the runic Gardiner Grimoire.

There's definite NorsePlay a'brewing in the Witches Of East End cauldron, a Lifetime channel supernatural drama that ran only two seasons in 2013-4 CE. Behold this rune-laden screenshot of the Gardiner Grimoire:


The closest manuscript analog to this show's prop would be the Codex Runicus, a 202-page book from ~1300 CE:




Quite unlike a grimoire though the Runicus isn't a collection of dark magical workings, but is mostly a collection of laws. Yeah, I know, not as exciting, but historically wayyyy valuable, and the later period revivalist runes are really a standout in the corpus of medieval manuscripts.

But back to our regularly scheduled TV program:

The origin lore of Witches of East End is that they're refugees from Asgard, leaving after Odin begins to tighten an iron fist on everyone, including Joanna (Julia Ormond), his headstrong & independent daughter, herself the mother of two headstrong & independent daughters, one most pointedly named Freya (Jenna Dewan).

[on Woden's Days we wear white ... ?]

Fighting a losing battle, they dimensionally expatriate to our world, becoming the analogue to our medieval witches, hidden magical beings living among New England's mortal population. The whole thing's more Charmed/Buffy (double ugh) than American Gods (hey, writer/executive producer Neil Gaiman can we get a final S4 on that brilliance?), though there's some reincarnation factor that places it in The Almighty Johnsons' garth, but the sad note is that Witches doesn't finish, and I heard it diverges from the five-book series it's based on significantly.

I can't say there's enough total NorsePlay in Witches of East End, but if you've already watched The Almighty Johnsons it will scratch that contemporary fantasy itch while the drama & dark turns of it will keep you in, and seeing Mädchen Amick (Twin Peaks' Shelly the Waitress!) as cat witch Wendy Beauchamp slink around is rather sultry eyecandy.

If any of you have read the books, I would be interested to know how much more (or less) NorsePlay they are compared to the show. Do tell in the comments below!

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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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