incredible.”Leah

Poetry and baring the soul.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.Arriving at her house, Leah and I carried my clothes up to the spare bedroom. I thanked Leah once again, then kissed her.Leah softly whispered, “Jorunn is downstairs!”I replied in the same whisper, “Then kiss me quietly.” And she did.I spent the remainder of the day doing my laundry, once Leah showed me how to use her Norwegian washing machine. Leah opened the clothes drying rack, and when done, I laid my clothes out to dry.For dinner, Leah prepared salmon fillets with boiled potatoes. As Jorunn and Leah washed the dishes, I sat on the center seat of the sofa, reflecting on the day. When they finished, both Jorunn and Leah rushed into the living room, extremely excited, and sat down on either side of me. Jorunn turned on the television and switched to Norwegian National Television. I wondered what the fuss was about.“Five more minutes,” yelped Jorunn.After a brief introduction, an old black-and-white movie started. Both Jorunn and Leah snuggled up tight against me and I put my arms around them. It felt great. The show, called “Dinner for One”, featured a 90-year-old countess celebrating her birthday. She invited four friends but outlived them all. Her butler decides to impersonate each of the four missing guests. As he slips into each of the roles, he drinks a toast, and quickly becomes intoxicated, leading to numerous sight gags. It felt good to laugh along with people again. It was rather short, and when it ended, Leah told me it was the most repeated television show of all time and is quite popular in Scandinavian countries and northern Europe.Leah and Jorunn went around rearranging and straightening Christmas decorations, then announced it was time to make Julekurver. I heard of them, but never actually made one. Made of paper, they are heart-shaped and filled with sweets.We quickly cleared the dining room table, then covered it with red and white paper, a plastic rule, a plastic circle, and scissor. Leah and Jorunn both moved quickly, folding a sheet of paper of each color, and I followed their action. Then it was time to measure and cut, and fortunately, they slowed down to allow me to keep up. Using a circle, we marked a half circle and cut the excess away. Then cut strips into the paper, not going all the way across. We wove the red and white papers together in a checkerboard pattern and unfolded them into a perfect heart shape. I thought the process rather inefficient and decided to show off my engineering skills from 3M by making a fancier one. As I unfolded it, Jorunn and Leah laughed, and a moment later, I discovered one way not to make a Julekurver.After a long and active day, I was tired, so I went to bed. Both Jorunn and Leah were talking softly in the living room as I drifted off to sleep.A nocturnal visitorDecember 23rd - Just Before MidnightI was startled awake when I heard my bedroom door close, followed by a soft, “Shush!”I listened closely in the total darkness for footsteps and heard someone approach my bed. Leah must be ready to resume what we started back at the hotel! A hand pulled back the covers, and instinctively I slid toward the middle of the bed to make space. Leah slid in next to me and drew the covers back over us.Leah moved and shifted, and a hand found the back of my head. I expected her lips to follow, and they did. Soft and gentle, a wonderful way for my nocturnal visitor to say hello. Leah told me at the hotel she did not want to feel rushed, so there was no urgency. Her lips retreated, and her hand slid down to caress my cheek, as delicate fingers gently stroked me.I reached out and found her left shoulder as Leah faced me, then marveled at the smoothness as my hand traced her arm downward. Approaching her hand, I extended further to touch her hip. I began softly rubbing, but her ass beckoned, and my hand moved to cup and squeeze her firm cheek. My fingers began shooting sensations of warmth, softness, and inner firmness directly to my brain. I pulled Leah tight against me and discovered she was already completely naked.Leah swung her left leg over me and moved to an upright position, straddling my crotch. Beneath my boxer shorts, my erect cock fought for release. Her hand found my cock within its shelter but did not liberate it. Instead, her hand pushed my cock flat against my lower stomach, and she slid forward, trapping it with the swollen outer lips of her pussy. Leah began slowly gyrating, and even through the fabric of my boxers, I felt her pussy lips spreading as they slid along either side of my hidden cock.The hushed sounds of Leah cooing and moaning barely reached my ears, as dampness built between us. I reached up with both hands, found her small breasts, and used my thumbs to tease her nipples to an erection. A heavy breath followed by a long ‘uh. Oh; Ah!’ brought me close to premature orgasm, but this was not what Leah wanted, so I held back.Leah must have sensed I was close. She stopped gyrating, lifted herself, and then began inching herself up my torso. She paused for a moment and sat on my chest, then her hands reached out to touch my face. Two fingertips began touring my facial features as if Leah wanted to memorize every feature of my face. In the darkness, my senses heightened, her fingers swirled, and circled, and glided over me. I never would have imagined how erotic it felt.Leah resumed moving higher, her knees passing over my shoulders until they rested on either side of my head. I reached up to confirm what lay just inches above my face and grazed the same hairy splendor I sampled back at the hotel. Inhaling deeply, I picked up traces of the same body wash on her thighs. I was ready to dive back in, so I reached up and grabbed Leah’s hips, then pulled her pussy down toward my awaiting tongue. I paused as her short curly hair began painting her scent onto my face. The scent of arousal overpowered my senses. But? Something strange? I froze. The contradiction awoke my twilight dream state.“Why did you stop, Gunnar?” From the darkness came Jorunn’s voice! The dream of Leah's nocturnal visit was replaced by the reality of a beautiful young woman revealing her devotion and desire to this 56 year old guy.I was stunned. I couldn’t reveal the real reason I stopped; was uncertainty. Jorunn’s pussy smelled different than Leah’s! I hadn’t noticed any difference between Leah’s and Jorunn’s tall, fit bodies. If there were any, they were undetectable in the darkness, especially with only my brief exposure to Leah. “I can’t do this with you, Jorunn.” I softly and sincerely spoke.