NorsePlay.

Last week someone anonymously dropped off this 6" x 6" art print featuring Hel, the Norse Goddess of Death , in my mailbox: While I haven't truck with Hel Lokisdottir , I can't help but admire the designwork in this semi-Art Nouveau-inspired circular format. The braids inventively used as blade frogs, the bone & ring linked daggertailed chainwhip, her "H" monogrammed shoulder brooch, the horned crownhelm (which is possibly Marvel Hela derived), and Hel's modest coverage of her half-deathly side with the exception of sharp boned left arm, while intentionally  revealing her living leg & top, all of which makes her both seductive & Goddess-level dauntingly formidable .  Searching online, I can't seem to find any artistic attributions, so if you know who drew this do comment below, as I would love to see if they've done a series of other Norse Gods to match. And to NorsePlay's secret admirer, thank you! [3/5/2023 Addenda: Thank yo...

NorsePlay would like to take a moment this Yule to spot the influence of Frost Maiden turned Norse Goddess Gerðr within the figure of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale figure, The Snow Queen. The above Edmund Dulac illustration (1911 CE) found in Stories from Hans Andersen , features a regally divine lady, diaphanously dressed with her pallid arms bared, the Northern Lights encircling her head, perhaps projected or reflected from her physical presence. This presentation of comfort in extreme cold would suggest jötunness heritage given to her. Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale (1844 CE) also features heroine Gerda whose name may indicate a storyteller's easy choice of one degree of character displacement from Gerðr. The Snow Queen herself probably trickles down into C.S. Lewis' Imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia, whom those thankless rebels impugn as "The White Witch". Gerðr's known for the feature of her shimmering arms, part of why G...

From previously commenting on Iðunn 's apples of immortality, NorsePlay reads that it's the goddess who makes the apples work and not the orchard or trees themselves that are left behind during her abduction by Þjazi where the Gods age in her absence, otherwise they would just go pluck the apples themselves. The question this raises in terms of NorsePlay is thusly:  If the crucial factor is how Iðunn keeps the apples, then can this preparatory process be rediscovered & applied to make our very own apples of immortality? Is there a secret agricultural procedure or cooking recipe that would make any apple a key to limitless youth & longevity? Or is the fruit's conversion within the  specific  construction of a special storage cask for altering apples? If so, can an apple a day forever keep old Elli & deathly Hel away? [Iðunn  from the amazing Johan Egerkrans'  Norse Gods (2017 CE). Differently depicted as an older beauty with her sharply drawn...

There's a point where attestation ends, intuitive inference begins, and we have to NorsePlay the more likely ideas to see if they grant us returns from our praxis. In that progression of reasoning & trial, we find that Healing Goddess  Eir is broader than the limited attestations and can address both physical & emotional malaise. And we strongly suspect her hand manifesting in the crop of vaccines that have begun to open up Midgard again, so if you have a moment, go give her a blot of thanks. Also, along these associative suppositions, while we've found much parroting that the goddess is connected to a white Eirflower , we can't actually find which flower this specifically is. If we NorsePlay it to research and assign one , which white flower might it be, taking into account healing properties in tandem with Indo/Migration/Iron/Viking Age regional origins? Our NorsePlay would be the Alpine/Southern Germany Edelweiss , which is used in folk medicine and has many no...

Detail from The Goddess Gerd by UK sculptor George Blackall Simonds (1847–1929 CE). Gerðr of The Shimmering Arms is her most-known kenning. This could be yet another attribute derived/associated with the Northern Lights as they shimmer across the sky, so the sculpture depicts the jotun maiden with her arms upraised, and a possible dawn-esque Goddess halo of radiance made of hair, so her shimmering epithet could also perhaps alternately be a Midnight Sun association, or more simply the sun's reflection dazzling one's eyes off of the ice , or all the above really given the polyvalent nature of the Norse Gods, but the beauty of the proverbial & ideal pale-limbed lovely is definitely at work. And when Freyr beholds this attribute from his sneaking a view from Odin's throne  Hlidskjalf , the D'Aulaires show the phenomena of her shimmering as the first thing of Gerðr he sees. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in...

