Map Of Midgard Project update: 500 mappoints completed & counting!

I've successfully plotted 500 mappoints for my Map Of Midgard Project!

This is the fourth update since the initial blog post, the first update, the second update, and the third update.

Currently I'm finishing up post-reading mappoints from the Landnámabók (the Icelandic Book of Settlements), which features an exhaustive survey of 3,000 people and their 1,400 settlements, initially listing 435 men as the first settlers and then moving temporally & spatially forward with the usually genealogies that all Icelandic sources are self-documented with.

While the historical importance of the Landnámabók is inarguable, I realize that the above numbers could sound instead like using a boring phone book to make a boring land survey, so I totally want to reassure you the project is category specific, and within that I'm very discerning in terms of using only the really fascinating locations for the Map Of Midgard, of which Landnámabók actually has many amazing nutshell stories to offer. Here's two teaser screenshot rollover examples of these:

[ooooh, now there's a spooky NorsePlay trading card!]

[such an Odinic action subtext going on in this one.]

And while I thought the Landnámabók was to be the last resource, I ran across some very compelling place references to a neat fornaldarsögur (legendary saga), so we've added The Sagas of Fridthjof the Bold to finish out the reading list. As of this writing I'm halfway though it. Again, if this saga leads to another must-have source, then I'll make time to include it.

There also still remains a backlist of ~360 locations left to attempt to map that we've complied during earlier research. We suspect around 700 mappoints by time of publication, so this update puts the project at 5/7th's mark, if our estimate is correct.

Hit that blue follow button & stay tuned to NorsePlay for more updates & announcements about my Map Of Midgard Project.

DescriptionLandvættir. 

"There must be ready and generous cooperation between experts in different fields of knowledge if we are to make profitable use of the wealth of new information piling up concerning the pagan religion from which the myths emerged." 

~ H.R. Ellis Davidson

#    #    #

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 then 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 employment/opportunities in investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.