Pod Insights Myths and Legends 421: Viking Legends: Famous About this episode 🔥All the Viking warriors' hearts burn with love for Nítíða🔥And also the rest of them is on fire as well because that's what happens when you try to kidnap a maiden-king.
😈 The Creatures: Henkie
The henkie is dancing with itself. When it's not watching you sleep, that is.
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🎵 Music Credits
"A Certain Lightness" by Blue Dot Sessions
"Blue Straggler" by Blue Dot Sessions
"Dolomite" by Blue Dot Sessions
"Obelisk Stands Silent" by Blue Dot Sessions
"Quarry Callis" by Blue Dot Sessions
Transcript 0:00 Speaker 00 This week on Myths and Legends, we'll meet the maiden king who doesn't want to get married. Well, she's not opposed to marrying if literally all the princes she ever came into contact with would just stop trying to kidnap her or burn down her house. And we'll see that all you need in order to take control of your life are magical seeing stones that also give you superpowers. The creature this week is why you should never practice a musical instrument ever again, because the monster that watches you sleep might make you play for them.
0:37 Speaker 00 This is Myths and Legends, episode 421, Famous.
0:46 Speaker 00 This is a podcast where we tell stories from mythology and folklore. Some are incredibly popular tales you might think you know, but with surprising origins. Others are stories that might be new to you, but are definitely worth a listen. Today's story is an interesting one. It's an Icelandic tale, but it was written much later than the usual ones we tell, around the 1300s. Also, its protagonist is not Icelandic or even Scandinavian, as far as I can tell. She's French. She's the maiden king of Paris. Maiden king being a term from Scandinavian legend for a woman who rules intentionally without a male counterpart, and thus is a sole, powerful ruler of her own lands. France and the Vikings have a complicated and intertwined history,
1:30 Speaker 00 but this story really isn't concerned with all that. We're in the Viking Age, in that the Vikings are still raiding and the Byzantine Empire is a strong force in the East, but those are really the only historical clues. We'll jump in with Nythitha and her foster brother, Liaskiölther, sailing to a magical island.
2:00 Speaker 00 So, it's been a while since we've hung out. You're like, really smart, right? The eschylether said to his foster sister, Natitha. Well, Socrates would say that anyone intelligent knows that they are nothing, and the smarter you are, the more humbling it should be because you're more aware of what you don't know. Natitha said as she took a deep breath of the cold sea air as they approached. Okay, anytime you respond to the question, "Are you smart?", with a quote from Socrates, the answer is yes. You can just say yes. The foster brother wrapped his cloak around himself tighter. He had heard that she was a person who knew 10 answers to a question when the most learned only knew one.
2:41 Speaker 00 They had been raised in the same house, but she was the daughter of the King of France and had become queen when her father died, ruling from Paris. But she didn't prefer the title of queen. She preferred maiden king. She stood there on the deck, her crown sporting four pillars, which held an eagle holding a hawk with its wings outstretched to block the sun on her face. Her hair fell to the ground around her. "Hey, I haven't seen you in a few years," the eschylether said, and he squinted to see the coastline. "Your, your hair, is that annoying? Do you ever step on it by accident?" "So, it's work, but I have a bunch of ladies for that," Natitha replied. "The most annoying thing is when I crouch and I move and I stand up and it jerks my head back.
3:25 Speaker 00 I mainly just don't crouch anymore now. It's a power move. I make the nobles I'm with do it. They hate it, but if I didn't make them do it, they'd rise up against me. It's a whole thing." "Oh, almost there," Natitha pointed, before calling out to her soldiers to strike the sails. "Yeah, why are we going to this island, quote, 'beyond Sweden, close to the North Pole'?" The eschylether was really trying to keep it together on deck and look cool before his tough-as-nails maiden king sister, but it was getting too cold out here to look cool. "Visio," Natitha said, not losing sight of the island. "Once we're there, we need to move quickly." Is it... Dangerous? Liaskielther looked to his sister.
4:10 Speaker 00 For an island full of magical items and fruit? Surprisingly, no, Natitha said. Liaskielther breathed. Oof, alright. The guy who owns it, though, not someone I wanna cross. Not until we get those magical items, at least, Natitha said, and ordered her sailors onward.
4:39 Speaker 00 Natitha found the island, in the middle of the island. A rock with some grass and a few fruit trees, and a stairway that seemed to descend, somehow, into the lake. Beneath was a lighted cavern and a boat. It didn't look too seaworthy, though, because not only was it made of stone, but it was full of water. Natitha wasn't after the boat, but the stones on the corners. They were shining and seemed to have a light unto themselves. They were seeing stones, one at each corner. Walking along the edges of the boat, she looked into each one. She saw the princes and kings, queens and maidens, births and celebrations, assassins and dirges, monsters in the deep and in the sky.
