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Showing posts with the label Drakkar

the pre-Columbian Minnesota Vikings?

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This horned-helmet wearing, Templar crossed shield bearing, and longsword brandishing Viking cover art illustration is from a 1959 CE 38-page vintage pamphlet by Hjalmar Rued Holand. Holand (b.1872-d.1963 CE) was a proponent of the Kensington Runestone along with other contested Norse America artifacts, and wrote five books supporting those theories before the discovery of Leif Erikson's camp at L'Anse aux Meadows in 1960 CE . In 1950 CE Holand was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Anthropology & Cultural Studies. No matter which way you weigh in or abstain on such theories, the above illustration's a remarkably out-there NorsePlay. #    #    # 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 Norse American medal.

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  This handsome octagonal Norse-American centennial medal was issued for Minnesota State Fair on June 6th–9th, 1925 CE, and would make a nice bit of modern Viking hoard swag given its silver content of .900, 1/2 oz+ weight, and rare shape. Issued in a run of 40,000 silver medals and 100 gold ones, the medal was made to recognize the docking of Norwegian immigrant ship Restauration. The arrival of this ship is generally considered the first organized emigration of Norwegian-Americans to the United States. Obviously the 1825 CE boat wasn't a Viking longship, nor did they have horned helmet s, but the spirit of the idea's present in the coin's recognition of the event. As of this writing, they're starting at around $150, which metalwise is like 6-times the cost of the silver , but its the numismatic value and rarity that factors into its pricing. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy o...

The Lion, the Witch, and ... the Sea Jotun's Ship.

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Not that many elements of The Chronicles of Narnia aren't already from Norse Lore, given CS Lewis' Anglo-Saxon heritage and his mutual workshopping by co-Inkling writers' group peer JRR Tolkien whose own series draws its scope from love of that same Lore. So on top of that, note the visual origin of the Dawn Treader: The above illustration found in Annie Klingensmith's Stories of Norse Gods and Heroes  from 1894 CE finds visual continuance on every cover of Lewis' eponymous The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 1952 CE and within the later TV & film adaptation . The Elliði, anglicized into Ellida, is originally a ship seized from defeating its trollish captain in the Saga of Thorstein Vikingsson (ch 23) and characterized as a huge vessel yet super fast, with planks magically grown together, and semi-sentient enough to obey given verbal commands. The Dawn Treader being  The Elliði aside, it's not like  Eustace getting all treasure happy over a golden armring...

your touring longship's on fire.

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We don't know The Decemberists from a hole in the gramophone, but we like their clever burning viking houseboat logo for their Shuffling Off To Ragnarök tour. [No, they're not Viking Metal or we'd have heard of 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 .

a more nautical Hnefatafl.

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A longship pieced version of Hnefatafl at an exhibition in the Midgard Historisk Senter, Borre, Norway. [photo & set construction by Adam Bartley.] #    #    # 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 .

paper ships take trips, paper raids, making trades.

A Fearsome Fleet: Secrets of the Vikings features a sweet paper stop-motion animated Norse Mythology tie-in, along with neat shipbuilding secrets. [From National Geographic to compliment their March 2017 issue's cover story on the Vikings.] #    #    # 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 .

NorseTronauts prove longships > rocketships.

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Fantasy artist Ron Walotsky's book cover for Tim Sullivan's The Martian Viking (1991). Longships > Rocketships! [No, haven't read it, just ran across it at a used bookshop. Have you?] #    #    # 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 .

drakkar beer taps.

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Dragon prow motif beer taps by MK Carving & Sculpting for Odin Brewing Company. Any of you tried their brews? #    #    # 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 .

Viking burialesque.

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It'd be like an awesome repeatable funeral in your backyard!  Note the cutout axe & triple-horn Óðrerir on the sail. [from ImagineMetalArt on 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 .