Latest / Random Heathen Ramblings / Random Heathen Ramblings: S6, EP19 - The Saga Of The Heron That Flies To Hel

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Random Heathen Ramblings: S6, EP19 - The Saga Of The Heron That Flies To Hel · Random Heathen Ramblings

0:02
Hello everyone and welcome to the Random Heathen Ramblings
0:05
podcast where we discuss all sorts of things Germanic
0:08
Heathenry related. My name is Jesse and I am your
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host. And let's get into it.
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Get yourself something nice, get something nice for your, for
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your families or your loved ones.
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And welcome back to the show this week, folks.
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Welcome back to Random Heathen Ramblings, another episode
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coming at you live. Well, not really live, but
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link. All of my stuff's there and
6:01
there you go. So this week's going to be
6:04
another kind of just me rambling on a bit, but it's it's it's
6:09
with purpose as I usually try to do.
6:11
I usually don't try to come on here and waste y'all's time
6:15
hearing me or just, or watching me, you know, blab blabber on
6:18
about nonsensical stuff. So with that being said, there
6:23
was a kind of a, a topic that came to my mind as I'm thinking
6:27
of what to talk about when I'm not with people.
6:30
You know what? I'm not having a conversation
6:32
with someone and we're not, you know, having this dialogue.
6:36
How can I keep things interesting, you know?
6:39
As as a, as a, as a, as a host. You know, as as a single person
6:45
just running the show with all of you folks.
6:48
And I was kind of running through some ideas about past
6:53
episodes about things that I've talked about either in the past
6:56
that I could, you know, dive into more of or, or expound
7:00
upon. And there were some ideas that I
7:04
have floating around, but the one that I landed on.
7:09
Is, you know, you've heard me probably talk about.
7:13
The importance of or, or the significance rather maybe of
7:18
storytelling, you know, telling our stories, telling our sagas.
7:21
You know why I've said multiple times, whether it's been on, you
7:26
know, just a solo show or with other guests, you know, I've
7:29
said multiple times, we live in saga times.
7:32
And I'm not the one that that started that phrase.
7:35
I've heard it said by other heathens and other people
7:37
before, but we do, we live in saga times.
7:41
You know, these are, these are interesting times that we, that
7:44
we find ourselves living in. And the things that we do, the,
7:47
the, the situations that one finds oneself in can be the,
7:52
the, the things that make up great sagas.
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Because if you think about in old heathen times, or even in,
8:01
you know, the medieval period, when the sagas of Scandinavia
8:05
and, and, and some of the other Germanic sources, when these,
8:08
when these tales were written and when then when they were
8:11
told, they were told initially orally, you know, and then later
8:17
on as, as, as as the region became more literate through
8:24
Christianization, of course, because the mainly the like the
8:26
people at the time, they weren't, they didn't, you know,
8:28
go to school, they didn't learn to read and write and, and
8:31
stuff. So they are their skills to
8:33
document things was very minimal and it was all done, you know,
8:37
things were passed down orally. So storytelling was a really
8:41
important part of the culture of, of medieval Scandinavia,
8:46
medieval Northern Europe. You know, it wasn't until that,
8:51
you know, after their, during, after the Viking Age, that
8:54
these, these stories that we're told probably in, you know,
8:58
people's homes or at, at campfires or in, you know, beer
9:03
halls, ale halls, meat halls, these, these great sagas of, of
9:07
heroes and kings and, and wonderful, you know, the gods
9:11
and then all this stuff. You know, these were stories
9:13
that initially were heard around these fires and in these homes
9:17
and at these hearths, you know, or in these halls.
9:22
And so we we find ourselves looking at that and remembering
9:28
the importance of storytelling. So as modern heathens, I know a
9:34
lot of people love, you know, I know several people who love to
9:39
recall and retell or share bits from some of their favorite, you
9:45
know, Norse. Or or whatever other sorts
9:49
sagas. You know, whether it's, you
9:52
know, the England saga or the the saga of the Yoms Vikings or,
9:56
you know, saga of, you know, of, of Eagle Skala Grimson or
10:04
Kroffin killed saga or whatever, you know what I mean?
10:08
Like it's whatever your favorite thing is, or maybe you have
10:11
several of them. You know, there's there's
10:13
certain lines that or certain stanzas that are, are quite
10:18
infamous, you know, and that gets shared around.
10:20
I know I share some stuff on my Facebook platform and Instagram
10:25
page of stanzas. You know, little quit words of
10:30
of inspiration or wisdom or wit. You know, things that come from
10:33
some of these infamous sagas and you know, it got it got me
10:40
thinking. You know the importance of
10:41
storytelling in heathenry and recalling those great tales,
10:47
right. What was the purpose that these
10:50
tales had? You know, when it comes to
10:52
sagas, usually what we find. Are stories of.
10:59
People that are infamous, you know, men of renown or kings or
11:03
heroes or, you know, Valkyries and sorcerers, sorceresses, you
11:09
know, the, the Volvas and, and the saved corners or the saved
11:12
mothers are right. All the various things that that
11:15
that were worth telling the story about.
11:18
But the story usually carried with it some sort of a, an
11:23
important lesson. You know what I mean?
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It was it was, it was for the purpose, a lot of times of
11:32
carrying forth the the heroism, the might, the the greatness,
11:39
you know, of a king or of other some sort of hero to keep their
11:43
name alive because their fair fame was 1.
