Tag: underworld

This week we look at the Norse goddess Hel, the daughter of the trickster god Loki, and ruler of the regions under the earth, where most humans went after death. As you might imagine, her name is the root of the modern word Hell, and the connection bet …

The first podcast of 2021 focuses on the loa Maman Brigitte, a hard drinking, sensual spirit that protects the unrepresented dead, and has a very direct relationship to the Irish goddess (and saint) Brigid. Music: Adapted from “Secret Door” by Anastasi …

This week’s episode continues our discussion from last week on the goddess of witchcraft, ghosts, crossroads, and magic. In this episode we look at the chthonic Hecate, as well as the “Hekate Soteria” of the Middle Platonists, looking at the circumstan …

Hecate is the quintessential chthonic deity, as queen of ghosts and witches. But Hecate’s origins and associations are complex; part 1 of a 2-part podcast deals with what we know about her origins as a beneficent goddess associated with protection and …

Greek mythology has a curious number of stories about young girls who kill themselves or are taken away due to sexual transgressions before marriage. We look at these stories, and their possible importance.

Persephone is Queen of the Greek Underworld, and the story of her abduction by Hades and the search for her by her mother Demeter is an important story in Greek mythology–and a myth often pointed to for its portrayal of rape in myth. But there’s more …

We look at Babylonian, Akkadian and Sumerian goddesses of love, war, and the underworld, with a particular look at the ancient story of the Descent of Inanna.