NorsePlay.

While NorsePlay doesn’t endorse this series of books, we more than agree Thor is the total b adarse , and he dominates this cover art. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

Splash page of Kevin Long's illustration of Thor from Palladium Books' gaming RPG offering Rifts: Conversion Book 2 -- Pantheons of the Megaverse . In Rifts a post-apocalyptic Earth has experienced a surge in ley line energies, which opened up transdimensional rifts, allowing for all sorts of traffic from worlds beyond including the real Norse Gods ... and other beings posing as them. Note the vanquished xenoskulls underfoot. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

Which eye do you believe Óðinn sacrificed to gain a drink from Mímisbrunnr? And state why you think one way or the other. [Detail from Madeline von Foerster's Odin Exchanging His Eye for Wisdom (oil, 2003).] #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

The Frostrune 's a point-and-click NorsePlay app from Grimnir, a gaming studio that has a "passion and interest for the Viking age and games". Preview screens reveal a beautiful & compellingly illustrated mystery. Have any of you played this? #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

Emil Doepler's rendition of Odin and Fenrir, Freyr and Surt (1905) . Definitely a product of Germanic romanticism, the tableau has a doom-shadowed tone, with predominant reds & oranges appropriate of a fiery Ragnarök. Surt appears diminutive, as if Frey could've just ridden him down, and Fenrir appears to be able to shoot flames from his mouth, his baleful eye fixed on Odin. Note Sleipnir's curious absence. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

Neil Gaiman faced the daunting task to adapt the narrative holy of the holies, the ur-book stories, the most ancient tales known to man from which all other tales have since flowed from: Norse Mythology . As we told a childhood friend of Neil's last month, Neil is a fearless writer, that before Neil there wasn't a great movement in the fantasy genre to use the Gods as actual intimate first & close third-person protagonists. [Neil Gaiman being fearless!] We look back at his record for this daring talent with reading pleasure:  The Sandman  (his breakout World Fantasy Award-winning graphic novel series expanding the being of Greek deity Morpheus),  American Gods  (heavily featuring Gods from various pantheons), and  Odd & the Frost Giants  (a  NorsePlay  story for children of all ages). And now, in a tribute to pay back what originally inspired him, Gaiman offers us his version of  Norse Mythology . In his introduction, Neil points out and mourns the loss of ma

In the first blush of the New Age movement, there was a commercial need to Tarot-ify anything and everything, including Norse Mythology. The retrofitting of a Renaissance period divinatory card system onto far more ancient Norse Lore is upon further examination a klugy appropriation, but it makes for some interesting art and explores thinking about how elements in Norse Lore are associated with their ideas. Note the burning of the halls which produces the smoke that disrupts the light that makes up Bifrost, and the jötunn coveting Máni, the moon, inadvertently posed like a tourist gianting a monument with false perspective in a travel photo. [Images from The Norse Tarot (1989) by Clive Barrett.] #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read &

From Aaron Siddall's Random Acts  RPG blog, this Midgard map features Yggdrasil's trunk as the axis mundi. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

We imagine it must get sort of out of hand ... in a good way. [art by Blair George from Age of Conan .] #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

Designwise, if one were to imagine the dwarven team of Eitri & Brokkr competing for the prestige of favoured crafters of the Aesir, a high polish faceted head and hammered handle may very well have been what they came up with. Brutal, beautiful, impressive. [Addenda from 5/2017: I invented the warhammer clamp. ] #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

A provocative photo manipulation of enthroned Death Goddess Hel . The idea of death being both repellent and attractive continues to find expression, and Hel's half-and-half appearance here embodies this idea. [Rendering by Norway's GoddessOvDoom/Mia on Deviant Art.] #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

There's a fair amount of attraction to the female of the jötunn species in the Norse Lore. This brave warrior may have a difficult suit ahead of him, but some ladies are worth the extra trouble. While forefather Ymir was never described as handsome, we suspect the nurturing milk of Auðhumbla may have imparted a beauty to some of his descendants. [ Frost Giantess  by Boomgts from Deviant Art.] #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

ZOOBELLS combines kettlebell play with NorsePlay in their 63-pound Odin kettlebell! [We'd have thought a Mimir would've been a good fit for this idea, too.] #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

Richard Wagner arguably perpetrated the most grandiose NorsePlay in 1876 with his Ring Cycle featuring Germanic versions of the Norse Gods. I sat enraptured for the whole 17-hour, four-opera run of the James Levine conducted Metropolitan Opera 1990 presentation on PBS. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

SPI Games put out in 1981 a hex-and-counter boxed NorsePlay game of Ragnarok: Twilight of the Gods ! We remember seeing this on a store shelf back in the day and needing more allowance. Have any of you played this? [Compare to TSR's similar offering only a year later.] #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

In Ragnarok , artist Justin Reed composes a whirlwind tableau of final battles above & on a Fimbulwinter covered Vigrid Plain. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

Heathen Worldview made us stop and do a double-take in Target's home decorating section to look closer at these possibly altarworthy dead ringers for Tanngrisnir & Tanngnjóstr , Thor's battle wagon goats. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

Aaron Siddall's neat post-Ragnarök map of America from his Norse inspired RPG campaign! #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

Decades before Marvel's Thor , there was Thunderbolt Jaxon (1949!), an Australian sort-of Shazam-style superhero featured intermittently in Comet and Knockout comics. A youngster finds Megingjörð, Thor's belt of strength and becomes a superstrong adult! A 2006 miniseries published by WildStorm FX retold this origin story. [Read the miniseries  here at Comic Extra.] Addended 3/3/2017 MiniReview: After reading the above linked miniseries, we can't really recommend it. It feels more like an English gangster film with the Norse Gods context thrown in for adornment, and the art's only fair. Still, we're providing the info since it's an interesting note in NorsePlay comics history. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately r