So I’m not very big on timely, punctual, or even consistent blog updates, but I am big on depictions of majestic northern landscapes, especially if they feature Viking ships plowing the waters under what I presume to be the aurora borealis. Or maybe it’s meant to be the midnight sun, […]
Heimdall Blows
When Heimdall blows his horn it can only mean one of two things: the world is coming to a terrible, violent end and you might as well give up on whatever it is that you’re doing because you’re about to be set on fire, or you’re in central Stockholm on […]
Leif Eriksson on the Rocks
Highland Park has gone and done something wonderful: they have produced Scotch in honor of Leif Eriksson. Why did no one think of this sooner? It took the discoverer of North America approximately 1012 years before he had a Scotch whiskey named in his honor? Sometimes I am ashamed of […]
Death in Digital Fire / World Reborn
During the middle of the month, this site was sacked, pillaged, and put to the sword. My poor little Viking-toy-avatar-thing was passed around like an unfortunate Irish woman during the great Norwegian conquest of what was to become Dublin. But as the great story says, that which was the end […]
Victorious March!
I’m not sure whether this painting is saying, “We are coming to destroy everything in our path!” or “We have just destroyed everything in our path!”, but either way, if this isn’t a victorious march of some sort, then I don’t know what is. John Charles Dollman wasn’t dicking around […]
Glory in a Bottle
The Norsky brewers up at HaandBryggeriet are clearly modern day recipients of Odin’s wisdom and have held a cherished spot on my Viking Barley Brew list ever since I first compiled it. But they wanted to outdo themselves and so they started to age some of their brew in aquavit […]
Fenrir was Bound on Askøy
Remember how Loki got really wild one night—even by his standards—with a giantess, who then ended up giving birth to a wolf and two other monsters? And how that wolf then grew and grew and grew till the gods finally feared him so much that they made the decision to […]
The Saga of Biôrn
I discovered this video while browsing the web for matters of importance and came across it over at the Norse and Viking Ramblings blog. The video itself though is a student project made by members of the class of 2011 at The Animation Workshop in Denmark, and it’s about Biôrn’s […]
Viking Classic Rock Parody
This one was brought to my attention by the good mead-brewing Stenhugger from Illinois. Apparently part of a television series in the UK called Horrible Histories, it’s called Literally: The Viking Song and is an amusing take on the Viking raids on England delivered in the form of music video.
Happy Up Helly Aa!
On the last Tuesday of every January, the honorable jarls up in Shetland celebrate the end of the yule season by setting everything on fire. It’s called Up Helly Aa and not only is it a glorious homage to Viking glory, but it’s also the biggest fire festival in Europe. […]
Viking Tower in Newport, Rhode Island
New update to the Boston-area Viking Monument page. This one just happens to be an old stone tower. Back in the day folks thought Vikings erected it. Vikings definitely erected a very many things, especially when they got a little too excited with the pillaging and there happened to be […]
The Realistic Old Norse Art of Howard David Johnson
Here’s a badass image of Beowulf standing in front of Heorot, fantasizing about all the various ways in which he might brutally slay Grendel. This little bit of artistic glory comes courtesy of Howard David Johnson, a contemporary artist specializing in mixed media who often chooses historical epics and myths […]
Barley Wine Fit for Valhalla
Thereupon stood the enemy host. It was a fine day with blue sky overhead. Then the two forces joined in battle and fought fiercely, nor was there need to goad them on. Much shouting followed, and a furious blowing of trumpets. As dawn approached, Andhrimnir Barley Wine Ale said: “It […]
Loki in the Buff
Check out this crazy painting by Mårten Eskil Winge of Loki’s punishment for being a dick (and while we’re on that topic, let me just say I approve of Winge’s decision to obstruct Loki’s dong with his thigh; good call there): Winge is actually more famous for this painting he […]
Seducer of Haunting Swedish Wave Maidens
Back in the 1800s this Swedish guy Nils Blommér got really good at painting images from Norse mythology and folklore, like the one above, which features a näcken (Swedish for neck, which in turn is apparently the English term for a male nixie) surrounded by the daughters of Aegir. I […]