“I want to make love to you tonight, Gunnar. More than anything in the world. Am I not pretty enough? Has not enough time passed since your wife’s funeral? You are the only man in the world I can love to, without fear of being hurt.”“Jorunn, you are an incredibly beautiful woman. For months, I fantasized about holding you in my arms, kissing you, and wishing to be exactly where I am now. But yesterday, I met your mother.”Jorunn asked, “Did she order you not to have sex with me?”I replied, “It’s not that. I think I’m falling in love with Leah. We spent a wonderful day together, and she swept me off my feet. If that love turns out to be mutual, I am prepared to pledge my heart totally to her and her alone. A lifetime commitment, one I will never dishonor. The only reason you and I got this far tonight is that in the darkness and my dream state, I thought you were Leah. I never would have done it otherwise.” But you are a lovely and desirable woman. I respect you and Leah. So much that I cannot be false to either of you. And I cannot dishonor myself, by doing what I know is dishonorable.”Jorunn shifted positions and lay next to me in the bed. In the darkness, Jorunn whispered, “You are so unlike my father. He always put himself first. I was ready to give myself to you tonight. You could have kept quiet and let it happen. Then lied about it to my mother in the morning. But you didn’t. You are a better man than my father ever was, and I know you will make my mother happy. Please don’t be afraid to give her, and yourself, a chance. She really needs someone like you in her life.”I heard a soft sob and reached out to touch Jorunn’s face. She was crying. Jorunn came into my bedroom tonight, looking for someone to love. She didn’t know about Leah and me, or what happened between us at the hotel. I very much doubt her mother would have told her. I admired what Jorunn just did. She was sacrificing her chance at love so that her mother might have one. Jorunn knew that she bore the duty to initiate affection, after so harshly rejecting my romantic advances, last week.Silence followed, before Jorunn finally said, “What you have shown me, Gunnar, is that there are still good men in this world. But I am still afraid to look for them.”I thought back to the day Jorunn and I went sledging. “Remember what you told me at Korketrekkeren? You don’t need to be afraid of looking for a man, Jorunn. What you need to be afraid of is being too afraid to try looking for a man. Promise me that you will push off, just like riding a sledge, and start looking. When you reach the bottom of that scary hill, you will no longer be afraid, and someone you love will be waiting there for you.”“I will, Gunnar. I promise. And thank you.” Jorunn climbed out of my bed and closed the door as she left.Christmas EveDecember 24 - MorningI woke up in the guest room bed. Hearing noises and holiday folk music in the kitchen, I dressed and went downstairs. Leah smiled and said, “God Jul!”, Norwegian's way of saying merry Christmas. Then she made me scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Afterward, I enjoyed a slice of fruited Christmas Cake with coffee.“Leah, there is something I need to tell you. Jorunn came into my room last night looking for a man to love. In the darkness and my dream state, I thought it was you. It took a moment for me to realize it was Jorunn, and I stopped myself before going too far. Jorunn and I talked, and I confessed my love for you, to her. She understood, and asked that I give that love a chance. I want to do that. I asked Jorunn to no longer be afraid to look for love, and she agreed.”“Thank you for telling me, Gunnar. I have struggled to get Jorunn to go on dates after her father hurt her so badly. You must be a special man to find a place in her heart.”Leah sat down at the table with me, and continued; “I trust Jorunn, and now I trust you. So you will know, I will come to you tonight, bearing a lighted candle.”I said, “That sounds romantic.” My cock jolted to attention, under my trousers. I smiled and winked.Leah replied, “Wait until you see what I will be wearing.” She stood and returned to her baking, as the soft holiday music filled the busy kitchen. Leah's hips softly gyrated to the soft beat as she hummed with the lyrics.Jorunn came down later for breakfast, and after eating, she announced she would be working on edits and voiceovers for her recent videos. Since they were related to Christmas, she wanted to finish them to post them later tonight.Just before lunch, Leah led me back to the television and as we snuggled on the couch, she turned on “Tre Notter til Askepott”, a 1973 Czech reenactment of Cinderella, dubbed into Norwegian. The story was familiar, with Cinderella granted three wishes. It was enjoyable, but the dubbed dialog did not quite match the lips of the actors, so I needed to concentrate on what they were saying. Leah mentioned that this show is so popular in Norway, that storms of protest arose one year when they decided not to broadcast it. They ended up sending it out later in the holiday.Jorunn joined Leah and me for lunch. We ate Risengrynsgrot, which is rice porridge cooked with milk, sugar, and vanilla. We each had a bowl, and hiding in one of the three bowls was an almond. I suspected possible cheating such that I would be the one getting the almond, but as it turned out, Jorunn got the lucky bowl. As her prize, Leah gave Jorunn a chocolate-covered marzipan pig, an oddity for certain, but part of the tradition. There was porridge left over, and Leah said she would use it to make Riskrem, the delicious rice dessert eaten after tonight’s dinner. Solveig’s Riskrem was one of my favorite parts of the holiday season, and I was looking forward to tasting Leah’s.Leah turned to me and said, “If you want to eat, you must help in the kitchen.”Cooking was not something I knew very well, and after Leah led me into the kitchen, I let her know that. But since we were alone, I moved behind her, pulled her blonde hair aside, and nuzzled her neck.Leah said, “If you don’t stop, Gunnar, it will take longer before we eat.” But she wiggled her hips into my crotch before spinning out of my embrace.I helped Leah remove a large roasting pan from the refrigerator and put it in the oven. “That’s a strange-looking piece of meat,” I said.Leah replied, “It is called Ribbe, or roasted pork belly. It is one of the most popular Christmas meals in Norway. I scored the fat layer on top two days ago into a checkerboard pattern. Once cooked, the bottom meat stays tender while the cracklings on top get crispy.”Leah handed me a vegetable peeler and pointed to a bag of potatoes. I needed no further instructions on this. While I worked, Leah flittered around the kitchen, preparing the side dishes. She looked genuinely happy, and we talked and laughed and told tales of Christmases long ago.Just as we pulled the Ribbe from the oven, church bells began ringing from multiple sources. It was 17:00.