NorsePlay.

Our affection for Speed Racer only increased with this NorsePlay integration of racing team Thor-Axine , a Norse-themed trio of horned helmet wearing road warriors who go after Speed during a rally using a car-wielded Thor's Hammer device! Note the car being named after Thor's chariot goat Tanngrisnir (teeth-barer), and the longship-inspired wooden car body. [Capture from car selection screen of Speed Racer videogame.] #    #    # 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 .

This Marvel Sif reminds us of those Bill Sienkiewicz covers we grew up with. Serious cosmic Kirbyesque background poster-worthy oil paint styling going on here. #    #    # 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 .

Battle with Heid Völva by Dmitry Ilyutkin. We like the playing facecard-style compositional balance, along with the directional vectoring of the arrows & spears. #    #    # 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 .

Valknut word cloud infographic. [ Ever wondered where the inhabitants of the Norse Mythology lived in the nine realms? by ThereIsNothingCommonAboutSense.] #    #    # 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 .

Odin challenges Vafþrúðnir to a contest of wits, which Odin wins. The court of giants, and the danger their numerical presence presents, countered by the implied magic of Odin's avian producing cloak train add to the situation's drama. [Prints available here: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/jasonrainville/odin-in-the-house-of-giants/ ] #    #    # 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 .

Bifrost-ed doughnuts! Well, actually it's the Over-The-Rainbow donuts at Amy's Donuts (which just opened up in Tucson near Stone & Fort Lowell), but that doughnut hole could very well be the Well of Wyrd, and this could be from Valhalla's dessert tray. #    #    # 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 one-two-punch young adult novel & graphic novel of Freya by Matthew Laurence came out in March. Amazon characterizes it as for "fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ". Any of you read this NorsePlay? #    #    # 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 .

One Norse Goddess on The Almighty Johnsons who never got enough screentime (or any lines) was Vár , Goddess of Oaths, played by the arrestingly poised Kate Webby . There's something evocative of the classic Hollywood siren in her presentation that makes her more otherworldly than the regular cast. While on the show she's more in Loki's lawyer camp, which seems functionally appropriate, in the Norse Lore she's mentioned in as watching over marital & other agreements, and metes out punishment if those agreements are broken. [Still from Season 1, Episode 10, Every Good Quest Has a Sacrifice .] #    #    # 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 n

While we aren't fond of Risk as a boardgame (heresy, we know), we offer up this well-dressed variant Risk: Godstorm where the different pantheons & their followers face off not only in world domination, but on still unsubmerged Atlantis & in the Underworld. The cover art features Zeus being much too preoccupied by his lightning bolt, while Thor seems ready to swing around crush his head in with Mjölnir. One design critique's that all the god pieces aren't actually different for each pantheon. [boardgame by Avalon Hill.] #    #    # 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 

What if the Norse Gods moved to New Zealand, fell out with the Norse Goddesses, reincarnated as mortals for a few centuries, thus diminishing their powers, which they later want back? Then you have the contemporary fantasy com-dram that is The Almighty Johnsons . Running three seasons, and itself successfully reincarnated by a fan campaign between seasons 2 & 3, this much loved NorsePlay is worth watching not only for its man & lady candy , but for the nuances of kiwi culture. Note the promo Last Supper-style cast shot done a few years before History Channel's  Vikings used the same idea. #    #    # 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/b

Concept drawing for a ride in Asgard: The Viking Land Project , a planned theme park in Norway announced back in 2013. Do any of you know if this has materialized? #    #    # 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 Avatar Press' Wolfskin , a berserker northman consults his patron one-eyed god . Wrod shown here is an obvious NorsePlay analogue for our Odin. [Art by Juan José RyP, written by Warren Ellis.] #    #    # 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 .

What we find brilliant here is the use of Eva, played by Brooke Williams, who on the NorsePlay-themed show The Almighty Johnsons , is also the reincarnation of the Norse Goddess Hel, rolled into a modern-style meme for Hel . The red-tinged roots of Yggdrasil in the blood-soaked earth are a neat foundation. #    #    # 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 .

One can't help but see Yggdrasil , Huginn , & some Aesir dressed in godly raiments in Gustav Klimt's Tree of Life mural . There's a metaphysical totality being depicted in the whorls of those branches and the golden outlines imply an existence beyond the physical. The scattered eye motifs also recall Odin. [Stoclet Fries 1905, in Brussells, using paint, marble, ceramic, tiles, enamel, pearls, & semi-precious stones.] #    #    # 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 .

Jötunn Skrýmir (actually Útgarða-Loki in disguise) nonchalantly rubs his forehead after Thor gives it his best shot with Mjölnir, much to the Thunder God's exasperation. [ (The) Giant Skrymir and Thor by Louis Huard (c. 1891).] #    #    # 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 r esearch, or product development to offer,  do contact him .

Gungnir with split Futhark inscribed into the three Aetts. [Illustration by Nanuel Lefebvre.] #    #    # 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 .

If you don't see Mjölnir in this lightning , then you need some Heathen Worldview corrective lenses. Note that it's over the Kremlin. Perhaps Thor's none-too-happy about the recent destruction of those Godpoles in western Russia and is bringing the thunder to remind The Russian Government (Правительство России) about respecting their Viking/Varangian origins? #    #    # 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 .

Johan Egerkrans ' stirring interpretation of Thor from his amazing Nordiska Gudar artbook! We love that the God of Thunder appears to be taking a post-accomplishment moment for himself atop a mountain peak as the wind lifts his fur upwards against a Wagner ianly atmospheric background. And here's detail on this version Mjölnir : #    #    # 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 Aesir at the feasting table in Jul i Valhal ( Yule in Valhalla ) , a Danish holiday advent television series from 2005 about two kids' adventures involving the Norse Gods! Any of you know where we can watch this with English subtitles? #    #    # 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 remember staring in shock at this 1978 Marvel Thor cover as a kid, wondering who exactly managed to take the mantle of Thor, and Sif with it. The answer was Red Norvell, a visiting cameraman of a New York news crew in golden Asgard who had more than a little help from (you guessed it) Loki. It was a rather neat three issue storyline. #    #    # 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 .

Thor looks so completely baffled at his own Mjölnir on this kids' fantasy series book cover, like someone gave him a upgrade when he wasn't looking. Any of you read this one? #    #    # 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 Helhest (Danish “Hel horse”) is a three-legged horse associated with the Norse Goddess Hel . In stark contrast to Sleipnir , Hel's mount instead has one less leg than normal. [ Helhest and Crow by Piasdatter (Edith Bach).] #    #    # 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 .

Apparently there are consequences for borrowing accessories from Thor's closet. Here Megingjörð 's depicted in a criss-cross fashion with descending hip belts , possibly for hooking on those gloves & hammer you might've also had the bad judgment to borrow. [item screenshot from Shadow Hearts: Covenant on Playstation 2.] #    #    # 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 .

Tanngrisnir & Tanngnjóstr front the God of Thunder's battlewagon! Those red goaty eyes are not messing around. And one imagines with them doubling as livestock that gets repeatedly necromanced back to life the next morning after serving as Thor's dinner, they must be quite beyond all fear of death, and would charge anything. Prepare to get the horns! #    #    # 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 .

An altar-worthy Thor statue from Blagowood carver Mihaylo Melnichuk of the Ukraine. We really like Tanngrisnir & Tanngnjóstr peeking out of Thor's cloakskirts, and the Ægishjálmr accented Megingjörð belt. Noting the background, Mihaylo currently offers 9 of the Norse Gods in his selections but also does larger scales & takes custom requests on his Etsy. #    #    # 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 .