NorsePlay.

There's something compelling about C.H. Studio's matte black cast asymmetrically relieved Mjölnir . It's like Thor's Hammer in stealth mode. And the usual troth ring fitting being given capture terminals is a nice variant. #    #    # 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 .

With their chainmail shirts, berserker-esque marshal penchant, and Icelandic-styled names like Ragnar Sturlusson here, the panserbjørne polar bears of The Golden Compass are definitely 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 .

Thor: Ragnarok taps Norse Lore for its bottomless beer mug scene: Whether Dr Strange knows it or not, Thor originally encounters a bottomless horn at a frost giant's court that magically refilled from the ocean ... but Thor doesn't know this and it's used to embarrass him in front of all the jötnar when he can't finish drinking it. Thor also unknowingly starts the endless ocean tides we still travel on today from the three godlike draughts he downed. "Another"? Maybe Strange should've insisted on the wee 4 oz Tibetan yak butter tea? #    #    # 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 mp...

Brunin from Alane Adams ' Legends of Orkney YA NorsePlay series bears a strong resemblance to a well-known Norse God ... . Any of you read this series? If so, comment below! [Covers by Johnathan Stroh.] #    #    # 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 .

Graphis design competition's gold award winning Odin-centric logo for Asgard Brewing Co.! Odin's usual animal companions aside, note the Nine Worlds symbolized by the nine stars, and the stylized facet-cornered unicursal Valknut s. [Design by Tom Ventress.] #    #    # 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 .

In the Norse Lore, one of the convenient things about Thor's hammer is its dwarven-crafted ability to shrink down for easier everyday carry. Here a clever mother has reduced a granola bar on popsicle stick Marvel Mjölnir to fit in her son's lunchtime bento box as a worthy surprise! [lunch by Candy Girl (Cristi Messersmith) from her BentOnBetterLunches blog.] #    #    # 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 moment in Thor: Ragnarok that raises the question: What if Dr. Strange was foolish enough to tangle with God of Mischief Loki, a being who's been practicing sorcery for untold millennia longer than he? While Marvel Studios makes it look one way, we all know that either inside or outside of 177A Bleecker Street, Loki would gore out his Eye of Agamotto. [Art by Steve Ditko.] #    #    # 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 was also considered the farmer's god because his storms summoned the needed rains that watered the fields of grain. In this very modern case, $15 at Thor: Ragnarok brings a promotional keepsake bucket of movie popcorn with a lid styled after his Contest of Champions winged helmet! Let the cosplay begin! #    #    # 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 .

Death Goddess Hela cross-vambrace blocks the spear that's supposed to always hit its mark, Gungnir, from the new blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok ! We saw it last night and loved it. Cate Blanchett finally gets to be the bad arse we all know she can be, Hemsworth wins some laughs, and Asgard will ne'er e'er be the same. #    #    # 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 .

For NorsePlay this is like chocolate & peanut butter & bacon combined: The Trumpet of Terror is a Norse Mythology-based Choose Your Own Adventure book from 1986! We are so ordering 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 .

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...

We're using this sweet Lego animated video to point out that the diss (short for disrespecting) in hip-hop is a modern-day parallel of Flyting, the poetic trading of insults , which is present in Norse Mythology's Lokasenna & Hárbarðsljóð , so the idea of Thor successfully rekking Zeus with his mad thunder rhymes is pretty on the mark. Go Thor, go Thor, go, go! And though the word "rap" itself is Scandinavian in origin, the African roots of The Dozens, an insult contest played in the evening that eventually led to rap battles, is not directly related to flyting, but just happens to be an incidental cultural match that also celebrates verbal deftness and one-upsmanship. [From ERB, directed by Forrest Whaley.] #    #    # 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 poten...

Icelandic lore has it that if you get permission to take a man's skin from the waist down, rob a poor widow of a coin, then place the coin in the pants' sack with a magical stave on paper, it will generate an endless supply of money! This item, the Nábrók, roughly translates to "Necropants". [Housed at the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft, and credit to its manager Sigurdur Atlason for this morbidly fascinating share!] #    #    # 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...

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 .

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 ...

Watching the processional Bear Dance in Comănești, Bacău County, Romania, doesn't strike one as just a winter parade to drive out evil spirits. The men & women dressed in actual bear pelts adorned with oversized red tassels dance to shamanistic skin drums, wood flutes & whistles, pausing at certain intervals to make a mysterious trilling noise , lead by a masked old man, and subject to a call/response chant, has all the earmarks of a ritual. With the Indo-European lingual taboo on the actual word for bear, the migrant Roma who inspired this tradition first using real bears, and the serious to fierce demeanor of the dancers, recalls the idea that the Berserker may have been a formal entranced dance that lead to a legendary invulnerability in battle , and that perhaps this dance could be a remnant of the Berserkergang state at work. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a co...

For those of you who want to use your bifrost-ed pencils, a Norse Mythology-themed colouring book by Jade Summer Coloring. [ Digital download format 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 .

Labeled "psychedelic" by Grupo Erik, we like the pop-art stylings of this wall poster for the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok . And since the Hulk's really a menace, we only see one champion in this arena coming out on top: Thor! #    #    # 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 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 .

Thor: Ragnarok poster from LA's Hero Complex Gallery show by artist Dan Mumford. We love the pop art styling, and note Valkyrie rocking the Valknut on her cape. #    #    # 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...

Loki depicted in the Þursakyngi grimoire , a companion to the earlier posted Gullveigarbók . Again, we don't cotton to those who would seriously back the adversaries of the Norse Cosmos, but one has to note (and keep one eye on) the effort involved in exploring those themes. [Illustration either by author Vexior/Ekortu or Helgorth.] #    #    # 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 .

Because of a very questionable runestone discovery, Alexandria, MN, lays claim to being the "Birthplace of America", and flaunts that declaration with the roadside attraction of viking Big Ole , seen here in 1965 conquering a traffic island. Moved later to a roadside, you can watch him via this webcam to make sure he doesn't move when you're not looking. [Fiberglass sculpted by Gordon Schumaker, originally for the NY World's Fair earlier that year.] 06/2021 Addendum: Note that a Chrome update has made the Big Ole camera incompatible, but it will still work with other browsers. #    #    # 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...

Icelandic ogress Grýla by Þrándur Þórarinsson (2009). She only eats bad children, which could be seen as providing a service, in its own grim way. [Þrándur Þórarinsson, Gryla , 2009.] "Grýla is a mythical giantess living in the mountains of Iceland. Most of the stories told about Gryla were to frighten bad children, and her name is mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's thirteenth century Edda. Grýla was not directly linked to Christmas until the 17th century. By that time she had become the mother of the Yule Lads. Terry Gunnell hypothesizes that the medieval custom of dressing as Grýla may be related to other visiting traditions such as Julebukk or the Yule Goat and that her name may mean 'threat' or 'threatening'. She has the ability to detect children who are misbehaving year-round. During Christmas time, she comes from the mountains to search nearby towns for her meal. She leaves her cave and hunts for the children. She devours children as her favori...

"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 pro...