INTRO   Welcome to the SECOND RECAP EPISODE of the Kinsmen Die podcast, home of fantasy fiction based on Norse mythology that’s written and read by me, Matt Bishop. In this podcast, I read my first book, Kinsmen Die, chapter by chapter. Every five episodes I recap the prior chapters…which is going to get more complicated as time goes on. So, if you’ve happened to start with this episode, then do what Vizzini said and go back to the beginning. Not that this job has gone wrong, of course. I’m pretty stoked at how the podcast’s going so far and that’s entirely due to all of you who have been listening. Thanks for doing so! And please, let me know what you think! I want to emphasize that my books are works of fiction. I have absolutely taken creative license in building a world for these characters … a world whose nature has greatly evolved over the years as I’ve changed and my understanding of the source materials has changed. One of the first choices I had to make was: should I make them “gods” as they are in the myths? And if so, then that completely changes the narrative — at least as I saw it unfolding BUT, LET me stop rambling … and get down to business CHAPTER 6 Vidar makes an unfavorable impression on the leaders of Hals, but the interaction is salvaged by Garilon. A lot here, so I’ll start with the easy ones. Bay of Thund … the Thund is the river that flows in front of Valhol. I’d read somewhere…the source escapes me…that Thund can also mean “bay” as in “Why don't I just go eat some hay? I can make things out of clay, or lay by the bay, I just may! What do you say?” Gothi is the title used in Iceland for the (elected) chief / priest of a region. I borrow it here to mean “chief” “Wolf of the sea” … I use it as a lame kenning for “predatory fishes” “Cruel doom of the Norns” More on the Norns later … they are pivotal figures in Norse myths. This reference is to a Norn visiting each child when they are born and assigning them a good or bad doom I use “doom” instead of “fate or destiny” because the latter words are linked to greek myth and have their etymological roots in old French and latin Doom is from Middle English, but traces back to Old Norse and perhaps back to the proto-indo European root *dhe which means something like "to set, place, put, do" If you don’t know anything about proto indo European, then I strongly recommend you do some google searching. It will blow your mind. I believe — and I could totally be making this up, but the Engineer alien dude in whatever prequel Alien movie that was spoke a version of proto indo European Basically, PIE is thought to be a precursor language spoken by indo europeans. And it is totally amazing What I’ve tried to do in my book is prefer words that trace their roots back through the northern / germanic / norse languages rather than greek/latin It is virtually impossible to do, but when I could … and when it made sense … I preferred the norse word Bragi plies the harp … a reference to the bench-warming Bragi, poet of the Aesir, which is itself a reference to Lokasenna. Bragi is married to Idunn, she who tends the fruit of Yggdrasil All right, now we’re at the involved topics … which are fylgja and disir Disir In Norse myth these are female deities … spirits … who are attached to or associated with a neighborhood, family, a person They are similar to the fylgja … who are female spirits who protect an individual or clan The concept of disir and fylgja is related to a person’s hamingja … which is associated with a person’s luck … it can be inherited and/or passed to another A fylgja can also be inherited — my father’s guardian spirit can become mine and then my daughter’s Disir are never men / male … which I find interesting The valkyrie are sometimes referred to as disir — as Odin’s disir Freyja is called “vana-dis” … dis of the Vanir … and I’ll note here that there’s some debate as to who or what the Vanir even were I choose to represent the Vanir as a separate group of people who initially oppose the Aesir and then become allies of the Aesir. This is the Aesir-Vanir war which, for my world, is pure backstory but like any good backstory, in my opinion, informs events in the book w/o swamping it. In other cases disir is used as if it meant “Norns” … fate goddesses who attend the birth of every child In my world, the Norns are not currently disir. They are something else…women drawn from many different races. Priestesses. More on them later. My root concept is the disir: a female spirit Disir can become fylgja, if you know how — there have already been hints as to how Odin made that happen. There are greater and lesser disir. The greater disir are finite in number and I’ve linked them to another concept in Norse myth … which I’ve leave alone for now The lesser disir, are spirits of wind and fire, of hills and mountains, trees, lakes and rivers. This will be important later. CHAPTER 7 Odin gets pissed at the drunken Heimdall; is trying to get information out of Heimdall regarding what he’s heard about Vithi. Goes directly to Heimdall as “eyes and ears” of the Aesir. In the myths, he’s not a drunk. Nor was he that way when Odin left Gladsheim twenty winters previously. Heimdall’s dropped some hints as to what’s going on with his hearing; and this subplot will become more apparent as the novel progresses. According to Rudolf Simek’s dictionary, Heimdall’s name might mean “the one who illuminates the world” But, the etymology of his name is not clear IN the Voluspa and the Rigsthula, both poems in the Poetic Edda, his name is Rigr…in which he is said to be the father of all mankind. problematic b/c a lot of what Rigr does is elsewhere ascribed to Odin So...who is who? I couldn’t see any obvious way to reconcile the two poems, so I stuck with Odin as one character and Heimdall as another Snorri refers to him as the “white