So, the idea for this post came about through a brief, recent Twitter interaction in which I blabbered a bit about the Land of the Eastern Geats within the Kingdom of Sweden and someone responded, basically asking, “Hey, whatever happened to Geatland?” The relevance, of course, is that Beowulf was […]
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 […]
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 […]
How to Dally with Whores and Lose Kingdoms
“The sea was dark like iron, flecked with white horses, and with a livid band of light in the far distance. There was a biting wind blew from the north-east. ‘Wither shall we sail now?’ asked Biorn, ‘if we be not to be drowned?’ Styrbiorn answered and said, ‘We will […]