Happy Thor’s Day, everybody!

If it’s true that all good things come to an end, it’s especially true in Norse mythology. The good news? While some things end with a whimper, Norse myth ends with a bang. A bang called Ragnarok.

In Norse mythology, Ragnarok is a prophecied time in which the Norse gods meet their doom in a cataclysmic battle against their age-old foes, the giants. If you’ve ever heard the term “Twilight of the Gods”, it refers to the age of Ragnarok. In popular culture, Ragnarok is often casually (some might say mistakenly) used as a name for the final battle itself. But Ragnarok is an age or era — a myth cycle marking the end of the world.

In Thor’s Day Alert #14 I wrote about the Fimbulvetr age, literally the terrible winter which presages Ragnarok. For your enjoyment, here’s what follows that passage and brings us to the meat of the Ragnarok story as told in the Prose Edda and translated by Jean I. Young:

‘Then will occur what will seem a great piece of news, the wolf will swallow the sun and that will seem a great disaster to men. Then another wolf will seize the moon and that one too will do great harm. The stars will disappear from heaven. Then this will come to pass, the whole surface of the earth will tremble so [violently] that trees will be uprooted from the ground, mountains will crash down, and all fetters and bonds will be snapped and severed. The wolf Fenrir will get loose then. The sea will lash against the land because the Midgard Serpent is writhing in giant fury trying to come ashore.

‘At that time, too, the ship known as Naglfar will become free. It is made of dead men’s nails, so it is worth warning you that, if anyone dies with his nails uncut, he will greatly increase the material for that ship which both gods and men devoutly hope will take a long time building. In this tidal wave, however, Naglfar will be launched. The name of the giant steering Naglfar is Hrym. The wolf Fenrir will advance with wide open mouth, his upper jaw against the sky, his lower on the earth (he would gape more widely still if there were room) and his eyes and nostrils will blaze with fire. The Midgard Serpent will blow so much poison that the whole sky and sea will be spattered with it; he is most terrible and will be on the other side of the wolf.

‘In this din the sky will be rent asunder and the sons of Muspell ride forth from it. Surt will ride first and with him fire blazing both before and behind. He has a very good sword and it shines more brightly than the sun. When they ride over Bifrost, however — as has been said before — that bridge will break. The sons of Muspell will push forward to the plain called Vigrid and the wolf Fenrir and the Midgard Serpent will go there too. Loki and Hrym with all the frost giants will also be there by then, and all the family of Hel will accompany Loki. The sons of Muspell, however, will form a host in themselves and that a very bright one. The plain Vigrid is a hundred and twenty leagues in every direction.

‘When these things are happening, Heimdall will stand up and blow a great blast on the horn Gjoll and awaken all the gods and they will hold an assembly. Then Odin will ride to Mimir’s spring and ask Mimir’s advice for himself and his company. The ash Yggdrasil will tremble and nothing in heaven or earth will be free from fear. The Aesir and all the Einherjar will arm themselves and press forward on to the plain. Odin will ride first in a helmet of gold and a beautiful coat of mail and with his spear Gungnir, and he will make for the wolf Fenrir. Thor will advance at his side but will be unable to help him, because he will have his hands full fighting the Midgard Serpent. Frey will fight against Surt and it will be a hard conflict before Frey falls; the loss of the good sword that he gave to Skirnir will bring about his death. Then the hound Garm, which was bound in front of Gnipahellir, will also get free; he is the worst sort of monster. He will batlle with Tyr and each will kill the other.

‘Thor will slay the Midgard Serpent but stagger back only nine paces before he falls down dead, on account of the poison blown on him by the serpent. The wolf will swallow Odin and that will be his death. Immediately afterwards, however, Vidar will stride forward and place one foot on the lower jaw of the wolf. On this foot he will be wearing the shoe which has been in the making since the beginning of time; it consists of the strips of leather men pare off at the toes and heels of their shoes, and for this reason people who want to help the Aesir must throw away these strips. Vidar will take the wolf’s upper jaw in one hand and tear his throat asunder and that will be the wolf’s death. Loki will battle with Heimdall and each will kill the other. Thereupon Surt will fling fire over the earth and burn up the whole world.

That’s all for today. I’ll continue the Ragnarok tale in my next Thor’s Day post. The next section contains actual skaldic verse, so you won’t want to miss it!

