INTRO   Welcome to the THIRD 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 — this episode covers chapters 11 through 15 , So, if you’ve happened to start with this episode, then I suggest going back to the beginning. The episodes aren’t too long so it won’t take that forever to catch up. Here’s a summary of the major plot developments. This is organized very loosely by POV character. Baldr, the son of Frigg and Odin, is having mysterious, bad dreams which cause him to sometimes become “corpse like” when he sleeps. To help her solve the mystery of the dreams plaguing Baldr, Frigg summoned her husband Odin back from his western wanderings. At roughly the same time in the story, a town named Hals in Vidar Odinsson’s district was sacked by the Jotunn. Vidar is on scene to render aid and defend the townsfolk. He summoned helped from Gladsheim. Odin had arrived home at roughly the same time as this attack on Vithi. After some discussion with Frigg, and after Frigg’s ability to see the future returns, Odin decides to ride to his son’s aid. Hodr, son of Odin and Frigg and brother to Baldr and half-brother of Vidar and Thor, is with his “significant other” Alara in a large town called Ifington. Quite how Hodr plays into the story is as yet unclear, but it may have something to do with his reluctance to return and speak with his father. We’ve also met Loki Laufeyson, his wife Sigyn, and his two sons Vali and Narfi. Loki in particular appears to be up to something, but we don’t know what. Yet. There is one last POV character in the book, the Jotunn Vafthrudnir. He doesn’t appear until Chapter 21. If I had the book to write over…which is not something I’m going to do…I’d try to get him to appear earlier in the story. I had tried to do that when originally writing, but I couldn’t figure out how — he appears when the story events require it. OKAY, so that’s the basic plot stuff, but let’s get to the meat of the episode and talk about what I was doing with respect to myths and world building If you don’t know the term, world building refers to creating a larger world which the characters inhabit. Sometimes it’s relatively easy — like you set your story in the present day world. In fantasy and sci-fi novels, the world building can be more difficult / involved. But, that’s part of the fun. CHAPTER 11 There are multiple elements I reference Norns: for now mysterious figures, but likely the word … and concept, at least … are known to most readers. I won’t be discussing them in this episode … they will figure directly in upcoming chapters and so I’ll discuss them then Franangr: a river and waterfall. Loki’s house is built near it. Angrboda: Loki’s first wife with whom he had three children who are all, now, lost. Note that Loki’s current wife is Sigyn, an Aesir woman, and two sons: Vali and Narfi Sigyn’s name is composed of two roots, according to Simek’s dictionary: victory (sig) and vina meaning “girl-friend” … so maybe something like “woman who is the friend of victory” Nari sometimes also called Narfi. He is definitely Loki’s son. It is not clear what his name means: it could be “narrow” or “corpse” since there is a kenning that places Nari/Narfi in the land of the dead Vali however … well, it is possible that Snorri, who includes Vali as one of Loki’s sons, was a mistake made by Snorri. Snorri may have confused him with a son of Odin who is named Vali — that is, Vali is Odin’s kid but Snorri said that Vali was, in fact, Loki’s kid I didn’t realize there was confusion about Vali’s parentage until Kinsmen Die was mostly written. I could have written Vali Lokisson out of the books, but I felt that his inclusion as Loki’s son worked and I’d already figured out how to deal with the name confusion…which doesn’t arise until Book 3 which I’m currently writing. And even then, the potential confusion is minimal. This chapter also references Odin breaking an oath he had sworn with Loki … which is the blood-brotherhood oath between Loki and Odin The only source which details that oath is in Lokasenna, Verse 9: "Remember, Othin, in olden days That we both our blood have mixed; Then didst thou promise no ale to pour, Unless it were brought for us both." In the footnotes to that particular verse, Bellows states that there is no other source that gives the specific oath sworn … but it implies blood brotherhood (mixing of blood) … we have that tradition…that ritual today. More on this in a future recap. I also wrote about a “spear caught and returned” in the context of an insult. This is a reference to the Icelandic sagas in which the heroes actually did that — Amleth in the Northman movie does it. I could do it, but I don’t feel like it. And then there’s the reference to the fruit Idunn tended. This is the same fruit that Hodr eats — the fruit of Yggdrasil. Even Loki thinking about the fruit is an implicit reference to the time that he helped a Jotunn named Thiazi steal both the fruit and Idunn from Asgard This story is HUGELY important in the myths and as part of my backstory. CHAPTER 12 Hodr’s hanging out with Alara. She is my invention. For some reason when I originally wrote her, her name was Hlara…with an H at the front. Which would have led to scenes