NorsePlay.

In Northern folklore, the water horse attracts, adheres, and drowns those who touch it, but it's never adequately explained why it's called a kelpie.  While it's not for certain, it's thought the Scots word's related to the Gaelic "calpa"  or colt, but one might instead guess it has to do with kelp. In the latter line of thinking,  God Of War: Ragnarok  shows the kelpie with a tail made from strands of kelp, and when it transforms to dive underwater, even more kelp-constructed fins emerge from its body! This visual explanation's a seriously good example of NorsePlay as it helps fill-in an obvious answer that may have never previously presented itself. Yet even if this is an etymological coincidence, it shows how some myths become even more adorned as they roll forward in time by  gathering the moss of artistic decision  ... or in this instance, gathers kelp. Safety warning: Do not be fooled by this GoW:R video -- do not touch ...

During Marvel Thor 's The War of the Realms (2019 CE) comic book run, this neat cosmological map of Yggdrasil tapped into the figural stylings of the Torslunda helmet plates (6th~8th c. CE). Seeing that Vendel Period context with the modern skyscrapers of current-day Midgard and the added figure of Spider-Man hanging from one of the branches thrown in is a superclever archaeological borrowing that we wouldn't mind seeing NorsePlay'd more in any medium. #    #    # 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 ...

There's alot to like about History Channel's Vikings , but specifically we noticed the leather paneling on Harald Finehair & Halfdan the Black's cloaks . We really like the knots drawn through squares as well the Klimt-esque edge handles on both of these cloaks. [Helmets off to series costume designer Joan Bergin. Addenda: After the G+ to Blogger re-post, the original photo belonging to this has disappeared, but you get the fashion idea of the panels from this replacement photo of Harald.] #    #    # 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...