Welcome to another Tuesday Althing! Hot news today — it appears they’ve found someone to play Jane Foster in the upcoming Thor movie. Natalie Portman. You can read about it here:

http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1615733/story.jhtml

If you missed the announcement of who’s been cast as the god of thunder himself, it’s Chris Hemsworth, who starred in the opening scene of the latest Star Trek movie. (Which was awesome, by the way — despite the problems of young Spock and old Spock being in the same place at the same time. I’m still confused.)

Thanks to David Clark for the link, and thanks for stopping by. See ya Thor’s Day!

After 6+ months of work and a few intense weeks recently, I’m thrilled to announce we’ve published the first issue of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly! HFQ is a FREE quarterly ezine featuring short fiction and poetry — most with a slant favoring straight-ahead adventure fantasy. We’ve got some really cool stuff on tap and I hope you’ll check it out. Here’s a link:

http://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/

And with that I’m taking a break from blogging for a couple of weeks. We’ve still got a ton of submissions to go through at HFQ, and I also want to focus on my own fiction writing for a bit.

Thanks for stopping by!

Peace out.

Happy Thor’s day, everybody!

As co-proprietor and editor of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, I’ve been mighty busy the last couple weeks with duties related to HFQ’s July 1 launch. Because I’m equally busy this week, I thought it would be fun to dig into a little book called FEROCIOUS COMMON SENSE and share a few sayings that capture the spirit of heroic fantasy.

These verses are John Louis Anderson’s interpretations of a section of The Elder Edda known as Havamal, which is also known as ‘Sayings of the High One’.

Rise early to battle for your life
or win another’s land;
Prey never falls to sleeping wolves,
nor victories to sleepers.

Never praise a day till the sun has set,
nor a torch till it’s burned out;
Ice till it’s crossed,
nor ale till the cup is empty.

The generous and bold live the best lives,
and seldom harbor sorrow.
But the timid shrink back from life,
and the greedy cling to spare change.

The foolhardy think they will stay unhurt,
if they keep aloof from the fray;
But old age will wound them all the same,
even though no spear cut through their flesh.

Your gifts need not be large,
sharing what you have will oft bring thanks;
Half a loaf and a half-empty cup
have won me many friends.

Words to live by, yo. Wait — I mean words to live by, ja.

Thanks for stopping by. See ya Tuesday!

I’d like to introduce this week’s bit of Scandinavian randomness by saying one thing:

Holy crap!

I discovered a Norwegian folk metal concept album. I know, I know — there are a BUNCH of Norse/Viking concept bands out there. What’s cool about the band featured here today is I think I’ll be able to listen to one of their albums front-to-back. (My gentle ears can only handle the blacker stuff in small doses.)

The band is called Lumsk. I don’t know what that means, but my grandpa called me a lumsk once when I broke a dish at his house. Wait — maybe he called me a lummox. Whatever. This band (well, this album at least) passed all the criteria on my Althing tonal qualities list:

1. Unintelligible but melodic vocals: check
2. Scandinavian singing enchantresses: check
3. Fiddles: check
4. Electric guitar, bass, drums: check

The following song is from the Lumsk album called Asmund Frægdegjaevar; the album is a musical retelling of the Norwegian legend of the same name. The song is called I Lytinne Tva. Behold:

Thanks for stopping by. No Thor’s Day post this week. See ya Tuesday!

Welcome to another Tuesday Althing, where all topics (usually of Scandinavian interest) are up for display.

Today I offer some Viking humor — courtesy of The Well of YouTube and a program called Thank God You’re Here. As much as I hate horned helmets on Vikings, I can deal with them when there’s funniness or football to be had. The following vid contains no football, but it does have some hilarious hot chicks AND George Takei, aka Sulu of Star Trek fame — be sure to watch long enough to witness his move to become the new Viking chieftain. Classic! The funny stuff starts at the 1:40 mark:

Thanks for stopping by. See ya Tuesday!

Happy Thor’s Day, everybody!

The number nine in Norse mythology is a recurring symbol. Symbolic of what, I’m not exactly sure. Perhaps transitional events — like birth or death. Or transitional things — like Yggdrasil, the tree which touches both heaven and (Nifl) hel. The transitional meaning supposedly comes from the fact that the number nine is the last single-digit number before we reach double-digits with the number 10.

