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Welcome to Get Sleepy.
Where we listen, we relax and we get sleepy.
As always, I'm your host, Thomas.
Thank you so much for being here.
Before I tell you what's coming up tonight, I just wanted to mention that I'll have an exciting announcement about some upcoming changes to Get Sleepy that I'll be talking about in Wednesday's episode this week.
So be sure to join us again this Wednesday so we can keep you in the loop.
This evening, we're continuing our marvelous Norse mythology series, all of which is narrated by me and written by Frankie.
Freyja is the Norse goddess that we know the most about.
Her cult of worship has persisted for many, many years.
Tonight, we are privileged enough to join her as she embarks on an adventure in the name of a devoted follower.
We will get an insight into her world, her duties, and her power.
Let's prepare ourselves to be in her presence tonight.
Bring your mind to a place of stillness and quiet.
So rarely during the day do we allow ourselves a moment of rest.
This is that time.
As random thoughts, questions and ideas bob to the surface of your mind, Do not harshly knock them away.
Instead, acknowledge that they are there, and release them gently.
Our minds are powerful.
They need this time as much as we do to unwind and power down in preparation for sleep.
Now that your mind is calm, Turn your attention to the body.
The bed is a sanctuary for your body, which carries you through the world.
Let your muscles relax and imagine all the tension of the day floating away.
You may need to adjust yourself, change position or give in to a few unconscious movements.
This is simply your body making way for a night of peaceful rest.
And now we can journey across the rainbow bridge to Asgard and to the field of Folkvanga, where a powerful goddess waits for us in a hall more beautiful than any other.
This is where our story begins.
The flowers in the meadow of Folkfunga sway gently on the heavenly breeze.
For that is where this field sits, in a place as close to heaven as any mortal can imagine, while male warriors who fall in battle are taken to the Hall of Odin.
The female warriors find themselves here in this ever-perfect meadow, away from the carousing drinking, feasting and chaos of the warrior's hall.
Here, their sacrifice and skills are rewarded with peace.
At the heart of this great field, there is another hall, unlike any other found on any world.
It is the domain of Freya.
Freya is the goddess of love and beauty.
She is so lovely that when Norse poets, both mortal and immortal, refer to gold, they liken it to her.
In fact, it is said that her tears are liquid gold.
Without fail.
Whenever a Jotun comes to Asgard bent on domination and victory, they always claim they will take Freya as their bride.
And yet, none ever has.
For she is a goddess of magic.
Saith is the power of shaping and telling the future.
It's a form of magic that comes naturally to women, and Freya is one of the most gifted practitioners.
When she, her brother Freya and their father joined the Aesir, she realized that these gods knew nothing of this divine magic.
Freya and her family are of the Vanir, and only her people practiced Scythe.
Odin, the Allfather, is consumed by his desire for knowledge.
He begged and pleaded with Freya to reveal the secrets of Saith to him.
She agreed to teach him, though he would never become as skilled in the art as she.
In return for this power, he shared with her the duty of looking after fallen warriors.
A great honor.
And now, Freya oversees the caretaking of female warriors from her hall, Sesrumnir.
The impressive building glints in the light from the sun, for every piece of it is coated in copper, bronze and gold.
The walls and pillars of the hall are carved with representations of wheat, flowers and all the beautiful creatures of the world.
Inside, it is just as beautiful and ornate.
All around the hall is an abundant garden where the fruits, vegetables and flowers are ripe and in bloom all the time.
To step into Freya's garden is to know what peace truly is and to witness the bounty of the natural world.
Beyond the garden is a field of wheat so perfect and lovely that it looks like each stalk is made from pure gold.
But Freya does not live here alone.
She shares this wonderful home with her daughter, Nos.
Freya is only rivaled in beauty by her daughter.
The young goddess is still a child.
But it is clear that she will grow to be as lovely as her mother.
For now, the shining child runs through the house and gardens freely, her curls bouncing and her smile broad.
Freya's husband is Othr, a great warrior and companion of Thor.
As is so often the case with the Norse gods, he is usually away in the other worlds keeping the balance and making sure the tree of life is still healthy.
When he comes home, the family spends blissful hours and days in one another's company, until Ulf is called away again.
While this arrangement might seem odd or out of the ordinary to some, it is ideal for a goddess like Freya.
She is not a fainting flower or a weeping willow while her husband is away.
On occasion, she will travel to the worlds with him in disguise.
Other times, she must see to her own duties and responsibilities.
As one who can both see and shape the future, she must keep a keen eye on what is to come.
She must also look after the maiden warriors in her charge.
Finally, she owes much to her devoted followers in Midgard, the world we call home.
At the moment, Freya is wandering through her lovely hall.
She makes her way to a room, protected by many powerful enchantments.
