NorsePlay.

The Valkyrie Brunnhild (1898) by symbolist painter Gaston Bussière. [Color lithograph on wove paper.] #    #    # 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 .

For NorsePlay, any song that praises the merits of Sleipnir is aces with us. Simultaneously majestic & ridiculous, Manowar 's " Sleipnir " from their 2007 album Gods Of War , presented with battle stirring lyrics and an awesome intro. And if you check out the liner notes to this Odin-dedicated concept album, it's all in runes ! #    #    # 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 .

Manifest your inner digital valkyrie with this Tron -esque illuminated acrylic winged headpiece! [from 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 .

This hubcap art sculptured lamp by Ptolemy Elrington totally reminds us of Sam Flegal's mechanized take on Gullinbursti . [from http://www.hubcapcreatures.com/ ] #    #    # 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 rune-skinned Hel from Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice from developer Ninja Theory on PS4 & Windows. #    #    # 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 .

During a blu-ray upgrade re-watch of Fritz Lang's 1924 cinematic adaptation of Die Nibelungen, one is even more impressed with the practical effect making up Fafnir, the dragon Siegfried defeats to gain nigh-invulnerability from bathing in a torrent of its blood. Grand lore aside, the puppeteering of Fafnir was way ahead of its time. #    #    # 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 devourers Hati, Fenrir, and Skoll make a miniboss appearance in the free MMORPG RuneScape . NorsePlayers: Go kill 'em before they can cause the big trouble. #    #    # 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 .

Raid your way to jarldom in NSKN Games' In the Name Of Odin . Any of you played this? [designed by Krzysztof Zięba, art by Odysseas Stamoglou.] #    #    # 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 .

When is a subdermal ring NorsePlay? When in The History of the Danes the hero Hadingus kills a jötunn to save princess Regnhild from marriage, she tends to his leg wound and implants a ring inside of him so she can identify him later in a line of suitors, all of whom she gets to feel up first. Clever girl. So just maybe inline with the tissue-thin tribalist pretensions of body modification enthusiasts there's a callback to Norse Lore somewhere inside this practice. [photo from La Carmina - lacarmina.com's gothic culture blog.] #    #    # 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 mplo...

The holiday decoration of the Yule Goat was probably inspired by Thor's battle cart goats Tanngrisnir (teeth-barer) & Tanngnjóstr (teeth-grinder). The world-record julbok's largest manifestation is the Gävle Goat, a 42.6' feet, 3.26 ton version! What makes the Gävle Goat even more like Thor's goats is its cycle of death & resurrection as every year it gets burned, crashed into, or vandalized, and rebuilt, just as Thor while traveling would cook his goats for food and bring them back to life using his hammer the next morning.  You can keep an eye on this process via webcam . [In Gävle, Sweden, first made by Stig Gavlén in 1966.] #    #    # 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, launch...

NorsePlay makes a request: We want an English translation of Georges Dumézil's Loki . Many of Dumézil's other works have seen translation and do a fair share of referencing Loki , so it would stand to reason that for research's sake Loki would be translated too, but this is not yet the case. While we may not agree with some of Dumézil's premises, we love the erudition he brings to the table to weave together, and from this we always learn something. If any of you have contacts at Flammarion who can get a translation from UCLA Center for the Study of Comparative Folklore & Mythology or The University of Chicago Press' Derek Coltman, for the sake of Norse Lore studies, please do so. Thanks. [For NorsePlay's review of Dumézil's Gods of the Ancient Northmen, read it 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. ...

Wisest tends to beat strongest in this Odin versus Thor splash page. Serious parenting about to happen. #    #    # 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 design raises the question: If Odin re-animates Mimir's head, does the enchantment also carry a quantum effect to his body? If so, do the Vanir, who've kept the body, make the headless draugr a gourd-bearing seasonal figure? [Design by Douglas Cavanaugh/Celtic Hammer Club.] #    #    # 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 .

While reading the Rune series of novels by Joanne Harris, we wondered how the characters used their specific mudras-like finger positions and gestures to cast their runespells. While there's been posited systems of "runic yoga" and ecstatic trance body positions, Harris places this concept in hand's reach, and shows how it's done 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 .

Sweet bindrune of Sleipnir as chapter heading art from Joanne Harris ' Runelight . #    #    # 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 .