The Sacred Flame

Gefion the Goddess of the Meadows: Witches and the Spectacle of Modern Life

December 16, 2023 Mathias Nordvig Season 1 Episode 10
Gefion the Goddess of the Meadows: Witches and the Spectacle of Modern Life
The Sacred Flame
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The Sacred Flame
Gefion the Goddess of the Meadows: Witches and the Spectacle of Modern Life
Dec 16, 2023 Season 1 Episode 10
Mathias Nordvig

This episode begins with the story about Gefion who created the island of Sjalland. I examine the story of her meeting with Gylfi in the form that it is represented by Snorri Sturluson in Edda. After that, I take a dive into the witch craze of the early modern period and discuss its impact on European-western societies, what role it actually played in social life, and how a goddess of the meadows was turned into a witch. I extrapolate some ideas from that, which hint at how we've created a society of the spectacle, a society where human life is framed, encased, and reduced to representations in the tiny boxes that we keep in our pockets, our phones.

Show Notes

This episode begins with the story about Gefion who created the island of Sjalland. I examine the story of her meeting with Gylfi in the form that it is represented by Snorri Sturluson in Edda. After that, I take a dive into the witch craze of the early modern period and discuss its impact on European-western societies, what role it actually played in social life, and how a goddess of the meadows was turned into a witch. I extrapolate some ideas from that, which hint at how we've created a society of the spectacle, a society where human life is framed, encased, and reduced to representations in the tiny boxes that we keep in our pockets, our phones.