375) Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen: Reclaiming 'traditional' and recovering nordic animist relations

“Mythology is a language that places knowledge of relation into relation with people—[in a] way that appeals to our emotions and imaginations. It is a language that reaches deep into our instinctual system and our whole human constitution in order to make relational knowledge workable for us.” In this episode, we welcome Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen, a Ph.D in History of Religions, researching Brazilian orisha religion. He has lived in a number of countries in Europe, Africa North- and South America. His present work focuses on the rejected animist landconnectedness ecological knowledge and kinship with the greater community of beings in North European Traditional knowledge. Some of the topics we explore in this conversation include how the construction of Nordic modernity and nationalism led to a rejection of animism in Northern Europe, reclaiming Euro- ‘traditionalism’ from right-wing extremism, understanding myths as stories that produce relations, and more. (The musical offering featured in this episode is Tear Down The Wall by Forest Veil. The episode-inspired artwork is by Isadora Machado.) Green Dreamer would not be possible without the direct support from our listeners. Help us keep the show alive by reciprocating a gift of any amount today: GreenDreamer.com/support