Myths and Legends Podcast: Episode 421 - Viking Legends: Famous

Release Date: November 5, 2025
Hosts: Jason Weiser, with Carissa Weiser
Summary by Nextpod

Overview

In this episode, Jason Weiser recounts the extraordinary Icelandic saga of Natitha, the “maiden king” of Paris—a powerful woman who rules without a male counterpart and fends off a barrage of suitors, kidnappers, and would-be conquerors. The story showcases Natitha’s sharp wit, political cunning, use of magical artifacts, and her ongoing struggle to maintain agency over her fate, all unfolding amidst the chaos of Viking-age Europe and distant lands, ranging from France to Byzantium and India. As ever, Jason and Carissa present the tale with playful commentary and modern sensibility, emphasizing both the empowering and messy aspects of the legend.

Key Discussion Points

1. Introduction to Natitha, the Maiden King (00:00–06:10)

• Natitha’s Character:

  • She’s the “maiden king” of Paris—a woman who rules France independently.
  • “She 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…” [Jason, 00:04]

• Setting the Stage:

  • The story is late-medieval Icelandic in origin, set during the Viking age, with players from France, Scandinavia, Byzantium, and even India.
  • Natitha’s foster brother, Liæskjother, accompanies her; their dynamic is gently mocking and deeply loyal.

• First Quest:

  • Natitha and Liæskjother sail to a magical island to obtain powerful “seeing stones” and enchanted fruit.
  • Notable Visual: Natitha’s extravagant four-pillared crown held aloft by an eagle shielding her eyes.
  • Encounter with magical stones that grant glimpses of distant events, people, and danger.

2. Raids, Suitors, and Magical Artifacts (06:10–27:35)

• Early Encounters:
  • Fends off a hostile earl (“Earl Virgilius”), escaping thanks to magic stones’ powers of invisibility and protection.
  • Natitha’s strategic coolness earns admiration, but also suspicion about her intentions.
    • “I think you do want to cross paths with him. I think you want to cross more than paths.” [Liæskjother teasing Natitha, 14:44]
• Suitors Arriving at Paris:
  • Natitha is visited (or besieged) by princes: Ingi from Byzantium, sons of Soldan of Circland, and Lifornius from India.
  • Each approaches courtship with arrogant entitlement, quickly meeting her scorn and cunning retorts.
    • “Aww, that’s cute. And if my understanding of Byzantine politics … your little charity command seems a little small, doesn’t it?” [Natitha to Ingi, 25:09]

3. Ingi and the Wizard Foxstone (27:35–44:40)

• Ingi’s Tantrum, Foxstone’s Magic:
  • After being shamed and rebuffed, Ingi enlists the aid of dubious wizard Foxstone to win Natitha by force.
  • Foxstone is characterized by his grimy, smelly cloak—“those are my secret herbs and spices... Also, my sick cat used to sleep on it.” [Foxstone, 38:08]
  • Together, they infiltrate Paris using spells of invisibility and “gag of silence,” but ultimately kidnap Natitha.
• Turnabout:
  • Natitha feigns submission but later escapes thanks to her magic stone—vanishing at the wedding altar, leaving a stunned and humiliated Ingi.
  • Her escape and reputation for beating Ingi at his game only increase the infatuation and obsession of her would-be suitors.

4. Further Entanglements: Surrogate, Betrayal, and Battle (44:40–1:14:59)

• Bait-and-Switch:
  • To thwart another plot, Natitha uses a doppelgänger—a lookalike enslaved woman—to foil a second kidnapping attempt. Jason draws attention to the problematic ethics of this tactic: “In some ways, it’s refreshing that a main character can also make reprehensible self-serving choices as well.” [Jason, 59:06]
• The Invincible Army Trap:
  • Two new suitors, Vologi and Hrythar Logi (brothers from the Middle East), arrive with separate armies.
  • Natitha orchestrates betrayals: exploiting sibling rivalry and using an elaborate glass dome trap filled with burning sulfur and pitch to decimate one army, then ambushing the other with a spiked pit.
  • “There were no stragglers, no survivors, and no chance of Hrythar Logi finding out.” [Jason, 1:09:35]
• Notable Moment: Jason’s tongue-in-cheek modern asides throughout highlight the ingenuity and also the brutality of medieval legends.

5. Further Suitors and Magical Mishaps (1:14:59–1:43:20)

• Lifornius and the Dwarf:

  • King Lifornius of India and his misadventures with a mythological dwarf (who wants payment, not curses).
  • Lifornius employs a magic ring and freezes all of Paris to make off with Natitha, but is foiled again as she escapes.

• Bonding and “Flight”:

  • In the duration, Natitha befriends Suye Lin, Lifornius’s sister; together, they use a flying stone to return to France.

• Massive Invasion—Battle of Cartagia:

  • The king Soldan and Logi invade with immense forces, leading to a brutal three-day battle.
  • Liæskjother is seemingly slain; Natitha is grief-stricken, rejects her stones, and prepares for a hopeless last stand.

