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Heathen Folklore - Tales from the Norse Shadows #3
335 Plays26 days ago
The Stonemason's Folly: A Giant's Legacy in the Wall of Asgard.
In this podcast episode, host Ulfhedinn Odinson, pagan poet and Wolven Warrior dramatically retells the Norse myth of the stonemason and the wall of Asgard. Listeners hear how the gods, tricked by a giant in disguise, enlist Loki’s cunning to avoid paying his steep price.
The tale explores themes of pride, deception, and unintended consequences, culminating in Loki’s transformation and the birth of Sleipnir. The episode closes with reflections on the myth’s lasting impact and a hint of future doom for Asgard.
Pour yourself a horn of mead and settle in for a wild ride through ancient myths.
Music by Pillars Of Valhalla (Viking Ethnic) StudioKolomna of Pixabay
Written and Narrated by Richard Chew 2025
Edited and produced by Emma Swailes of The Bell Witch Podcast 2025 https://linktr.ee/friendlygreenwitch
Support the show on Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/c/TheBellWitchPodcast
#gods #heathen #viking #mythsandlegends #folklore #thore #norse #lore #mythology #loki
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Transcript
Introduction to Norse Saga Conclusion
00:00:05
Speaker
Hail and well met. oh fellow veking yeah O O fellow shield maidens, the time is upon us once again.
00:00:16
Speaker
Our quest of wisdom and lore draw nearest its end. The third and final part in our trilogy of tales concluding our epic saga.
00:00:28
Speaker
I thank you for the voyage shared together. Come, enter my hall.
The Tale of the Stonemason and Asgard's Wall
00:00:33
Speaker
Join me at my stead, for the fire is well lit, the mead is bountiful, and the story is about to begin.
00:00:57
Speaker
Today's tale is one of pride and trickery, vengeance and the foreshadowing of destruction. This is the story of the stonemason and the wall of Asgard.
The Mysterious Stranger's Proposal
00:01:12
Speaker
All is well in the realm of Asgard, home of the almighty Aesir gods, nestled peacefully within their halls, feasting Drinking, singing without end, their minds rest her for ease.
00:01:31
Speaker
Free for sordid thought, yes, all is well for now. Then one day a mysterious figure treads lonely into Asgard.
00:01:42
Speaker
Shrouded in an enigmatic visage and bearing no name, brazenly he enters with a mind of intent. Who is this man, you ask?
00:01:55
Speaker
Who could be so bold as to walk into the gods' home without invitation? With their nigh omniscience, the gods quickly became aware of the stranger's presence.
00:02:07
Speaker
The gods spoke. Whoso dares foolishly enter the home of the Aesir, speak, unnamed one. Forgive my intrusion.
00:02:19
Speaker
i bear no ill will and come to you in peace. Peace and a proposal of an agreement, an exchange that will benefit you greatly.
00:02:30
Speaker
The gods scoffed at such an outlandish proposition. What could you possibly offer us?
The Gods' Pride and the Giant's Disguise
00:02:37
Speaker
Apart from insult with such jest, we the most powerful and feared across the nine realms who reside here in our keep of plenty.
00:02:47
Speaker
As great and powerful as the gods were, no being is truly infallible, as pride and ignorance are an impenetrable mist that can blind any soul.
00:03:00
Speaker
The Aesir were unaware the mysterious figure. The one who stood before them was secretly a giant in disguise. Giants who were known as masters of illusion and deception and the mortal enemy of the gods.
00:03:16
Speaker
Continuing his elaborate ruse, the stranger retorted. i am a stonemason, one of unparalleled skill. I am the very last word of my craft.
00:03:30
Speaker
Your home, indeed impressive, but I could not help stop to reflect upon its defensive capabilities. I see no barrier to protect you from the giants.
00:03:42
Speaker
You are at war with them, are you not? I make you a deal on this day. Make use of my knowledge, my skill, and I shall construct for you ah great wall, a tremendous fortification encircling around Asgard, which will protect you from all manner of threat.
00:04:02
Speaker
My service, however, does not come cheap. As payment for your assured protection, i demand but free things. I desire the sun.
