The Heathen History Podcast
A look at the modern history of the Heathen movement
The Heathen History Podcast
Show overview
The Heathen History Podcast has been publishing since 2019, and across the 2 years since has built a catalogue of 24 episodes, alongside 2 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 25 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence.
Episodes typically run an hour to ninety minutes — most land between 54 min and 1h 19m — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Religion & Spirituality show.
The catalogue appears to be on hiatus or wound down — the most recent episode landed 5.3 years ago, with no new episodes in over a year. The busiest year was 2020, with 12 episodes published.
From the publisher
Find us on Twitter - @HeathenHistory The Heathen History Podcast takes a deep dive into the modern history of Heathenry, a new religion based on the practices of the pre-Christian Germanic and Norse People. Each episode we will dive into a different person, event, or organization to tell their story and examine how this shaped modern Heathenry. Heathen History is an inclusive podcast.
Latest Episodes
View all 24 episodesS1 Ep 23Episode 23 – Book ’em Dan O (Halloran): Our first Big Name Heathen Politician
Buy Ben’s new book Our Troth: Heathen History today! Dan Halloran was the first public big name Heathen, who served on the New York City Council, a position that is more powerful than many state government jobs. He was also the founder of what was once the largest Theodish groups in North America. What happened […]
S1 Ep 22Episode 22 – Garman Lord and Theodish Belief
Buy Ben’s new book Our Troth: Heathen History today! You may not know the name Thomas Germain. His Wiccan name was Merlin Solomon, but most modern Heathens know him as Garman Lord, founder of Theodish Belief. Join us as we chronicle his journey from Christian to Wiccan to founding one of the earliest Heathen Traditions. […]
S1 Ep 21Episode 21 – LIVE at Frith Forge: A History of Heathenry in Costa Rica with Esteban Sevilla
Buy Ben’s new book Our Troth: Heathen History today! On August 15, Lauren and Ben were joined by Esteban Sevilla of Asociación Ásatrú Yggdrasil de Costa Rica to discuss how Heathenry has grown in Costa Rica since the founding of his group in 2010. What are the challenges of being Heathen in a country where […]
S1 Ep 20Episode 20 – Christopher Columbus, Leif Erickson and the Curious Case of Runestones in Oklahoma and Minnesota
The audio is wonky, and for that we apologize. Buy Ben’s new book Our Troth: Heathen History today! Christopher Columbus was not a good dude, but his “discovery” of America gave millions of Italian and Catholic Americans a homemaking myth to call their own. However, this wasn’t without controversy. The backlash to Columbus lead to […]
S1 Ep 19Episode 19 – Viking Mania in America Part 1
Buy Ben’s new book Our Troth: Heathen History today! Starting in the 1840’s, Viking Mania swept America. Did Leif Erikson really discover Massachusetts? Was a Phonecian Sailor found in New Engalnd? Why did Henry Longfellow decide Native Americans sang the same cadence as Finnish folk songs? And most importantly, what does this all have to […]
S1 Ep 18Episode 18 – A History of Racism in America (Live at Trothmoot 2020)
Ben and Lauren are back from their summer vacation! They are live at Trothmoot 2020 to discuss a frank history of racism in America, and how this racism shaped modern Heathenry, and even Heathenry abroad. They are joined by their good friend and moderator for this session Jan from Gifts of the Wyrd. Check out […]
S1 Ep 17Episode 17 – I’ve got a little Guido Von List
Guido Von List may seem like an obscure Austrian occultist, but his legacy lives on in many aspects of Modern Heathenry, especially for those who practice any kind of Rune lore. Many apologies, but Ben yodels. Sources: Asbjørn Jøn, A. (1999). “‘Skeggøld, Skálmöld; Vindöld, Vergöld’: Alexander Rud Mills and the Ásatrú Faith in the […]
S1 Ep 16Episode 16 – Drunk History – German Naturalism and the early 20th Century
NUDE GERMANS! Lauren is on pain pills, and Ben drinks an entire bottle of wine during this live show where we talk about Germany at the turn of the century.   Douglass, Paul F. God Among the Germans. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1935. Fahrenkrog, Ludwig. Das Deutsche Buch. 3rd ed. Leipzig: Wilhelm Hartung, 1923. […]
S1 Ep 15Episode 15 – German Romantics