Freya is the keeper of several sacred and powerful artifacts.
The two most notable of these are her falcon cloak and the necklace bruising garment.
The necklace is a work of great craft and artistry.
It was created by the most talented dwarf crafters.
It takes the form of a torc, a necklace made from solid gold.
Each golden strand is twisted with countless others to create a thick rope of gold that lies on the wearer's collar.
The jeweled opening is set with precious stones.
It is very heavy and enhances the wearer's powers.
Freya is a goddess of fertility, and so it makes her especially powerful when it sits around her graceful neck.
Freya's long fingers caress the gold necklace on its pillow.
Her eyes fall on the falcon cloak, hanging not far away.
This cloak, at first glance, simply appears to be a cape of feathers.
Upon closer inspection, the true power of the piece comes to light.
The feathers are the warm, dark brown of the falcon wing.
It grants the wearer the ability to turn into a falcon that is faster than the wind, with a piercing call and eyes sharper than any other creature in creation.
Freya strokes the cloak, idly checking to make sure the feathers are in good condition.
Two large tabby cats pad silently into the room and rub against her legs.
These cats are larger than house cats, nearly the size of lions.
They are Freya's pets and companions.
Charged with pulling her chariot, are the original familiars, more than a traditional pet and imbued with their own power.
Visitors often remark that the twin tabis seem to understand every word that is said around them.
Their jade-green eyes watch everything, with the proud indifference of cats everywhere.
Suddenly, Freya pauses in her maintenance of the cloak.
She cocks her head to the side, as if listening.
The prayers and offerings of a mortal on Midgard reach her.
She listens for a moment or two longer before coming to a decision and striding meaningfully out of the hall towards her chariot the two cats padding along beside her.
Moments later, the felines are harnessed and pulling the chariot behind them with ease.
Freya travels across the rainbow bridge.
Around and below is the endless expanse of the universe.
The cold silver light of the stars glints off her gilt chariot.
The tails of the two tabbies twitch playfully back and forth as they run.
Before them, Midgard grows like the rising of a blue moon.
Down on Midgard a young man kneels at a homemade altar, his head bowed and his lips moving in silent pleading.
His name is Orta, and he is a devoted follower of Freya.
His altar to the goddess contains anything he has been able to scrounge together to represent her.
There is a tuft of hair from a barn cat, a dried stalk of wheat, and a thin gold ring.
The ring is as precious to him as anything else in the entire world.
Even taking it off to put it on the altar was a struggle, for if he lost it he would lose his one connection to his family.
Under his breath, Otar asks the goddess Freya to help him.
He praises her beauty, wisdom, and skill with saith.
He tells her that she is his only hope and that he prizes her favor above all others.
He promises to serve her faithfully for the rest of his life, whether she helps him or not.
It is these honeyed words that have drifted up through the ether and into the ears of Freya herself.
Even as Ota is bent in his meditations, a wind picks up around him.
His clothes and hair whip back and forth, but he is determined that nothing shall break his concentration.
It is not until a gentle hand rests on his shoulder that Otter looks around.
Before him stands Freya.
Her hair swirls around her like a cape.
She seems to glow from the inside.
Behind her is her shining chariot and the two large tabby cats watching him with bright eyes.
Around Freya's neck shines the golden talk of Brysingamon.
Otar is struck dumb by the very image of his beloved goddess.
She smiles down at him, and Otar finds himself at a loss for words.
But no words are necessary.
Freya already knows what it is that he needs, and what he wants from her.
Otta stands, and Freya nods towards the golden ring on the altar.
He grabs it and slips it onto his finger.
Otter is the last in a long line of humans that stretches back to the first two people found and shaped from driftwood by Odin.
But the line has become broken and Otter has lived his entire life as an orphan, unsure of who his family is and where to find his place in the wild.
He only has his thin gold ring to remind him of his noble heritage.
Now that he has become a young man and has been sent out to find his own way in the wild, he wants to discover his past so he can divine his future.
Freya has decided to assist him on this quest.
Her gaze seems to root Ota to the spot.
She tells him that she will help him, but that she may need to use some of her magic on him.
She asks if he consents to this, and if he trusts her to protect him.
Without a moment of hesitation, Otar agrees.
There is nothing for him to think about.
This is Freya, not the adventurous Thor or the wayward Loki.
He will be safe with her.
Freya extends one hand and places it gently on his head.
Otta feels a warm sensation trickle down from the place where her hand rests on him.
It is like being covered by a warm bath.
By the time the feeling reaches his feet, Otter finds himself transformed.
His mind is his own, but his body is that of a great, beautiful boar.
The tips of his ears nearly reach Freya's shoulder.
His tusks and trotters are gleaming gold.
His fur is red as rubies and soft as silk.
The boar nuzzles Freya, and she strokes him.