“It seems like an odd time for church bells,” I said.Leah replied, “In Scandinavia, a new day traditionally starts at sundown, not midnight. Following the old ways, Christmas Day has arrived. It is time to eat.”Jorunn joined us in the mad flurry of activity as places were set, and food moved from the kitchen to the dining room. On the table was Ribbe, boiled potatoes, meatballs, gravy, sausages, sauerkraut, prunes, and lingonberries. Leah poured each of us a tall glass of juleøl, a dark spiced ale, brewed during Christmas all over Norway. She said at one time, a Norwegian king made it illegal to Not brew Christmas Ale. Everything was delicious, and I ate until I could stuff in no more.After dinner, we cleaned up and went into the living room to enjoy coffee, cookies, and a small bowl of Riskrem. I wondered why Leah brought out four bowls of Riskrem. Three topped with whipped cream and a berry sauce, one with only a blob of butter in the middle.Leah said, “We set out a bowl of porridge every Christmas for the fjøsnissen. The tradition evolved from the days when farming families would offer porridge to their barn elf, or nisse. The nisse takes care of the animals in the barn during winter so they don’t get sick. If you don’t do this, the fjøsnissen will play tricks on you.”As we nibbled, Jorunn set the bowl of porridge outside the front door for the fjøsnissen. Then we sat and watched an American Christmas movie on television. After it ended, Leah announced it was time to open the presents. I suspected this would happen and was glad I bought a gift for both Leah and Jorunn. We each dispersed, returned with our packages, and placed them under the Christmas tree.As expected, Leah and Jorunn shared the most gifts for each other, opening the usual mix of chocolates, clothing, and kitchen items. Then Jorunn handed me a gift from her. I opened it and found a DVD labeled, 'Christmas in Norway Tour’, along with a link and instructions to download the video if I preferred. Jorunn told me she made an hour-long video of all the things we did together over the past week, adding music and voiceovers so I would remember the now-completed tour. In exceedingly small letters, at the bottom of the instructions, I saw a link for a story with a similar name and suspected it might be one full of adjectives.Jorunn then opened my gift to her. I remembered the small camera she used this past week and bought her a new top-of-the-line digital camera. From her reaction, I did well.Leah then opened my gift to her. I purchased a genuinely nice Advent star to hang in her window, since she did not have one. It was large and electrically lit and after opening it, she wanted to hang it up right away, which we did. Then we went outside to see how it looked. Leah kissed me and whispered that the Advent Star possessed a special meaning for her this year, a sign of brighter days ahead.Seeing us standing outside, a Julenissen crossed the street and came up to us. The man, dressed in a red jacket with a matching pointed red hat, carried a cloth sack. He was older, and his white beard looked genuine.Jorunn yelled, “God Jul, Julenissen!”As the Julenissen joined us, Leah said, “Nice to see you again, Mr. Bjornstad.”The Julenissen opened a small cloth sack, pulled out a straw goat wrapped with red ribbons, and handed it to Jorunn. Leah explained that the Julenissen come around to houses on Christmas Eve to hand out presents and chocolate to the children. Often, more than one Julenissen would knock on your door during the evening. Unlike America, children get to meet the Julenissen in Norway.“It wouldn’t be the same this year without one of your julebukk!” said an excited Jorunn. Mr. Bjornstad had been coming to Jorunn’s house for a long time, and told us he likes to keep alive the old Norse traditions, such as the julebukk. In addition to handing out hand-made gifts, he tells folklore stories and tales from the days of the Vikings. What a wonderful thing to do to preserve the ancient Norse legacy of sagas and storytelling.Leah excused herself as Mr. Bjornstad started telling such a tale to Jorunn and me. He described Valhalla, where Odin and the brave warriors would train by day, and feast on roast boar and ale at night. Leah returned a moment later with four glasses of Aquavit. We toasted the season and sipped our Aquavit with the Julenissen after the story ended. We then sang a Christmas song together.Then we went back inside and watched the DVD that Jorunn made. The tour sounded exciting and full of fun, which indeed, it was. It also gave Leah another chance to see me in action. It was a full evening, and close to 23:00 when the DVD ended. We were all tired, and it was time for bed. Jorunn told us she was going upstairs to take a shower. Leah and I followed her up to our two bedrooms.A Single CandleDecember 24th - Late EveningFive minutes later, there was a knock on my bedroom door. Opening it, Leah stood there, holding a single candle, and wearing a lavender-colored silk nightgown and robe set. The half-sleeve wrap robe only partially covered her nightgown, leaving the lace-trimmed bustline and hem of her nightgown exposed. She put a finger to her mouth and whispered, “Shhh!” Then she led me by hand to her bedroom. The only light inside came from her single candle.My eyes quickly adjusted, or perhaps it was just my intent stare, “You look incredible.”Leah

