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Norse Mythology Story for Sleep _ Ancient History Story for Sleep _ Visiting a Viking Settlement · Abide Meditation App

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Get Sleepy, the podcast where we listen,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: we relax, and we get sleepy. I'm Thomas, your host.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much for tuning in. Tonight, we'll be traveling
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  Speaker 1: back in time together to witness firsthand a civilization that
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  Speaker 1: left its mark on history. Of all the great societies
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  Speaker 1: of the past, few have a legacy that rivals that
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  Speaker 1: of the ancient Scandinavians. Famed for their skill upon the battlefield,
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  Speaker 1: even today the name of these warriors is synonymous with strength,
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  Speaker 1: courage and resilience. A nation of farmers, they were also
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  Speaker 1: intrepid explorers and traders, travelling to lands around the world.
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  Speaker 1: between the 9th and 11th centuries. Evidence of their settlements
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  Speaker 1: and the rich culture they left behind can be found
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  Speaker 1: from Britain to Russia, North Africa to North America. And soon,
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  Speaker 1: we'll journey into the past and visit a Viking settlement.
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  Speaker 1: But first, let's get cozy in bed. If you haven't
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  Speaker 1: already done so, put any remaining physical distractions to one
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  Speaker 1: side now. And laying in a position that allows you
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  Speaker 1: to breathe deeply and slowly, relax your jaw, relax your shoulders,
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  Speaker 1: relax your legs, and relax any other areas where tension
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  Speaker 1: tends to hang around. Gradually slow your breathing, drawing the
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  Speaker 1: air in and noticing how your chest and stomach expand.
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  Speaker 1: Then gently release the air back out as the weight
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  Speaker 1: of your body sinks into the bed. As you enjoy
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  Speaker 1: this feeling of slowing down, with each in-breath, you draw
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  Speaker 1: in a greater sense of calm and tranquility. And with
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  Speaker 1: the out-breath, you let go of anything disruptive, like tension
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  Speaker 1: in the muscles and busyness in the mind. Breathe in calm.
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  Speaker 1: Release tension and disruption. Feel the softness of the pillow
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  Speaker 1: supporting your head. as you let all the worries and
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  Speaker 1: concerns of the day fade away. There's nothing left to
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  Speaker 1: do now, but follow my voice as we travel to
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  Speaker 1: a great empty hall whose towering ceiling is supported by
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  Speaker 1: sleek marble columns. you walk across the cool marble tiles.
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  Speaker 1: The patter of your footsteps echoes throughout the vast chamber.
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  Speaker 1: Scanning the room as you stroll, you take in the
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  Speaker 1: lofty stone walls and the huge arched windows lining them neatly.
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  Speaker 1: Through these windows comes a gentle white light. which seems
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  Speaker 1: to hang above the door like an ethereal mist. It
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  Speaker 1: beautifully illuminates the tiles underfoot and the patterns of colour
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  Speaker 1: that swirl upon them, and it sheds light on the gold,
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  Speaker 1: bronze and silver picture frames decorating the wall. The frames
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  Speaker 1: hang between the arched windows holding paintings of different shapes
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  Speaker 1: and scenes. One oil painting in particular captures your interest.
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  Speaker 1: It's a rectangular piece hanging midway across the room. Though
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  Speaker 1: it's no bigger than the others nor any more colourful
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  Speaker 1: There's something about it that draws you in. Moving closer,
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  Speaker 1: you see a large room with an open rectangular doorway
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  Speaker 1: as its entrance. Through the door is a sunlit expanse
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  Speaker 1: of green and blue. Within the walls, you see the
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  Speaker 1: painted room is lit with golden candlelight and a great
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  Speaker 1: roaring fire. Positioned around the fireplace is a long U-shaped
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  Speaker 1: table with food of every kind upon its wooden surface.
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  Speaker 1: The rich scene painted upon the canvas depicts a banquet
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  Speaker 1: of some kind, or possibly a celebration. At the table
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  Speaker 1: sit men and women, dressed in a variety of tunics, cloaks,
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  Speaker 1: and armor. You soon recognize them as Vikings. Everyone in
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  Speaker 1: the painting looks happy and at ease. eating, drinking, and
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  Speaker 1: lost in merry conversation. A handful of warriors have their
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  Speaker 1: drinks raised in some kind of celebratory toast. They face
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  Speaker 1: the middle of the table, where a magnificent figure sits,
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  Speaker 1: his arm also raised towards the ceiling. Though he's painted
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  Speaker 1: sitting down, this man is clearly much larger than the
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  Speaker 1: rest of the dinner guests. His clothing seems more elaborate, too,
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  Speaker 1: from the precious rings and bracelets that decorate his arms
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  Speaker 1: and hands to the sumptuous fur cloak that hangs around him.