11:45
And so therefore the story of the saga was a way of
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immortalizing them. But I feel a lot of times that
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there's also, you know, things got embellished, you know,
11:53
whether or not the we'll just use, you know, Ragnar Lothbrok,
11:58
right? Whether or not the saga of
12:00
Ragnar Lothbrok depicts an actual figure of history or
12:04
whether or not this saga is a bit more of an embellishment of
12:07
somebody who may or may not have existed.
12:09
You know what I'm saying? Like that sort of thing.
12:16
Again, it, it, it, it's a way of, of retelling these, these,
12:20
these stories in a way that inspires the people that are
12:23
hearing them. And, you know, here we are, you
12:28
know, 1012 hundred years, whatever it is later.
12:31
And we're modern heathens. And then we love these stories
12:36
and we want to hear these stories told around, you know,
12:40
campfires or at events or we want, you know, information
12:44
about them more. But I always go back to, you
12:48
know, again, we ourselves live in saga times.
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And what kind of stories are we telling?
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Do we have stories to tell? And we do.
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Many of us do. Many of us have lived, you know,
13:06
incredible lives to, to, to share with our communities.
13:11
You know, and I can't, I can't, you know, I can't, I can't tell
13:17
you how many times I have sat around in a, whether it's in a
13:21
room or in a, you know, at an event, around a fire, or even
13:25
just in the same spatial area of, of an elder of our community
13:29
or of, of somebody else in our community who has a story to
13:33
tell of an experience, you know, and hearing them tell.
13:35
This story, it's like this is a real person's encounter with,
13:42
with whatever it was. And then sometimes you know some
13:44
of the stories that I've heard. Are inspiring enough, you know
13:47
to be like wow, you know, I can't believe I'm sitting here
13:49
with talking to this person who experienced these things or I
13:52
know this person who experienced these things so there's that,
13:57
you know, but then I'm also going man, you know what what
13:59
can we do How can we kind of really embrace the the depth of
14:05
a saga? You know, how can we really go
14:08
into the whole make things more than what they.
14:13
Maybe were right. Maybe the story of, you know,
14:21
well, maybe the story of a man who walks down a river is more
14:30
than just that. Maybe that story is a saga.
14:41
A saga that was in the making when the man was walking down
14:46
the river and the man was experiencing things that nobody
14:53
else could tell. There was nobody else there to
14:56
watch the man walk down the river.
14:58
The man could not. Write about his story.
15:00
But he could tell his story. And after experiencing
15:05
everything, you know, of this walk in the river could have
15:11
been, have, could it have been told in such a way?
15:16
You know, oh, how interesting could one man's walk in the
15:20
river possibly be to the average person, probably not that
15:25
interesting. But what if, what if that man's
15:32
walk down the river got told in the way of a saga?
15:36
And what if the man wasn't a man, that he was a Heron?
15:40
And what if the river wasn't just a river, but it was a path?
15:44
It was a road to the land of the dead.
15:51
Now, wouldn't that be a story that you'd want to hear around a
15:54
fire? Wouldn't that be a saga that you
15:57
would be more interested in hearing Other, you know, besides
16:01
just, you know, this? Guy who walks down the river
16:03
and, you know, see some things and some stuff and well, I
16:08
recommend it, man, you know, right?
16:10
Wouldn't it be more interesting to hear about this mythical
16:12
creature, this mythical being, this mythical scenario of a
16:17
Heron? Who journeys to hell?
16:25
When I say hell I mean the the heathen hell, hell HE L1L.
16:29
You know the the land of the dead, the realm of the of the of
16:32
the dead, where the dead go to rest, where the ancestors
16:35
reside. Who would like to hear the saga
16:40
of the Heron that flies to hell. Well, I hope you are one of
16:48
those people because today on this episode of the Random
16:51
Heathen Ramblings podcast and for the first time ever in
16:55
public aside from just being at a campfire or around.
17:01
A Hearthfire or something. This is the first time that this
17:04
story will ever be orated to you, the listener or the viewer,
17:12
if you know. So if you haven't ever been in
17:13
person with me, 'cause I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be the one to
17:16
tell. You the story.
17:17
So if you've never been at any of the things that I've been at,
17:23
you know to hear me tell the story to you in person, this is
17:27
your first time hearing it. And this is the first time that
17:30
the world in any capacity is hearing it.
17:34
So I hope that what this podcast episode does today, whenever it
17:41
gets absorbed by by by all of you, whether it's today when it
17:46
drops or whether it's, you know, the day after or a week after or
17:50
a year after, whenever you hear this, if it's after the
17:56
beginning of June in 2025, I hope that what you hear today is
18:06
inspiring for you to know what it means and, and to, and to
18:11
carry forth with purpose telling your story, writing your own
18:21
sagas. So I hope you're all comfortable
18:29
if you are a bit flabbergasted or if you're a bit surprised
18:35
about this. I gosh, I didn't realize that
18:37
that was what was going to be the podcast.
18:39
You know that the podcast. Was going to be.
18:41
Like a story time today? Well, guess what?
18:43
Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, here we are.
18:48
So if you're driving down the road heading to work or coming
18:52
back from work or just joyriding, or maybe you're
18:57
sitting at home and you're sitting at home with your
18:58
family. Maybe you've got your computer
19:01
up or your TV is, is, is streaming this.
19:04
I don't know, you know. However, it is, you know.
19:07
This is a story, and I would like for you to put yourself in
19:13
the headspace, in the heart space, in the soul space, to
19:18
hear a story, to hear a saga. So get settled in, get
19:23
comfortable, and listen to me tell you the saga of the Heron
19:30
that flies to hell. On the river stones there lived
19:37
a Heron. He found his home there after
19:40
flying S from his birthplace in the marshlands of the North.