Rick Broering of Musketeer Report and NKU radio broadcasts joined us to discuss the Musketeers and the Norse. What a nice man. Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530. Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listenGet more: https://linktr.ee/MoEggerFollow on X: @MoEggerInstagram too: @MoEggerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rick Broering of Musketeer Report and NKU radio broadcasts joined us to discuss the Musketeers and the Norse. What a nice man. Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530. Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listenGet more: https://linktr.ee/MoEggerFollow on X: @MoEggerInstagram too: @MoEggerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I'm reviewing Bane of Asgard by Cinda Williams Chima—a fantasy that draws heavily from Norse mythology, weaving gods, destiny, and looming war into a high-stakes adventure.This story leans into mythic scope and heroic conflict, blending familiar Norse elements with character-driven stakes and a fast-moving plot. If you're into gods meddling in mortal affairs, fate vs. free will, and epic fantasy with mythological roots, this one is worth checking out.

Gwyn and Ode (+Jax!) discuss making things.

With the 2026 Winter Olympics in full swing, let's take you on a journey to the Norse Olympics in the Land of the Giants! Thor and Loki make their way to Utgard where King Utgard-Loki challenges them to feats in order for them to stay. But, not all is as it seems... Collected from Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda and "Folklore and Legends of Scandinavia" edited by Charles Tibbitts.  Show notes can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com You can also find us on: Bluesky Mastodon Instagram   TikTok