5:23 Speaker 00 She saw everything, and at each corner, she stopped and plopped a stone, about the size of a baseball, into her bag. Alright, she took a deep breath, turning with a nod to her soldiers, who had cleared out the fruit trees. "We have ten minutes to get to the boats," Natitha said, "before he gets here." They had seven minutes, it turned out, but Natitha had prepared for six, so they shot past Earl Vergilius's ships just before he closed off the cove. And shields flew to Natitha and her brother, cocooning them, so the arrows thudded into the wood and not their flesh. "He's too fast," Liaskielther said, turning to face Natitha, who was sitting, looking
6:07 Speaker 00 into the stones one by one. "Oh, is that how it's gonna be now? I'm trying to have a conversation and you're just sitting there on your stone?" Liaskielther said, but Natitha ignored him. "Oh, he'll catch up, for sure," she said, and waved the stone first over herself and then her brother. The soldiers abandoned their oars and lined up, just as they had been trained. And Natitha ran along them, waving the stone above their heads. At the last one, she spun and watched the ships of Earl Virgilius. Shouldn't we be moving? Liaskiether was getting more antsy. He'll hear, Natitha whispered. That's literally the last thing I'm worried about.
6:47 Speaker 00 Liaskiether informed his sister, matching her whisper for reasons he didn't fully understand. She put a finger to her lips and watched. Liaskiether was a bit confused at first, when arrows from the now in-range ship didn't find the deck around him, or him. And he followed his sister's gaze to the approaching ships. And soon, the approaching ships were passing ships. They can't see us, he whispered. But his sister was distracted. She was watching the man commanding the other ship squinting on the horizon. She was, seemed, quite focused. Liaskiether smiled when Natitha was able to tear her glance away and read the meaning
7:31 Speaker 00 of her foster brother's face. Wouldn't want to cross paths with him. I think you do want to cross paths with him. I think you want to cross more than paths. Liaskiether chided. Rolling her eyes and giving him a shove that bordered on painful, Natitha said gross. She whispered her order to her soldiers, and they made for home.
8:01 Speaker 00 So, I noticed your raiding ships sailing up the Seine to my city, Natitha, the maiden king, said six months later to the young man about her age, who she invited to come meet with her. Hard not to notice them, am I right? Ingy winked. Let's cut to the chase because I, for one, cannot handle the tension between us. I know who you are, and you definitely know who I am, so let's just get this going, right? Who are you? Natitha asked. Ingy laughed. Wait, seriously? He was the son of Hugon, who ruled over Constantinople. Ingy had come to, well, you know. I really don't, Natitha sighed. Came to make you my wife, babe.
8:46 Speaker 00 Ingy laughed that it wasn't a moment too soon, either. If she was this slow to pick up what he was putting down, then she should be grateful that there was a man here now to rule. It was a wonder she made it this far. Oh, good. So you rule, then? Well, I will. I'll rule the whole Eastern Empire one day, and it could all be part yours, as much as I want to give you. Wink. Ingi grinned. "One day," Natitha said, sitting back in her chair. That's what she was kind of hung up on. The thing about one day is that it didn't exist. Might never exist. She wasn't interested in
9:25 Speaker 00 promises, only realities. So he had no holdings, then? "I have a duchy," Ingi shifted in his chair. Aw, that's cute. And if my understanding of Byzantine politics and inheritances is up to date, that's more of a military command given to you by daddy that can be revoked at any time, and not actual holdings, right? There was no response from Ingi. "I have seven duchies," Natitha, the maiden king, said. "But real ones. Compared to all my holdings, and the dukes and kings who answer to me, your little charity command seems a little small, doesn't it?" Natitha rose.
10:09 Speaker 00 "He could go back to his ships now. Her armada would escort him safely to the sea. Of course, he could do whatever he wanted, but she didn't advise going further down the Seine. Might not be safe for him." "I'll have you know that I have a reputation, too," Ingi stood. "When I raid, I kill robbers and Vikings, but let peaceful people pass in safety." Ingi's voice cracked as Liaskiölther and a group of burly armed guards helped him from the room. "Well, that's real heroic of you. Not killing defenseless travelers. Your medal's in the mail." Natitha turned and strode away. "You didn't have to humiliate him," Liaskiölther said a couple hours later, after it was confirmed
10:53 Speaker 00 the ships were heading back down the Seine and toward the sea. Yeah, no, it was just fun, Natitha said. It didn't matter. It would have ended the same way. An ego that fragile was always on the verge of shattering, and any rejection would do it. Oh, well, that was Ingy, and it definitely wasn't the last they'd see of him. Who do they think will be coming next? Leeskielther took a deep breath and unrolled the scroll. The long one that held the names of the men who would likely come seeking his foster sister's hand. He read the highlighted ones only. Well, you have Logi, Bellogi, and Hetherlogi, sons of Soldan of Circland. Sorry, don't mean to spit so much, it's just a very tough sentence, Leeskielther said.
11:38 Speaker 00 Natitha wiped her eyes. Natitha wiped her eyes. Circland, where is that again? It's an old Norse word, meaning land of the circier. So think the caliphate or the lands of the Middle East. Hetherlogi is the one to watch out for. He had long, thin cheeks and a crooked, twitchy mouth. No sorcery and witchcraft. The other two brothers are respectable, though. They plunder all summer long. All right, who else? Oh, there's Blblarnius, King of India. His son is Laforius. He's handsome, a strong and adept warrior, likes reading, shooting, and fencing, and, quote, "was good at board games." Kind of a unicorn. Hard to
12:20 Speaker 00 find all those in one guy. Which must be why no woman has any peace from him, and he doesn't stay with princesses longer than a month, Natitha pointed out. Leeskielther squinted. Oh, it, hm, yeah, it did say that. Well, you never know. Maybe she would be the one to change him. At this, Natitha laughed.
