the Valkyrie's vigil.


A long time ago, a bestie of mine constructed a small backlit diorama featuring this painting, The Valkyrie's Vigil (pre-1915 CE) by Edward Robert Hughes.

This piece is more inspired by 19th century Germanic Romanticism and Wagner (note the operatic winged helmet), plus the castle, the off-the-shoulder pre-Raphaelite gown, and her late medieval sword held by the unedged ricasso.

Yet in the idea of mythic time being irrespective of linear time, and the Sagas' conventions of pulling from later period tropes & ideas, this NorsePlay is par for that atemporal storytelling tradition. I love the luminosity of this work, the implication that a siege before a battle is about to occur, and that maybe the Valkyrie's job & patience has extended itself into a later medieval period where she waits for a conflict that she knows is going to unfold as the sad concern and resignation expresses itself on her face, her hand already reaching toward tomorrow's battlefield in a gesture of preselection of who will be the worthiest of the slain.

[thanks to Gwynn "Valkyrie" Raamat for her gift of her altar-worthy diorama so long ago.]

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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 then 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 employment/opportunities in investigative mythology,  field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.

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