Between the 9th and 11th centuries Norse explorers undertook a series of remarkable journeys through the North Atlantic. Iceland and Greenland were settled by medieval farmers eager to find new uninhabited lands. But just how far west did these seafarer's manage to travel? The unique Icelandic texts known as the sagas tell tales of journeys to a fertile and abundant country south west of Greenland named Vinland, or the Land of Wine, for the wild grapes that allegedly grew there. Archaeology has proven that the Norse managed to reach Northern Newfoundland, but could the rocky North Peninsula really be the "land of wine" blessed with "frostless winters?" Where was Vinland? Did it ever truly exist? Tune-in and find out how magical sleeps, violent troll tests, and saga story-time all play a role in the story. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ukens episode spilles inn mandag 9. februar. Vi har ferske trafikktall fra Norwegian, Widerøe og Norse, IndiGo kutter langruter, mens SAS vurderer å kjøpe flere langrutefly. Velkommen ombord på flight 373!AKTUELT:Norwegian og Widerøe januartallNorse januartallIndiGo kutter langruterSAS vurderer kjøp av flere langdistanseflyflynas skal starte flyselskap i SyriaDAT overtar BRA-rute i ØsterrikeTrump vil desertifisere alle canadiske fly

Join our Supporters Club:https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/greyhorn-pagans-podcast--6047518/supportIn this episode of the Greyhorn Pagans Podcast, host Stijn Fawkes is joined by the Eh-Soteric Archives to delve into the intriguing history and mysteries of Vinland. The discussion explores the sagas of Eric the Red and the Greenlanders, the hidden narratives of Canadian history, and the cultural connections between Norse and Native American traditions. The conversation also touches on the spiritual and esoteric aspects of these histories, questioning the mainstream narratives and encouraging listeners to explore these topics further.Eh-Soteric Archives:

In this long-awaited episode of The Skeptical Shaman podcast, host Rachel White (of TOTEM Readings) chats with Clay Martin, Priest of the Path of the Barbarian Spirit and author of three incredible books including: Barbarian Spirit, Prairie Fire, and Wrath of the Wendigo. Clay has taken an unusual-- but very shamanic-- road to becoming a full-time Woo Woo practitioner. He had a long and illustrious military career in active duty, having served as an infantryman, Scout Sniper, and Reconnaissance Marine and, after transitioning to the Army, he joined the 19th Special Forces Group before returning to active duty with the 3rd Special Forces Group. ​In 2013, Clay was medically retired, and what followed was a difficult spiral into chaos. But, in 2022, Clay underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for traumatic brain injury. Six months later, he had his first psilocybin experience. Clay now calls psilocybin "the Sacrament", and believe that true healing begins at the spiritual level. Since his use of the Sacrament, he has encountered Norse gods, channeled visions of the future, and dedicated himself to a life of healing service to other wounded warriors. He is also now an active, working priest in his pagan church, reconnecting military veterans to the old gods and the old ways. Clay upends everything The Business of Woo tells you a New Age practitioner looks, sounds, and acts like. This episode kicks off our dude-only season of the podcast for precisely this reason: men are often underrepresented and underserved by the Business of Woo, often feeling alienated and "uninvited" to this space. The result? We all suffer from the monopoly of enshittified sameness.Clay, and others like him, are challenging this paradigm. And we here at TOTEM and The Skeptical Shaman podcast sure are happy about it.LINKS:Rachel's Website: https://www.totemreadings.comTOTEM Readings Substack: https://totemrach.substack.comRachel's Other Links: https://linktr.ee/totemrachPlease support the Sponsors of The Skeptical Shaman Podcast:TOTEM + PUCK HCKY Merch Drop: https://puckhcky.com/collections/totemThe TOTEM Flower Essence Deck: https://a.co/d/gw16LsGThe TOTEM Flower Essences: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TotemReadingsATXTOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching: https://www.totemreadings.com/coachingTOTEM Business of Woo Mentoring: https://www.totemreadings.com/business-of-wooClay's Links:Website: https://www.barbarianspirit.com/IG: https://www.barbarianspirit.com/Please note: The views and opinions expressed on The Skeptical Shaman do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, protected class, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. And remember: sticks and stones may break our bones, but words—or discussions of religious or spiritual topics-- will never hurt us.