19:46
His family still lived in the North and had very little to do
19:50
with him, so he found comfort in his new home in the South.
19:55
The River Stones was a rather special place.
20:04
Sorry. The River Stones was a rather
20:05
special place, for although it appeared to be the same as any
20:09
other river, it was in fact home to many magical beings and
20:14
spirits, and was the direct path to reach Hell, the realm of the
20:20
dead, where All Souls go to rest.
20:25
The Heron had heard many tales of the road to hell, and in all
20:29
his time spent on the river, he never dared to take the journey.
20:34
It was said that the road was perilous and guarded along the
20:38
way by powerful spirits who ensured that the living never
20:42
made it to the realm. So the Heron enjoyed his time
20:46
among his friends and neighbors, especially the water spirits who
20:51
were short and multi colored with green heads.
20:55
They always made sure that the Heron was guided safely along
20:59
life's paths. One day, the Heron received word
21:05
from the north that his father had fallen ill and would soon be
21:08
joining his own ancestors in the peaceful realm of hell.
21:14
Distraught, the Heron took flight with haste, heading north
21:17
to see his dying father one last time.
21:21
But time was not on the Heron's side, and his father left this
21:26
realm before the Heron could reach him.
21:29
The Heron still made the long journey to his father's
21:32
homeland, but when he arrived, all signs of his father's life
21:37
and memory had been erased from the marsh.
21:41
The Heron returned home to the river stones, mourning his loss
21:46
in silence. A year passed since his father's
21:51
passing, and the Heron was talking to one of the water
21:54
spirits. Did you know you can go visit
21:59
your father? Heron asked.
22:01
The green headed one in hell. Replied the Heron.
22:07
I was told that that is no place for the living, and that should
22:11
one try, the guardians of death will take your life for trying.
22:18
The legends are true, answered the water spirit.
22:22
The road is indeed wrought with danger, and it only becomes more
22:26
so the closer you get to the realm of the dead.
22:30
But one thing the myths do not reveal is that the living can be
22:35
granted entry under certain circumstances.
22:39
I myself have seen it happen, though it's rare.
22:45
The Heron craned his neck in wonderment.
22:48
How can this be? He asked.
22:50
How can I be given such an opportunity?
22:54
The green headed one swam closer to the Heron and spoke in a
22:58
hushed tone. You will need to experience the
23:02
fear of death itself. You will be tested and
23:07
challenged in ways you have never been before.
23:10
If you go in, or if you give in to fear and fall weak, then you
23:16
will join the dead and never return to this realm again.
23:21
The spirit of that realm and the spirits of that realm are very
23:24
powerful, and they rarely suffer the living to pass.
23:29
If you truly wish to fly to hell, you must be ready to face
23:34
forces that you have only heard about in myth and legend.
23:40
The Heron pondered everything the water spirit told him.
23:43
The thought of seeing his father again was something he believed
23:47
to be impossible. The hope of being reunited was
23:52
worth any risk he had to take. I will fly to hell, declared the
23:57
Heron. On the anniversary of my
23:59
father's death, I will embark on this journey.
24:04
The day of the Heron's journey to hell finally dawned.
24:09
As the Heron left his roost to prepare for his long flight,
24:13
several green headed water spirits appeared.
24:17
The Heron was glad to see his friends gather around him and
24:21
see him off. He had never taken such a flight
24:24
before and being in the company of such spirits who helped guide
24:28
him through the life was a welcomed gift.
24:32
It is good that you are here, my friends.
24:34
Croaked the Heron. I feel blessed that you have
24:37
come to wish me well on my journey.
24:41
The water spirits nodded and bowed.
24:44
Not only that, said one of the spirits.
24:46
We are going with you for as far as we are able.
24:50
As you know, the realm you are travelling to is no place for
24:55
the living. We are only able to accompany
24:58
you to the Borderlands of our realm.
25:01
Once you cross the bridge, you will be on your own.
25:06
And so the Heron stretched his wings and leaped into the air to
25:11
begin the long and perilous flight to hell.
25:17
It wasn't long before the Heron reached the outskirts of the
25:19
realm of the living, where he lived and his friends, the Water
25:23
spirits, resided. The Heron descended into the
25:27
water before reaching the bridge, for it was impossible
25:30
for him to fly over it. To the Heron's surprise, the
25:36
waters that he landed in were deep, and he had to swim in
25:40
order to continue on his journey.
25:43
This was a difficult task for the Heron, who was more used to
25:47
waiting in shallow waters. You will soon be alone for the
25:52
rest of your journey Heron. Said the water spirits who
25:55
followed him thus far. You are approaching the bridge
25:58
that separates our realm from the land of the dead, and we
26:02
cannot cross that bridge. As the Heron continued to try
26:07
and stay afloat, he could feel his strength waning, and the
26:12
guardian of of the bridge took advantage of this.
26:17
They attacked the Heron from under the water, grabbing at his
26:20
legs in an attempt to drag him into the dark, watery depths.
26:26
Their voices were like raspy whispers to the Heron.
26:30
You cannot enter this realm, Heron.
26:33
They taunted. You are far too alive to be a
26:37
guest here. We know why you are here, and we
26:41
can take you to your father now if you wish.
26:44
Just stop swimming and let us carry you there to be with him
26:49
forever. The Heron realized that he was
26:53
in a battle for his life, and he beat his mighty wings stronger
26:58
than ever he had before. I will not be taken into your
27:02
watery depths, the Heron bellowed.
