Traces of the old gods are very much alive in Stockholm. The city bears their marks in a number of ways, not least in some of the place names of its urban geography. Most of the major gods and goddesses have lent their names to a street: Torsgatan (“Thor’s Street”), […]
Larger Than Life Adventure with the Littlest Viking
Beorn: The Littlest Viking Saga is a ton of fun—sort of like if you transported Bill Watterson’s famous Calvin character to a fantasy medieval world inspired by the Norse myths and let him run loose.
Of Norseisism and Happy Scorn-Poles
«Hei Oslo! Dette er en blidstang.Jeg vender denne blidstang motdeg, fordi jeg haper du har en findag! Og jeg haper alle folka sombor her har en fin dag! Og jeg haperalle nissene, landvettene og andreander som bor her har en ekstraspesielt fin dag, sa de kan hjelperesten av oss med […]
The Folkloric Nordic Art of J.Z. Blackstadius
Good old Johan Zacharias Blackstadius; he just doesn’t get the credit that he deserves. It probably doesn’t help that his name doesn’t quite roll off the tongue with the same grace and ease of, say, a “John Bauer,” a “Gustaf Tenggren,” or a “Jenny Nyström.” Nor does it help that […]
True Norwegian Rådhus Ragnarök
It turns out I achieved one of my very few life goals this summer by getting my sorry self published in the one and only Viking Magazine, which is unfamiliar to most people, but nonetheless exists—primarily as a benefit to members of the Sons of Norway fraternal organization here in […]
Get Strathclydian with The Hogback Saga
There aren’t many contemporary creative works out there that take their inspiration directly from Norse activity in the old Kingdom of Strathclyde; usually the focus lies on Wessex or York when it concerns Britain (and Mercia often receives a special, blood-spattered nod). The territory that comprises current Scotland in general, […]
Hugin and Munin Watch Over Us All from Their Perch in Örnsköldsvik
Hugin and Munin normally perch on Odin’s shoulders where they whisper all the news of Midgård into his ear. And that’s usually how they’re depicted—loitering around his head, whether perched beside it or hovering above it. But Kjell Landfors has given us a different vision of Odin’s ravens: one where […]
The Gods of Sweden’s Nationalmuseum
The Big 3 abide in a courtyard near the entrance to the Nationalmuseum in central Stockholm. There, Odin, Thor, and Balder are carved in stone, and look very, very austere. They also look more Roman than Norse, with their togo-like attire barely covering their impeccable bodies of Italian Carrara marble, […]
The Art of Vikings, Metal, and Viking Metal
One of the great things about the internet, besides the ability to waste time by blabbering and shouting into its gaping abyss, is the ability to descend into its gaping abyss, doing nothing, except perhaps discovering badass things that you might have never otherwise ever encountered. And it was on […]
Gustaf Tenggren’s Tomtar and Troll
Poor old Gustaf Tenggren, he just doesn’t get the credit that he deserves for his tomtar and troll work. John Bauer usually receives all the glory, and it’s much deserved, but he wasn’t the only one working with these Nordic gnomes and trolls and deep, dark woods. And in case […]
True Norwegian Tapestry Art
Hail to the Allfather of Norwegian Art Nouveau tapestries inspired by Norse history and Scandinavian folklore! Obviously, that can only mean one person: Gerhard Munthe, of course. A household name on par with Nils Blommér, Hans Gude, and Mårten Eskil Winge, så klart. Back in 1891 Munthe declared that the […]
Taste the Sampo
Life somehow just feels a little less trite and meaningless when you discover that an entire series of Finnish beers based on The Kalevala exists. Of course, we may be all speeding headlong towards a final destination six feet below ground (and many Finnish bands do their best to remind […]
The Great Norwegian Trolldomizer
Trolls are inspirational creatures. This is pretty much an established fact, at least among 19th century/very early 20th century Scandinavian artists. I’ve long known about the trolls and tomtar illustrated by the Swede John Bauer, who I hailed in the distant past for his more Norse-myth related work, but I […]
‘Tis the Season for Classic American Paintings of Pagan Finnish Santa Look-Alikes
THE MAGICIAN AND THE MAID OF BEAUTY“High in the sky he saw a rainbow, and on it the Maid of Beauty.” (Wainamoinen returns home on a sledge from his exile in the icy wastes of Pohyola and attempts—extremely unsuccessfully—to flirt with the most attractive woman alive in the sky.) Normally […]
Stone Cold Rainbow Bridge
I’ve written about Boston’s mighty Longfellow Bridge before (scroll towards the bottom of the Leif Eriksson Norumbega page if you’re curious), but I’ve never had the pleasure of actually drifting aimlessly by it in a shallow-hulled paddling vessel that could never ever hope to possibly survive a full-blown voyage across […]