She whispers in his silken ears that he must follow her chariot.
They are going to find a powerful seer. someone even more gifted in the art of Saitha than herself.
The boar snorts in agreement.
Again, Freya climbs into her chariot and whispers directions to her cats.
The party takes off back through Midgard and to another world.
This time, however, they are not heading to Asgard.
Freya leads the animals to the world of the.
They are searching for Hintla, an ice giant as beautiful as she is powerful.
The party journeys through the endless ice fields and tundra until they come to a line of tall mountains.
Amongst the snow-capped peaks and deep valleys is a labyrinth of rock formations, gullies and caves.
Freya, never doubting herself for a moment, explores these intricate paths through the mountains.
They search for days.
Some caves and overhangs shelter huge sleeping bears, while others are home to families of gnomes and trolls.
But with each new cavern explored, Freya gets closer to finding her quarry.
Finally, it is a small cave that leads deep into the mountain that makes Freya pause.
She leaves the chariot, cats and boar outside in the swirling snowflakes as she makes her way inside.
The air becomes warmer with every footstep.
The twists and turns of the cave lessen the winter wind.
At the end of the tunnel, Freya comes upon a den lit by the gentle light of a candle.
In the middle, sleeping on a pile of firs, is the Jotunn Kintala.
Her eyes flutter open as Freya softly approaches.
Freya kneels in the corner of the cave while Hintala frees herself from the comforting tendrils of sleep.
What Freya first took to be a pile of furs turns out to be a great wolf.
The animal stirs with Hintala, uncurling itself from around her and yawning.
When both Hintala and her wolf are fully awake, Freya tells her of Otta and his request.
She tells Hintler that it will take both of their immense powers and skills to find out the answers he seeks.
Hintler listens intently, absentmindedly stroking her wolf as she does so.
The wolf listens, too.
Its yellow eyes stare at Freya, standing out against its black fur.
When Freya finishes her speech, Intla nods sightly. and agrees to help.
They exit the cave, the huge wolf trotting along beside them.
They must return to Asgard, to Freya's palace, where both the goddess and the Jotunn will be able to draw upon the most power.
They touch down in the tall grasses and wildflowers of the meadow of Folkvangar.
Intla and Freya retire to her rooms in the hall, while the cats and wolf lounge outside in the sunshine.
Otter, still in his boar form, follows the women inside.
Freya reveals Otter's gold ring, which she has magicked from him.
She places the ring on a small plinth between herself and Hinter.
They use it as the source and focus of their powers.
While Freya searches through the many threads of the past, Intela creates a potion for Orta.
This mixture of herbs and sacred incantations will grant him the ability to remember everything they reveal to him, for it will be a huge amount of information.
They plan to uncover his lineage, going all the way back to the first people of Midgard.
A glittering mist from the potion fills the room.
The golden thread of Ota's line flows both forwards and backwards in time.
Freya follows the line backwards, assisted by Hintela.
They locate his parents and grandparents, witnessing the events that led up to Otter's birth.
They go back even further. through the lives of kings and queens, brave warriors, and wise elders.
Finally, they reach its glittering end on a beach many thousands of years ago.
They watch as Odin and his brothers pick up two pieces of driftwood, one from an ash tree and one from an elm.
Odin breathes life into the pieces of wood.
His brother, Vili, gives them intelligence and understanding.
The final brother, Vie, bestows upon them speech, hearing, and sight.
Ask and Embla are the names of the first two humans.
They will become the ancestors of all Om Midgard.
As the vision of the past fades away, Freya and Hintala turn to Orta.
His boar tusks shine, and his eyes look at them pleadingly.
It is time to reveal all.
They bring him back to Midgard, to his small altar, and return him to his original form.
Aeneil's head bowed, frozen in time.
Inter gives him the potion of memory.
Freya takes her hand, and they bestow on him the knowledge he so desires.
For Otta, it is as if no time has passed.
At first, he is unsure what has happened.
He stands and turns around, looking for Freya, Intla, the wolf, and the cats.
But he finds he is alone.
Then he comes to terms with the new information swirling in his mind.
He sees his heritage stretched out behind him.
He knows where to go, whom to speak to, and how to reclaim the ancestral rights that he is owed.
Before he sets off on this new mission, Otter looks back at the altar and finds his golden ring right where he left it.
He places it on his finger and turns, a newfound determination in his eyes.
Hintla and Freya watch on until he is out of sight.
Freya thanks Hintla for her help.
The Jotun smiles in return, before hopping astride her wolf and heading back to her icy cave.
Freya climbs aboard her chariot and signals to her cats to take her home.
And as for Ota, he keeps his promise.
For as long as his line survives.
They worship and give thanks to the goddess Freya for her goodness, generosity and abundance of magic.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
