NorsePlay.

While looking at Majorie Torrey's 1957 CE illustrations for Peter Pan, one notices in the above a cruel looking, rather inhuman presentation of the creature from Neverland, which is in stark contrast to Disney's 1953 CE ever-boy, or the later 1979 CE amicable, empathic, and caring Sandy Duncan from Broadway that was later televised. [looking through your window ... .] This contrast raises the question of what the disposition those beings from elsewhere, the álfar of Álfheimr &  Svartálfaheimr , are like . The primary sources don't mention them more than a handful of times, which might imply they're well removed from us in nature & location for good reasons, and that perhaps Freyr is gifted rulership & management of the  álfar   to keep them mostly away from the other Nine Worlds . [one can't help but think of the Norse Lore's "elf-shot" when seeing this out of its Peter Pan context.] Later folklore and sagas relate how encounters with t...

During a PowerPoint YT Viking history lecture, a longship cake photo shows up, which got me thinking if it was a one-off, or if there were other Heathen/Viking-kitsch cakes being baked out there. And yes, there certainly are: [By Titia McLuckie for American Cake Decorating.] [Mmmmmjölnir!] [they say the Atlantic's made of frosting.] [runic Odin cake!] Thanks to the late great medieval historian Alicia McKenzie for inadvertently bringing this bit of modern reception to my attention in her amazing YT online lectures (big recommends from 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 ...

This neat Jack "The King" Kirby splash page mirrors Odin's consulting of the Völva for prophecy about Ragnarök in the Norse Lore. While in the Völuspá it's only Odin that rides to the  Völva's grave and necromances her up from her no-so-final resting place just outside of Helheim , above Kirby's brought a lineup of other Gods to listen to her dire words about their twilight & final battle. Artwise, the visual composition makes one believe Kirby must have referenced Lorenz Frølich's Odin and the Völva (1895 CE), noting Odin's leaning crouch and considering hand-to-beard-stroke listening style, and the  Völva's bubbling cauldron of prognosticatory inhalants . [splash page specifically from Tales of Asgard within Thor #127 (1966 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 fas...

  I'm not sure how this Vikings-Friends mashup exactly escaped my notice for so long, and normally this sort of cheaply parodic meme-ery bothers me, but instead I feel it's more of a backhand to the sitcom, and I have to admit it's pretty funny as a contrast, especially considering how antagonistically the relationships between the principal Vikings versus the smarmy urbanite Friends all play out, plus the placements of Lagertha as Phoebe and Athelstan as Joey really kills me. Also, someone actually went a step further and made this relatively well-edited mashup intro: [thanks to the late great medieval historian Alicia McKenzie for using the image in her amazing YT online lectures (big recommends from NorsePlay! So much good work on modern cultural reception!), video from YT channel You Weren't There Man.] #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Nors...

Last month I attended a belated Beltane celebration at Tucson's magical Valley Of The Moon (which has two stickpins within the upcoming Map Of Midgard ! ) and as the cords were being wound around the Maypole, I had a possible realization: Has anyone in Norse Studies made a connection between the Maypole, which once was & does represent a tree, being an analog to Yggdrasil , and the procession's ribbons being the skeins of the Norns who sit at the World Tree 's base to actively weave the cords of men's lives ? The pole could also be Frigg's distaff  as she pulls the wool out from the bunch at the top to wind it down into yarn or thread, a usage practice which may be related to the Völva's Seiðstafr that resembles a distaff, all of which possibly much later becomes the witch's broomstick. While the practice I saw in Tucson had very little formality to it, online I'd seen youths of both sexes dressed in specific costumes selected to weave with girls go...