In this episode we cover some of the history and traditions of Yule, the pre-Christian midwinter festival of the Norse and Germanic peoples. We discuss the timing of Yule based on the phases of the moon, Odin's Wild Hunt, the child-eating character Krampus, as well as Finnish traditions around the Christmas season.

This is the Northern Myths Podcast, an archetypal exploration of the myths and legends of Northern Europe, including Norse mythology, the Finnish Kalevala, and more. If you'd like to support the show you can support us on Patreon here: Northern Myths Podcast Patreon

And, as 2018 draws to a close, we'd like to acknowledge many of the great folks who have supported us with our amazing journey, starting with all our wonderful guests who have been on the show this year!

A big thank you to:

Noah Tetzner - Host of the History of Vikings Podcast Siobhan Clark - Author of Children of Midgard and Host of the Myths, Legends, and Lore Podcast Professor Carolyne Larrington - Professor of Medieval European Literature at Oxford University and Translator of the Poetic Edda Tuomas Rounakari of Shamanviolin and Korpiklaani Eric Schumacher - Author of Hakon's Saga Fjörn the Skald of the Fjörn's Hall Podcast and Blog Jocko Willink and Leif Babin - Authors of Extreme Ownership and the Dichotomy of Leadership Dr. Jackson Crawford - Translator of Old Norse Literature and Instructor and Director of Nordic Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder Heri Joensen of Tyr Einar Selvik of Wardruna

You have all been a wonderful addition to our show and have given us some amazing conversations.

Also a big thanks to quite a few others:

Going Viking - a great page of Norse and Viking content that we're thrilled to be a part of. Heathen Moon - Ryan and Amanda are great friends of the show with a fantastic web shop. We were recipients of some amazing rune sets. Check them out for some fantastic hand made products! Viking Beard Co - An excellent source of beard products that we're happy to recommend! Viking Age Podcast and the Saga Thing Podcast - Last but certainly not least, two of our predecessors who paved the way with the absolute standard for Viking and Norse themed podcasts. We're honoured to be mentioned in the same sentence or paragraph with these great shows and we recommend them highly!

Everyone else who we've been in touch with and in contact with, thank you so much for listening or watching and getting in touch! Thank you to everyone who has supported the show and made this an amazing experience. 2018 has been bigger than we could have ever imagined and we think 2019 will be even better!

Happy new year from Luke and Dan at the Northern Myths Podcast!

Check out our YouTube channel for videos of all episodes and interesting clips of the show:  Northern Myths Podcast YouTube Channel

If you'd like to follow along with us or learn more about the ideas we talk about on the show, we have a list of recommended books on our website. Included are our recommended copies of the Poetic Edda and the Kalevala, as well as books about archetypal narrative, comparative religion, and more: Recommended Books

We also have Northern Myths Podcast merchandise available at our official shop.

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