27:05
I am the Heron that flies to hell, and you will see that
27:08
while I was not born a swimmer, I have learned this skill from
27:12
my father, who I now go to see. You will grant me passage.
27:18
The guardians of the bridge had not been met with such bravery
27:22
in a long time. Water spirits who accompanied
27:26
the Heron were watching in awe as the Heron swam under the
27:29
bridge and crossed over into the realm of the dead.
27:35
Soon the Heron no longer struggled and was able to stand
27:40
in shallow water and regain his strength.
27:44
The guardians of the bridge were not amused.
27:48
You may have made it under our bridge, but you still have a
27:51
long way to go. Heron screeched the Guardians
27:56
and the road ahead is watched by many spirits who do not suffer
28:00
the living to pass. Your trials are not over yet.
28:07
As the Heron recovered from the battle he just endured, he
28:11
attempted to leap up to fly the rest of the way, but the battle
28:16
had caused the Heron's wings to become waterlogged and he was no
28:19
longer able to take flight his journey but have to continue on
28:24
foot. Take a little sippy sip over
28:29
here with the whistle and I hope you're all enjoying this thus
28:34
far. It'll be more commentary after
28:38
we finish the saga, all right? The Heron walked along and
28:47
looked around at the new sights. He had only ever heard legends
28:51
of hell and what he was now seeing was not like the stories.
28:57
The outer lands of this realm were quiet and not very unlike
29:01
the realm where he lived. He could see and hear distant
29:05
voices and bodies walking around the countryside, although the
29:09
heron's presence there seemed to go unnoticed by the locals.
29:15
He continued on his walk until he reached a place full of
29:18
jagged rocks in a raging waterfall.
29:23
As he got closer to the waterfall, a great and terrible
29:26
voice rumbled from the waters. Halt there, Heron, boomed the
29:32
voice. I am the guardian of the
29:35
waterfall, and I do not suffer the living to pass any further.
29:41
The Heron spread his wings and stood tall.
29:44
You will suffer me, He cried. I am on a journey to hell to see
29:47
my father and I will be granted an audience.
29:52
The guardian laughed and mocked the Heron.
29:55
Do you think you are the first living soul that I have
29:58
encountered who wanted to see their dead loved ones again?
30:02
I have been the guardian of this waterfall since this realm first
30:06
took form. I have kept the passage free of
30:09
trespassers ever since, and I will not be swayed by some twig
30:14
leg stork who misses his daddy. With these hateful words, the
30:19
Guardian attacked the Heron with such speed and force that it
30:22
knocked the Heron off balance, causing him to fall into the
30:26
water. The cold and rough hands of the
30:29
Guardian grasped the Heron tightly and began to drag him
30:33
into the water's icy cold curtain.
30:37
If you missed your father so much, then join him forever.
30:41
The Guardian's voice echoed. It seemed like this was the end
30:45
for the Heron, but he was able to bring his strong and nimble
30:49
legs under him and with a mighty push stood upright to face his
30:54
foe. He spread his wings and arched
31:00
his neck and with a deafening croak said.
31:03
I will not be defeated by your raging current.
31:07
I am the Heron that flies to hell, and you will see that
31:10
while I may not look exceptionally strong, I was
31:13
taught balance and agility by my father, who I now go to see.
31:18
You will grant me passage. The guardian of the waterfall
31:23
had not seen such bravery and determination from a living soul
31:27
in a very long time. You may have survived the teeth
31:31
of my rocky jaws. Heron groaned The Guardian.
31:36
But you have a ways to go before you reach the inner Kingdom of
31:39
Hell. Your path ahead is watched by
31:42
many spirits, and they do not suffer the living to pass.
31:46
Your trials are not over yet. The Heron, now battered and
31:53
bruised from his battle with the Guardian of the Waterfall,
31:57
slowly walked further down the river.
31:59
With each step getting closer to his destination, he tried to
32:04
take flight, but alas, his wings were too sore and waterlogged.
32:10
He would have to continue on foot.
32:14
As the Heron moved along, he noticed the changes of the land
32:18
around him. He saw many huts and homes along
32:22
the banks of the river where the dead resided and carried out
32:25
their daily existence. He was looking for his father
32:30
and saw no sight of him. He could only hope that he would
32:34
find him within the Kingdom of hell soon.
32:38
The air became quiet and still. The sounds that the Heron had
32:45
become used to hearing around him on his journey were suddenly
32:48
silenced. He looked around him and saw
32:52
nothing. Then he shifted his gaze up into
32:56
the tree line, and staring ominously down on him were three
33:01
black figures. They were dressed in long dark
33:05
cloaks which gave the appearance of wings, and the only skin
33:10
visible was their face, which appeared burnt.
33:14
The Heron knew immediately who they were, and he stopped in
33:18
terror. He was in the presence of the
33:21
Guardians of the Dead in all the stories he had heard.
33:26
These guardians were the most dreadful of all the spirits who
33:30
kept watch of the road to hell. It was said that these guardians
33:34
feasted upon the flesh of the living, bringing a slow and
33:38
agonizing end to the poor souls who encountered them.
33:45
We know why you are here, Heron, said one of the Guardians.
33:51
We have received word that you wish to be granted an audience
33:54
with your father. What makes you think you are
33:57
worthy of such a thing? The Herons stood tall and proud
34:02
before the Guardians. I have travelled very far and
34:07
endured many challenges to get here, the Heron croaked.
34:11
I have fought to keep my life every step of the way.
34:15
What is your challenge for me, Guardians?
34:18
I am not afraid to show you the grit underneath my feathers.
