NorsePlay.

Yes,  I built a NorsePlay branded axe throwing target!  So if you know me, come over and bring your hand axe and marksmanship skills. [right in the targets!] (And if you don't know me, bear in mind that I threw that axe into the target with deadly accuracy .) Using only found-on-the-streets of Tucson pallets & discarded lumber, about $9 worth of drywall screws, a four random toggles, wood glue, various cans of leftover clearish coat spraypaints for weatherproofing, some lines of brushed acrylic, and about two weeks of post-dayjob summer evenings to draft & drill it into existence. The small carved bear head I adorned the top with just for bearserker -spiration. Note that coloured pallets tend to be rentals, and by the time I learned that I'd already affixed the blue one inextricably into the project. Whoops. Other urban wood-hunting tip: Do not get pallets that have "MB" stamped on them as they've been fumigated with toxic methyl bromide pesticide that can...

Alan Lee's Beowulf in Heorot from David Day's  Castles (1984 CE, illustration is verso half of the double page spread). #    #    # 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 .

The bearded axe gets a serious tactical modern NorsePlay upgrade by American Kami . We love DJ Urbanovsky's practical design, military aesthetic, and Viking re-visioning. #    #    # 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 Mythology family tree by Humon Comics. The style of this is iconically reductivist, yet still charmingly winning, though we believe Ymir should be more ancient sleeping mountain as opposed to an infant and the infanticide that would falsely imply. What's always interesting to note in these is how closely related the different factions are. Thor the jotun slayer is himself half-giant as many Aesir, and the Aesir marry often from the select of jotun maidens, yet despite familial ties the enmity overrides that, and defines the nonusversal conflict of entropic forces wanting to breakdown everything because that's just what they do, versus creators' constant struggle & vision to preserve an established existence for everyone. #    #    # 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 p...

The  BBC School Radio Viking Sagas  are simplified and slightly compromised versions of Norse Mythology made for children. We're delighted to see this presented in terms of an elementary curriculum package with activities and songs. #    #    # 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 .

The Marvel geography of Asgard re-imagined by MovieManiacsDesign 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 .

Muscovite cosplayer Darina Rarog NorsePlays the drama as a shieldmaiden . The blood at the hairline begs the question if an arrow winged her, or if it's arterial spray from an archer left in her trail of death. #    #    # 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 .

Actress Zita Johann as The Viking Maiden from the cut sequence known as The Saxon Warrior . This flashback has the Austrian film star's character sacrificing one of her past incarnations before the events of the famous Universal horror film, The Mummy (1932). The footage has been lost. #    #    # 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 .

Take Conan , Icelandic Sagas, the cartoon styling of Bone , shading of Mignola , and you have Barbarian Lord . We just read this, and if you like anything in the above list, the cross-pollinated tropes of berserker s, trolls , witches, farmstead neighbor feuds, and Viking poetry will totally win you. And like a saga, there's a no-nonsense plot point-to-point presentation that keeps the pace lean and satisfying at the same time. Go read this. It rules. #    #    # 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...

Skade from The Last Kingdom 's Season 3!  Actress Thea Sofie Loch Næss opens the show as a merciless magical threat, gouging eyes, and stilling tongues on the edge of her seax. Appropriately named after the Goddess Skaði whose etymology comes from damage/harm/injury/wound, she addresses the powers and remote people as though they haven't any distance from her, which is both frighting, impressive, and grimly alluring. #    #    # 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...

Sideshow Collectibles has a Court of the Dead property of which we're not quite sure whether its focus is supposed to be high-end statuary, boardgames, or comic books. Somewhere in this commercial construct's a stunning dark fantasy NorsePlay: Kier,  Valkyrie of the Dead . The idea of a more deathly chooser of the slain jibes with the  Darraðarljoð 's grim imagery of the Valkyries weaving the unfolding of an upcoming battle with the entrails of men on a loom. This style choice also agrees with the compromised Valkyries in the recent God of War 's side missions, and the sexy death experienced referred to in The Odin Brotherhood . #    #    # 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...

A clue to the one ring of Norse Lore's current whereabouts could be this NorsePlay sign once available on Amazon, but now's a broken link. [Perhaps Jeff Bezos wears it?] #    #    # 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 .

Grimfrost provides a modern-day Megingjord so you can heft the workout hammer! #    #    # 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.

NorsePlay:  Creative explorations, variants, and additions to Norse Lore & Myth. The Lore's been a sandbox since hearthfires and skalds in the hall, and once Tolkien got ahold of it with the intention of making an open-source world, it's also been fair game in modern days. Our Lore's stories attract creativity because they are the ur-stories, our Gods are bad arses, the adversaries are felt as a real/metaphorical yet inevitable threat, and all that carries a useable weight that narratively, artistically, musically, and cinematically cannot be ignored. To acknowledge the historicity of this concept, Norse Language expert Jackson Crawford states that NorsePlay in terms of variation & fanon started pretty much from the get-go. As we desire & request more Norse-inspired narratives, so did the arch-Heathens & subsequent generations ask the fireside skalds for sequels & team-ups, and they delivered audience-satisfying new stories, very much like comics giving ...

NorsePlay donates books to a nearby Little Free Library. Because we're supercool with our Deeds like that, and we hope that the Norse Lore with whichever creative pollination it may be in, will find its wondrously truthful way to others. #    #    # 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.

Cloth map exclusive to the God of War Stone Mason Edition with annotations deciphering the runic script. In game, dwarven mastercrafters Sindri & Brokk create this very map for Faye. #    #    # 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 .

Gaïa Weiss kitted out as shieldmaiden Þorunn from Vikings Season 3's an obvious NorsePlay choice, and we're taking a moment to admire the detail in her costume. #    #    # 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 .

A Norse-inspired world map from Brock "Zzilla" Brown's Life On Water project, which shows a more aqueous fishbowl version of things. For a seafaring culture, perhaps this idea holds some water. #    #    # 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 .

Odin crafts the dome of night from Ymir's skull ! We like the barely visible line drawing of the Allfather 's thoughts of the skull as building material being executed into the overlaying reality of the scene. [illustration by Troy Howell from Favorite Norse Myths .] #    #    # 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 .

Vala's Enchanted  perfumery ritually creates scents based on the Lore " to make concepts, deities, gods and human personalities manifest. " Perfumer  Moi Yggdottir's thematic constructions seem to have much spiritual forethought and are crafted to fit the names of her products well. [more info here , photo by Luna Torr. {Thanks to Kara Lynn for bringing this to our attention.}] #    #    # 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 .