PARTY WITH THE NORSE GODS

In celebration of my new book ‘Secrets of the Ash Tree’ the Norse Gods have gathered with Captain Ninja- Alex Cavanaugh at the well of Urd. Together they have decided to throw a big book release party on my birthday, October 9th! 

Sign up on the linky tool below and post about YOUR favorite Norse God on that date.  Because it is my birthday as well as the celebration of my book release there has to be presents! 

Anyone who buys my book from now and during this blogfest can email me and I will send them an autographed print of this Freya illustration made by my daughter Maria Bech. This illustration is not available anywhere else and is not included in the book. My book is available at most online retailers including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

More presents? I will be giving away a signed copy of my book to who-ever actively parties the most on this day. So spread the word, use my banner, visit as many blogs as you can, and write a great post! Special points if you visit my NEW WEB PAGE and like my Facebook Author page!

My blog tour for the release of ‘Secrets of the Ash Tree’ will be from October 7^th-14^th. 

I have a lot of great things planned for this tour and some amazing bloggers to visit, but for now they are a secret...More details later…Hope everyone has a fantastic week-end!

 

SECRETS

Have you ever wanted to share a big secret but knew that you had to keep it? My upcoming novel Secrets of the Ash Tree is all about the kind of secrets that we are forced to keep. Some secrets have a way of freeing themselves. Take a little trip over to Roland Yeomans world of ghosts and ghouls...See for yourselves what he is writing about in the crosshairs!

This coming Monday on the 29^th of July I am going to share a big secret with you! Michael Di Gesu, my Cyber brother and talented artist has done my book cover and I am excited to share it with you so mark your calendars and spread the word!

Full moon through leaves---not the cover for my book

In the realm of the gods and fairy tales the mystery of life is an endless path with many secrets to be discovered. Some secrets are like dreams, just waiting in darkness hoping to get into the light. 

Secrets of the Ash Tree blog tour October 7- October 9, 2013…A big Birthday BASH starting at the Ninja base of Alex Cavanaugh. If you would like to be involved in this SUPER NINZA-NORSE GODS PARTY with lots of Giveaways and prizes send me a mail. It’s not too late to party Ninja Viking style!!! More details later. 

On other news, Minnie is coming this Friday for her usual Gibberish game. Stop by and drop a line of nonsense.  I know that my blogging has been a bit absent of late. TOURIST SEASON is largely to blame as my time has been spent feeding those hungry beasts in a hot hotel kitchen. I want to thank all my friends for sticking around! 

Hope you all have a fantastic week and that I see you again soon for the big book cover reveal and Minnie’s GAME FRIDAY.

Choosers of the Slain

It is Monday and you should be nice and relaxed from the week-end. You should be fit for a fight and ready to take on another week. My daughter is taking her final exam today in Norwegian and I am sure she will slay it. She is a fighter and has worked hard to finish High School. That is something that can not be taken for granted here in Norway. So today I am thinking about women who fight hard to get what they want and since it is story day, my choice falls on the mighty Valkyrie. 

In Norse mythology the choosers of the slain are called Valkyries. They are a team of Warrior maidens on horseback led by feisty Freya and her cat drawn chariot.

If you are a handsome warrior strutting your stuff on the battlefield, watch out for 40 raving beauties on flying horses descending upon the pitch. The Valkyries shriek, howl and cause total confusion. Why? Because they can grab any warrior they fancy, and take him away. There is only one rule; the bewildered  champion must be dead first. So you must fight for your life, because if you fail you could be scooped up by one of these mighty and deadly beautiful Valkyrie's and then swooped off to Valhalla which is the Heroes Heaven.There you will be forced to feast,drink gallons of mead, and fornicate all night. Sounds horrible doesn't it? 

If there is a heaven, what do you think it would be like? Do you ever feel like a Valkyrie? I often feel that way once my husband gets me angry enough.

The God Thor and his Mother

Stories from Norwegian culture and mythology have always fascinated me. Every Monday I try to find some of these stories to share with you. Some I find in my own back yard, some I translate from Norwegian folklore and some are researched online. The stories from Norse Mythology are based on “The Prose Edda”, an Icelandic collection of prose containing tales from Nordic mythology, written by the Icelandic scholar and historian Snorri Sturluson around the year 1220.