34:23
The dark spirit smirked and barely moved.
34:27
We are not blind to your strength and bravery.
34:30
They muttered. Your final challenge will not
34:34
test your strength or agility. One of the Guardians raised its
34:40
arm and pointed down the river. The gates of the Kingdom of Hell
34:46
are just around the corner. You're going in the right
34:49
direction to see your father. We will grant you passage, but
34:54
know this Heron, you will be tested again and it will be a
34:59
test of your heart. The Guardians descended from
35:03
their tree lined perches and soared toward Hell's gates.
35:08
The Heron took a deep breath and followed in the direction they
35:11
went, ready to face whatever challenges came before him.
35:19
As the Heron rounded the corner, a grand and imposing sight
35:22
emerged. The gates of hell rose above the
35:25
river in dark, silver splendor. There was no door or barrier
35:30
stopping him from simply walking through, and for the first time
35:34
in his journey, the Heron felt a sense of accomplishment.
35:40
I feel like I'm about to sneeze. Hold on.
35:49
I'm much better now, thank you, Thank you very much.
35:56
Ah, yes. He felt his first sense of
35:59
accomplishment. He was about to make his way
36:02
into the Kingdom when he heard a voice from the from the far
36:07
shoreline calling out to him. He looked and saw the figures of
36:13
two souls, male and female, with an infant.
36:19
They beckoned for him to come to them and so the Heron paused his
36:23
journey to see what they wanted. Oh, thank you, brave Heron.
36:28
The female soul cried. We have been lost for some time
36:32
now and need a guide to bring us to safety.
36:36
We have heard there is a waterfall somewhere close by,
36:39
can you take us there? The Heron was alarmed at seeing
36:44
this family outside of their homes and asking him for
36:47
directions. If you are looking for the great
36:51
waterfall, you must travel up the river away from Hell's
36:54
Gates. It will take you some time to
36:57
get there, he said. Please, Heron, the male soul
37:02
pleaded. We are lost and tired and have
37:06
no home here yet. We have heard great stories of
37:09
your strength and bravery, and we're hoping that you could
37:12
carry us there. I'm on a journey of my own,
37:17
friends, the Heron said softly. I'm afraid my path is not the
37:22
same as yours, and so I cannot carry you to the great
37:25
waterfalls. Both souls were saddened by the
37:31
Heron's response. We are afraid, Heron, they
37:35
cried. We thought a brave soul such as
37:38
you would help us. I guess we were wrong.
37:44
The Heron stood before the lost souls and felt compassion come
37:48
on his heart. My dear friends, I am the Heron
37:53
that flies to hell, and while I may not appear to be the most
37:57
loving creature, I was taught love and compassion by my father
38:01
who I go now to see. Your journey to the Great
38:05
Waterfalls is your own and I will give you directions to
38:08
ensure you get there safely. Be of good cheer and enjoy the
38:13
journey along the way. You will find peace here and
38:17
your home will be will be ready when you leave the.
38:20
Falls. You belong here now.
38:26
The soul smiled at the heron's words of encouragement.
38:29
You have given us hope, Heron. The couple beamed.
38:32
Thank you. Then they departed from the
38:35
Heron, following his directions to the great waterfalls.
38:40
The Heron turned back to resume his own journey and saw the
38:43
Guardians of Death soar over him into the Kingdom.
38:47
He had endured their test and now took his first steps into
38:52
hell. As the Heron waded through the
38:57
gates, he was amazed by what he saw.
39:00
The landscape reminded him of his home in the northern marsh,
39:04
full of tall and slender grass. Aside from the sounds of the
39:09
wind and the current of the river, all was silent.
39:13
He saw no other signs or souls, nor other signs of souls or
39:18
spirits. Then, as if out of nowhere,
39:23
there appeared a soul with elderly features.
39:26
The form this soul took was that of a human woman with fair skin
39:31
and Gray hair which barely peeked out underneath a knit hat
39:35
on her head. Her eyes were concealed behind
39:39
dark tinted glasses, and as the Heron took notice of her
39:43
presence, she beckoned for him to come to her.
39:47
The Heron did so, and over the river's current, the woman
39:50
spoke. Is it slippery in there?
39:54
She asked. The Heron paused before
39:58
answering, for this was an odd thing to ask of a complete
40:01
stranger. A little, Replied the Heron.
40:05
But nothing too bad that a Heron such as myself can't manage.
40:09
The woman nodded and then asked. Is it cold?
40:15
What a curious thing to ask me, thought the Heron silently to
40:18
himself. Only slightly.
40:21
Nothing that a Heron such as myself can't handle, croaked the
40:25
Heron. The old woman nodded and sat in
40:29
silence. She spoke no more words and gave
40:33
no further attention to the Heron.
40:35
And so he quietly resumed his journey into the center of the
40:39
Kingdom. As he walked, his mind remained
40:44
focused on the encounter with the old human woman.
40:48
Who was she? Why did she only ask him these
40:51
two random questions? The answer to these questions
40:56
tugged at the heron's heart, and he felt the urge to go back and
41:00
talk more with this mysterious figure.
41:03
But when the Heron turned around, there was no more sign
41:06
of the woman anywhere. Onward the Heron fared, taking
41:13
in the sights and sounds of hell.
41:16
It was calm, peaceful, and welcoming.
41:20
The homes of the dead who lived here were positioned all along
41:25
the riverbanks, some of great stature and some of humble
41:29
appearance. It seemed like a lovely place to
41:32
be, especially for a Heron. A sensation of peace swelled in
41:38
Heron's heart as he approached a bend in the river, as if an
41:44
unspoken voice was soothing his weary soul.