After acquiring a blue pocket 1930 CE hardback copy of In The Days Of Giants  by Abbie Farwell Brown, I ran across this brilliant interior illustration by Elmer Boyd Smith of  Iðunn : " He flapped away with her, magic apples and all " (originally 1902 CE) Look at that jerkface Loki , clown-haired and so pleased with himself. And even though she's being abducted,  Iðunn has this statuesque elegance about her, the dress falling just so to show off its floral pattern, her back with just enough romanticist swoon to indicate the not-rightness of the moment, her ornate cask of apples, and the nice detail of that runescript embroidered gown hem . We have to presume Heimdallr 's posted on the other side of Ásgarðr in the background, or eagle form jötunn Þjazi  would so not be getting away with this. The implied NorsePlay of the narrative's situation would be that only  Iðunn can tend, coax, & then pick the apples of youth, since  Þjazi has arranged to ta...

Sigyn by H. G. Theaker (1873-1954), dutifully bearing a bowl of serpent's venom away from her husband's cavern of imprisonment. While it can be argued that her dedication to the trickster's undeserved, there's also the cosmological scale compassion where if she didn't do it, we would all suffer a possibly unending & devastating earthquake from Loki's pained writhings. #    #    # 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 .

" 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 .

That pedestrian's lucky Freyja's cats have to wear tack & mouth bits to draw her chariot, otherwise Bygul & Trjegul would cruelly shake him like a living mouse for days until he dies. We presume the charioteer to be Óðr. [ Freya's Chariot , 2012 Cat Parade, Leper, Belgium. Hosted at the awesome image gallery at germanicmythology.com .] #    #    # 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 .

Possible wagon of Nerthus found in the Deibjerg Bog of Ringkjobing, West Jutland, Denmark. We offer this speculation up moreso to ask our audience if there's any best-guess as to where the Isle of Nerthus was for our Map Of Midgard project . Do let us know where you think it was, and why. #    #    # 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 .

Skaði promo art from the Smite battle arena game. #    #    # 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 rune-skinned Hel from Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice from developer Ninja Theory on PS4 & Windows. #    #    # 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 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...

Highly detailed Marvel Thor art of Hela & Fenris Wolf   penciled  by Jay Anacleto. The Death Goddess seems more than able to take care of business with that sword. #    #    # 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 .

Sweet Nordic Nouveau album cover depiction of Norse Goddess Skaði from well-named metal band The Flight of Sleipnir. Any of you heard these guys? And the Die-Hard edition of the album: #    #    # 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 .

Norwegian Thunder Goddess (2017), an oil on canvas by Chie Yoshii , clues into the gender-switching internet Rule 63 and the Marvel Thor mantle being recently worn by character Jane Foster. On top of that, the goddess springing from the foamy waters is a classical trope borrowed from many depictions of Venus' birth, but given a Norse referential twist with the figure's dominance over the aqueous sea serpents upon which she easily treads. The deity's hammer is often thought to be a symbol of male virility, and is instead replaced by a crack of lightning, almost an O'Keeffe-ish feminine slit in reality that's the source of light in the composition. #    #    # 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, l...

Norse Goddess of the Underworld Hela does a forward-facing homage to Disney's fairy tale villainesses as part of LA's Hero Complex Gallery's Thor: Ragnarok Art Showcase, running through November 5th. Go catch it! [Illustration by Jisoo Kim.] #    #    # 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 .

Norse Goddess Skadi endorses her namesake AR-15 in this voiceover! Crafted by podcaster & gunsmith Gianluca Zanna, one might imagine Skadi adding this tribute weapon to her divine arsenal of just vengeance. So what if  Skaði had shown up outside the gates of Asgard with an AR-15 or some other advanced dwarven-made weapon to avenge her father? Would she have even stopped to listen to talk of weregild? Would she have accepted, or just laughed and started shooting ? We have the impression that Þjazi may have been a bad father given his treatment and captivity of Iðunn, and Skaði's possibly necessary self-reliant skillset as a huntress (way heightened compared to other jotunesses like Gerðr or  Gunnlöð ), so   perhaps her probably impossible single-handed front gate approach to Asgard was only out of an obligation for retribution, and the  Æsir were wise enough to offer her a husband, plus add her boldness to their lineup in the l...

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...