NorsePlay.

There's a lot going on in this vintage David Andersen made Norwegian Sterling Silver Viking Brooch 1960s Saga Series piece. Looking at the details, we have a Torslunda-patterned figure wearing what appears to be a winged cloak, crescent moons & spirals adorning the upper lining, a square chestplate, a crosspiece binding the figure's feet, and some seemingly aerodynamic fins coming off the sides of its head. As stated in the reverse's engraving below, this figure was recast & reinterpreted from an artifact by famous Norwegian Silversmith David Andersen and released in a limited run. Given the visual cues this could be many things: Freyja in her falcon cloak with the huge chest placard as  Brísingamen  and the side headknotworks as an up-do , Loki in Freyja's borrowed cloak (in  Þrymskviða ) if we look closer at the encircled lips that could be a round scar from their having once been sewn shut (in  Skáldskaparmál ), perhaps even  Baldr as the ches...

This may not be to everyone's style but there's something more modern & expressive in this Freya illustration by Stella Spente of Stockholm, Sweden. As a Goddess of Love, Freyja seems utterly joyful here on her skyward ride, holding aloft a völva's wand with radiant power, keys to Sessrúmnir's ownership all a-jangle at her hip, the glow of a thick torc-versioned Brísingamen adorning her neck, processional flowers vining the cart's posts.  There's a sense of purpose & fulfillment here in our Goddess, as though she rides out not only for herself, but to spread that love for those who've lucked into their own skyward ride of companionship. When not also being an amazing & formidable  War Goddess , it would be neat to think of Freyja riding forth much like this everyday to spread what is arguably the greatest of blessings.   And there's always the question of visually answering how a chariot gets drawn by her cats  Bygul & Trjegul, whic...

  In Thor  issue #17 (2020 CE), during a very argumentative Asgardian family sit-down, some huge forest monsters attack. So what does Freyja  save everyone with? As seen in this double truck panel scan, she cavalries in with her huge vambraced battlewagon cat Trjegul and his shoulder-mounted Gatling cannons to fatally maul and blast the beasties into meaty little chunks. Clawsome. [the above comic book panel written by Donnie Keats & illustrated by Michael Bandini.] #    #    # 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  investigat...

Branding is like 80% of sales in the cigar industry. Every year new lines launch at cigar industry shows dressed up with fancy labels in classy boxes to compete for shelf space at tobacconists everywhere. Naming products after titans or gods to add appeal and have positive associations is nothing new, but I was delighted to run across these Norse God cigars : Odin totally strikes one as a cigar smoker. Any cigar lounge could possibly be considered a Sessrúmnir, or "a hall of many seats". And of course some Thor named offerings: Given feasting culture , and Viking halls as both centers of religious & secular power, the idea of lighting up Nordic-themed cigars after these grand meals isn't out of the question. And in the what-if world where the Vikings retained beachheads in Vinland, perhaps they would have found a tribe with proto-cigar smoking customs from whom to import tobacco back home to Scandinavia , and then labels such as these would've be more prolific,...

Or Freya versus Sif? These three NorsePlay'd characters  along with different poly/monotheistic choices   are available in Fight of Gods , the fighting game where divinities holmgang off videogame-style . Sif gets oddly fitting golden wheat-related special moves, whereas Freyja's been overly bishōjo'd. Created by Taiwanese indie developer Digital Crafts for Windows & Nintendo Switch. Any of you played 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 develop...

" Freja "  by John Bauer (1905, oil sketch). #    #    # 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 .

"Ódr went away on long journeys, and Freyja weeps for him,   and her tears are red gold ."   ~ Prose Edda , Gylfaginning. [image by Seattle fashion/portrait photographer Ruby James, model Kseniya.] #    #    # 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 .

Thor lords over his namesake Norse Mythology-inspired souvenir shop in Reykjavík, Iceland. Featuring Odin & Freyja fixtures. [Designed by Hans Alan Tómasson. Visit the shop at Laugavegur 7. Photo by Art Bicknik.] #    #    # 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 .