41:49
Then, as the Heron rounded the corner, he beheld the most
41:54
welcoming sight of all. There before him, standing on
42:00
the shoreline, was another Heron, almost as if he was
42:05
looking into a mirror and seeing his own reflection.
42:08
The Heron froze and knew immediately that he was in the
42:12
presence of his father. The two stood as still as
42:16
statues, gazing upon one another.
42:20
The Heron's father said nothing, but simply bowed his head toward
42:24
his son. Then, with a graceful leap, the
42:29
Heron's father took flight and soared majestically downriver.
42:35
As the Heron stood in sheer amazement, he was reminded of
42:39
the old woman who met him when he entered the Kingdom.
42:44
The questions she asked were the exact things his father would
42:48
have asked if the story of this journey were told to him.
42:53
The seemingly silly details of how cold the water was and
42:57
whether it was slippery were precisely what the Heron's
43:00
father would want to know about his son's travels.
43:04
It was at this moment that the Heron realized who the old human
43:08
woman was. It was the spirit of his father
43:12
sent to greet him and welcome him into hell, to acknowledge
43:17
his son's bravery, strength, and compassion while flying the road
43:23
to hell. The reason the woman was no
43:27
longer there when the Heron looked back was because his
43:30
father's spirit had to go ahead of his son and meet him at the
43:34
shoreline, showing him the portal back to the land of the
43:38
living. The Heron's father was at peace
43:42
in his new home, living in a position of honor among the
43:45
other souls who reside there. Now, the Heron could return to
43:50
his own home, having endured the trials and challenges of his
43:54
journey. He was worthy to enter the realm
43:58
of the dead and return to the realm of the living safely.
44:03
And so, the Heron stepped out of the river stones and onto the
44:08
shore, immediately being transported back to his own
44:12
familiar surroundings. And that is the saga of the
44:18
Heron that flies to hell and. As he as.
44:28
As as. Doctor Ian Malcolm says in
44:31
Jurassic Park. Well, well, no, there it is.
44:35
That is my saga. That is a part of my saga.
44:39
There are other parts still being written, as a matter of
44:43
fact. And again, I have only told
44:50
this, this story, I would say 2 times.
44:58
Was it two times? Well, yeah, yeah, I would say 2
45:12
times, two proper times. You know, the first time was
45:16
kind of AI hadn't written it down.
45:18
You know, it was all orally. It was, it was, it was told
45:25
orally around the campfire and it wasn't that obviously the
45:28
same version as what you heard here.
45:30
So it was, it was a kind of a just the basic retelling of a of
45:36
a experience that I had had. And then I thought, man, we know
45:40
what what an amazing story this could be.
45:43
You know, this experience that I had to turn it into something
45:49
greater, like turn it into more than just a man that walked down
45:52
the river one day and saw some ducks and this and that, you
45:54
know, actually make it something that is worthy of a saga, you
46:00
know, a story that people would want to hear a a story that
46:04
people would want to tell themselves, Right.
46:06
Hey, have you ever heard of the saga that of the Heron that flow
46:09
flies to hell? No, I don't ever heard of that.
46:11
What is that? Oh, well, wait, wait.
46:12
Do you hear this? Right.
46:13
And they tell it. We can we can do this.
46:19
You can do this, you know, this is how our fair fame and this
46:27
isn't, you know, maybe just an opinion of mine.
46:28
But when, when you hear about, you know, the when in the hover
46:35
mall, you know, it talks about, you know, the, the fair fame of
46:37
those you know, when cattle die, kinsmen die and we ourselves
46:41
will die. But one thing that never dies is
46:43
the fair fame of the one who has earned it.
46:45
Yes, that does mean and like an accumulation of great deeds of
46:48
of, of, of an, of a life lived in honor, doing things of, of,
46:53
of, of that that would earn your renown.
46:56
You know, like your, your, your fair fame, your your reputation.
47:00
This to me is absolutely part of that calculation.
47:07
Like that's part of that thing. Our reputation, our stories, our
47:13
renown, our fame must be. Told otherwise, how can it be?
47:20
How can we be kept alive in this way?
47:22
How can our, how can our fair fame never die unless these
47:25
sagas, these stories kept being told?
47:32
And so for the first time ever, I've told this story now outside
47:38
of just the camp fires, outside of the hearth fires, outside of
47:42
the small intimate settings. And it doesn't exactly.
47:48
It's not the same. It is not the same for me to
47:51
tell it to you here in this way as it would be for me to come to
47:55
your hearth fire or to sit around a campfire or sit around
47:58
in a, in a, in such an environment and tell that story
48:02
myself. I've told it around dining
48:04
tables, you know, and so it is. It is my piece of, of, of, of,
48:14
of an act of, of a thing that I experienced, you know,
48:19
immortalized through story and, and, and it really just calls to
48:24
attention the importance of storytelling that there's,
48:27
there's I'll think a lot if you guys listen back to this
48:30
episode, you know, if you re listen to this or re watch it,
48:36
you know, I'm sure if, if you know, you were given the chance
48:39
to pause or in your drive, you know, hopefully paying attention
48:44
while you're driving. But if you were given a chance
48:45
to really let your mind kind of go into the place that the story
48:52
talks about, you know, this river that is a road, this Heron
48:56
who encounters malicious or malevolent spirits, which is
49:00
really just kennings for the nature, you know, the spirit,
49:06
the guardians of the bridge. Many this is the the the water
49:09
depths, you know the guardians of the waterfall, the way that
49:13
the water rushes and is is the current.