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  Speaker 1: Everything about him gives the impression of a leader, strong
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  Speaker 1: and powerful, and well-respected. And yet, in the glow of firelight,
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  Speaker 1: there's a softness to his expression that seems peaceful and kind.
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  Speaker 1: You're fascinated by this painting, It's like a window to
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  Speaker 1: the past. Somehow, you feel a connection with the people
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  Speaker 1: depicted here. Though your feet remain planted upon the cool
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  Speaker 1: marble tiles, a relaxing warmth seems to be spreading through
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  Speaker 1: your body as you gaze intently at the artwork. In fact,
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  Speaker 1: the warmth seems to be coming from the painting itself,
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  Speaker 1: as if the canvas were radiating a gentle heat. Leaning in,
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  Speaker 1: you're struck not only by its temperature, but by a
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  Speaker 1: certain smokiness that lingers in the warm air. It's a
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  Speaker 1: deeply heartening scent One that reminds you of sitting around
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  Speaker 1: a campfire with friends and loved ones right beside you.
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  Speaker 1: You relish this scent and the feeling of comfort and connection.
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  Speaker 1: it evokes within. You feel your shoulders dip down as
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  Speaker 1: you inch forwards closer to the artwork and again a
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  Speaker 1: fraction more as you close your eyes foregoing all other
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  Speaker 1: senses but smell. And there, beneath the initial warmth and smokiness,
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  Speaker 1: you discover a whole world of complex aromas. There's freshly
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  Speaker 1: baked bread, a mixture of vegetables and seasonings, and a
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  Speaker 1: range of succulent meats. And beneath that, there's not only food,
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  Speaker 1: but the unmistakable sense of earth and grassland, and the
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  Speaker 1: kind of fresh air that's only found at the water's edge. Intrigued,
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  Speaker 1: you begin to wonder, Whether these aren't the same aromas
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  Speaker 1: you might encounter, were you in the place depicted on
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  Speaker 1: the canvas? Opening your eyes again, you're surprised to see
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  Speaker 1: that the artwork is no longer there in front of you.
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  Speaker 1: Neither is the hall, with its marble columns or massive
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  Speaker 1: arched windows. not even the marble floor that you stood
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  Speaker 1: upon remains. Instead, you find yourself outside beneath the clear
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  Speaker 1: blue sky of a sunny afternoon. Gone is the aroma
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  Speaker 1: of fire and food, but remaining with you still are
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  Speaker 1: the fresh, earthy scents of the countryside, Ahead lies a
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  Speaker 1: smooth and sandy path with vast grassy fields at either side.
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  Speaker 1: It climbs upwards, following a hill that conceals the land behind.
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  Speaker 1: Curiosity builds within you at the sight of this. Looking down,
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  Speaker 1: you see that your feet are now dressed in a
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  Speaker 1: pair of soft leather shoes. You begin to walk. Effortlessly,
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  Speaker 1: you make your way up the sandy path. Soon, you
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  Speaker 1: reach the summit, where the ground flattens out, offering panoramic
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  Speaker 1: views of the surrounding area. Ahead of you, the hill
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  Speaker 1: dips down, forming a long stretch of grassland a mile
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  Speaker 1: or more across. There, you see the thatched roofs of
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  Speaker 1: many barn-like houses, some with smoke rising from their rooftops.
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  Speaker 1: Many of the homes are fenced in at one side,
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  Speaker 1: And even from a distance, you can see why. It's
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  Speaker 1: to keep safe the animals that belong to the residents.
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  Speaker 1: The pigs and cows, goats, sheep, and chickens dotting the grass.
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  Speaker 1: You hear them, too. Their sounds reach you easily. carried
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  Speaker 1: upon the gentle summer breeze. You pause for a moment
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  Speaker 1: to take in all the details of your surroundings. You
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  Speaker 1: hear something that soothes your mind and senses, the delicate
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  Speaker 1: murmur of running water. Casting your eyes over the landscape,
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  Speaker 1: you follow the course of the sandy path as it
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  Speaker 1: runs down the hill, through the center of the settlement.
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  Speaker 1: Two-thirds of the way along, you notice that wooden planks
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  Speaker 1: have been laid out across the path, forming a bridge.
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  Speaker 1: Beneath it is a gentle stream A thin line of
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  Speaker 1: glistening blue, bisecting the path, winding and weaving across the village.
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  Speaker 1: The stream travels from left to right, though where it
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  Speaker 1: ends up, you can't quite be sure. The view to
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  Speaker 1: your far right remains hidden, the fabric has been dyed,
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  Speaker 1: in various earthy shades, and most are tied at the
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  Speaker 1: waist with a belt of linen or silk. Though their
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  Speaker 1: outfits are practical and look quite comfortable to wear, they're
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  Speaker 1: stylish too. Many have decorative brooches and beads fastened to them.
