Fenrir's Fetter and the Power of Stories

This lecture concerns the sometimes underrated power of stories to influence us, an influence that depends upon factors such as how closely a tale adheres to what we consider either possible or desirable. I examine legends, fairy tales, the gruesome urban legends children tell at sleepovers, and those stories handed down in families, communities, and nations which confer a sense of common identity and pride, sometimes at the cost of excluding others. Stories offer wisdom, solace, joy; they may also frighten or alienate. For good or ill they can change our perceptions of ourselves and others, and of the world around us.

Automated summary

This lecture discusses the often underestimated power of stories to influence us. Stories can change our perceptions of ourselves, others, and the world around us, offering wisdom, solace, and joy, but they can also evoke fear or alienation.