49:17
Takes you off balance, you know? The guardians of the dead with
49:20
their long black cloaks and burnt skin heads, you know, the
49:23
vultures, the buzzards, right? These things of nature that are
49:26
there, right? But it, it tells a story, it
49:28
paints a picture, you know. So maybe when you listen to this
49:33
the first time or you watch this for the first time, you know,
49:35
you were given vision, you were given insight to something that
49:39
you were listening about and you painted your own picture.
49:43
You know, you saw your own thing and you were maybe there with
49:46
the Heron on his journey to hell.
49:49
And you know, as as as if, you know, a bystander or as like,
49:57
you know, a family on the wall is as the saying goes, you know,
49:59
you were you were given this vision, this insight into
50:02
something that nobody else, not many other people have been
50:06
given insight to. You know, this story has only
50:08
been shared up until today with, you know, I can count on on two
50:15
hands the amount of people that I've read this story to and some
50:23
people who have told this story to is like, you know, you need
50:26
to publish that because, you know, I want a copy of this or
50:30
that. And I thought, you know, maybe
50:32
one day. It's not obviously a very long
50:36
story. I mean, we, you can, you can
50:37
tell it, you could learn it, you can tell it, you know, probably
50:42
almost by memory or at least. Close to it, but you could you
50:44
could tell it. You know, in less than an hour
50:47
around a campfire. But I think it's time well
50:50
spent. I think these types of things,
50:52
you know, getting into that headspace, getting into that
50:53
mindset of understanding the importance of stories, right?
50:57
Bring these things to your people, bring these things to
50:59
your community, because it's more than just a story.
51:03
There's a lesson to be taught here, You know, the agility of
51:08
the Heron, the strength of his spirit, the compassion of his.
51:11
Heart all of these things that became a lesson in the Heron's
51:14
journey where things. Learned and taught to him by his
51:18
father, he who he was going to see and the various challenges
51:22
that came up along the way that tried to stop him, that he had
51:26
to fight so vehemently to to to keep from being overwhelmed.
51:33
You know that's life. Life is going to try to drag you
51:39
down into those icy cold depths. You know life is going to try
51:43
and drown you. Life is going to try and scare
51:46
you and dishearten you. And so even though this one
51:52
experience, even though this one moment in my life was meant to
51:58
accomplish that a certain thing, it presented a story to be tell,
52:03
told. It presented a saga to be
52:07
written and hopefully it provided a inspiration for you
52:18
or you or you over there. You know, the quiet one that
52:21
that doesn't say much. You know, sometimes those are
52:25
the best stories to have been ever told or to have ever been
52:28
told are the ones that you know rest in the bosoms of the quiet
52:33
people. You know the silent ones.
52:37
Your story is as shy as you may be, you know, and as timid as
52:45
you may feel. You have a story, you have a
52:49
saga that can help somebody. Sometimes even telling your own
52:55
story can help yourself. You know what I mean?
52:59
Like putting it in such a way and and and reliving that
53:02
experience, you know these. Are these are experiences that
53:06
you had to go through moments in time that you had to experience?
53:09
This was what was woven into your weird.
53:12
Your in a position to now learn something from that and not just
53:19
for yourself but for others. You can share that experience.
53:22
Somebody else might be going through something similar or
53:26
feeling a certain way, and your story helps inspire them and
53:29
keeps them, you know, moving forward, discovering and
53:36
realizing their purpose in life. So as shy or as quiet or as
53:40
timid as you may be, don't forget, right?
53:42
Don't remember, you know, remember, friend, you, you have
53:44
a story. You have a story that can be
53:46
told, you know. So tell it.
53:53
You don't have to get on a podcast to tell your story, but
53:57
tell your story. Tell it to your nearest and
53:59
dearest. Journal it.
54:01
Tell it to a friend, you know, I don't know.
54:04
The next campfire you have, speak it into existence.
54:09
Maybe nobody's there but yourself.
54:10
Maybe you're, maybe you're just sitting at home one day and you
54:14
have a fire, you know, and you don't have any company next to
54:18
you, no physical company that you can see, but you have a
54:21
story, you know, Is it strange for you to sit in solitude with
54:30
that fire and speak your story into existence?
54:32
Is that strange? No, you know, because there's
54:43
magic in our words. You know, we cast spells when we
54:48
speak. That's why it's called spelling,
54:50
right? When we weave these words and
54:57
our world awakens, it's heard. The trees remember.
55:06
The fire remembers, the wind carries those words be present
55:13
in that right take place in the magic around you.
55:17
You know, doesn't have to be a big grand ceremony or or you
55:23
know, an assembly of people to tell.
55:26
Just tell it. Just speak your story.
55:28
Speak your story into existence. Validate it.
55:31
Make it real as. You know.
55:36
As as tough as the story might be, as inspiring as the story
55:40
may be, as traumatic as the story may be.
55:47
It is a story worth telling and that's that's what I want to
55:51
leave you with this week. Remember your story is worth
55:56
telling, and then don't be afraid to tell your story.
55:58
You know, in whatever way. With that being said, if you are
56:02
inspired and you want to. Share your story doesn't even
56:08
have to be a heathen thing because clearly, you know, I
56:09
mean, I may I, you know, I am a heathen, but I wrote this, this
56:12
saga from an experience that I had and I made it my own saga.
56:16
You know, the saga of the Heron that flies to hell.
56:18
Nothing inherently really heathen about that.
