Podcast Episode
The Mead of Poetry
The Wanderer Anglo Saxon History, mythology, Folklore and religion·Frank Docherty·21 July 2026·17 min

About this episode
Mead was a very important part of a heathens civilization and culture. It helps define their leisure time and identity as a people and thus gets a prominent role in their stories and myths. Mead is no different from the Northern peoples during the Viking age. So important, in fact, that they use the drink as essentially a metaphor for how the inspiration for creative endeavors possesses people. The Mead of Poetry is a mythical beverage that causes its drinker to gain great wisdom, to the point of being able to recite any information or answer any question. There’s a whole myth devoted to its creation and the aftermath of such a valuable treasure existing.
I accidentally left a few mistakes in the audio, because I have a new setup, I'll make sure that doesn't happen again.