With all the recent attention Thor has been getting in the movies, I thought it fitting to take a look at Thor’s mother. You know her better than you might think.

Thor's Mother Jord

 Thor is the first son of Odin, father of the Asgardians, but little is said of his mother.  Thor has a special love for Earth, more so than perhaps any other god. Like his father he is captivated by the beauty, the strength and endurance of earth.  Thor is the protector of earth and it is not surprising since earth is his birthplace and Jord (Norwegian name for earth) is Thor’s mother. 

In Norse mythology, Jord, also known as mother earth is the mother of Thor. Jord is a giantess and reckoned a goddess, like other jötnar (giants) who coupled with the gods. Jord (also known as Fjorgyn, or Hlodyn) is one of the Aesir, an earth goddess as well as a giant, she was the mother of Thor and the mistress of Odin. Some say that she was Odin’s first wife but the interpretations are unclear as to whether that is the case. 

According to one story, Odin sought to father a son whose power would derive from Earth as well as Asgard, and hence he sought to mate with Jord. Odin created a cave in Norway where Jord gave birth to Thor. Months after the infant Thor was weaned, Odin brought him to Asgard to be raised. Odin's wife, the goddess Frigg, acted as Thor's mother from that time onward. Not until years after his birth did Thor learn that Jord was his birth mother, and he has been busy protecting her ever since.

 

Did you know that by being a creature of the earth, you are related to Thor as well? Do you know where your hammer is, and how often do you use it?

Freyjas Necklace

One day Freyja was out walking along the border of the kingdom of the Black Dwarfs. As she walked she noticed some of the dwarfs making a beautiful necklace. It glistened as golden as the bright sun and Freyja just had to stop and admire it. "Oh, you must sell me the necklace. I will give a treasure of silver for I cannot live without it. I have never seen one as beautiful." 

The dwarfs told her that all the silver in the world could not purchase the Brisingamen. Believing she could not endure without owning the necklace she asked, "Is there any treasure in the world for which you would sell me the necklace?"

The dwarfs talked among themselves and answered "Yes, you must buy it from each of us, for it is the treasure of your love. If you sleep with each one of us for a day and a night, Brisingamen shall be yours."

Bewitched by the sparkle of the beautiful necklace, Freyja was overcome with desire. She forgot her husband Odur, and she agreed to the pact. No one in Aesir knew about this arrangement except the mischief-maker Loki, who seemed to always be around when trouble was brewing.

After four days and nights of these unions, Freyja returned home wearing the necklace as if nothing had happened. Loki seeking favor from Odur informed him of what had taken place in the land of the dwarfs and furiously Odur demanded proof of Freyjas adventures. To provide evidence, Loki set out to steal the necklace. Turning himself into a flea, he flew into Freya's chambers and bit her on the cheek while she slept. The bite caused Freya to turn so he was able to remove the necklace.

Loki went to Odur and showed him the evidence of her infidelity with dwarfs. Odur tossed the necklace aside, left the kingdom of Åsgard, and traveled to far distant lands so that he could cool off. Sleeping with dwarfs was the one thing he could not forgive her. Freyja woke the next morning to find both her necklace and husband gone. 

Weeping, she went to Valhalla to confess to Odin that she had slept with dwarfs in order to gain the beautiful necklace of Brisingamen. The kindly Odin forgave Freyja for her once again proven wicked ways, but demanded a penance. Taking the Brisingamen from Loki, he commanded Freyja to wear the necklace for eternity and sometimes Freyja can be seen wandering the world in her golden chariot searchng for Odur. As Freyja weeps, the teardrops that land on soil turn to gold in the rocks, those that fall in the sea turn to amber.

This is one of my favorite tales from Norse Mythology and one that my manuscript "Gods and Fairytales" is based on. Did you like it?

Odins Wife and Some Sunshine

Frigg, was the daughter of Fiorgyn and the sister of Jörd. She was also the wife of Odin. Friggs wedding to Odin caused great rejoicing in Åsgard, where the goddess was dearly loved. After her wedding it was customary to celebrate all anniversaries with feast and song, and Frigg was declared the patroness of marriage as well as motherhood. Her health was always cheered together with that of Odin and Thor at wedding or birthing feasts.

