Jarnsaxa rises up in your podcast queue.

Jarnsaxa Rising's a NorsePlay'd sci-fi/fantasy 18-episode audiodrama cut from the format of classic 1920s radio shows, mixed with much of the higher-consciousness imbued binaural panache of ZBS' productions from the 1970s/80s where galactic cyborg gumshoe Ruby would have to unexpectedly deal with ancient Mesopotamian death goddess Ereshkigal, or spiritual traveler Jack Flanders had to brave a metaphysical landscape that was both within & without himself, except here the tropes & structure are from an expanded re-characterization of Norse Mythology.

For Jarnsaxa the jötunness, her axe to grind is with Thor, her ex-lover, and her opportunity for vengeance happens in the corpocratic dystopian future of 2094 CE via possession. In noir backstory style, we're introduced to a pair of company employees sent to investigate why a wind turbine on a Baltic island is generating power when it shouldn't be on at all, and that's the hook the story unfolds on, crossing from this future back into mythic time to show Jarnsaxa's tragic tale, and weaves that into a far broader tapestry encompassing Gods & mortals.

There's some incidental agreement with Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum's versions of a bad Thor & bad Baldr, giving the listener an easier time mustering empathy for giantess Jarnsaxa & troublemaker Loki's situation, which is also used by Sony's fourth God Of War.

There's something that also reminds one of The Almighty Johnsons, or certain facets of Marvel's The Mighty Thor where Viking Age mindsets are played in hard contrasts against a technological future, and we find that some Gods roll with those changes more adeptly than others. Also that honor culture can be applied toward respecting ecological frameworks, making comment on autocratic business practices, and that the ancient value of family can be redemptive over dysfunctional. Whether one agrees or disagrees with any of that could be contrary to the writers' intentions, but hey, set all that aside and Jarnsaxa Rising is a great story, a neo-saga with creativity and artfully technical execution that will totally deliver the NorsePlay you crave. We loved it.

[Jarnsaxa Listening illustration by Matt Lichtenwalner, and actually listen to Jarnsaxa Rising here.]

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Personal Aside: On a geographical note, as an Arizona resident, specifically in Tucson where a Tucson/Phoenix cultural dichotomy produces an intra-state rivalry, having the series make its dystopian Hei Shui company headquarters in Scottsdale kills me. [Heh.]

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Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants at age seven. Since then he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the Map of Midgard project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay. If you have employment/opportunities in investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.

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