But for dummkopfs like me, the number nine in Norse myth is most useful for giving me a head’s up, like: Yo. Pay attention. This part is really important.

Here follow some famous nines in Norse myth:

• The Nine Worlds
• Heimdall had nine mothers
• Nine thralls Odin incites to killing each other so he could take their place in the fields and learn from their master where to find the mead of poetry.
• Hermod rode for nine nights before reaching Niflheim and there attempting to bring Balder back from the dead.
• Nine — the number of days and nights Odin hung on the World Tree, Yggdrasil, in order to learn the secret of runes.

There are more instances of nine in Norse myth, but its use in the story of Odin and the runes is probably the most important. Want to know what he learned those long nights on the tree? Some powerful magick, that’s what. Check out the following passage from Havamal, a section of The Elder Edda by Benjamin Thorpe:

ODIN’S RUNE-SONG.1

140. I know that I hung, on a wind-rocked tree, nine whole nights, with a spear wounded, and to Odin offered, myself to myself; on that tree, of which no one knows from what root it springs.

141. Bread no one gave me, nor a horn of drink, downward I peered, to runes applied myself, wailing learnt them, then fell down thence.

142. Potent songs nine from the famed son I learned of Bolthorn, Bestla’s sire, and a draught obtained of the precious mead, drawn from Odhraerir.

Did you catch that? Another instance of the number nine, this in stanza 142 and telling how many magical songs Odin learned from drinking the mead of poetry. (But I’ve also read that Odin learned these nine songs from the giant Suttung himself rather than through the mead Odin stole from him.) Could it be that in stanza 141 Odin’s “wailing” indicates he might have sung these songs in order to call forth more powerful runic magick whilst hanging on Yggdrasil? Without further ado, here are the spells he learned those nine nights on The World Tree:

148. Those songs I know which the king’s wife knows not nor son of man. Help the first is called, for that will help thee against strifes and cares.

149. For the second I know, what the sons of men require, who will as leeches live.

150. For the third I know, if I have great need to restrain my foes, the weapons’ edge I deaden: of my adversaries no arms nor wiles harm aught.

151. For the fourth I know, if men place bonds on my limbs, I so sing that I can walk; the fetter starts from my feet, and the manacle from my hands.

152. For the fifth I know, if I see a shot from a hostile hand, a shaft flying amid the host, so swift it cannot fly that I cannot arrest it, if only I get sight of it.

153. For the sixth I know, if one wounds me with a green tree’s roots; also if a man declares hatred to me, harm shall consume them sooner than me.

154. For the seventh I know, if a lofty house I see blaze o’er its inmates, so furiously it shall not burn that I cannot save it. That song I can sing.

155. For the eighth I know, what to all is useful to learn: where hatred grows among the sons of men—that I can quickly assuage.

156. For the ninth I know, if I stand in need my bark on the water to save, I can the wind on the waves allay, and the sea lull.

157. For the tenth I know, if I see troll-wives sporting in air, I can so operate that they will forsake their own forms, and their own minds.

158. For the eleventh I know, if I have to lead my ancient friends to battle, under their shields I sing, and with power they go safe to the fight, safe from the fight; safe on every side they go.

159. For the twelfth I know, if on a tree I see a corpse swinging from a halter, I can so grave and in runes depict, that the man shall walk, and with me converse.

160. For the thirteenth I know, if on a young man I sprinkle water, he shall not fall, though he into battle come: that man shall not sink before swords.

161. For the fourteenth I know, if in the society of men I have to enumerate the gods, JEsir and Alfar, I know the distinctions of all. This few unskilled can do.

162. For the fifteenth I know what the dwarf Thio- dreyrir sang before Delling’s doors. Strength he sang to the ^Esir, and to the Alfar prosperity, wisdom to Hroptatyr.

163. For the sixteenth I know, if a modest maiden’s favour and affection I desire to possess, the soul I change of the white-armed damsel, and wholly turn her mind.

164. For the seventeenth I know, that that young maiden will reluctantly avoid me. These songs, Lodd- fafnir! thou wilt long have lacked; yet it may be good if thou understandest them, profitable if thou learnest them.