Rose was witness to a dark Norse ritual the night before she died. What does the main suspect know?Lena Ekström's investigation widens as Lars' story starts to unravel, revealing rituals, runes and the unsettling culture behind Valborg Academy. Clues begin to point toward Asgaard's founders, and a call from Echo Terra deepens the corporate and political stakes around Rose's death. Meanwhile, a return to her childhood haunts, and a resurfacing trauma, threatens Lena's composure just as the case takes a sharp turn. When she and Aksel track a lead to a secluded cabin, they make a shocking discovery that rips the investigation open. Wolf Valley's shadows are lengthening, and Lena is being pulled further in than ever before.The third episode of a propulsive Nordic noir ecothriller in which ancient beliefs and modern conspiracies converge within an isolated Nordic valley.LENA - Amrita Acharia AKSEL - David Menkin MAGNUS - Eirik Knutsvik HENRIK - Øystein Lode HEADMASTER - Christopher Dane VINNY - Alex Farrell PAUL - Raj Ghatak EVA - Ingvild Lakou LARS - Laurits Bjerrum SUSANNA - Ingrid Werner ANNETTE - Sarah Whitehouse WAITRESS - Ronja Haugholt OSKAR - Raife Sutherland LENA'S MUM - Ingvild Lakou YOUNG LENA - Mackensie SutherlandAll other parts played by the castWritten by Charlotte Melén Composer - Marcus Aurelius Hjelmborg Singer - Johanne Baadsgaard Lange Sound Design - Louis Blatherwick, Steve Bond Director - Charlotte Melén Producer - Eleanor Mein Assistant Producer - Chloe Sackur Script Consultant - Lauren Shippen Development Producer - Saskia Black Executive Producers - Charlotte Melén, Celia de WolffAn Almost Tangible production for BBC Radio 4

Come join me by the fireplace.In this episode, we return to Camp Crystal Lake, right in the middle of winter, to revisit Friday the 13th and unravel why this date still gives us chills.We start with a nostalgic slasher classic: summer camp counselors, bad decisions, and a mother's revenge. We'll dig into why this simple film still works—and why campfire stories are so popular.From there, we step off the screen and into the fear itself.Why does Friday the 13th feel cursed? Is it myth, history, coincidence, or something darker? We explore the origins of the superstition, from Norse mythology and biblical symbolism to the Knights Templar and the psychology behind paraskevidekatriaphobia. We examine real-world crimes associated with the date, including the haunting murder of Kitty Genovese and the ripple effects that helped create 911. We even look at disasters, defiance of superstition, and the people who dared to mock bad luck itself.We close out with a Final Fright rooted in summer camp folklore. Ghosts in the woods, phantom cabins, porcelain dolls (absolutely not), and the real-life tragedy that may have inspired one of horror's most iconic stories.Is Friday the 13th truly cursed…or do we just keep giving it reasons to be?

Another Marvel character, Simon Williams (aka Wonder Man), got his own streaming series. This "review" isn't just going to re-read the Wikipedia entry; we're diving deep into the ionic-powered deep end to figure out if this show is a legit hit or just another forgettable piece of spandex-clad filler. Introduction: Wonder Man? Is That a Store Brand Hero?For those of you who just know Captain America and the one with the hammer, Simon Williams is basically the MCU's resident struggling actor/stuntman who also happens to be a walking ball of pink energy. He's an Avenger sometimes, but mainly he's the guy who has to deal with his super-villain brother, Grim Reaper, who probably still shows up uninvited to Thanksgiving. We're setting the scene for how Hollywood turned this surprisingly messy comic book star into a prestige TV series—and if they remembered to include the ego.Episode-by-Episode: The Roller Coaster of "What Is Happening?"Starfleet Academy - Episode 4 Analysis: This week, we offer an in-depth review and analysis of the fourth episode of Starfleet Academy. The discussion will cover the critical developments within the main storyline, the character arcs of the new cadet class, and the implications of the latest twist for the future of the Star Trek universe. We'll explore the technical merits, thematic resonance, and Easter eggs planted throughout the episode, debating whether it met fan expectations and where the season is heading next.The Future of God of War: Rumors and confirmed details about the next installment in the critically acclaimed God of War franchise are heating up. We examine the current information stream, speculating on the new mythology the game will explore following the Norse saga. Will Kratos and Atreus venture to ancient Egypt, Japan, or another mythological pantheon? We discuss potential gameplay innovations, the evolving relationship between Kratos and his son, and the monumental expectations surrounding the follow-up to Ragnarök.Highlander Reimagining Update: The long-awaited Highlander reboot/reimagining, starring Henry Cavill, has new details emerging. We cover the latest production updates, the creative direction being taken by director Chad Stahelski (of John Wick fame), and how the new film intends to honor the classic 1986 original while introducing the "Immortal" concept to a new generation. There can be only one—but what will this new iteration look like?And MUCH MORE! We'll cover a rapid-fire rundown of other significant news, including:Updates on the next season of popular streaming shows.New trailers and release dates for major motion pictures.Key announcements from the world of comic books, graphic novels & special guests.Stay tuned for a full-spectrum analysis of everything happening in pop culture, sci-fi, fantasy, and geekdom!#marvel #marvelstudios #wonderman #starfleetacademy #mcu #startrek