Perhaps this is our Heathen Worldview's magic binoculars at work, but we see alot of NorsePlay within Moonrise Kingdom 's Suzy Bishop. She's a thoughtful Huginn-esque raven, she wears a transformative bird costume like Freyja, she goes berserkergang and stabs a kid in the lumbar with lefty scissors, starts fighting with some girl in her classroom (war goddess), disagrees vehemently with her family over their possessive intentions (i.e. giving her to the giants for trade at certain points in the Lore), travels with a cat ( Bygul/Trjegul ), willingly suffers for her jewelry (the painful piercing for new earrings scene/Freyja's bargain for Brísingamen), and wanders fearlessly into the wilderness to search for her love (Sam/Óðr). Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola, have we caught you at something Eddaic? #    #    # 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 ...

Online slot machine themed Valhalla . The reels feature runes, Loki, Freyja, Thor, Heimdal, Odin, and a Valkyrie. And if you pick the door to Valhalla you can double your winnings. Any of you tried this? [made by Wazdan.] # # # 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 .

NorsePlay takes a moment to recognize the manifestation of Norse Goddess Freyja in The Sorceress from Masters of the Universe .  Freyja's falcon cloak & knowledge of magick makes up the hallmarks of one of MOTU's more mysterious character's who, like many females in Norse Lore, mentors & fosters a saga's hero. [ The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull illustrated by Gerald Parel, ... and with cat: The Sorceress with Baby Cringer by NC Winters, ... and in Love Goddess repose: [screencapture from Season 1 Episode 17 Daimar the Demon .] #    #    # 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 Norse...

Freyja & the eponymous character from The Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok by Sakura Kinoshita. While this wallpaper looks cool, the actual series is fraught with the over-reactive sidekick character, Japanese schoolyard-isms, some indeterminate familiar animal, and a ridiculous scepter. We watched the first four episodes, and while the unfolding reveal of the Norse Gods incarnated on earth & their intentions was interesting, the X-Files paranormal investigating and some of the above was not, so we dropped it. Have any of you slugged it out and found the show a NorsePlay worth pursuing? #    #    # 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 ...

Swedish postage stamp of Freyja riding in her cat-drawn chariot , perhaps surveying the dead warriors in sparring practice for Ragnarök. The third cat is an interesting artistic NorsePlay addition, and if  Bygul & Trjegul are outsized  Norwegian Forest Cats then it even so might stand to reason another cat could be needed to claw our War Goddess forward at an even deadlier speed. [1981 issue.] #    #    # 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 offe...

A one-two-punch young adult novel & graphic novel of Freya by Matthew Laurence came out in March. Amazon characterizes it as for "fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ". Any of you read this 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  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 .

We see a candidate for Brísingamen on an eternally youthful Freyja .  We like the smokey amethyst bars alternately placed along the woven band of sterling. [Photo & Retouch by Laura Daria Pezzini, MUA Erika Ramazzotti.] #    #    # 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 .

Freyja by PTimm [Andy Timm] for the Rise of Mythos online collectible card game. The artist's choice of a falcon helm matches her famed feathered cloak quite nicely. #    #    # 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 .

Eastern-European woodcarving style meets Lewis Chessmen-esque in this set of Norse Gods made by Triumpho . At 13 cm each, one could imagine that these are the golden gamepieces found in the grass after Ragnarök. [Found 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 .

While irreverently NorsePlay'd, it's certainly awareness wearable pop cult modern. #    #    # 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 .

To compliment yesterday's post, here is the other mural piece depicting Freyja . While the pointing arm on Frigg strategically covers her nipples, here Freyja is open-armed to rein her cat-mount , probably an enlarged Bygul or Trjegul that in the Norse Lore pulls her chariot, and holds a horn to call battle as she is also a War Goddess. Like Frigg, we believe this version was intended to be witch-like and partly unflattering (though this could just be medieval artistic conventions), but it again attests to the endurance of the goddess. #    #    # 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 ...

Illustration of Freyja by Seb McKinnon. A particularly svelte & youthful depiction, she rides her battle swine Hildisvíni in her falcon feathered cloak, making her selections from the fallen dead for inclusion to her afterlife field Fólkvangr and seats in her hall Sessrúmnir. Note the understated detail of her necklace Brísingamen. #    #    # 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 .