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  Speaker 1: The men are dressed in a similar fashion, though their
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  Speaker 1: shorter tunics reveal long, cloth trousers below. Like the women,
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  Speaker 1: they wear leather shoes, but with long, thick socks pulled
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  Speaker 1: up below their knees. Their belts are mostly leather, and
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  Speaker 1: have useful pouches attached to carry their belongings with them.
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  Speaker 1: Some wear woolen hats and cloaks of animal fur, fastened
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  Speaker 1: at the shoulder with elaborate brooches. Just looking at these
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  Speaker 1: items gives you a feeling of warmth and wonder. You
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  Speaker 1: don't think you've ever seen fabrics so snug and luxurious
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  Speaker 1: as these. You're reminded that the Vikings were as much
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  Speaker 1: a community of farmers and skilled craftsmen as they were explorers, traders,
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  Speaker 1: and conquerors. There are warriors here also, mixed in with
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  Speaker 1: the crowd. They stand out. with their quilted wool coats
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  Speaker 1: worn over their tunics and their metal helmets shimmering in
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  Speaker 1: the firelight. Just as it was upon the canvas, none
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  Speaker 1: draws the eye like the magnificent figure positioned at the
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  Speaker 1: centre of the table. Towering above the other seated guests,
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  Speaker 1: who themselves are considerable in stature, there's an otherworldly quality
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  Speaker 1: about him, as if he's more myth than man. You
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  Speaker 1: find yourself drawn to this great figure, and sit down
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  Speaker 1: at an empty space beside him at the table. Once more,
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  Speaker 1: Your actions go unnoticed, as if those around you neither
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  Speaker 1: see you nor hear you. You take the opportunity to
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  Speaker 1: study this great Viking warrior, scanning your eyes across the rich,
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  Speaker 1: thick expanse of his fur coat. Upon his fingers, are
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  Speaker 1: many different rings, most the same silver as the chainmail
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  Speaker 1: visible beneath his cloak. The cloak itself is held in
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  Speaker 1: place by a single brooch, pinned midway between the neck
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  Speaker 1: and shoulder. It's a stunning design of twisted gold, curling
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  Speaker 1: out in many different directions like the decorative carvings on
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  Speaker 1: the ship anchored nearby.
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  Speaker 2: His thick beard is braided and held with golden rings.
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  Speaker 1: And he wears a necklace too, a large silver pendant
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  Speaker 1: in a special shape. It's the mighty hammer of the
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  Speaker 1: god Thor. a tribute to the one who rides the
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  Speaker 1: sky nightly in his golden chariot and has defeated countless
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  Speaker 1: monsters with his hammer. Son of Odin, king of the gods,
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  Speaker 1: Thor is charged with the protection of humankind. And so
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  Speaker 1: a necklace such as this might well afford its owner
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  Speaker 1: an extra layer of protection in battle. Just as you'd
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  Speaker 1: observed in the painting, this man seems special. A chieftain
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  Speaker 1: or a king. Someone to be respected. And yet, as
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  Speaker 1: you'd noticed earlier, as imposing as he might appear, He
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  Speaker 1: has a calm and soothing presence. He looks wise and peaceful,
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  Speaker 1: as strong in mind as he is in body. You
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  Speaker 1: see kindness in his expression, brought to life in the
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  Speaker 1: glimmer of the nearby fire. The light of the flames
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  Speaker 1: dances upon his face, until it glows almost as brightly
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  Speaker 1: as the brooch of twisted gold. Many of those seated
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  Speaker 1: are talking, laughing, and teasing, or telling great tales in
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  Speaker 1: between mouthfuls of food and drink. This man, however, just eats,
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  Speaker 1: taking bite after bite. from his dinner plate in an
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  Speaker 1: almost meditative manner. Occasionally, he stops to sip from his goblet,
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  Speaker 1: savoring its taste as he stares into the flames. You
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  Speaker 1: cast your eye across the table, examining the contents of
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  Speaker 1: each and every plate. Just as was painted upon the canvas,
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  Speaker 1: you see bread and stew and meats of every kind.
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  Speaker 1: The bread is freshly baked and golden brown. The stew
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  Speaker 1: is brimming with color and filled with vegetables, oats, beans,
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  Speaker 1: and herbs. There's meat and fish that's been roasted dried, pickled, smoked,
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  Speaker 1: and salted. You're wondering whether you should stand up and
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  Speaker 1: taste some of the different foods around the table. But
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  Speaker 1: as fortune would have it, you look down to see
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  Speaker 1: a plate below you piled high with delicacies. Slowly, you
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  Speaker 1: begin to eat, savoring each morsel like the great man
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  Speaker 1: beside you did. It's delicious, tasting even better than it smells.