12:56 Speaker 00 King Ingy's skin crawled as he sat sullen in the back of his boat. His men were confused. He never returned without his plunder, but he had hardly said a word since leaving Paris. They couldn't stand against Natitha's forces, everyone could see that, so they all quietly made their way back home, sailing toward Byzantium. With the thought of not getting what he wanted the moment he wanted it, Ingy felt another cry coming on. And he didn't have the cover of the rain, and could only dunk his head so many times off the moving boat and whale into the waves before he roused suspicion. "Island, we're gonna, we're gonna stop at that island," he pointed. They could all, I dunno, cook dinner and drink and yell on the beach and stuff and
13:41 Speaker 00 not bother him alone in the woods. If they, you know, if they heard someone crying real loud and screaming out Natitha's name, it was a cryptid, and he was fighting it, don't come help. Sand and rocks scraped the bottom of the boat as the men pulled it ashore, with Ingy scrambling out with an urgency reserved for bathroom emergencies or especially bad cry stops. "The boss is real sad about this one," one of the raiders shook his head. "Wish he could just let it go. Hey, love answers to no law but its own, and the heart follows its own stars, brother." One of the raiders laid a rough hand on his shoulder with a squeeze. "Yeah, too true." The first raider nodded. "Too true."
14:25 Speaker 00 It wasn't ten minutes later, though, that they heard the boss, Ingy, call out with a voice that seemed to emanate from a grin, that they were to pack up, they were heading back to Paris. "Oh my gosh, what's that smell?" One of the raiders retched and almost lost most of his seagull jerky. "That smell is my new wizard friend." Ingy grinned. "Foxstone." The quote "large and old man behind him, brandishing yellow-green teeth" as he called out, waved his tattered, stained cloak.
14:58 Speaker 00 It was kismet. Ingy was crying in the woods, and who should happen upon him but an obvious wizard? Ingy asked him if he was a wizard, saying that if he could get Ingy the Hand of Natitha, the maiden king in Paris, he would give the wizard a golden ring and twenty elves, about seventy-five feet or twenty-three meters of red scarlet. Foxstone said, and this is a direct quote from one translation, "I don't suppose that I lack sorcery and spellcraft and wizardry compared with anyone else, whatever needs to be done. I will point out that I and anyone else can probably say that truthfully." This was, however, a confirmation to Ingy that this was his guy.
15:43 Speaker 00 "Foxstone!" Foxstone cried out, and Ingy directed him back to the ships.
16:02 Speaker 00 Foxstone and Ingy managed to slip inside. "The Île de l'Isite, the island on the Seine that comprises the heart of Viking Age Paris", and made their way to "le Palais de l'Isite". "Here is where you need to disappear, my friend," Foxstone said, before throwing a blanket over Ingy. "Oh, my gosh, it smells so bad," Ingy said, gagging. "Those are my secret herbs and spices that make it work. Also, my sick cat used to sleep on it." "No!" Foxstone blurted out. He removed the cloak from the prince. "It wasn't working. What's the matter?" Ingy began to feel another tantrum coming on. "Do you have silver?" Foxstone asked. Ingy produced his purse, yes, a lot of it.
16:45 Speaker 00 Silver and gold, he was basically a king. "Ah, okay, that's the problem here. I'll hold those," Foxstone said, taking the purse and throwing the cloak around Ingy. He gasped again. "Ingy, Ingy, whisper to me. I need to keep a hold of you, Ingy, or else I'll lose you, for it worked." Ingy celebrated and walked with a blanket over his head, invisible, being led by his wizard friend. There were a few times Ingy thought he heard Foxstone talking to someone, and the jingling of coins followed by the opening of doors. And Ingy almost said something. But then he heard the voice of the woman he had loved all of his life since he learned she existed a week ago. "Lea Skeelther, what is that horrid smell?
17:30 Speaker 00 I know this is the Middle Ages and there are a lot of horrid smells, but that one is so bad. It's like a dead skunk that's been marinated in spoiled milk." Ingi allowed himself a peek. "Just as a balm for his wounded heart." And lifted the cloak in time to see Foxstone call out "gag of silence" and "invisibility bag" as he snuck up behind the maiden king, gagged her, and threw her in a similarly stained and stinky sack.
18:07 Speaker 00 We'll see the epic, magical getaway, but that will be right after this. For everyone talks about how challenging it is to raise kids, but what about protecting them? Outlet covers, kitchen cabinet locks, baby gates? Where do you even start? Well, protecting your home and auto is a great place to start. Progressive offers customized coverage options so you can be sure you have the right coverage for you and your loved ones. They're basically the outlet covers, kitchen cabinet locks, and baby gates of insurance. Don't wait. Get your quote today at progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, affiliates and other insurers. Not available in all states.
18:48 Speaker 01 Hey, it's Niall Rogers, host of Before the Moment, a Lincoln original series. I'm driving across the country, meeting some of today's most fascinating artists. We're exploring the stories before the moment that changed everything. This week, I'm joined by my friend, John Ledger. What still makes you just sit down at the piano?
19:11 Speaker 02 If you sat down at 9:00 a.m. and then at noon, you had a full song that you recorded and putting your voice recorder or you recorded at your studio, you just created something brand new that didn't exist when you woke up. What a beautiful feeling it is. I'm always excited to write something new. I've been writing for broad Which has been a new challenge with new collaborators and these amazing performers who are triple threads who can sing and dance and act and do all these amazing things. And I want to keep feeling that. And so that means not resting on my laurels, going out there and continuing to create something new.
