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Showing posts with the label Apples Of Youth

the kidnapping of Iðunn.

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Iðunn's terror at being hoisted off by eagle-form jötunn Þjazi in P. Craig Russell's Norse Mythology graphic novel from Dark Horse Comics. While the focus here should be on the crucial loss of the Gods' irreplaceable harvester of youth-sustaining apples , I can't help but look backwards at the golden halls of Ásgarðr she's being hijacked from. Russell's nouveau fantasist stylings have given Elric and Dr Strange otherworldly cityscapes over the past decades and I'm glad to see him turn his hand to NorsePlay the home of the Gods as an important location in the lore. Note this specific drawing for V2 #5 recently sold on eBay for $2K+ as PCR's original graphite page that was only digitally colored by another artist, but he put his own mixed media colors on his original to make the only physical copy that differs from the cover everyone else got on their comic or in their graphics. Also note that PCR's auctioning off other pieces like this, so if you...

an apple of a t-shirt.

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  NorsePlay loves the intersection of Art Nouveau with the Norse Lore into a Nordic Nouveau , and was delighted to find this tribute shirt to Iðunn.  From KrisArtShoppe's Etsy store, this goddess in profile & golden apple -framed shirt's so amazing that I wished I'd designed it . The awesome bannered quote is from the Hrafnagaldr Óðins poem's stanza 6 (which I get into more about Iðunn's origins   within this entry about her husband Bragi ). #    #    # 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 resear...

making the Apples of Immortality.

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From previously commenting on Iðunn 's apples of immortality, NorsePlay reads that it's the goddess who makes the apples work and not the orchard or trees themselves that are left behind during her abduction by Þjazi where the Gods age in her absence, otherwise they would just go pluck the apples themselves. The question this raises in terms of NorsePlay is thusly:  If the crucial factor is how Iðunn keeps the apples, then can this preparatory process be rediscovered & applied to make our very own apples of immortality? Is there a secret agricultural procedure or cooking recipe that would make any apple a key to limitless youth & longevity? Or is the fruit's conversion within the  specific  construction of a special storage cask for altering apples? If so, can an apple a day forever keep old Elli & deathly Hel away? [Iðunn  from the amazing Johan Egerkrans'  Norse Gods (2017 CE). Differently depicted as an older beauty with her sharply drawn...

why we all covet Iðunn.

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After acquiring a blue pocket 1930 CE hardback copy of In The Days Of Giants  by Abbie Farwell Brown, I ran across this brilliant interior illustration by Elmer Boyd Smith of  Iðunn : " He flapped away with her, magic apples and all " (originally 1902 CE) Look at that jerkface Loki , clown-haired and so pleased with himself. And even though she's being abducted,  Iðunn has this statuesque elegance about her, the dress falling just so to show off its floral pattern, her back with just enough romanticist swoon to indicate the not-rightness of the moment, her ornate cask of apples, and the nice detail of that runescript embroidered gown hem . We have to presume Heimdallr 's posted on the other side of Ásgarðr in the background, or eagle form jötunn Þjazi  would so not be getting away with this. The implied NorsePlay of the narrative's situation would be that only  Iðunn can tend, coax, & then pick the apples of youth, since  Þjazi has arranged to ta...

contemporary Norse Goddess meme: Iðunn.

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Third in the Norse Goddess meme series is Iðunn . Provider of the apples of youth to the Aesir, the images associate her with the idea of providing an ageless spring for the gods. It's noted that she's married to an older god, Bragi, the god of skaldic poetry, so if she preserves the quality of youth, she's well matched as through his words past deeds are preserved. [Found on a VK Wall. If anyone knows who originally designed these, do let me know. (And if it's from a known meme generator, do let me know which as I'd love to make some in the same style.)] #    #    # 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 y...