NorsePlay.

  A girl's body's discovered floating in the open sea by a Viking prince's ship. Barely alive, they spare some of their dwindling water for her, and when she comes to, her eyes open ... to reveal goat-like horizontal pupils! This is the hook for Vei , a two-volume graphic novel , originally a Swedish 12-issue limited series from 2012 CE, and it is a stunningly executed NorsePlay. Writer Sara Bergmark Elfgren & artist Karl Johnsson gift us a re-scripting of Norse Mythology that answers the very real question of why don't the Jotnar or the Aesir just make a pre-emptive attack now to get an early victory and not have to suffer the pyrrhic resolution of end-time Ragnarök? The answer is a détente struck by a longstanding "peace" agreement mediated by a periodic gladiatorial combat. The winning side then for that time gets the domain of contested Midgard, which makes our world & its mortal reverence the key to divine power! This gives us a sweeping story rev

There's this sudden departure in Ragnarok S1 E2 where the teen jotun Fjor needlescratch hijacks the Edda High School's Spring Dance's DJ booth with his phone to put on a seething & primal track, and a ritual of choreography involving his sister Saxa & odd new kid in school Laurits unfolds in front of the student body who clears the floor for their weird leaning, quick, whip-jerk movements that the trio performs more for each other and its own process' sake, than to the surprised & awed room. The implied NorsePlay from this would be: How much of a different culture have the jotnar developed in their cosmological exile into frosty Jotunheimr (or flaming Muspelheimr) since the beginning of time?  The scene reveals a semi-supernatural music & dance tradition stepping out into view, impressing its way into a Midgardian small town world. Later episodes show the jötnar having to vote on a consensus for war by placing their hands upon an axe, and double-handedl

You've finally trapped your enemy and his family in their estate's wooden hall, making you only one step away from winning your generations-long Icelandic saga feud. As usual a hús-bruni, the climactic house burning , is the final step to either send them screaming into Hel , or to have the falling inferno of thatch & logs flush them out onto your waiting spearpoints . But what artfully wrought & status invoking tool can you pull out in front of your war party to summon the flames of final vengeance ? Why, by accursed Surtr 's fiery sword, one of these many superswanky NorsePlay'd lighters: [ Zippo Armor Nordico Lighter custom engraved by Zi Custom of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.] [Limited Edition Odin 360 Armor Deepcut Zippo.] [The Odinic "Viking Warrior Design" from Zippo.] [Runic line from Zippo Japan.] [custom brass frontispiece lighter plate from SeverEDC on Etsy.] [Ragnarök brass frontispiece plate by Volderworkshop on Etsy.] [custom engraved "V

Some would argue Walter Simonson's story & art delivery in Marvel's early 1980s run of The Mighty Thor was the comic's most epic. In 2014, Simonson again turned his hand toward a very different Thunder God for IDW Publishing in 12 issues of  Ragnarök , with Thor as an undead  jawless   draugr in a post-doomsday world were the Gods still not only lost, but the adversaries actually win, divvying up the wreckage of the Norse Cosmos amongst themselves, which was an amazingly grim NorsePlay. Simonson returned in 2019 to the same dark world for six more issues with  Ragnarök: The Breaking Of Helheim , where he answers further questions of how exactly the Æsir lost so much worse than they anticipated, what allowed Thor to "survive", and if Baldr was prophesied to return then where exactly is he, among others. From Simonson's afterword in issue #6: Consequently, the Norse myths are a goldmine for a storyteller. There's so much room for new stories which stil

  The Hordes of Death are Summoned Forth (2015 CE) by Christian Sloan Hall, who does much illustration work in the realm of metal music, particularly commissions for renowned Viking Metal band Amon Amarth ! Survive the Jive uses this image in a YT video as a visual reference to Norse Death Goddess  Hel , and there seems to be some influence from Kirby 's green-dominant deathly yet sexy Hela from The Mighty Thor . [go buy prints or hire this artist at https://www.deathlord.co.uk/] #    #    # 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 of

  As far as NorsePlay goes, the concept of Ragnaröks being physical objects is like mega-fusion bomb terrifying , and marketing them as Cracker Jack prizes in a cereal for trolls  to have, who as lesser jotuns will side on the destructive faction of entropy come Twilight of the Gods, is the worst idea ever! [Outside of NorsePlay, this troll-rific graphic design is the monster totem-driven brainchild of my visionary artist pal Daniel Davis, co-owner/troop leader of the Monster Rangers who have their own inclusive mythology & events . Get this design as a mini-poster here , and join the Rangers if you're feeling it.] #    #    # 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 n