19:46 Speaker 01 Experience before the moment. A Lincoln original series on the iHeart Radio app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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20:46 Speaker 00 For three people with invisibility, they sure did a lot of running. They apparently got lucky, and the guards were not at their posts on the way out. And the alarm only went up when the trio was off the island and slipping away into the night. It was all show. I knew it. Ingy grinned as, making his way back to Constantinople, he paid Stone Fox in gold and way too much scarlet. She had been docile the whole way, and even a little nice to him, obviously afraid. She sure could bark orders and make fun of his tiny holdings from the safety of her throne, but she was no different from anyone else once pulled out into the world. But he got her. And everyone would respect him and not make fun of him at prince parties and his dad would
21:30 Speaker 00 finally pay attention to him and like him. Stone Fox thought that there was a lot to unpack there, but took his payment and told Ingi to be careful around this Natitha. He was a solid trickster himself and let me tell you, game recognize game. What do you mean? You've always been forthright with me. What do you mean? Oh, oh, Stone Fox, thinking yourself a trickster. Ingi laughed. That's cute. You couldn't be a trickster if you wanted to. Ingi laughed. Hmm. Yes. Stone Fox smiled, took all of his ill-gotten gains and left. As well as Natitha got on with Ingi, she was even nicer to all the ladies maids and least of all Ingi's sister.
22:13 Speaker 00 All the women who were responsible for getting her ready for her wedding and also searching her person. Natitha was such a sweetheart that they let her get ready on her own as they walked to the beautiful, tasteful outdoor wedding on a spring night in Turkey. Natitha stopped. The rest of the women stopped with her and Ingi looked on from the altar. Natitha turned to face the crowd. Her life had taken an unexpected turn, but such were the ways of people. Still, now she was marrying this grand prince and she couldn't be more grateful. It's said all of our destinies are written in the stars and she knows that if she had
22:53 Speaker 00 just looked up more, she would have seen hers and not fought it. At this, she looked up to the stars and instinctually, the crowd and prince did as well. When they looked back, she had vanished. Holding the stone above her head, she slipped away from the wedding without a noise and found her way down to the docks where, still keeping the magic stone over her head, she changed clothes, took out a long-term loan with generous repayment options from a local merchant and paid for passage on a ship that was leaving that night. The alarm only went up when she was sailing from Constantinople.
23:39 Speaker 00 Nice of you to come back. Leeskielther chided his foster sister a week later when he found her sitting in her quarters, like she hadn't disappeared without a trace nearly a fortnight ago. That's why you're here, to cover for me. Her face was aglow as she looked in her stone. Oh, to cover for you. Well, you do what exactly? Oh, not much. Just got kidnapped and taken across Europe, escaped, and returned without anyone here knowing. Natitha scrolled through the princes. Man, she really kicked a beehive of these self-entitled dorks by existing. She didn't dare try to mock him to his face. She knew that she needed to get out of there, but she was glad to be able to trash Ingy's reputation as she sailed home.
24:22 Speaker 00 And her legend, that he had tried to take her by force but failed, outpaced her back to Paris. The problem was that her existing and trying to live a life of her own made these guys all the more crazy for her. Ingy was the biggest problem. He was coming back. Good thing she could watch him through the stone. He was on an island, one with another fox-themed wizard con man. This one was called Sly Fox. I don't have context for this. Who's Foxmen? Leeskielther was lost. Yeah, we don't have time to fill you in. Because we're doing makeovers! Natitha stood. Aw, yeah! Leeskielther clapped. Not for you. Natitha scowled. Aw.
25:07 Speaker 00 Yeah, I need you to go, huh, purchase an enslaved woman for me. Natitha wrinkled her nose. You're the boss, but I don't like where this is going. Leeskielther grimaced. Oh, do not worry about this part. It's gonna get way worse. Natitha said, and started filling her brother in on what needed to happen.
25:45 Speaker 00 "It's like looking in a mirror," Li Aschelther said. "But Amir, you're standing next to because I can see two of you, because she looks just like you," Li Aschelther clarified to some extent when he explained his sister, Natitha, and the enslaved woman he had bought, the one that looked just like her, when dressed like her. And, look, the story so far, pretty progressive. A ruler who's a woman has complete agency over her life and is finding ways to outwit male suitors, aka kidnappers? That's a breath of fresh air. It is still a tale from European folklore, and their values are, let's say, different from ours.
26:27 Speaker 00 Unless you think it's an okay and good thing that a woman is enslaved and then left as bait for kidnappers, who then take her, assault her, and then leave her ashamed and destitute in a faraway land. If that's the case, you've really made it a long way into this podcast without writing me an email telling me how terrible I am for thinking humans should be decent to one another. But yeah, in some ways, it's refreshing that a main character who is a woman in Viking Legends can also make reprehensible, self-serving choices as well. And that's essentially what happened. Natitha watched a live feed of Ingy and Sly Fox slipping into the palace, all Ocarina of Time-style, where the guards follow predictable patterns with plenty of gaps, and the woman, who looked just like Natitha when she was dressed up, was kidnapped.
27:12 Speaker 00 She made it back to Constantinople before they figured it out, mainly because the magic apples Natitha had taken from the island, when she got the stones, made it so you couldn't speak for a month if you took a single bite. Aversa's fate is sadly left unknown, but Ingy's reputation was further soiled by his inability to kidnap a woman and force her to be his wife. Well, his inability to kidnap the right woman, it seems.
