Aspittle and the Stoorworm

Alicia explores the Scottish folktale, “Aspittle and the Stoorworm,” and how an artist might interpret the title character, the sea dragon, and the battle in the beast in a retelling. Topics discussed include ashes, fire, and dreams; etiological tales; the Leviathan passage in Job; and the paradox of the weak overcoming the strong.

Resources

• See “Aspittle and the Stoorworm” in Norah and William Montgomerie’s The Folktales of Scotland
• “At the Burial of the Dead” service from the Book of Common Prayer: https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/book-common-prayer/burial-dead
• Liver as the seat of the emotions - entry in the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3516.htm
• William MacDonald’s Believer’s Bible Commentary on Job and Isaiah 27
• See John Piper’s sermons on Job on DesiringGod.org
• Charles Simeon Trust Society's online course on Wisdom Literature, especially Douglas Sean O'Donnell's exposition of Job 42

Music: Intro from Adam Saban’s “Tales of the Past,” episode segments from Cody Martin’s “Taking the North”