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Showing posts with the label Space Viking

Norse Wars: Luke Skywalker cuts off Grendel's arm.

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Luke cutting off the wampa's arm after reclaiming his lightsaber in the ice cave is much like a combination of Beowulf tearing off Grendel's arm in Heorot and killing Grendel's mother with the ancient magic  sword he retrieves in the monsters' cavernous grotto lair. We could also point out that Anakin & Luke both lose hands whilst fighting a Dark Side figure, sort of like Tyr's sacrifice of his hand to Fenrir , and that the name of ice planet Hoth appears to be linguistically derivative of Norse God Höðr as Høtherus, this latter name being Saxo Grammaticus' more heroic version of that figure in his Gesta Danorum: The History of the Danes . Does all this make the technologically scavenging Jawas & Ugnauts species of dwarves ? Is the blaster-wielding aggro Princess Leia in essence a  space-shieldmaiden ? Are nigh-invulnerable Krayt dragons really children of Níðhöggr? Would the Emperor's Crimson Guard be derived from Viking Varangians? Is Snoke'...

Vikings from spaaaaaaace!

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This pulp cover art is from an old 1977 CE Ace edition of  Space Viking , a re-print of the 1963 CE first edition by H. Beam Piper.  I haven't had the pleasure of reading  Space Viking , so here's a pretty insightfully & unexpectedly Norse Lore referential review from user "DenimLord666": [Space Viking] shares many similarities with Völsungasaga and Brennu-Njáls saga with obvious literary motifs and homages to the Prose Edda of Snorri Sturluson. Essentially Lord Trask of the planet Trask is a mirror image of the vargr Grettir Ásmundarson and Egill Skallagrímsson. Whoa. Get your  Ulfberht Mk III plasma rifles locked 'n' loaded, NorsePlayers! Let's planetfall raid, and slay some skræliens for their powerfusion caskets! #    #    # 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...

Norsetronauts rule the galaxy!

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This SF cover art from 1976 by Karel Thole evokes a Wagner ian mien, mixed with a Kirby-esque space-scaped cosmic winged-helmet Marvel Thor -like figure. And the invading Viking explorative ethos is fitting for this anthology's description of a " far-flung, preferably barbaric , galactic empire ". It seems though that women have discarded the hangerock dress with turtle box pin brooches for a much more abbreviated attire . Skol to the future! #    #    # 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...

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 .