Ragnarok has been raging for far too long; many gods and heroes have fallen, and the rest can barely stand. Loki, his bright eyes dimmed by exhaustion, asks to meet. He proposes that you and he settle the conflict with a game atop a...

The group of bacteria known as Chlamydiae doesn't do much to endear itself to us since these bacteria can cause a variety of illnesses. But it turns out that we may have Chlamydiae to thank for life as we know it!

Horses have been human companions for thousands of years, and have been essential companions and tools for the development of human culture. So, it makes sense that horses would make their way into our most important stories. Today,...

In which Mike Rugnetta continues to teach you about tricksters. In this episode, we're talking about tricksters as culture heroes. Basically, a culture hero is someone whose creativity adds to their mythological culture. We'll learn how...

Asgard, a realm of wonders, was where the Norse Gods made their home. There Odin's great hall of Valhalla towered above the mountains and Bifrost, the rainbow bridge, anchored itself. Though their domain was magnificent, it stood...

Odin, the king of Asgard, was plagued by nightmares. Three fearsome figures haunted his dreams: a massive, writhing shadow; a shambling, rotting corpse; and worst of all, a monstrous beast with a deadly bite. Though their true forms were...

The dwarves were master craftspeople. One dwarf, Andvari, forged marvelous creations. He often took the form of a fish and, one day, he swam to the land of the water nymphs, who guarded mounds of gold. When the nymphs laughed at his...

This week on Crash Course World Mythology, it's the Circle of Life. And Death. And sometimes, Life again. Mike Rugnetta is teaching you about Dying Gods, by which I mean gods that die, and then return to life. You'll learn about the Corn...

After a skirmish at sea and long days of being battered by waves, Väinämöinen— a powerful bard as old as the world itself— washed up on the shores of distant Pohjola. A cunning witch nursed him back to health but demanded a reward for...

Thor-son of Odin, god of thunder, and protector of mankind-struggled mightily against his greatest challenge yet: opening a bag of food. How had the mighty god fallen so far? Scott Mellor tells the myth of Thor's journey to Utgard.

Baldur was the gentlest and most beloved being in all of Asgard. But lately, he had been plagued by gruesome visions foretelling his own imminent death. Determined to protect her son from these grim prophecies, Queen Frigg travelled...

This week, we're continuing our talk about the characteristics of Goddesses, and we're going to look in depth at two stories from parts of the world we haven't visited much in this series so far. From Hawaii, we're going to hear a story...

The group of bacteria known as Chlamydiae doesn't do much to endear itself to us since these bacteria can cause a variety of illnesses. But it turns out that we may have Chlamydiae to thank for life as we know it!

Loki the mischief-maker, writhes in Thor’s iron grip. The previous night, he’d snuck up on Thor’s wife and shorn off her beautiful hair. To fix what he’d done, Loki rushes to the dwarves and tricks them into making gifts for the gods....

Ragnarok! It's the end of the world, Norse style. It's got everything you want in an apocalypse. Earthquakes, destruction, armies of the dead, a giant evil wolf, giants with flaming swords, and a kind of happy ending. It's got it all....

This week, we're headed north. To check out the gods of the Northmen. Or the Norse. That's right, we're talking Thor, Loki, Freyr, Freya, Odin, Frigg, Baldr, and Tyr. And Fenrir. And the Frost Giants. There's a lot to cover here, and...

Professor Hyll presents the story of Ragnarok: the Norse apocalypse and end of the world. He also explains the cyclical nature of the Norse Myths and how the end is the beginning in a constant cycle of birth and rebirth.

Professor Hyll presents the story of the Death of Baldur - an event that leaves Loki chained to a rock, and the start of Ragnarok.

Professor Hyll tells us the story of Loki's children: Fenrir the giant wolf, Jormungandr the World Serpent and Hel, goddess of the Underworld who all play pivotal roles in Ragnarok, the Norse Apocalypse.

This video is answering the question of what was Loki known for.

Discover the Viking pantheon of gods and goddesses, led by Odin, the wise ruler, and his warrior son Thor. Learn about the roles of deities like Frigg, the protector of life, and Loki, the unpredictable trickster. Explore Viking...

If you’ve attended a sleepover party in the last 50 years, chances are high that you’ve encountered a prank call - maybe you’ve even made one yourself. But for thousands of years before the invention of the telephone, pranks fell under...

Loki, our Chinese water dragon, got an awesome new home renovation! Check out the mini jungle we made for him.

Jessi takes you on a full tour of all the animals in the Reptile Room!