NorsePlay.

When Valheim from Iron Gate Studios released in February 2021 CE, it blew up & sold 5M copies in its first month! Watching the initial gaming streams of it, Valheim looked too grindy for my liking, and the premise that there was a separated 10th world also seemed repeated from Marvel Thor back in 2013 CE where Odin cuts off & hides a whole unknown Realm as vengeance for the occupants apparently killing his daughter (and yes, that storyline's a ridiculously heavy-handed retcon for the sake of inserting of Angela from Spawn as Thor's incredibly angry sister [!?!], do not recommend), but then I heard that the Gods make cameo s : The horizon also has a gargantuan view of Yggdrasil looming in the distance as a contextual setpiece. As an aside, there's also a weird craft called The Tolroko Flyer from an unpublished earlier game that can only be unlocked via a cheat, but it doesn't do anything other than litter the landscape & look anachronistic. What I can...

  Illustrator David Wyatt's Asgard from his otherworldly exploration  Nine Worlds in Nine Nights  book by "Hiawyn Oram" ( Walker Books, 2019 CE). #    #    # 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 .

  There's a lot of  great detail in this cosmological sketch print of  Die Neun Welten / The Nine Worlds  by E. Müller-Baden, c. 1900 CE. It almost looks like Yggdrasil's tertiary root is so far away from the main body of its subterranean structure that it's pretty slim pickings for Níðhöggr, who never actually does cause critical damage on The World Tree, so perhaps this offers a reason as to why. This diagram also solves the arboreal co-identification problem by specifically making Læradr the upper portion of Yggdrasil . There's also a more geographical separation between portions of  Niflheim depending if you're an oathbreaking victim unmercifully given to  Níðhöggr 's serpentine children (#2), or if you're a regular deceased (#9), which would probably spare Hel 's broader populace the gnashing of dragon teeth & wailing of the dishonourable. Though if any of you recall where the " Egisheim" Sea is cited from, do let me know. Below is ...

During Marvel Thor 's The War of the Realms (2019 CE) comic book run, this neat cosmological map of Yggdrasil tapped into the figural stylings of the Torslunda helmet plates (6th~8th c. CE). Seeing that Vendel Period context with the modern skyscrapers of current-day Midgard and the added figure of Spider-Man hanging from one of the branches thrown in is a superclever archaeological borrowing that we wouldn't mind seeing NorsePlay'd more in any medium. #    #    # 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 ...

When you depict the cosmos, you map it, you are performing the ritual of sacred geography , taking abstract invisible concepts and stickpinning them into a fixed place where they're suddenly more concrete, in a real position , around the corner, or over that mountain range, or under that hill, and even if that place's time & space doesn't match nor measure nor visibly scale as ours does, you've given or found it a physical connection point attached to our own. It felt real enough to begin with, enough to record it in mythological lore and make a story of it, but in assigning it a location , it gets that much more real and perhaps accessible. After every rain, Bifröst is a two-way street , and there's a point where the land we walk meets the trunk of Yggdrasil and connects all the points of the Norse Cosmos to us. Mostly we see more general depictions of Yggdrasil , and the above world tree map diagram re-titles some of the otherworlds, possibly to be more lin...

  [ Voluspå fresco depiction from 1933 CE by Axel Revold & Per Krohg.] The NorsePlay inspired by this mural of the World Tree at the Nasjonalbiblioteket in Oslo, Norway, is within the angular elements of the roots & branches which create sharply divided spaces. This provokes the question that what if Yggdrasil isn't only the unifying structure that holds the Nine Worlds in place, but is also the mechanism which divides those worlds and keeps them apart in differing dimensional spaces? Odin, Vili, & Ve are definitely wise enough to come up with such a dual purpose cosmic tree. And is the formidability of this structural holder/divider such that after emplaced it keeps Odin & other Aesir from spatially seeing other locations that then requires them to travel & discover that additional knowledge?  Also, like those angled curling branches, if space is folded-in upon itself, is that division of worlds then partly a mutually shared space and inste...

We recently read Graham Hancock's Magicians of the Gods: The Forgotten Wisdom of Earth's Lost Civilisation (2015 CE) , and while NorsePlay doesn't necessarily endorse Hancock's theories, we feel that he's got an interesting take on things that makes for provocative discussion. And we couldn't help looking for elements of the Norse Lore in some of what he puts forth, so behold the above photo of the Great Rift, a  dark obscuring mass that appears as a huge gap in the Milky Way galaxy, and think for a moment about Ginnungagap, the primorial void at the beginning of Norse Cosmology. There are a portion of academics who believe the Norse Gods, cosmic animals, and other elements are to be found in the heavens as constellations and other celestial bodies , but we suspect this is in part a combined astrological Greek and post-conversion overlay of placing deities in the sky "up there", whereas the Norse Lore shows them distinctly housed in Asgard or, as per ...