Frigg was also goddess of the clouds, and as such was represented as wearing snow-white garments. She was queen of the gods, and she alone had the privilege of sitting on the throne Hlidskialf, beside her husband Odin. From there she too could look over the entire world and see what was happening. She possessed the knowledge of the future, which no one could ever prevail upon her to reveal. She was good at keeping secrets.

Frigg was as a tall beautiful woman, crowned with heron plumes, and clothed in pure white robes which were secured at the waist by a golden girdle. On this girdle hung a bunch of keys, the distinctive sign of the Northern housewife. 

Although she often appeared beside her husband, Frigg preferred to remain in her own palace called Fensalir. This was the hall of mists or of the sea, where she plied her wheel spinning golden thread or weaving long webs of bright colored clouds. In   order to perform this work she made use of a marvelous jeweled spinning wheel which at night shone brightly in the sky as a constellation. This was known in the North as Friggas Spinning Wheel, while the inhabitants of the South called the same stars Orion’s Belt.

Now for some Sunshine:

Nick Wilford at Scattergun Scribblings gave me the Sunshine Award, for my "positive nice thoughts" in comments. Thank you Nick.


 Rules are:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and provide a link.
• Write a post about it
• Answer the questions below.
• Pass it on to 10 bloggers who you think really deserve it and let them know

Favorite color: Green


Favorite animal: Wolf


Favorite number: 9


Favorite non-alcoholic drink: Coffee or Ice-tea


Facebook or Twitter: Facebook, Goggle+, Pinterest and someday Tweet Tweet


My passions are: Artistic and creative of which there are many


Getting or giving presents: Giving


Favorite patterns: Found in Nature


Favorite day of the week: Friday


Favorite flower: Lilly


I will pass this award on to the following because they have great blogs and deserve some extra attention and sunshine:




Melanie Stanford  
Andrea Mack 
Yadin Bromberg
Jessie Humphries
Meghan Kirkland
Kate Larkindale
Ru
Jessica Therrien
Jemi Fraser
Honey

Because of the Upcoming A-Z challenge, Minnie is hosting Gibberish early this month. Instead of the last Friday this month she will be here tomorrow with her unusual approach to gaming. Make sure you stop by and join in the fun.

Heimdall the Bouncer

Heimdall: God of Light, Security and Surveillance.

Heimdall is the son of 9 mothers. The tale of his nine mothers is as such:
In the course of a walk along the sea-shore Odin once beheld nine beautiful giantesses, the wave maidens, Gialp, Greip, Egia, Augeia, Ulfrun, Aurgiafa, Sindur, Atla, and Iarnsaxa, sound asleep on the white sand. The god of the sky was so charmed with these beautiful creatures that, as the Eddas relate, he wedded all nine of them, and they combined, at the same moment, to bring forth a son, who received the name of Heimdall.

“Born was I of mothers nine,Son I am of sisters nine.”

The nine mothers proceeded to nourish their babe on the strength of the earth, the moisture of the sea, and the heat of the sun, which singular diet proved so strengthening that the new god acquired his full growth in a remarkably short space of time, and hastened to join his father in Asgard. He found the gods proudly contemplating the rainbow bridge Bifröst, which they had just constructed out of fire, air, and water, the three materials which can still plainly be seen in its long arch, where glow the three primary colours: the red representing the fire, the blue the air, and the green the cool depths of the sea. 

Heimdall has gold teeth, owns the golden-maned horse Gulltoppr, and is the keeper of the horn called Gjallar. Heimdall, referred to as "the whitest of the gods", possesses foreknowledge, keen eyesight and hearing. He keeps watch for the onset of Ragnarök (end of the world) while drinking fine mead in his dwelling Himinbjörg, located where the burning rainbow bridge Bifröst meets heaven.It is Heimdall's duty to prevent the giants from forcing their way into Åsgard. 


Apart from guard duty, Heimdall is the ever-watchful sentinel who waits with his horn to announce the end of the world. When Ragnarok arrives, he'll blow the most amazing note and the last battle will commence. 

Heimdall has been known to sneak off duty under the name Rig and have exciting adventures. One time he also rescued Freyjas precious necklace Brisingamen after it was stolen by Loki.

Apparently there were two seals sitting on a rock, looking at a bright shiny thing by their feet. They nodded a cursory 'Good Morning' to each other and continued to gaze down at what was actually the infinitely precious Brisingamen.