56:21
It's definitely not done in the poetic, you know, alliterative
56:25
meter of skaldic poetry, but it is its own saga.
56:29
So regardless of if you're listening to this and you're
56:32
heathen or not, if you would like to tell your story, if you,
56:37
if you. Are at a point where.
56:39
You say, hey, this is I'm inspired.
56:42
I want I want the world to hear it or I want, you know, an
56:45
audience to hear it. Shoot me an e-mail,
56:47
midgardmusingstn@gmail.com. I would love to hear it
56:53
personally. And if we record the episode
56:57
together and you just don't feel right and you don't want it to
56:59
air, that's fine. That's OK, You know, you, you
57:04
don't have to feel pressured into staying committed to that.
57:08
I, I, you know, I want people that want to come on here to
57:12
have their voices heard, be can, you know, strong in their
57:16
convictions and if their story that they want to tell is
57:21
meaningful. And then then let's let's
57:23
commit, let's go through with it, you know, and if at some
57:26
point in time you're just having a thing and you just, you know,
57:30
question it, whatever we can, we can kind of keep it tucked away
57:34
in the archives. We don't have to release it.
57:36
So just for your, you know, assurances, you know, don't feel
57:42
pressured into well, I'd get on the show with Jesse.
57:46
It's it's going to be out in the world and everybody's going to
57:49
know. Another thing is to, you know,
57:50
you don't even have to be on camera.
57:52
You can be anonymous. You can just have your voice,
57:57
you know, you can come on here as, you know, an anonymous
58:00
person. You can come up with a moniker.
58:02
You can use any other sort of, you know, stage name, whatever
58:06
you can, you can be anybody on the show.
58:08
You don't have to reveal your identity.
58:11
If it's a, if it's a, if it's a concern of, you know, your
58:15
safety and and all that. This is, this is a safe place.
58:19
It's you're not required to be on camera.
58:22
You can talk. So as long as you're fine with
58:25
your voice being on the air, your face and your image does
58:28
not have to be, but your story can still be told.
58:31
So I hope that this has given you some inspiration to think
58:36
along these lines, right? Remember the importance of
58:38
storytelling to our heathen ancestors and that this was how
58:42
information was passed, was through story, was through
58:44
songs, through sagas. So man, get out here.
58:49
And also, you know, there's other ways of, of telling your
58:52
story. You can do it through art.
58:55
You can do it through music, right?
58:56
Song, like I just mentioned, paintings, you know, again, art
59:00
is, is, is a umbrella term that could cover many things.
59:04
This is art. I mean, this is this is spoken
59:07
art. This is, this is a show.
59:10
This is a obviously there's some visuals to it, but this is, you
59:13
know, this is subjective. And so people will like this and
59:15
other people won't. This is this is a form of art.
59:20
What we're doing right now on a podcast, but maybe you draw,
59:23
maybe you paint, maybe you sketch, maybe you carve, maybe
59:25
you, maybe you, you know, journal or maybe you write music
59:30
or you play instruments or whatever, right?
59:31
Whatever your story is, if I'm able to help with your story to
59:37
be told, please reach out to me. Would love to hear from you.
59:42
So that's all I've got for this week.
59:45
And I hope that you enjoyed the saga of the Heron that Flies to
59:48
Hell. I did not know that this was
59:52
going to be the podcast for this week.
59:54
I'll just say that in full transparency and honesty.
59:57
When I started this recording today, I did not intend to get
1:00:04
into this. I, you know, I was really didn't
1:00:10
know where it was going to go. I'm like, this is what I want to
1:00:12
talk about, but what can I do to fill up about an hour or so?
1:00:15
And lo and behold. The answer presented itself in a
1:00:20
way that I did not plan for. So sometimes you just run with
1:00:24
it, and we did, and here we are. So thank you all so very much
1:00:29
for tuning into this week's episode.
1:00:31
I hope you enjoyed it. I would really like to hear your
1:00:34
feedback if you can't comment on this wherever you're listening
1:00:38
or watching this on, if you know if you're watching this on
1:00:40
Patreon, you can comment down below.
1:00:41
I would appreciate that if you're listening elsewhere and
1:00:44
the option to comment does not present itself.
1:00:45
I know Spotify does. I'm not sure about the other
1:00:48
audio platforms. Maybe shoot me a message.
1:00:52
You know you can DM me on Instagram or Facebook or e-mail
1:00:55
me isthebestwaymidgardmusingstn@gmail.com.
1:00:59
I would love to hear you from you about just what you thought
1:01:04
of the story, you know, because again, I've, I've only told this
1:01:06
to enough people that I can count on my 2 hands.
1:01:11
So the fact that I did this on the whim and, and shooting from
1:01:14
the hip kind of thing, I'm, I'm, I'm anxious to hear about what
1:01:18
you think. So thank you for listening or
1:01:21
watching or both. Thank you for your support.
1:01:24
Again, if you want to watch these videos, if you're just
1:01:27
listening and you want to become a Patreon Patreon, it's
1:01:29
patreon.com/midgard Musings. The link tree link is also in
1:01:34
the show notes. Follow me on all the socials.
1:01:37
Join me on Patreon. Thank you so very much for your
1:01:40
support. I appreciate all of you,
1:01:42
including the listeners, not just the folks on Patreon, but
1:01:45
you're all rock stars. So thank you for being the
1:01:48
reason why this show exists. All right?
1:01:53
So thank you so much. Until we talk to each other
1:01:55
again, may the gods continue to notice you.
1:01:59
And may your ancestors smile upon you.
1:02:02
We'll see you in the next one.