00:04:13
Speaker
I desire the moon and I desire your goddess Freya's hand in wedlock. In addition, I require one extra condition. Safe passage within Asgard at all times.
00:04:27
Speaker
The stonemason was all too aware of Thor and his burning hatred of his kind.
Loki's Cunning Plan and the Gods' Agreement
00:04:33
Speaker
Fortunately, the thunder god at this time was kept busy on one of his expeditions.
00:04:39
Speaker
more than likely slaying the Mason's kin in their home of Jotunheimer. There you have it. That is my deal. I am to do this within no more than three seasons.
00:04:51
Speaker
In failing the terms of our agreement, become null and void and you shall have your wall. Do we have an accord? Hmm. You propose quite the bargain, Mason.
00:05:05
Speaker
A moment whilst we consider your offer. The gods assemble in council to discuss the deal. Freya, insulted and seething with rage, spoke.
00:05:18
Speaker
We cannot indulge such tripe, this utter madness. I will not be pawned off into the baying arms of a stranger like some prize-winning sow. He offers insult to the gods, for who even is he anyway?
00:05:33
Speaker
No name, no title, No one to vouch for his reputation. We must rid of him from our grounds without hesitation. Loki, in his never-ending penchant for interference and mischief, sensed great opportunity.
00:05:50
Speaker
We shall agree to the terms of his condition, albeit one change in the deed's small print. He gets only but one season, his time frame reduced to just a single winter.
00:06:05
Speaker
If the wall is to be finished before the first day of summer, his demands will be fulfilled. However, he is to receive not a second's help from another man.
00:06:18
Speaker
If even one stone is yet to be placed by the dawn of the first summer's sun, all reward be forfeit and he fails.
The Rapid Wall Construction
00:06:28
Speaker
The gods, cheered in agreement amidst Freya's reluctance,
00:06:32
Speaker
In that moment, they could all agree that despite Loki's notoriety as an infuriating meddlesome bastard who brought many a great bane upon them, there was indeed a brilliant and cunning mind that lay beneath the rascality.
00:06:49
Speaker
Then the oath was set, a handshake seals the deal. The giant in disguise confidently sets to work with haste. But once again, so the ignorance of the gods,
00:07:02
Speaker
A secret ace laid devilishly hid up his sleeve. They said no man could lend me their aid, but they mentioned Nout above a horse.
00:07:13
Speaker
A horse building a wall?
00:07:16
Speaker
How preposterous! But this was no ordinary nag, but it's a powerful beast of unyielding vigour. His name was Svordilfari.
00:07:29
Speaker
As winter began, so did the pair's impossible task. By night, they hauled stones of sheer size. By day, the mason set them in place.
00:07:40
Speaker
Both worked tirelessly at a miraculous pace, to the amazement of any who would bear witness. As time passed and summer drew ever closer, the gods began to worry.
00:07:52
Speaker
The walls were now so high, they were truly impregnable. Three days remained and only the entrance to this fearsome structure was left for completion.
00:08:03
Speaker
The gods' fear quickly turned to anger as they arranged another meeting of council. This cannot be! What are we to do? We have only three days left and this horson is almost done!
00:08:18
Speaker
the thought of losing not only Freya to ill marriage but also the sun and the moon was too much to bear. Something had to be done.
00:08:30
Speaker
Their anger and frustration soon directed itself in Loki's direction.
Loki's Distraction and the Mason's Failure
00:08:36
Speaker
They declared Loki would meet death if he did not devise a scheme to cause the builder to forfeit his payment.
00:08:44
Speaker
Sheepishly pleading for his life, Loki agreed to put an end to the debacle. But how? There are many ways in which the treacherous trickster could sabotage the oath.
00:08:57
Speaker
sneaking up and murdering the builder. Too simple. Perhaps placing obstacles in their path to slow their progress. Predictable. No, his solution was to be far more unhinged.
00:09:15
Speaker
Putting his shape-shifting prowess to the use, he transformed himself and took on the form of a beautiful mare, a seducing and alluring facade to sway Svard El Fari from his task.
00:09:30
Speaker
Wild and feral with desire, he tore apart his harness in pursuit of the mayor. The mayor fled into the woods with the stallion close behind.