One of these seals was Loki. He'd stolen the necklace and retreated to the safety of an obscure sea-bound rock in the guise of a seal. Blending in with the seal population was proving somewhat difficult, but it was his best chance to avoid detection.

The other seal, having sat quietly on the rock for several hours with hardly a glance in his direction, hauled itself up, brushed itself down and unexpectedly punched Loki in the face. It was Heimdall, come to rescue the necklace. He'd disguised himself as a seal, positioned himself on the rock first and lulled Loki into a false sense of security.
 
Heimdall returned the Brisingamen to Freyja at Åsgard, and Freyja as everyone knows has a special way of showing her gratitude.
 


More mythology to come. 

There is a lot going on this spring! New Books coming out, the A-Z challenge, and for me the big Banzaicon Convention that I will be helping my son with. Hopefully I will soon be filling all of you in on this particular celebration of Japanese Culture. Busy, busy, but I try to get around to all of you and comment when I can. Let me know if you have anything big planned, I would love to hear about it. Almost forgot that tomorrow is my One Year Blogging Birthday and I have a special surprise all planned. Come back tomorrow to see what it is!

 

Thors wife Sif

In Norse mythology, Sif is a goddess associated with earth, her hair represent fields of golden wheat. Sif is associated with fertility, family, and wedlock. Mrs THOR. Nordic Corn Goddess with hair like a golden harvest, Sif is the wife of the god Thor and is known for her golden hair. Sif is also spelled in modern times as Siv.

Sif, Thor’s wife, had a magnificent head of long golden hair which covered her from head to foot like a brilliant veil; and as she too is a symbol of the earth, her hair is said to represent the long grass, or the golden grain covering the Northern harvest fields. Thor was very proud of his wife’s beautiful hair; imagine his dismay, therefore, upon waking one morning, to find her all shorn, and as bald and denuded of ornament as the earth when the grain has all been garnered, and nothing but the stubble remains! In his anger, Thor sprang to his feet, vowing he would punish the perpetrator of this outrage, whom he immediately and rightly conjectured to be Loki, the arch plotter, ever on the lookout for some evil deed to perform. Seizing his hammer, Thor soon overtook Loki in spite of his attempting to evade him by changing form, caught him by the throat, and almost strangled him ere he yielded to his imploring signs, and slightly loosed his powerful grasp. As soon as Loki could catch his breath, he implored forgiveness, but all his entreaties were vain, until he promised to procure for Sif a new head of hair, as beautiful as the first, and as luxuriant in growth.

“And thence for Sif new tresses I’ll bring Of gold, ere the daylight’s gone,
So that she shall liken a field in spring,
With its yellow-flowered garment on.”
              -THE DWARFS, OEHLENSCHLÄGER (Pigott’s tr.)

And finally Northern Mysteries and Magick by Freya Aswynn and published in 1998 by Llewellyn has this to say about Sif:

*Sif, the second wife of Thor, is the lady with the corn-gold hair. Some sources state that she has the gift of prophecy, although this is not mentioned in the Eddas. From older Germanic sources it has been stated that Sif is a swan maiden and can assume this form. Having been married once to Orvandil, she can also be seen as one of the Elder race of gods. Sif signifies summer Fertility and corn, hence Loki's cutting of her hair is interpreted as a fire destroying a corn field. Sifs name is cognate with the German sippe, meaning "kith and kin." From this we may assume that, like Frigga, Sif is a goddess associated with peace and friendship in a happy family, and with conjugal fidelity.
* In my opinion,"Northern Mysteries and Magick" by Freya Aswynn got it wrong. From what I have researched, Sif was Thors only wife. Thor was however, Sifs second husband. Her first was to a giant named Orvandi, whom she had a son named Ullr with. Thor did keep a mistress though, she was a Jotun Giant and her name was Járnsaxa. Together they supposedly had two sons,Magni and Modi.

Are you enjoying these posts on Norse mythology, who is your favorite God or Goddess? Enjoy your week-end!

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

What do you see?

Today I am planning on telling you about the Wyrd Sisters, but first I want to tell you about my WEIRD sister. We do not share the same blood, but some of our brain cells must come from the same "God Space" (if there is such a space.) I know for a fact that our funny bone is connected to the same virtual nerve endings.