27:39 Speaker 00 I don't feel good about this, Leeskielther said. You know what else doesn't feel good? The sacking of our city. Natitha looked up from her stone. That's a hard right into a completely different off-road. Leeskielther wanted to talk through and maybe try to help Iversa. But Natitha held up the stone. Oh, it was an invincible army marching from Circland, the Middle East, led by Hrytherlogi, the crafty wizard brother, and Velogi, the more respectable but not so respectable that he won't pillage and kidnap brother. Leeskielther shook his head. Okay, we're gonna talk about Iversa, but that requires not dying long enough to do so. How are we gonna beat this?
28:35 Speaker 00 The answer to how they were gonna beat this was the answer to so many things in life. A thick glass dome a bunch of soldiers could stand on, and a spiky pit dug directly into the main floor of the house. When the brothers arrived in France, they said, quite literally, "Nice kingdom you have here. Would be a shame if two brothers named Velogi and Hrytherlogi were to pillage it up unless you marry one of us." "You probably mean my sister," Leeskielther clarified and continued, saying that the maiden king was wise and could see that there was no way she would be able to stand against their invincible armies. Since it was late, she set up camps for them. One would be over by the plain, one by the river, on either side of the city.
29:18 Speaker 00 Natitha, the maiden king, had spotted a glaring weakness in their invincible army that had come to take her captive. There were two leaders. And while they were brothers, they were still people. And the type of man who would come to the city to ransack it and take its ruler as his unwilling bride, let's just say he might not have the strongest and straightest moral compass and could probably be inclined to betray his brother and take the advantage, should one present itself. "Just between us, she totally wants to marry you," Leeskielther told Vlogi that night, presenting the advantage, "on account of you not being a gross magician. And she wants you to meet her in the early hours of the morning to negotiate her surrender,
30:02 Speaker 00 so she can cement things with you before Hreither Vlogi even wakes." Vlogi was down for that and quietly organized a 4:30 wake-up call for 1,000 men to march into the city.
30:21 Speaker 00 At 4:45, hundreds of Leeskielther's warriors sat huddled, gripping the chains of the glass roof that was hanging over the massive entryway. They had tested this a dozen times in the last week, and the hundreds of men up on the walls fanning kept the sulfur smell away from Vlogi's triumphal march into Paris. Leeskielther knew it wouldn't be perfect and guessed that they would get about 70% of them, about 700 in the trap. He was wrong, but good wrong. For him, not good for the roughly 900 warriors who heard the thud of the several-inch-thick glass dome come down all around them. Leeskielther could stick around only as long as it took the workers to get the funnel secured.
31:06 Speaker 00 Not caring for the smell of burning sulfur and pitch or the sound of the screams of the men as it poured down upon them, Leeskielther rushed into the inner wall, where his archers were taking care of the rest of the army. To the maiden king's credit and ingenuity, once the pitch and sulfur were in and the opening sealed, Leeskielther could hardly hear the screams, and he was right next to it. There were no stragglers, no survivors, and no chance of Hreither Vlogi finding out, which was how he was convinced, as the maiden king's army was cleaning the entryway and removing the glass, to betray his brother and to make a deal before Vlogi had a chance to. Leeskielther urged him to go to the queen's chamber right away.
31:51 Speaker 00 And the eschilther would go to Levalogie. Ethel Logi took his force directly to the palace by a different gate. And while he was tumbling down into spiky darkness, the worst type of darkness, his men were massacred in an ambush outside. What remained of their forces fled immediately, and the maiden king's fame and glory spread to every land.
32:27 Speaker 00 We'll meet yet another prince coming to court, or I guess kidnapped the maiden king. But that will, once again, be right after this. Everyone talks about how challenging it is to raise kids, but what about protecting them? Outlet covers, kitchen cabinet locks, baby gates? Where do you even start? Well, protecting your home and auto is a great place to start. Progressive offers customized coverage options so you can be sure you have the right coverage for you and your loved ones. They're basically the outlet covers, kitchen cabinet locks, and baby gates of insurance. Don't wait. Get your quote today at progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, affiliates, and other insurers. Not available in all states.
33:11 Speaker 01 Hey, it's Niall Rogers, host of Before the Moment, a Lincoln original series. I'm driving across the country, meeting some of today's most fascinating artists. We're exploring the stories before the moment that changed everything. This week, I'm joined by Miguel.
33:30 Speaker 04 Man, I'm a Black and Mexican kid from San Pedro. And I grew up in Inglewood as well. I never liked to be boxed in. Both of my parents colored outside of the line. I mean, even them being together at the time in L.A. was just not typical. And so I think that has always been a part of my DNA. There's a defiant something in me that feels like... What we get to do with, with what we're given that's greater than us is to maybe connect people to ideas that they wouldn't naturally, you know, connect to. That's really me. I'm just kind of like defiant with love, though.