165. For the eighteenth I know that which I never teach to maid or wife of man, (all is better what one only knows. This is the closing of the songs) save her alone who clasps me in her arms, or is my sister.

166. Now are sung the High-one’s songs, in the High-one’s hall, to the sons of men all-useful, but useless to the Jotuns’ sons. Hail to him who has sung them! Hail to him who knows them! May he profit who has learnt them! Hail to those who have listened to them!

So there you have the 18 rune-songs Odin learned upon The World Tree. (I probably don’t need to point out that 9 x 2 = 18.)

Thanks for stopping by! See ya Tuesday.

No Scandinavianism today, but a bit about writing and music instead.

When I write I can’t usually listen to my favorite rock music because I’m distracted by the lyrics. Punk, metal, alt — whatever, I get too caught up in the musicians’ storytelling to focus on my own. So I listen to a lot of classical when I write. Or lately, spacemusic courtesy of Hearts of Space.

But there is one band I can listen to when I write. At least when I’m writing fight-scenes, of which there are a number in STORM OF THE NORTH. The band? Testament. Check out D.N.R. and see if it makes you want to pick up an axe and shield and join the fray! (Underworld movie sequences are a bonus.)

If you’re up to it, close your eyes and listen to the song again. (Mom — you get a pass.) This song even sounds like axes and swords smashing against shields! I think I heard a death scream in there too.

Thanks for stopping by. See ya Thor’s Day!

I remember the first time I saw the Techno Viking video that went viral some time back. I remember initially thinking the video might be a neo Nazi video response to disco and the Bee Gees and John Travolta’s famous walk. But after a few more viewings and a little research I decided the video was actually pretty benign and, if anything, a monument to bizarreness and solid proof that in fact (most) white people can’t dance.

Almost 8 million views later (um, not by me — I’m not THAT intrigued by Techno Viking. Or by that strap around his leg. WTF?) and an evolving Internet mythology about the man — who apparently can now kick ass better than Chuck Norris or Bruce Lee — which includes many videos set to different music, I think Techno Viking has reached his evolutionary apex.

Like Captain America with super serum and an indestructible shield, a mad computer-lab scientist has infused Techno Viking with Eminem and given him Leonidas’ head. (The really sweet dance moves kick in at about the 2:00 minute mark.) Behold:

Thank you, MaestroZX, for giving Techno Viking some 300 soul.

And thank you, good reader, for stopping by. See ya Tuesday!

Happy Thor’s Day, everybody!

Ever hear of a poet named Henry Wadsworth Longfellow? Sure, you say. Hasn’t everyone? As for me, I couldn’t remember actually reading anything he’d written.

About all I could recall was that Longfellow was an American who lived during the 1800’s. And I figured he wrote stuffy Victorian stuff. Not so the latter!

It seems Longfellow also had a thing for the Norse. Check out this lively poem about Odin’s favorite son:

THE CHALLENGE OF THOR

I am the God Thor,
I am the War God,
I am the Thunderer!
Here in my Northland,
My fastness and fortress,
Reign I forever!

Here amid icebergs
Rule I the nations;
This is my hammer,
Miolner the mighty;
Giants and sorcerers
Cannot withstand it!

These are the gauntlets
Wherewith I wield it,
And hurl it afar off;
This is my girdle;
Whenever I brace it,
Strength is redoubled!

The light thou beholdest
Stream through the heavens,
In flashes of crimson,
Is but my red beard
Blown by the night-wind,
Affrighting the nations!

Jove is my brother;
Mine eyes are the lightning;
The wheels of my chariot
Roll in the thunder,
The blows of my hammer
Ring in the earthquake!

Force rules the world still,
Has ruled it, shall rule it;
Meekness is weakness,
Strength is triumphant,
Over the whole earth
Still is it Thor’s Day!

Thou art a God too,
O Galilean!
And thus single-handed
Unto the combat,
Gauntlet or Gospel,
Here I defy thee!

Sounds like a pretty solid characterization of Thor to me. There’s a bigger story around this poem, crafted a la Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales but in rhyme. It’s called Tales of a Wayside Inn and you can read it in its entirety at Google Books. Good stuff, yo! (Except for the stuffy parts.)

I’m going to resume posting every Tuesday, so come back on the 26th for a bit of Althing random fun. Thanks for stopping by!