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  Speaker 1: It's the kind of meal that makes you feel at home,
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  Speaker 1: no matter where you are. there's a goblet filled with
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  Speaker 1: golden liquid placed just within arm's reach. Taking it in
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  Speaker 1: your hand, you rest your gaze upon its surface and
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  Speaker 1: allow its scent to waft towards you. It smells like
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  Speaker 1: honey and barley. You're about to take a sip When
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  Speaker 1: the room grows quiet, those around you have stopped talking
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  Speaker 1: to one another and are instead listening to the great
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  Speaker 1: Viking near you. His tone is lively and inspiring. His voice,
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  Speaker 1: deep and rich. It's like music to your ears. He
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  Speaker 1: holds the attention of all in the room. Though you
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  Speaker 1: can't understand exactly what he's saying, you recognize the names
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  Speaker 1: of Odin and Thor. You wonder if he might be
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  Speaker 1: telling the story of how Odin created the world, forming
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  Speaker 1: Asgard for the gods. and Midgard for the humans, or
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  Speaker 1: a tale about Thor and one of the many battles
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  Speaker 1: he faced and overcame. Perhaps this is a celebration to
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  Speaker 1: honour these gods, or for those gathered here to give
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  Speaker 1: thanks after success in their endeavours. At the end of
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  Speaker 1: his speech, goblets are raised in a kind of celebratory toast.
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  Speaker 1: You follow suit, lifting up your goblet beside this magnificent figure.
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  Speaker 1: Joining countless other voices, you say, Skol, and take a sip.
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  Speaker 1: The liquid's honey sweetness warms you from within. Following the toast,
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  Speaker 1: the room is once again filled with the sounds of
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  Speaker 1: happy voices. Looking around at these people, you're struck by
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  Speaker 1: a realization. Though your own life might seem very different
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  Speaker 1: from theirs, there's also quite a lot you have in common.
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  Speaker 1: They're just people after all, enjoying one another's company at
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  Speaker 1: the end of a long day, basking in the pleasure
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  Speaker 1: of food and friendship. Dressed as you are, seated at
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  Speaker 1: this table, you might easily be mistaken for one of them.
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  Speaker 1: Having finished your meal, you gaze into the fireplace across
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  Speaker 1: from where you sit. You can feel its warmth sending
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  Speaker 1: a tingle across your skin from head to toe. It's
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  Speaker 1: beautiful too. like a piece of art come to life.
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  Speaker 1: Sun-colored flames reach towards the ceiling, and the logs at
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  Speaker 1: the base crackle as they burn. Every so often, a
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  Speaker 1: log is moved or added, sending a flurry of sparks
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  Speaker 1: into the air above. Though these moments are brief, they
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  Speaker 1: are magical to behold. Against the backdrop of the evening,
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  Speaker 1: seen through the doorway, the sparks glow and glitter like
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  Speaker 1: ruby red stars. Then, as quickly as they appear, they
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  Speaker 1: drift upwards, and vanish into the night. It's a wonderful
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  Speaker 1: feeling to be so absorbed in the sights, sounds, and
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  Speaker 1: movements of the fire that your mind empties of all
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  Speaker 1: other thoughts. Rarely have you experienced Such a sense of
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  Speaker 1: presence and stillness of the mind. Cushions have been positioned
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  Speaker 1: around the fireplace, where a man now sits, instrument in hand.
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  Speaker 1: It's a lyre, a beautiful stringed instrument, like a small harp.
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  Speaker 1: From the moment he begins to pluck at the strings,
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  Speaker 1: you feel that familiar pull in the air around you.
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  Speaker 1: You're drawn to this instrument and the wonderful melody it produces.
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  Speaker 1: You stand up and slowly amble around the table, to
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  Speaker 1: the cushions by the fire. You take a seat upon
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  Speaker 1: the woollen pillows and look closely at the instrument being played.
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  Speaker 1: Its wooden base is carved in a series of intricate patterns.
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  Speaker 1: They twist and curl in every direction. like those on
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  Speaker 1: the ship and on the golden brooch. You close your eyes,
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  Speaker 1: leaning back into the cushions, and immerse yourself in the
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  Speaker 1: sound of the music and the quiet hissing and popping
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  Speaker 1: of the fading blaze. the fire is slowly growing dim
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  Speaker 1: beside you. It's cooler than it was, though you can
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  Speaker 1: still feel the warmth of the glowing embers left in
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  Speaker 1: the ash. You've never felt so calm or so aware
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  Speaker 1: of your own body's journey. into relaxation as you do now.
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  Speaker 1: It's as if your mind is watching you from above
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  Speaker 1: as your body rests upon the cushions. And soon you
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  Speaker 1: fall into a deep and peaceful Slamba.
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  Speaker 2: Slamba. you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• 35:51
  Speaker 2: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know Thank you.
• 36:35
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thanks for watching! Thank you for watching. Thank
• 38:12
  Speaker 2: you for watching. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank
• 39:20
  Speaker 2: you for watching. Thank you. Thank you.