34:06 Speaker 01 Experience before the moment. A Lincoln original series on the iHeart Radio app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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35:01 Speaker 00 King LaFornius, son of King Blablarnius of India, was amusing himself in the forest. No indication of what that entailed when he froze. The mythological dwarf he spotted noticed him almost at the same moment, and the dwarf's eyes went to the boulder. LaFornius shook his head and broke off into a run, beating the dwarf to the boulder by footsteps. "I cursed you to be out of the stone," LaFornius said and fist pumped. "What?" "I cursed you to be out of the stone," LaFornius repeated. "What does that even mean?" The dwarf seemed very confused. "You travel through stones, and now you can't because I cursed you. And you have to do what I say if you ever want to go home again," LaFornius gloated. "What
35:45 Speaker 00 does that mean? Travel through stones? It doesn't make sense at all to me." The dwarf took a seat on a nearby route. "Then why were you running for this boulder?" the king pointed out. "I was just coming over to look at it. I didn't even see you. I just appreciate rock and stone," the dwarf shrugged. "I need you to help me win the hand of the maiden king of France," LaFornius demanded, and then he would lift the curse. "No curse, bro. We don't do that. We don't travel through stones. But I will help you for money or a large gold ring in my pick of the livestock in your herds," the dwarf said. Fine, and I'll also lift the curse when we're done because I know that you're lying, Laformius said. He just needed to know how to get her.
36:27 Speaker 00 Laformius, Leeskielther said a month or so later, clasping the king's hand and greeting him at the docks. So great to see him, they have been expecting him. You have, and how do you know who I am? Laformius was confused. This guy, as if his reputation didn't precede him, Leeskielther slapped him on the back. Too modest, you're too modest. Come in, we have a seat of honor just for you, king. They did, right next to Natitha, with a dozen archers watching them from the shadows of the alcoves above the whole time, red wedding style, because while she saw him coming, she didn't see what happened months ago.
37:08 Speaker 00 DVR for the stones must have been a whole other subscription and you probably had to set it to record ahead of time anyway, it was a whole thing. And that was how Natitha didn't see the magic ring. A magic ring was hard to spot, anyway, but it wasn't hard to feel, especially after it was triggered, when Laformius warmly touched Natitha's back as part of the conversation. When he did so, it wasn't just her that froze, but the room. His men outside got the signal, you know, the entire city of Paris freezing at once, it was a hard signal to miss, and they helped him carry Natitha from the room. Leeskielther and the others watched helplessly. When they arrived at the boats and unfurled their sails, the dwarf gave them a favorable wind back to India.
37:52 Speaker 00 When they made it back to India, the dwarf thanked the king for his business, and walked all of his herds into a stone in the field, prompting an "I knew it!" from Laformius, but there wasn't any time to gloat, because he had a wedding to get to. Except that his betrothed had literally flown away. What? He demanded, looking at the courtyard. He heard of what happened to Ingy, of the Byzantine Empire, and there was a standing order that should Natitha ever simply vanish, they were to immediately lock down the palace. But according to the guards, they didn't vanish, they simply shot off into the air. Wait, they?
38:34 Speaker 00 Apparently Natitha and Suialin, Lefornius's sister, really hit it off, with Suialin finally having someone her own age, with whom she could connect on shared interests and values, like how young women shouldn't be kidnapped or forced to marry people they hate. When Natitha revealed the stone, with this one's power apparently being flight, the women took off for France, and, after that, became inseparable friends. Quote, "drinking from the same cup and partying neither in sleep nor during meals."
39:15 Speaker 00 Soldan, the father of the various Logies, was mad that his sons were melted and skewered, so he called together an army with his remaining son, Logi, just Logi, not the Logi or Huthelogi, and they sailed for France. "Okay, this one is actually bad," Natitha said to Suialin, as the women watched the stones. The army was absolutely massive, and, from sitting in on a conversation between the king and the prince, the plan was to just destroy everything, and pick Natitha out from the wreckage. No talking, no tricks, just destruction and death. While the army sailed from the east, Leas Gylther called every warrior, young and old,
40:00 Speaker 00 from France and the maiden kings' client kingdoms, and knew that it still might not be enough. Because these guys wouldn't let up, it wasn't a battle for a sister's hand, but for their kingdom's very existence. Leas Gylther and the French forces met the army of Soldan, and Logi, at, I guess, an island known as Cartagia, which I'm reading could be considered Carthage, though it calls it an island, and quote, "a huge layer of pirates", who I guess also got swept up in the fighting, too, because there were no talks, no emissaries, just battle, as soon as it was light enough to do so. The armies fought for three days, and it was not going well for Leas Gylther. He was down to 1,500 soldiers when Logi thundered from the ship,
40:45 Speaker 00 standing ahead above his whole army. Waving his father's golden banner, he picked Leas Gylther out in the fray and rode against him. Natitha put the stone down in tears when she watched her brother fall. She dared another look or two. But only saw him laying there, eyes open, blood trickling from his mouth. While Soldan led the massacre of their army. At this, she swore off the stones. They had helped her, sure, but she had become arrogant, and they had cost her everything. She prepared whatever she could for defenses, but knew the enemy would be at the gates in a matter of weeks, if not sooner.
41:27 Speaker 00 Still, she could spend her last days mourning her brother and honoring his memory, and preparing to defend herself and Suelene by whatever means necessary, when the inevitable finally came. But, the final invasion of their city turned out to be quite evitable, it seemed, because days bled to weeks and... Nothing, no news from the scouts to the south or west that anyone was coming for them. Then, finally, nearly a month after Leas Gylther fell, Leas Gylther arrived, leading a small army home. Natitha didn't understand, and Leas Gylther said honestly, he didn't either.
