Walk softly on this earth: The far right, Norse mythology, animism, metal, witches and more with Mathias Nordvig

The Ampersand

On The Ampersand, we take pride in the ground each episode covers. Today's guest, though, sets a high standard for the breadth through which we can meander in 30 minutes. Mathias Nordvig is a teaching professor in the University of Colorado Boulder's Department of German and Slavic Languages and Literatures. He specializes in pre-Christian Nordic mythologies, folklore and Neo-paganism. From the far right's co-opting of Norse iconography and mythology, to Danish summer camps, heavy metal, animistic philosophy, witch hunts, issues of separating wilderness from society and more, a conversation with Mathias is like a grand epic just starting out by the episode's end.

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For more on Mathias Nordvig, check out his podcast, the Sacred Flame.

For more on his research and classes, see Mathias' faculty biography.

Music by Nelson Walker.

Episodes recorded at Interplay Recording in Boulder, CO.

Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.