In this episode, BT explores the themes of dissolution and rebirth through the lens of mythology and psychology. He delves into the alchemical process of transformation, using the Norse myth of Ymir as a metaphor for the cycles of death and rebirth that occur in our lives. Drawing on the insights of Carl Jung, he emphasizes the importance of embracing the chaos of the unconscious as a source of nourishment and wisdom. The conversation highlights the sacred nature of dissolution and the potential for new beginnings that arise from it.For further study, see this website: jungny.com

In this episode, we sit down with archaeologist Cecilia Ljung from Uppsala University to explore one of the biggest transformations of the Viking Age: the shift from Norse pagan traditions to Christianity.Through graves, runestones, and early towns, we follow the physical evidence of how belief, ritual, and daily life changed across Scandinavia.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

This episode and the following are a tour of some of the world's apocalyptic traditions outside of the Judaic, Gnostic, Christian, and Millenarian which have been explored already. This episode includes those of Islam, Norse, Egypt, Aztec, Maya, Inca, China, and Japan. By this means we can appreciate one of the features of the archetype – its widespread occurrence across the world's civilizations.

In this week's 300th episode, Dan and Mags are joined by a legendary figure in all things Norse for film and academia, Jackson Crawford, to talk about his YouTube career and Old Norse colour semantics.------------------------------------------------Follow Jackson on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@JacksonCrawfordAlso, check out his his Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/norsebyswFollow Margrethe on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/arkeomagsFollow the Podcast on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nordicmythologypodcastIf you like what we do, and would like to be in the audience for live streams of new episodes to ask questions, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NordicMythologypodcastCheck out Dan's company, Horns of Odin, and the wide range of handmade items inspired by Nordic Mythology and the Viking Age. Visit: https://www.hornsofodin.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Narrator: Thomas Jones

Trigger warning: description of gun violence and death.

Send us a textWinter has long been understood as more than a season of cold and scarcity. Across myth, folklore, and esoteric tradition, it marked a profound metaphysical turning inward — a time when the Earth was believed to “inhale,” drawing life, spirit, and consciousness back toward its core.In this episode of The Hidden Passage, we explore the spirits of winter and the role they played in shaping human consciousness, morality, and balance. Drawing on Indigenous North American traditions, Norse mythology, and esoteric philosophy (anthroposophy, theosophy), we examine how winter was seen as a season of instruction, restraint, and revelation — when hidden forces emerged to preserve order or expose excess.We look closely at: • Earth spirits, gnomes, and dwarves as preservers of form and memory • Winter teaching traditions and the invocation of the manitou as muse • Household spirits, tutelary beings, and sacred restraint • Monsters of winter as expressions of imbalance rather than simple evil • The wendigo as a cosmological figure of excess, hunger, and loss of self • How cosmic forces shape human behavior (based on the work of Rudolf Steiner) — and how balance restores freedomRather than treating monsters as external threats, this episode explores winter as a revelatory force — exposing what has grown out of proportion and clarifying the boundaries necessary for human freedom.

ACOFAE Podcast Presents: SPECIAL EPISODE 24: Our new friend Rachel Van Dyken! ACOFAE welcomes to the podcast #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Rachel Van Dyken to discuss her latest release Fallen Gods! A story that is close to the author's heart, _Fallen Gods _is a twist on classic Norse mythology that finds Rey as the daughter of Odin and Odin has an agenda - Mjölnir is missing and only Rey can wield it. Where Mjölnir is hidden remains a mystery that Rey has one week to crack or else. Nothing can be easy for Rey though, as her mortal enemy Aric stands in the way of her and finding the hammer. Filled with banter and romance as well as female friendships and extremely fun college antics, Fallen Gods brings the mythology to the present day and ask the question: What if the gods were only sleeping? TW / CW: none to our awareness For additional TW/CW information for your future reads, head to this site for more: https://triggerwarningdatabase.com/ Spoilers: None to our awareness Mentions: Fallen Gods, Twilight, MCU *Thank you for listening to us! Please subscribe and leave a 5-star review and follow us on Instagram at @ACOFAEpodcast and on our TikToks! Follow Rachel Van Dyken! Instagram: @rachvd https://www.instagram.com/rachvd/?hl=en Tiktok: @rachvd https://www.tiktok.com/@rachvd?lang=en Website: https://rachelvandykenauthor.com/ TikTok: ACOFAELaura : Laura Marie ( https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaelaura) ACOFAEJessica : Jessica Marie (https://www.tiktok.com/@acofaejessica) Instagram: @ACOFAEpodcast https://www.instagram.com/acofaepodcast/ @ACOFAELaura https://www.instagram.com/acofaelaura/