42:12 Speaker 00 It was Laforius. Natitha and Suelene looked at each other. That made no sense. And real quickly, it didn't. Early manuscripts break off at the battle in the Pirate's Lair, and, when the later ones pick up the story, Laforius of India, remember the one with the dwarf, is inexplicably at the battle. Leas Gylther explained that he never got a straight answer for why Laforius was sailing an army across the world. But as Leas Gylther lay dying, next to the already dead Logi, beat him by the way, he heard the horns of Laforius and saw him put a spear through Soldan's chest. When Leas Gylther woke, he was in Laforius's tents, with the king himself tending to his wounds.
42:56 Speaker 00 It took a few weeks for him to be able to rise, and Laformius was nothing but gracious. They talked, and the conversation worked its way around to Suyleen. And Leah Skilther said, "Yeah, she was in France. Loved it, too." We aren't told why Laformius seemingly had a change of heart. Maybe he just wanted to be nice to Leah Skilther and buy points with Natitha when it came to his next plot. Maybe it was because his own sister found his own beliefs and actions so reprehensible that she chose to fly across the world with a stranger and leave her home forever just to get away from him. One of those would probably have an effect on me. He refused to let Leah Skilther travel, quote, "like a vagrant," and gave him ten ships, men, and war gear.
43:41 Speaker 00 Suyleen looked at Natitha, who was thinking the same thing. They rushed to the palace and found the seeing stones, summoning an image of Laformius, but there was nothing. She searched all the cities in all the world, but couldn't locate him. Even searching for the dead revealed their graves. This didn't make sense. After being sought for years, the one man Natitha wanted to find was gone completely.
44:24 Speaker 00 That autumn, a king sailed up to Paris, completely out of nowhere. He was the king of Mundia, wherever that was. And he said he didn't even realize Paris had a maiden king, and no, he didn't come seeking her hand. He could just as soon pass through and stay elsewhere if she wanted, but he was looking for someplace to winter. Natitha invited him in. With those same archers hiding in the shadows, Natitha sat with this king, Esquivarther, and interviewed him to gauge his character and intentions, and it went well. Very well. He was charming, but not too charming, open but a listener, and the pair talked well into the evening. Deeming him to be very wise, she agreed that he could
45:06 Speaker 00 winter in her kingdom. It wasn't just his conversation. He could play the harp and sing and tell stories and, for the four of them, Natitha, Suyaline, King Esquivarthur, and Lea Skelther, the winter passed in the blink of an eye. Come spring, King Esquivarthur was resolved to continue on his journeys. But Natitha waved him into her chambers. He had entertained and beguiled her all winter. Now it was her turn to do the same for him. She sat him down at a table, across from herself and Suyaline, and pulled out one of the seeing stones. "Have you ever heard of King LaFornius of India?" Natitha said.
45:46 Speaker 00 But before Esquivarthur could answer, she filled him in. "LaFornius was the worst. Forced a dwarf into service to kidnap me, drove his own sister away," Natitha said. "He was nothing like you." But the thing is... She picked up the stone and it started to glow. "I can't find him." She demonstrated the power of the stone and showed him a few different people before searching for LaFornius, but, sweeping over every land, he was nowhere. "Weird," Esquivarthur chuckled. "Yeah, I thought so too," Natitha said. It had never happened before and hadn't happened again. "Not until this morning."
46:27 Speaker 00 She waved over the stone and called up the location of King Esquivarthur, saying that this should be an easy one. But the stone remained searching. Over all the cities and plains and the mountains and the ocean depths, it could not find King Esquivarthur, the same King Esquivarthur that sat next to her. Esquivarthur slumped in his chair.
46:52 Speaker 00 She didn't say what to do. He shook his head. He looked up and met the eyes of Natitha, then Suyaline. He went to his aunt, a sorceress. She gave him this disguise. He put the ring on and, oh, he paused, he should probably take this off. He took the ring off and instantly, LaFornius sat downcast in front of her. The last time she had seen him, he had taken her from her home with magic, but... I did dress up as this king and I came thinking, I don't know, maybe there'd be some obvious thing that'll show up at the right time. But then we got to talking and, well... He began to rise and leave, but Natitha's hand found his.
47:36 Speaker 00 She said she didn't like LaFornius. The king who took her from her home. He was arrogant and vain and trying to prove himself to the world. She did, however, love Asgav Arthur. If she could let go of who LaFornius had been, maybe he could let go of who he had been as well. The pair embraced, bringing in Suyaline too. As LaFornius and Natitha left the room holding hands, Leaskyalthor stormed up. Leaskyalthor yelled at his sister, "I have put up with a lot, but you need to accept this man. He has changed. He is a hero and a stalwart king and he saved my life. And if you don't marry him, I'm leaving.
48:20 Speaker 00 And yes, I did just realize you're holding hands and so you probably reconciled, but I'm already going, so I'm very happy for you both and I wish you the absolute best." Leaskyalthor hugged them both. So, they began planning the wedding and, if you've been keeping track, and really, how could you keep track? There's so many names. There is still someone out there. King Inggy paced the halls of his palace. He would marry no woman except the maiden king. And it wasn't fair that she chose LaFornius just because he showed personal growth and change. He could change too. Inggy wouldn't try to sneak in and trick her. He would bring an army this time. Sidebar, that's not really personal change and growth, that's
49:04 Speaker 00 a worse version of the thing that he was. But he couldn't be deterred at this point. He rode for France. And he did really well, actually. Enraged that Natitha could have agency and personal choice in her life, He killed Frenchmen two at a time. The French and Indian armies, exhausted though they were by constant war, put up a fight. So much so that Laformius, who hadn't yet married Natitha, rode out and challenged King Ingai to single combat. Whoever lived would have the right to Natitha's hand. Natitha herself gave a nod from the wall. One way or another, this would end here. And she trusted in Laformius's bravery and skill.