• Unexpected Salvation:

  • Lifornius, in an unexplained turn, arrives with an army, defeats the invaders, and saves Liæskjother.
  • “He is a hero and a stalwart king, and he saved my life. And if you don’t marry him, I’m leaving.” [Lia Skjelther to Natitha, 1:40:30]

6. Unmaskings, Reconciliations, and Finale (1:43:20–1:58:00)

• The Final Reveal:

  • A mysterious guest, King Escavarthur of Mundia, winters in Paris and charms Natitha.
  • Natitha, using the seeing stone, discovers Escavarthur is actually the disguised Lifornius, who sought redemption under a new identity.
  • Genuine affection develops; Natitha chooses Escavarthur for who he has become, not who he was.
    • “She did, however, love Escavarthur. If she could let go of who Lafornius had been, maybe he could let go of who he had been as well.” [Jason, 1:51:42]

• Aftermath and “Happily Ever After-ish”:

  • Ingi, undeterrable, brings an army; epic single combat with Lifornius nearly kills both, but Suye Lin heals them.
  • Resolved relationships: Ingi falls for Suye Lin, Natitha forgives his past, and all parties move toward peace.
  • Natitha and Lifornius marry and rule France together; even Liæskjother finds happiness with Ingi’s sister.
  • “And so ends the story of Natitha the Famous, who for the rest of her life didn’t have people trying to burn down her house and or kidnap her—which was for her all she ever wanted.” [Jason, 1:57:00]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|-----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:04 | Jason | “…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.” | | 25:09 | Natitha | “Aww, that’s cute. And if my understanding of Byzantine politics … your little charity command seems a little small, doesn’t it?” | | 38:08 | Foxstone | “Those are my secret herbs and spices that make it work. Also, my sick cat used to sleep on it.” | | 59:06 | Jason | “…can also make reprehensible self-serving choices as well. And that's essentially what happened.” | | 1:09:35 | Jason | “There were no stragglers, no survivors, and no chance of Hrythar Logi finding out.” | | 1:40:30 | Liæskjother | “He is a hero and a stalwart king, and he saved my life. And if you don't marry him, I'm leaving.” | | 1:51:42 | Jason | “She did, however, love Escavarthur. If she could let go of who Lafornius had been, maybe he could let go of who he had been as well.” | | 1:57:00 | Jason | “…for the rest of her life didn’t have people trying to burn down her house and or kidnap her—which was for her all she ever wanted.” |

The Creature of the Week: The Henke (1:58:10–end)

• Origin: Scotland’s Orkney and Shetland.
• Nature: A subset of the trow, fairy creatures known for their limp (“to hank”) and nocturnal dance.
• Target: Musicians—henkes kidnap them to play music all night; failing to please results in magical pinching.
• Memorable Aside: Jason jokes the risk of fairy abduction is a convenient excuse for never learning guitar.
• Folkloric Note: The name “Henke” may trace to a wistful trow wife singing about her loneliness at a fairy dance.

Tone and Commentary

• Modern, Playful Storytelling: Jason and Carissa infuse the saga with wry, ironic asides and gentle anachronisms, simultaneously honoring the old legends while acknowledging their rough edges and dated morality.
• Critical Reflection: They do not shy from calling out problematic elements (e.g., the use and fate of the enslaved woman, tricky moral choices), noting the peculiarity of seeing a female protagonist in Viking legends with both agency and flaws.
• Balance of Adventure and Satire: The high-stakes magic, battles, and trickery are offset by snarky banter, family dynamics, and moments where the real “monsters” are often the suitors themselves (and occasionally, the heroine’s own choices).

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 — Story setup, Natitha and Liæskjother introduced; journey for the magic stones.
• 14:00–27:00 — Gatecrashing suitors: Ingi’s insult and humiliation, overview of other suitors.
• 27:35–44:40 — Ingi’s wizard plot, Foxstone’s entrance, Natitha’s kidnapping and escape.
• 44:40–1:14:59 — Escalation: bait-and-switch, army traps, betrayals, commentary on dubious tactics.
• 1:15:00–1:43:20 — Magic rings, freezing all of Paris, Paris-India flying getaway, three-day war and “death” of Liæskjother.
• 1:43:20–1:58:00 — Peace, unmasking of Escavarthur, reconciliation, final battles, romantic resolutions.
• 1:58:10–end — Creature feature: the Henke.

Final Thoughts

This episode offers a whirlwind tour through an underappreciated Icelandic legend, blending dramatic intrigue, comedy, and biting commentary. Natitha’s story, featuring magical artifacts and feminist overtones (with a dash of moral gray), reflects both the enduring appeal and the surreal unpredictability of medieval folklore—made all the more engaging by Jason and Carissa’s fresh, self-aware narration.