As” … so I made him pale. He is said to have golden teeth which, if you must have tooth decay, is a windfall since you can at least pay for some nice dentures. He is the Watchman of the Gods. He needs less sleep than a bird, can see things 100 miles off in day or night, can hear grass growing on the earth and wool on a sheep. He owns the Gjallarhorn which, when he blows it, can be heard throughout the whole world; attested in the myths. And, he’s played by Idris Elba. Doesn’t get much better than that. There’s a lot more to be said about Heimdall, but for now those are the key points. His capabilities will be on full display throughout my books and his hearing is the reason why the Jotunn, including Loki, developed a sign language. Seidr is a specific form of magic that Odin learns from Freyja. According to a 2015 essay The Chicanery of Seidr, by Rig Svenson, the etymology of “seidr” is unclear. This article says its related to Germanic words meaning cord or string In the Viking Way, Neil Price says that seidr is related to the Indo European for “binding” … which relates to cord or string in that those items can be used to bind, but Svenson disagrees with that claim I’ve leaned toward Price’s view…his arguments in his book, at least with respect to seidr, resonate with me Price also states that many seidr rituals may have been sexual … I have not gone that route in my books for 2 reasons: I don’t want to write that and I want my books accessible to younger audiences I’ve also associated seidr with weaving and spinning And seidr with song … there’s a class of magic in the myths call GALDR, which is singing magic And then there’s GANDR, which is the word for charms I work these concepts into my magic system and into future chapters. Baresark: these are the berserkers. According to Simek, Snorri made a mistake in saying they went into battle without armor … or “naked” (bare) The root bers is from “bear” and “sarkr” means shirt/skin So these warriors were probably wearing bear or wolf skins Snorri also calls them Odin’s men…were as wild as dogs/wolves, bit their shields and were stronger than bears of bulls. They were unharmed by fire or by iron In the Icelandic sagas, baresarks are usually portrayed as total asshats who go around bullying ordinary folk until a hero comes forth and kill ‘em In my books we’ve met several baresarks: Gulfinn, Rata, Vidar and Odin. And we’ve met a fylgja…Vidar’s…who is a disir. Do you see the connection? Draugr A draugr is one type of undead in Norse myth and the Icelandic sagas. There’s some absolutely awesome draugr “stuff” in those sagas — Grettir’s saga and Eyrbyggja saga being two examples The only way to truly “end” the living death-state of a draugr was to cut off its head, place it on its buttocks which is the Norse version of what Balki Bartokomous would call buttock pinches… and then light the whole shebang on fire According to Simek, the word draugr belongs to the “indo-germanic” root “dreugh” which means “harmful spirit.” I also mention the draugr’s “bone blade” … meaning an edged weapon (a sword) made of bone. More on that later. Odin’s ravens Odin unique in having four familiars…and I think he’s the only Aesir who has any familiars whatsoever. They’re not called “familiars” in the myths, but that’s how I’ve approached Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory) He can speak with them mind to mind over distances. This is both plot convenience and a real drag when you ask yourself the question: Wouldn’t Odin just send his ravens, or his wolves, to find out what was going on? If you answer “yes” (which I usually had to) … you have to figure out a NEW way to plot a scene that takes that into account. This, among many other things, can cause a cascading series of ripples that can require minor…but usually MAJOR…revisions to avoid the bane of anything decent: “idiot plotting.” That’s when a character does something stupid in service to the plot. I tried not to avoid that trap. Sigfather, title only used by the Einherjar Usually this is translated as “father of victory” but using according to several sources, including Jackson Crawford, it is not impossible that the “father” portion of that word is not “father” at all. It might be something more like “fodr” which means, basically, “one who sets things in order…or orderer” And that makes a whole lot more sense in my opinion, because Odin is NOT the “father of all” any more than he is the “father of victory.” Sometimes he is, but he very clearly is not in multiple cases. But he could sensibly be called “one who brings victory” because if Odin’s on your side you’re more likely to win…unless he decides he needs you. But more on that MUCH later. CHAPTER 8 Frigg is annoyed that Odin’s leaving after just having arrived back in Gladsheim to help figure out what’s going on with their son, Baldr. Frigg then has a vision of Baldr on a burning ship. She doesn’t want Baldr to go with Odin. This is the first instance in which Frigg’s ability to see the doom of all men and women … and I describe it as “returning.” This will become more clear throughout the book and series. I mentioned Odin’s High Seat, but rather than use the Norse word HLIDSKJALF I just used the English version — this was b/c the word’s tough to say and I didn’t want to wreck the listening experience as my wooly tongue was tied in knots. The word itself is of uncertain etymology It appears to mean something like “a seat from which the gods have a view over the whole earth.” Simek says that HLID can be interpreted as OPENING while SKJALF from similar terms in old english and Middle Dutch may mean something like tower or scaffolding From the High Seat, Odin can see into all the worlds. In the myths, only Frigg is allowed by Odin to use the seat. And I mention her using it to find Odin and call him back to Gladsheim in