with Hodr, Hlara and her brother Hleven … which would have been completely stupid … So, I changed her name. Her brother’s not around much so I left his name alone. The name of Hodr’s horse is “Kona” which in ON means “woman.” Kona has been Hodr’s constant companion for many winters…which will become more clear as story progresses. My idea here was to work toward some subtle poignancy in Hodr’s character. Which I just made totally not subtle by drawing attention to it. This chapter also alludes to how old Hodr actually is. CHAPTER 13 Vidar jokingly says that Canewin must have some of Heimdall’s blood — an allusion to the myth in which Rigr … Heimdall … is the father of all men. I don’t think Heimdall fits that role, nor does Odin…not really…but it’s an allusion just the same Shaman using birds to see. This is an example of me trying to make the enemies believably strong In my books, the Aesir and Jotunn are all from the same original tribe of people. There was a “civil war” and they split up. Odin took some folks who ended up becoming the Aesir. Bergelmir, a “frost” Jotunn, took some others and then Thruthgelmir took some others. More on all this later. It’s mostly backstory, but does become quite important later on. So, back to the shamans and … which you might not have guessed, shapeshifting Think of it this way: the shamans “shifted” their minds/thoughts/spirits from their physical bodies into the birds But that’s not the only way shamans and magic users can shift shape in Norse myth Shapeshifting could also mean changing one’s body…shape…physicality…their HAMR, as the Norse called it … physically changes from one shape to another This is Michael J Fox going all Teen Wolf. Told you I was old. The other type of shapeshifting means that the shifts their mind, their thoughts … their spirit … their HUGR … shifts from his physical body into another physical body…that of a bird or other animal. This is more like spiritual / astral projection … Note that HUGR is the same root word as HUGINN, one of Odin’s ravens … it means thoughts or spirit SHAPESHIFTERS in my books can do either or both WE SEE BOTH ODIN AND VIDAR using the tools of seidr Some of those tools include: the distaff, spindle, thread and silver shears Also identified 6 ways in myths which magic was used Gandr: mind emissary Galdr: songs and making items Necromancy: descend, channel, raise (draugr) Runes: Aesir and Jotunn runes for certain…might be others Shapeshifting: which I’ve split into greater and lesser…which won’t become apparent until my 2nd book Disir: these are the greater and lesser spirits I also wanted Vidar’s magic tools to be a little different from Odin’s — which was shown both when we first met Vidar and more recently in Chapter 15 I have Vidar send the thread outward, while singing, and he weaves a net that protects the townsfolk his warriors and himself And as I developed this magic system, I focused on several aspects: A power source — the witch thread … and a future chapter will show where that comes from A way to harness, control and direct that power — shown in several ways such as spindles, distaffs, shears, runes, songs and physical gestures Specific effects created by those effects: fortunately for me, Odin identified some of those for me … and all it took for me was some (a lot) of thinking to figure how those effects might be made This is how I incorporated verse 149 of the Havamal, in which Odin describes the third charm … the galdr … the song that only he knows 149. A third I know, | if great is my need Of fetters to hold my foe; Blunt do I make | mine enemy's blade, Nor bites his sword or staff. I interpreted the last two verses a bit liberally so that the spears shot from the ballistae would not harm those they struck Also, and this will become more apparent in future chapters, Odin is not the only one who knows these songs. He is teaching them to Vidar … just as Odin learned them from his mother’s brother … who we will meet soon CHAPTER 14 I mention that Vidar rides under the banner of the fox. This is my invention and alludes to another story I’ve written that is not yet published in any form. Back when I started writing KD, I wrote a LOT of material. Basically I was brain dumping, caught up in a creative outflow…not drunk like Odin…but definitely writing a lot. Trying to find the path forward I did that for a couple years until I ended up discarding everything that was clearly part of different stories — so I have a potential book (or series) about a boy named Rowan and his fox companion Brinn. And I have another series about Svartalvar smiths named Sindri and Brokkr … Not surprisingly, those stories are intertwined with this one…but when and how is another thing entirely I also have another story about Kali … who you’ll soon meet. That name, which means Cold / Ice, in ON, is the shortened version of my monk in World of Warcraft … Kalivaren In that story she meets a Jotunn warrior named Kesagarin … that name is from Patrick Obrian’s Jack Aubrey series … and is also the name of a toon in WOW. That story is more complete than the others I mentioned and overlays many of the upcoming events in KD and the subsequent books. I also mentioned aktaumr … which is another military rank I made up. It means “brace” in ON … as it relates to a ship I don’t like the word or its use … and maybe I’ll go back through and retcon the whole thing. This falls in the category of “seemed like a good idea at the time” I mention that Sleipnir has eight legs: Sleipnir is the daughter of the Builder’s horse, Svadilfari and Loki who shapeshifted into a mare in order to lure the Builder’s horse away The myth of the Builder is in Gylfaginning, which is part of Snorri’s Prose Edda. Basically, the Aesir wanted to build a defensive wall around Asgard. A dude shows up and says: I can do that, but I want Freyja for a wife and the sun and moon in payment. The Aesir agree to his terms, which include him using a stallion to help him build the wall, because Loki advised the Aesir to allow the Builder to use the stallion in constructing the wall. Because of the stallion, the Builder was going to succeed in building the wall by the deadline which meant that the Aesir would have to honor their agreement with him So, the Aesir turned on Loki and threatened him. Loki became “frightened, then he swore oaths, that he would so contrive that the wright should lose his wages, cost him — meaning Loki — what it might.” So not only are the Aesir oath breakers but they force Loki to fix it Loki transformed himself into a mare, lured the Builder’s stallion away and this prevented him from completing his contract on time. Then Thor comes back from killing Jotunn…and kills the Builder … who, it turns out, was a Jotunn. The Gylfaginning says that: “Loki had such dealings with Svadilfari, that somewhat later he gave birth to a foal, which was gray and had eight feet” Sleipnir has runes etched onto her teeth Her name means “Slipper or Sliding One” Simek says that the story of Loki giving birth to Sleipnir was probably Snorri’s invention CHAPTER 15 Vidar uses seidr to protect his war band, he invokes the runes binding his fylgja and he provides a description of how baresarks are created — Odin chained a disir, which became a fylgja which made the baresark This is the first mention of the Ginnungagap which can be viewed the “void before creation” BUT, according to Simek’s dictionary which cites the scholar Jan De Vries, who argues that the term is likely to mean “the void filled with magical and creative powers” rather than “yawning void.” HOWEVER, Henning Kure, a norse scholar, in his article In the beginning was the Scream, disputes the DeVries definition thusly Jan de Vries identified this 'something' as Zauberkraft, magical power, in an argument that seems to lack reflection on the actual role of magic in Old Norse myth and society. In my opinion, we need to take the meaning of ginnungar one step further than 'magic' and see it as denoting the encounter with the incredible as such, be it Zauberkraft, sacred mysteries, or trickery by impenetrable illusions like the ginning of Gylfi. The prefix ginn- likewise denotes not 'magic', but something beyond comprehension, like ginnheilog, incredibly holy, more holy than we can grasp, or *ginnrúnar, inconceivable secrets. This accords well with the description of Ginnungagap by a series of negations – it is a 'place' beyond description in conceivable positive terms, the Gap of Enigmas. In my book, my cosmology … the Ginnungagap is kinda like “space” — the void which became occupied by all of creation. It’s where spirits go to die and where they come from when they are reborn Hence the characters say things like “back to the Gap” There’s much to my cosmology but at this point, that’s about all I’m prepared to say — other than Odin knows more about this world behind the world than most others do OUTRO Well folks, that’s all I have for this recap episode. 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 are another three verses from VAFTHRUTHNISMOL … 5. The wisdom then of the giant wise Forth did he fare to try; He found the hall of the father of Im, And in forthwith went Ygg. Othin spake: 6. "Vafthruthnir, hail! to thy hall am I come, For thyself I fain would see; And first would I ask if wise thou art, Or, giant, all wisdom hast won." Vafthruthnir spake: 7. "Who is the man that speaks to me, Here in my lofty hall? Forth from our dwelling thou never shalt fare, Unless wiser than I thou art." And here is Larrington’s translation b/c all those thees and thous gets a little weird 5 Then Odin went to try the wisdom of the all-wise giant; to the hall he came which Im’s father owned; Odin went inside. Odin said: 6 ‘Greetings, Vafthrudnir! Now I have come into the hall to see you in person; this I want to know first, whether you are wise or very wise, giant.’ Vafthrudnir said: 7 ‘What man is this who addresses me in hostile fashion in my hall? May you not come out of our halls alive unless you should be the wiser one.’ Note that “father of IM” is Vafthrudnir … but nobody knows who IM is Simek’s dictionary, my “go to” for this stuff does not have an entry for IM, but does have one for IMR … which is a female Jotunn…the name could mean “dark one” … but it might also refer back to another name which is IMDR…who is also a female Jotunn and one of the nine mothers of Heimdall Thanks for listening.