Gathering from online reviews, previews, and our personal powers of speculation, the Nordic Netflix show Ragnarok harnesses elements from the reincarnation & self-discovery of the children's book series The Blackwell Pages and the New Zealand TV cult favourite The Almighty Johnsons of gods into mortals, and partly the contemporary fantasy of American Gods  and tabletop RPG Scion , into what seems to be a teen fantasy drama. Headed by Danish writer Adam Price (of the successful Danish political series  Borgen)  and Danish editor-turned-debut-director Mogens Hagedorn, the show's set in the pointedly named town of Edda (actually shot in Odda, Norway). The description colour text: " In a Norwegian town poisoned by pollution and rattled by melting glaciers, the End Times feel all too real. It’ll take a legend to battle an old evil. " So it appears literal & figurative corporate giants are intentionally ruining the environment in order to bring on

Based on the popular Danish graphic novels  and animated feature film, Valhalla was released in October of 2019, and so far only slowly  rolled out to Iceland ,  Hungary,  Ukraine,  Russia, and Finland through  the last six months. All three media tell the story of Tjalfe, Røskva, Thor, Loki, and Quark confronting the rising elements of Ragnarök. [check the official site , and maybe offer to subtitle/dub it into English for US release.] #    #    # 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 .

Splash page double truck illustration from Peter Madsen's comic Valhalla , a Danish comic strip that can be traced back to 1978. The strip was later collected and continued into 15 graphic novels and translated into nine different languages (but not English -- hey Carlsen Comics, get on that, we'll buy it! Readers, do nudge 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 .

Balder leads the next generation of Æsir from the ashes of Ragnarök in Marvel Entertainment's The Mighty Thor #294. This surviving line-up's made of Hoder, Hoenir, Magni, Modi, Vali, Ve, Vidar , and Vili. Note the hole in Balder's white tunic where the mistletoe arrow's been removed. [pencils by Keith Pollard, April 1980.] #    #    # 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 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 .

Team Odin vs. Fenrir.  War God Odin bestride fastest Sleipnir, with Freki & Geri flanking, Huginn & Muninn from above, and never-miss Gungnir all together could totally take the wolf in this one. Go Team Odin! [and we'd love to know who did this piece, so comment below if you know.] #    #    # 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 .

Made by Regalia Writing Labs, this 10-tine, custom feed nib's ink massive output could re-write the Völuspá itself! One can see something strake & prow-like in the front detail of this. [Design by Ralph Reyes. Sold out, but check his comparable nibbage at www.regaliawritinglabs.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 .

NorsePlay has long admired Sam Flegal's work so much we've featured it as our collection's banner from the beginning until now. The work is Freyr's Last Stand (2014). We love his take on the dwarven wrought golden boar Gullinbursti as a mechanical war steed . [Check out Flegal's other work & gets awesome prints at www.fatefulsigns.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 .

Aric Jorn's Wolves of Ragnarok: Skoll & Hati . While we're not on about aggrandizing the devourers, it's been argued that without their motivation the sun & moon might not stay on track or keep time, and the wargs were instead harnessed to this purpose. The sunwheel-motif central paws express this clockwork force at work, especially with the selection of metallic colours for his piece, and the shoulders/hips/sun/moon seeming to mirror points on a clockface. [Layered cold-cast nickel silver, brass, copper and stone, limited edition, 2016, available here .] #    #    # 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

We've previously posted a selection from this before, but only now did we notice the cosmic cover on this issue of Loki: Ragnarok and Roll from the 4-issue mini-series, and especially the angry Odin about to break up the band! [From BOOM! Studios Inc., and my acquaintance accomplished comics writer Eric Esquivel, cover art by Alexis Ziritt.] #    #    # 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 .

As if the Norse Cosmos wasn't grim enough, IDW's Ragnarök (2014) presents us with a post-apocalyptic Nine Worlds where Thor himself is an undead draugr and wakes to find things far worse off. Known for his awesome run on Marvel's Thor , artist/writer Walt Simonson presents his own version of Asgard's hero making sense of the ruins among the adversarial powers and dark elf assassins. [Read issues here: http://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Ragnarok ] #    #    # 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 c

"The Battle of Ragnarök" from the  Fall of Gods illustrated novel by Rasmus Berggreen & Michael Vogt (writer for the Hitman game). This successfully funded Kickstarter out of Copenhagen, Denmark, is based on an expansion of the Norse God Vali's story. Now underway at 20th Century Fox as a movie adaptation, with Wes Ball directing ( Maze Runner trilogy) and Stuart Beattie to write the script. [Book available at FallOfGods.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

The boardgame map from CMON's Blood Rage . We find the cold design on fire world Muspelheim curious, but during Ragnarök perhaps things have played out differently, or it made a better mechanical arrangement to put the various giants together. Any of you played this? [Game design by Eric Lang and art by Adrian Smith.] #    #    # 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 .

Swedish postage stamp with iconic  Odin bearing spear Gungnir , charging on 8-legged Sleipnir , sided by Huginn & Muninn . At bottom, Fenrir begins his fateful swallowing of the Allfather, starting with his left leg, which makes this his doomed moment at Ragnarök . The Allfather seems younger here at time's end, perhaps manifesting his helpful magicks on himself for a glorious last stand. [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 offer,  do contact him .