NorsePlay.

When the Raven Flies/Hrafninn Flýgur  (1984 CE) is considered by some to be the best Icelandic film of all time. After viewing it, we can totally see why. Though said to be cinematically styled after samurai film Yojimbo (1961 CE) and the Spaghetti Westerns of the mid-1960s ( WtRF is also classified into a group of films derivatively called Cod Westerns [heh!]), it is distinctly of the Icelandic Saga tradition, which historically & artistically precedes both those classifications by nearly 800 years in writing and 1,000 years orally. The first part of the Raven Trilogy (also known as the Viking Trilogy ), acclaimed director & Icelandic national personality Hrafn Gunnlaugsson weaves a solid story of Viking brutality, vengeance, mistrust, and consequences that recalls some aspects of both Njal's Saga & Gisli's Saga in the telling. The subsequent two films are only loosely connected in story, but are thematically bonded. And we recommend them to all those who ma

This SF cover art from 1976 by Karel Thole evokes a Wagner ian mien, mixed with a Kirby-esque space-scaped cosmic winged-helmet Marvel Thor -like figure. And the invading Viking explorative ethos is fitting for this anthology's description of a " far-flung, preferably barbaric , galactic empire ". It seems though that women have discarded the hangerock dress with turtle box pin brooches for a much more abbreviated attire . Skol to the future! #    #    # 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 would like to take a moment to thank Sweden for the 3,000+ hits you visited on us last week! One day I will visit you in return! After questing for this  magic hat  from my Map Of Midgard , I'll politely take my shoes off inside, we can fika together , sing  Helan Går while  drinking glögg , and, of course, go blót at Gamla Uppsala. Hails to Sweden! [latte art of kissing Dala Horses, as continual cups of coffee are as Swedish as this equine national symbol (photo from Fika Swedish Kitchen {which is actually in Australia, and says alot about Swedish cultural reach}).] #    #    # 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 h

During a recent read of Tolkien's  Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth I ran across the tale of "Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife". Now it's not any secret Tolkien's rife with NorsePlay , so this specific story's like a fan-fic expansion of the marriage of Njord & Skaði . [ Njord and Skadi on the Way to Nóatún by Wilhelm Wägner (1882 CE)] The connection of one to the other is that the husband is enamored of seafaring, while the wife is attached to the mountains, and they're both of different species. [Aldarion x Erendis meme from feanoriel's tumblr.] Specifically compare the following excerpts: [When] all was made ready and men prepared to weigh anchor Erendis came there, little though she loved the noise and bustle of the great harbour and the crying of the gulls. ~ Tolkien "Hateful for me are the mountains, I was not long there, only nine nights. The howling of the wolves sounded ugly to me after the song of the swans