A sequel to our favourite boardgame  Yggdrasil has been released as Yggdrasil Chronicles , complete with a 3-D world tree! Boasting a campaign made made of separate sagas, the Gods are now actual moving pieces, and the middle platform of the tree actually revolves! We are soooo buying 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 development to offer,  do contact him .

This is a lot of ifs: If the ancient tribe of Alans, also referred to as the As, are identifiable as the pre-migration Aesir as per Snorri's Heimskringla , this might be an euhemerized Goddess' crown given the extreme fineness of artistry in the cast gold. Note the stags eating off a possible Yggdrasil and the two possible ravens on the band. [Diadem made by the Sarmato-Alanian Culture, 1st century C.E.] #    #    # 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,...

The four Aces from a set of Icelandic Mythological Playing Cards designed by Sigurlinna Pétursson (1899-1976), manufactured by Handa, 1958. [image courtesy of Rex Pitts.] #    #    # 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 .

Album cover art for Yggdrasil (9)'s ‎ Prose Edda (2009). If we run with Gaiman's re-framing of cosmic giant Ymir as being primordially sexless, the androgynous head fits, and the being's skull is then employed to dome the World Tree . [Honestly we find the niche of Shpongle Music pretty goofy, but if you like techno-ish videogame soundtrack psychedelic, then Yggdrasil's your flavour of mead.] #    #    # 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...

Illustrator Peter Lloyd's depiction of the Norse Cosmos from National Geographic's Our Universe (1980). Lloyd (1944–2009) did alot of beautiful space & robot themed artwork, exploring a futurized art deco aesthetic, and even did some concept art for the original Tron . This image from one of our favourite childhood astronomy books is unforgettable. The one-eyed Odin at top left and giant-sized Heimdallr at the foot of the rainbow bridge are interesting style choices, as is the eagle emplaced as the canopy of Yggdrasil. [We couldn't find this online, so we're especially pleased to present this artwork.] #    #    # 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  pr...

While we can't recommend Samuel Adams' Norse Legend Sahti brew for drinking, we can admire its Yggdrasil adorned label, accented with jelling knotwork roots, Bifrost , ... and its sentient panoply of staring eyes in its branches. [... and the colour text on the back label. Legend, indeed.] [In contrast, we highly recommend filling your horn with their Cinder Bock for drinking instead.] #    #    # 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 co...

If Yggdrasil identifies with the Milky Way, this is how the night sky may have looked to the Arch-Heathens , and how it might become recontextualized for Asatruar, if one buys the theory that Asgard and the cosmic beings are in plain sight at night . It's worth considering, but it's also a pat theory (especially considering how many sites are actually here on Midgard ). [Constellations along the Milky Way/Yggdrasil, from Bjorn Jonsson’s Star Myths of the Vikings (1994).] #    #    # 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 mytholo...

What we find brilliant here is the use of Eva, played by Brooke Williams, who on the NorsePlay-themed show The Almighty Johnsons , is also the reincarnation of the Norse Goddess Hel, rolled into a modern-style meme for Hel . The red-tinged roots of Yggdrasil in the blood-soaked earth are a neat foundation. #    #    # 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 .

One can't help but see Yggdrasil , Huginn , & some Aesir dressed in godly raiments in Gustav Klimt's Tree of Life mural . There's a metaphysical totality being depicted in the whorls of those branches and the golden outlines imply an existence beyond the physical. The scattered eye motifs also recall Odin. [Stoclet Fries 1905, in Brussells, using paint, marble, ceramic, tiles, enamel, pearls, & semi-precious stones.] #    #    # 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...

Yggdrasil and accompanying cosmic animals. From the Penguin Books UK cover of The Elder Edda . The bookshop upsell sticker on the front references it as an inspiration for Tolkien, and the art style somewhat calls back to the 1969 painted paperback covers from his trilogy. This Edda is part of Penguin's Legends from the Ancient North series, with equally neat new covers for The Saga of the Volsungs & Beowulf . #    #    # 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...

With a recent front-page relaunch, we just noticed that Yggdrasil, the planned Norse Theme Parks' real world NorsePlay attraction with added VR, AR, & MR, has acquired the amazing Tron Legacy designer Daniel Simon to their roster as creative director & partner. There's also a swank new live-action video up, too. The Danish park is slated for 2020. #    #    # 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 Cosmology colour plate by Augustus Knapp from occultist Manly P Hall's The Secret Teachings of All Ages (1928), a book totally worth owning. #    #    # 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 relief from Europa-Park 's Wodan Timbur Coaster , a Norse Mythology-themed wooden roller coaster ride in Rust, Baden-Württemberg that features artistic depictions of all the Nine Worlds of Yggdrasil! [Photo by Jérémy Jännick.] #    #    # 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 .