00:09:42
Speaker
The builder became alert to the disturbance and then chased after the two. All night long the three tore through the woods. Unfortunately, the dawn of the first summer's sun began to rise.
00:09:57
Speaker
The wall was incomplete and time had ran out. The great stowmason had failed. Foiled by the trickster god's elaborate ruse, an entire winter of hard labour undone, his reward to be denied by just a single night's work.
00:10:18
Speaker
Sensing the god's treachery, the giant's exploded into a murderous rampage with every intent to smash the wall he had so tirelessly built into pieces.
00:10:31
Speaker
The giant indeed spit venom, a great cascade of verbal abuse came down upon the gods like raining arrows, each making their mark.
00:10:43
Speaker
His spiteful words fell upon deaf ears as the gods rejoiced at their victory. The Aesir could see now the Builder was just a giant in disguise.
Thor's Return and the Giant's Defeat
00:10:56
Speaker
Just moments before the Mason Giant could demolish his own creation and then turn upon the gods, a huge, bulking, fearsome figure could be seen approaching from the mists of the distance.
00:11:11
Speaker
Shit. Thor had returned from his expedition. There is no dishonour in defeat at the hands of the Aesir gods, Master Builder.
00:11:23
Speaker
Or should I say, Jotun. Despite you losing our little wager, you have indeed built for us a magnificent wall. An impressive feat of architectural skill.
00:11:37
Speaker
And for that, we have decided to present you with the reward you so truly deserve. They called upon for to pay the giant.
00:11:48
Speaker
But instead of Freya, the sun and the moon, Thor paid off the giant with a colossal blow from his hammer Mjolnir, shattering the giant's skull into fragments and sending him down to Nithil-Hell.
00:12:04
Speaker
Shit, what's one more giant to add to the list before a glorious feast the now secure halls of Asgard?
00:12:14
Speaker
Such was the end of the Master Stonemason. and how the wall of Asgard came to be. The story, however, doesn't end here though.
The Birth of Sleipnir
00:12:26
Speaker
a number of months had passed before Loki was seen again. His plan to save his own wretched hide did not come without consequence. It would soon be revealed that fowl was growing inside of him.
00:12:41
Speaker
After turning Svadlfari into the woods, Loki would become pregnant. something I imagine which would bring the gods incredible amusement what he would give birth to could either be a monstrous abomination or one of the greatest gifts the gods would ever receive sleep near ah legendary eight-legged steed whose name fought to mend the sliding one reflecting his ability to glide effortlessly across land sea and air
00:13:15
Speaker
Sleipnir would become all Father Odin's most faithful companion, rapidly transporting him all over the Norse cosmos. It was told the God of Gods will ride Sleipnir into the great battle of Ragnarok.
The Wall's Hidden Flaw and Ragnarok
00:13:32
Speaker
And speaking of which, many scholars have speculated that the fallen giant stowemason of this tale held a second unforeseen ace up his sleeve.
00:13:45
Speaker
one which would inevitably sway the turn of Ragnarok against the gods, the very ones who took his life and so many of his kin. An act of ultimate retribution and the true motivation behind the Great Wall itself.
00:14:04
Speaker
A floor was placed inside of the wall, small enough to evade even the ever-present gaze of the Aesir. When the time was right, the floor was to be exploited by none other than the great and powerful fire giant Surtur, lord of the realm of primordial fire, Muspelheim.
00:14:29
Speaker
In a cruel twist of fate and irony, the wall would serve not as the protector, but indeed the destroyer of Asgard. Vindication at last for the endless and relentless persecution the of the giants.
00:14:47
Speaker
The end.
Conclusion and Farewell by Olfadin Odinson
00:14:50
Speaker
And thus our saga concludes. I thank you again all of you for listening. It has been both a bowau for joy and an honour to ramble Skaldic and share with you some of the greatest Norse legends that serve as the backbone, the influence and the inspiration of my heathen faith.
00:15:11
Speaker
I have been your pagan poet Wolven warrior, Olfadin, Odinson. And until we meet again, in Odin's keep, my friends, blessings eternal.
00:15:26
Speaker
Heddebrah! Skar!