With Greenland in the news, you may be wondering how and why Greenland became inhabited in the first place. Like all great stories, it is a medieval one! Matt Lewis retells the fascinating tale of Norse Greenland, from the arrival of Norse explorers over a thousand years ago to the mysterious disappearance of their settlements and the myths and legends surrounding the Viking presence in Greenland.MORENorse Mythology: Creation MythsListen on AppleListen on SpotifyHow To Live Like A VikingListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. Audio editor is Amy Haddow. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, Dan and Mags are joined by Ed Gamester (Filling in for Mathias) to shoot the breeze and talk everything from old Norse, theater and wrestling.------------------------------------------------Check out Ed's Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thustheguildFollow Margrethe on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/arkeomagsFollow the Podcast on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nordicmythologypodcastIf you like what we do, and would like to be in the audience for live streams of new episodes to ask questions, please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NordicMythologypodcastCheck out Dan's company, Horns of Odin, and the wide range of handmade items inspired by Nordic Mythology and the Viking Age. Visit: https://www.hornsofodin.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sail north with Gone Medieval to Orkney's storm-lashed islands, where saints, shipwrecks, blood-feuds and tax disputes all unfold in the Sagas of the Earls of Orkney. Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Professor Judith Jesch to explore Saint Magnus, turf-cutting Viking Earls, miracle-working dice games, and how a new translation reshapes this Norse world for modern readers.MOREScotland's Stone of SconeListen on AppleListen on SpotifyViking Warrior WomenListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Janega. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producers are Rob Weinberg and Amy Haddow. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MYTHOLOGY AND THE MURDER OF SNORRI Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. Barraclough discusses the difficulty of accessing Norse beliefs, as most sources, like Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, were written post-conversion. She outlines dramatic myths, including the creation of the world from the giant Ymir and its destruction at Ragnarok, featuring a ship made from the fingernails of the dead. The segment covers Snorri's life as a politician in 13th-century Iceland during a bloody civil war. Barraclough recounts his assassination in his own basement on the orders of the Norwegian king, noting his final words were "don't strike." NUMBER 5

ASSIMILATION AND THE SALME SHIP MYSTERY Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. Barraclough highlights how the Norse assimilated into Eastern cultures, adopting Slavic names and gods within generations. The focus then turns to a major mystery: the Salme ship burials in Estonia, discovered in 2013. These burials, dated to around 750 AD, predate the Lindisfarne raid and contain warriors buried with high honors, including gaming pieces and falcons, despite having died violently. Barraclough suggests this might have been a diplomatic mission gone wrong. A key artifact mentioned is a King piece from the board game hnefatafl found in a leader's mouth, adding to the mystery of who buried them. NUMBER 3

ELIQUARIES, MARRIAGE, AND AMULETS Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. Barraclough explains how religious reliquaries looted from monasteries were often repurposed as jewelry for women in Norway. She discusses the theory that female infanticide may have caused a shortage of women, motivating young men to raid for wealth to secure marriage. The conversation then examines a human skull fragment from Ribe, Denmark, carved with runes. Barraclough interprets this object as a protective amulet against dwarves or elves, which the Norse believed caused sickness, illustrating their concept of an unseen world influencing physical reality. NUMBER 4

THE LONELY END OF NORSE GREENLAND Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. The final segment explores the disappearance of the Norse settlement in Greenland, focusing on the Herjolfsnes graveyard. Preserved clothing from the 15th century reveals garments that were patched repeatedly, symbolizing the colony's isolation and poverty. Barracloughdescribes a poignant detail: a woman's dress that ripped as she was buried, marking the end of the settlement. Factors discussed include a cooling climate and interactions with the Inuit, evidenced by carved wooden figures. The history closes with a report of a witch burning in 1407, near the colony's end. NUMBER 8

 VIKING AS ACTIVITY: THE NORSE EXPANSION WESTWARD Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock defines "Viking" as an activity of enterprise and raiding, not just an ethnicity. He explains that disruptions in the Islamic silver trade and population growth drove Norse expansion westward. This movement eventually reached the British Isles, Iceland, and Greenland, setting the stage for voyages to North America. NUMBER 1

LEIF ERIKSON AND THE DISCOVERY OF VINLAND Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock details how Norseexplorers like Leif Erikson moved west from Greenland, discovering Helluland, Markland, and Vinland around 1000 AD. Citing sagas, he argues that while physical evidence stops at Newfoundland, descriptions of wild grapes suggest they reached further south, potentially to New Brunswick or Maine. NUMBER 2