NorsePlay.

David Warner Mathisen's works include Star Myths of the World and how to interpret them, Volume Four: Norse Mythology (2018), where he draws comparisons between world mythologies by applying Norse overlays to the night sky. Any of you read this? If so, any good? [Excerpt 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 .

NorsePlay admires Drengr 's album cover art & Mjölnir-shaped logoture as well as choice of band name, which means "one who is courageous or daring; a badass" . Those ships going against the jötunn, sea serpent, and dragons overhead have their work cut out for them. #    #    # 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 .

NorsePlay was recently gifted a very well thought out belated birthday present: An authentic Viking Age lead weighted astragalos, or sheep's knucklebone, a predecessor to the modern 6-sided die we all game with today. The convex narrow side was counted as 1, the convex broad side as 3, the concave broad side as 4, and the concave narrow side as 6. Lacking hands, sheep don't actually have knuckles -- this is a pastern bone which sits above the hoof. [Thanks to Kara Lynn for the artifact, the Valknut die bag, and the Norway map wrapping 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. ...

Kara the Valkyrie gives what-for fisticuffs to some beetle armored adversary in Piccadilly Valkyrie ! Author Cindy Grigg NorsePlays Steampunk in an alt-regency England for her series Peacock Lavine and the Aetherian Fates of Nótt . Apparently "Valkyrie Kára is underdeveloped and unruly." Any of you read 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 .

Serve it Bifröst-y. A Dictionary of Northern Mythology 's Rudolf Simek translates the rainbow bridge to Asgard's name as "the swaying road to heaven". #    #    # 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 .

Arith Härger points out a striking similarity between the symbolic Mjölnir shape we all wear around our necks and the ritualistic hammer that Sami shamans use to thunder on their drums. [photo by Åge Hojem, frame drum from Nordland or Troms, part of the NTNU University Museum’s collection.] #    #    # 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 .

Oakes Design reclaims a saw blade to NorsePlay into a runic ally pyrographed axe! Such post-purposing speaks of a contemporary or/and near future continuity for the Viking Age. #    #    # 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 .

Promotional want ad from the NorsePlay 2010 cult hit Trollhunter . Because Hans & Thor can't do it all alone. Sign me up. #    #    # 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 .

Of the Vanir Goddess Nerthus , who has her processional cart cleansed by slaves who are killed for beholding her: " From there comes a mysterious terror, the sacred ignorance of the nature of a secret that is seen only by those who are going to perish. " ~ Tacitus' Germania , ch 40, 1st Century C.E. [ Rickshaw II (ink on printmaking paper & plexiglass, 16 x 16", 2012) by James Jean evokes this divine & fatal witnessing.] #    #    # 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 dev...

Norwegian concept artist Even Mehl Amundsen's rendition of the Huldra . As opposed to her tail being the tell, her triple digit clawed hands are the reveal. #    #    # 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 the Norse Lore, Dragons are an obstacle to hoarded wealth like Fáfnir , or a total cosmic menace like Níðhöggr, but in taking these creatures and harnessing their images to menacing poles on ships to show adversaries at sea we mean business, or ornamenting our halls' rooftops with them for powerful architectural accents, USPS Stamps does the same with this month's postage offering , albeit in a more cartoon-like fashion. Note the black dragon at left threatening a longship ... unless Sigurd or Beowulf's crewing, in which case that dragon's taking a sword to the snout. #    #    # 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...

One of NorsePlay's favourite landmark sculptures, the Sólfar , or Sun Voyager. [Photo from Day 2 of my Iceland: a travelogue experience.] Made by Jón Gunnar Árnason in 1990 for the birthday of Reykjavík. While there we watched foolhardy tourists fail to climb its overslick aluminum sides and nearly eat it. We see the probable influences of the Nordic Bronze Age petrogylph ship images and the staves of galdrastafur within Sólfar 's structure. #    #    # 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 ...

Ride Of The Valkyries painted by Jose Luis Munoz Luque. The casual realist fantasy of this is a nice contrast to the frenzied skyward ride we nearly always see the battlemaidens depicted in. And there's some album cover  that never was with Michael Parkes aesthetics and detailing that also frames this piece. #    #    # 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 awesome handcarving of Thor's goats in a cleverly conjoined version raises the pairing of these ferocious battle animals to a metaphysical level in terms of artistic interpretation. Yet if you instead confront the literal physicality of this sculpture, it also opens the question for NorsePlay: If Tanngrisnir & Tanngnjóstr can have one their legs broken and be resurrected lame & imperfectly, might this Siamese nightmare happen at an even worse misplacement of their bones?!? There's a story waiting to be written in this. [Note the black lightning figuring on the top front! We were introduced to the brilliant woodworking style of Jeremy Hehn's CrossGrainCraftsman while attending Southwest Frith Moot this year. Go check out his iconic altars, weapons, and other wares at CrossgrainTrading .] #    #    # 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 Gi...

The band Heilung is a Nordic occult fantasy come to life with shamanic costumery, droning trance-inducing vocals, onstage runecasting, and ritual . Maria Franz in wondrous antler crowned eye-fringed headress & trollwise paint , Christopher Juul on drum at left, and Kai Uwe Faust in an equally intimidating masked costume using alot of animal teeth out of frame. (Aesthetic comparison: If you love Wardruna , you'll enjoy Heilung.) [photo credit to Kees Stravers from the 2017 Castlefest.] #    #    # 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  inve...

Within the Potterverse the wizarding world would extend to all regions, and if it already contains elves , trolls , giants , dragons , and other elements of Norse Mythology, why not a Norse school of witchcraft & wizardry ? Concept Artist Even Mehl Amundsen explores this idea in his series of teaching staff illustrations for his proposed school of Vølurheim. [Check out the whole concept gallery 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,...

There's this single line in War of the God s, and if you didn't look at it right, you'd just read thoughtlessly past it, but an important aspect of the Norse cosmological worldview turns inside it: " Thunder rolled, unseen wheels. " [quote from Poul Anderson (1997), sculpture Þórsvagninn by Haukur Halldórsson.] #    #    # 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 .