one of the initial chapters. Freyr steals a few moments on the High Seat and he paid dearly for it. More on that later, when it becomes relevant. Having read Viking Way by Neal Price … I believe that the High Seat concept is related to “sitting out” … called UTISETA The purpose of sitting out — maybe on burial mounds, or running water or beneath hanged men — is to gain power, insight or to speak with the dead These are all things typically associated with ODIN Price also mentions the SEIDHJALLAR which is a raised platform from which seidr practitioners would conduct their rituals and cast their spells Combine these two ideas and I think we have some insight into the HIGH SEAT … and you’ll see, eventually, how I’ve incorporated this idea into my world We also see Odin pestering Frigg to tell him what she saw. She refuses. This theme will develop. It’s also an example of Odin’s desire to know everything. Note that the sources equate wisdom with knowledge. We modern folk do not. For Odin, I think it’s both. And there’s an upcoming stanza in Havamal which sheds light on that. We also see Baldr’s healing skills on full display, as in a previous chapter where he says “it’s not seidr, it takes time to work.” This is my bit of world building that turns Baldr into a healer that uses some magic, but also relies on natural remedies. CHAPTER 9 Back with Vidar who really botches his impromptu briefing with the town’s elders. This was one of the chapters I had reviewed by a professional writer way back when. He said that there was no way a JARL would allow these mere commoners to talk to him like that. And maybe that’s true. But I left it as is for two reasons: 1) it’s part of Vidar’s character arc 2) how the “commoners” interact with the jarls is different at this time in this world. There’s not much here myth wise, but there’s a lot that’s important to Vidar’s story arc. And all of it is world building to try to give you guys a sense of the world they inhabit. CHAPTER 10 Odin rides out, after a quick confab with Gulfinn. This chapter lays the groundwork for some important conflict that will happen later in the book and the series, as well as the magic system I created for my world. So, magic systems are a gigantic pain in the ass. Brandon Sanderson is well known for his hard magic systems in which the rules of how the system works are laid out gradually and become a key way the plot changes and twists through the story. I started out wanting to do something like that with seidr, rune magic, etc. I have a categorized list somewhere of all the different types of magic in Norse myth, what each does, the limits, how they’re powered, etc. I had thought I wanted to incorporate all that stuff into a “hard magic” system. I’ve since backed way off that goal, primarily because it just doesn’t interest me in the way it used to. It’s neat and all — and maybe it was entirely my current capabilities as a writer failing me — but I was focusing more on the mechanics of the magic rather than what the characters were doing and why. And that gets borings So now, my magic system is much “softer” — the rules are still clear and I don’t break them. Heimdall’s senses are a good example of obeying the rules of my own magic system. With him in particular, they limit what the Jotunn could do openly. So that forced me to think creatively…how could the Jotunn escape those senses? You’ll hear how that plays out. The last line of this chapter alludes to Odin’s possible role as leader of the wild hunt The wild hunt consists of ghostly riders — an army of the dead — who ride through the night and storms during Yuletide. I don’t play up this connection at all in my books, but Odin / WODAN and the underlying Germanic myths may predate what’s been relayed to us about Odin via Norse myth. OUTRO Well folks, that’s all I have for this recap episode. It ran longer than I expected & I hope y’all found it interesting If there’s anything in particular you’d like more detail on, let me know & I’ll see what I can do — reach out to me via the various social platforms that I’m never on … or just email me. I will read ‘em. And, like last recap, here’s three verses from Vafthruthnismal … I’m going to start doing several each recap b/c otherwise it’ll be fifty years before I get through the poem Also, Frigg is worried about Odin speaking with Vafthrudnir … she doesn’t want him to go, she knows that Vafthrudnir is the mightiest of giants — of the Jotunn and that Odin’s about to do something dangerous But Odin replies that he’s as much as he can from everywhere he’s been and everyone he’s talked to. Vafthrudnir is the next step in his … he wants to go, he needs to go and he will… I love the final verse Frigg speaks — the blessing she gives to her husband. It’s clear to me at least that in this stanza she loves her husband. In KD when Odin heads out on a dangerous mission I have Frigg speak a variation on these verses to him. This is the Bellows translation available on Sacred Texts. Also, I’m using this particular translation b/c the text is in the public domain, it’s where I started learning the myths and I like the sound of the verses…that older way of speaking lends it a gravity that some of the “modern voice” sacrifice for clarity and ease of reading … not that that’s a bad thing per se. I’ve read and used both, particularly when these verses get confusing. Frigg spake: 2. "Heerfather here at home would I keep, Where the gods together dwell; Amid all the giants an equal in might To Vafthruthnir know I none." Othin spake: 3. "Much have I fared, much have I found. Much have I got from the gods; And fain would I know how Vafthruthnir now Lives in his lofty hall." Frigg spake: 4. "Safe mayst thou go, safe come again, And safe be the way thou wendest! Father of men, let thy mind be keen When speech with the giant thou seekest."