The unification of Germany along with the industrial revolution lead to an explosion of interest in German folk tales and mythology. In this episode, we will explore what happened and how it influences modern Heathenry. Spoiler Alert: Horned Helmets.   Arvidsson, Stefan. Aryan Idols: Indo-European Mythology as Ideology and Science. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, […]
S1 Ep 14Episode 14 – British Romantics and the Viking Revival
The British romantic era Viking revival has had a huge influence on not just the Victorian era, but also how VIkings are perceived in modern media. Many of the beliefs of the earliest Heathen organizations can be directly traced to this – but how correct were they? Deep dive into what drove Norsemania in the […]
S1 Ep 13Episode 13 – Proto-Indo-European People and Language Part 2
How about a second helping of PIE? Ben and Lauren continue their talk, and get into Marija Gimbutas and her theories on Old Europe and the patriarchy, as well as how all of these ideas influenced later racist Germanic thought. Sources: Anthony, David W. The Horse, The Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the […]
Ep 12Episode 12 – Proto-Indo-European People and Language Part 1
Who wants some PIE? Welcome to part one of our two part series Proto-Indo-European language and people. Who were they? Where did they originate? And why is Ben talking about sheep and horses? Sources: Anthony, David W. The Horse, The Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World. Princeton, […]
Ep 11Episode 11 – The German Reformation
What does the German Reformation have to do with Heathenry? Lauren will ask Ben this very question in this episode, but just know it all leads to Tacitus’ Germania. Plus, Ben’s bad handwriting leads to some wacky hi jinks on this episode of the Heathen History Podcast! Sources Kelley, Donald R. “Tacitus noster: The Germania […]
S1 Ep 10Episode 10 – The Odenic Rite
The Odenic Rite is one of the oldest Norse Pagan organizations in Britain. In this installment, we will be talking about the origins of the organization and their founder, John Yeowell.   Harvey, Graham. “Heathenism: a North European Pagan tradition.” Graham Harvey and Charlotte Hardman, eds. Paganism Today. London: Thorsons, 1995. Pp. 49–64. Heimgest DCG. […]
S1 Ep 9Episode 9: A Brief History of Wicca Part 2
This week we are finishing our series on Wicca! Why Wicca? Because no matter how you slice it, Wicca is the single most influential modern Pagan religion. Many early Heathen practices were very influenced by Wicca. Join us as we talk about Gerald Gardener, Alex Sanders, and the influence on Wicca in early Heathenry Mathiesen, […]
S1 Ep 8Episode 8: A Brief History of Wicca, part 1
This week we are talking Wicca! Why Wicca? Because no matter how you slice it, Wicca is the single most influential modern Pagan religion. Many early Heathen practices were very influenced by Wicca. Join us as we talk about why Wicca was so influential, and how this religion came into being. We will be discussing […]
S1 Ep 7Episode 7: Steve McNallen and the Asatru Folk Assembly
This week we will be talking about the Asatru Folk Assembly and Steve McNallen’s later life, including his work for Soldier of Fortune and his Kennewick Man lawsuit. Sources “Asatru Sect Honors Kennewick Man.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, August 28, 1997, p. 1. Edred Thorsson. History of the Rune-Gild. The Reawakening of the Gild, 1980-2018. North […]
S1 Ep 6Episode 6: The Early History of the Troth LIVE! at Trothmoot 2019 Part 2
Please enjoy part two of our very first live episode at Trothmoot at beautiful Fort Flagler State Park in Washington! Ben and Lauren are joined by Diana Paxson and Melodi Grundy, two long time Troth members, for their recollections about Heathenry in the 90’s, the SCA, and the formation of The Troth. No real sources […]
S1 Ep 5Episode 5: The Early History of the Troth LIVE! at Trothmoot 2019
It’s our very first live episode at Trothmoot at beautiful Fort Flagler State Park in Washington! Ben and Lauren are joined by Diana Paxson and Melodi Grundy, two long time Troth members, for their recollections about Heathenry in the 90’s, the SCA, and the formation of The Troth. No real sources this week, except our […]
S1 Ep 4Episode 4: Steve McNallen, the Viking Brotherhood and the Asatru Free Assembly
In episode 4, we dive into one of the most interesting and influential people in modern Heathenry – Steve McNallen. Sources “Asatru Sect Honors Kennewick Man.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, August 28, 1997, p. 1. Edred Thorsson. History of the Rune-Gild. The Reawakening of the Gild, 1980-2018. North Augusta, S. C.: Arcana Europa, 2018. Harden, Doyle. […]