49:49 Speaker 00 Which was why she was horrified when the lance went right through Laformius. To his credit, he also put a lance through Ingai, and it turned out to be more of a lance. Because Laformius was the only one with enough strength and consciousness to drag Ingai from the battlefield into the tents before he collapsed. Suyleen, his sister, it turned out, was an excellent healer. And so she managed to bring them both back from the brink of death and spent a lot of time in the tents doing so. So much time that, "No," Natitha said when she heard the news. "He's actually a really sweet man," Suyleen said. "He kidnapped me, twice.
50:33 Speaker 00 Though, kinda what guy hasn't tried to?" Suyleen pointed out. "He's the worst." "Yeah, but you said the same thing about Laformius, but you put your life in his hands, and now you're marrying him, and he's great, and you love him," Suyleen said. "The things that Ingai has done, people can't change, not that much." Suyleen paused for a moment. Speaking of bad things people have done, she was supposed to ask, "Who was, what was her name, Ivursa?" Natitha said, "Now that was..." Okay, yeah, that was... In hindsight, that was hard to defend. She exhaled sharply. "Fine. But if this was all a ruse, and he tried to kidnap her at his own wedding, she was
51:18 Speaker 00 gonna turn him into a human porcupine." Su Yilin smiled and embraced her friend. To Ingi's credit, he didn't try to kidnap her at the wedding. He was in love with Su Yilin, saying that she surpassed all the women in the northern lands except Natitha, according to the text. So they're gonna have to work through that, but happily ever after-ish. And that was true for all the couples. La Fornius and Natitha wed and ruled France together, and even Lea Skilthar found a match in Ingi's sister and married her, splitting his time between France and Constantinople. And so ends the story of Natitha the famous, who, for the rest of her life, didn't have
52:02 Speaker 00 people trying to burn down her house and/or kidnap her, which was, for her, all she ever wanted. That she found a match in a good man she loved was just icing on the cake.
52:28 Speaker 00 That's it for the story this week. This was an interesting one because the ending feels, frankly, too modern. But everything that happened was 100% in the text. The prince getting the ring from his aunt to look different, but not fully knowing what he was doing and just improvising. And he and Natitha growing close not out of subterfuge, but genuine affection. And her choosing him because he was now different. It was a nice ending. Real quickly, if you'd like to support the show and get ad-free and bonus episodes, check out the membership on mythpodcast.com and Apple Podcasts. And if you're looking for other things to listen to, there are 10 episodes of Fictional out now. Thanks so much.
53:16 Speaker 00 The creature this time is the henky, from Scotland, specifically Orkney and Shetland. The henkies aren't a specific type of creature, but a subset of a creature called a trow. Basically, it's a trow that hanks. And you're probably thinking, "Oh, a trow that hanks? That clarifies things. Thank you." A trow is a mischievous fairy creature, who are depicted as anything between massive giants or diminutive gray-clad fairies. And I realize that I'm still not actually clarifying anything, because I just gave you the entire range for size of a humanoid creature. Hank, though, is easy, because according to several sources, it means "to limp." So a henky is a fairy creature that limps when it dances around a fairy circle.
53:59 Speaker 00 They are known to be nocturnal, dancing and playing at night. Apparently, they have two types of dances. One is beautifully intricate, with exquisite moves and steps. The other, they squat on the ground, clasp their hands around their thighs, and lurch up and down, kicking out with alternating legs. I wanted to get up and try it, just to see, but Carissa walked by just now, and I'm pretty sure I would never live it down. They enter our houses when we sleep, but as far as I can tell, we're mostly safe, except for, you know, our peace of mind and sense of safety and well-being. The henkies, it seems, are only after musicians, because they kidnap them. For the musician, the upside is you learn some new songs.
54:42 Speaker 00 The downside is that you've been kidnapped and pressed into service for fairies for the night, and if they don't like your playing, or you try to escape, they'll punish you by pinching. That's actually the main reason I've been putting off learning the guitar: my own safety, not years-long procrastination and laziness. I'm not entirely sure, but it's possible the entire name for this subset of creatures comes from one sad, quote, "trow-wife," who was overheard by a traveler. She couldn't find a partner to dance, so she sang the following: "Hey, Ku-Cuddy, and ho, Ku-Cuddy, and who'll dance with me, Ku-Cuddy?" She looked about and saw nay buddy, "Say, I'll hank away myself, Ku-Cuddy." So, yeah, just like a nickname I got in college, be careful of one weird word or thing
55:25 Speaker 00 you do once, because it'll probably stick with you forever as a nickname.
55:35 Speaker 00 That's it for this time. Myths and Legends is by Jason and Carissa Weiser. Our theme song is by Broke for Free, and the Creature of the Week music is by Steve Colmes. There are links to even more of the music we used in the show notes. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll see you next time.
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