At a young age there are many children who find it necessary to have a make believe friend. Mine was born out of loneliness, as I imagine most are. She was a bit awkward and weird, but she was also funny, daring, loyal and most definitely brave. As I grew older she disappeared, but the memory of her has stayed with me. Imagine my surprise when 40 years later I found her in living flesh. In this community, this wide and vast invisible network, there she was. She looked like her, talked like her and acted just like her. She quickly made her way into my heart and I can honestly call her my friend. What started out as a figment of my imagination became very real indeed. It isn't often that you can meet someone who just gets you from the start.


Her name is Melynda and not long ago in connection with the Insecure Writers Support Group I mentioned her, and the fact that she needed our help. On Friday, which is tomorrow, she is going to have a serious surgery on her eyes. She has been going blind for some time now. If you are a writer, you can imagine how devastating this is and how her life has changed. Her friend and neighbor Elisa has decided to secretly help her pay for the hospital bills by publishing a book that Melynda has written. That book is now available and so is the chance for you to do something good today. Not just for her, but for yourself as well. I have already bought my copy and I am so looking forward to reading and laughing about her "Crazy World."


Do you ever just skip over things and say to yourself or others, "What difference does it make?" Believe me, sometimes what you do really does make a difference and this time is one of them. Please go to one of these links and buy her book. Put a smile on your face, and someone else who really needs a good smile these days.


Here are the links for where you can purchase Melynda's book:

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Nonsense-1-Melynda-Fleury/dp/1466381434/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1330536471&sr=8-9
http://www.amazon.com/Just-Nonsense-January-March-ebook/dp/B007EHO0B2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1330536471&sr=8-4
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/137018

Here's the initial post Elisa wrote about what we're trying to do for her :)

If You Love Melynda READ THIS

Thanks for your help.

Now let me tell you about the Wyrd Sisters. Yes, I spelled it right! This is Norse Mythology so of course the spelling is a bit weird.

The original Wyrd Sisters were the three Norns, the Norse Goddesses of destiny. In Norse mythology they are female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men. These three fatalists can be found tending the ash tree Yggdrasil in Doomstead. They are Past, Present and Future, spinning your destiny at this very moment. URD does fate, VERDANDI does present and SKULD the future.

They are also engaged in tapestry work of such complexity that nothing ever gets finished. Until one of their Destiny tapestries is completed confusion and uncertainty will rule the three Norns. SKULD who is the youngest and most beautiful also takes time off to serve with the VALKYRIES (which I will be telling you about soon) on a voluntary basis. URD and VERDANDI are looking at you right now as they spin and spin away. Now I am wondering, what difference will it make.


Have a most pleasant day, and remember to be kind to yourself. It really is not Nonsense at all. Blogfest anyone?

Loki-Trickster God

God of Hokey Pokey and one of the world's major Trickster Gods.

Loki was a rascal; crafty, sneaky, silly and malicious. The son of two Giants, he was so outrageously mischievous that he even sneaked his way into becoming a God. He was the first Anti-Hero, quick-witting his way out of  tight corners and confrontations caused by his own misdeeds.

Lokis'  first escapade was in true form. When the Gods were struggling to build Åsgard, they ran out of funds.  All the basic construction had been completed but they needed a large wall to keep out all the riff-raff.

Loki came up with the plan of contracting a giant to do the job. As payment, and only if he managed to complete his work on schedule, the giant asked for the Goddess Freya. The Gods were not too sure. "Don't worry," advised Loki. "He'll never manage it on his own, even if he works night and day. We'll just let him keep the wheelbarrow or something."

Alas, the giant was not on his own. He had a huge stallion called Svadilfari, which could haul boulders like there was no tomorrow. With three days to go, Freya was in distress and the Gods aghast.

Now Loki, like fire and smoke, was a shape-shifter. A talent he'd developed to make him the shiftiest rascal of all time. So he changed himself into a mare and seduced the Giant's stallion. The both of them  pranced off into the woods,  and Svadilfari was led far away from the stone pile.

With his horse missing, the Giant didn't quite make the schedule. Seething with rage, he tried to take Freya by force but unfortunatly for him Thor came along and cracked his skull with his famous hammer.

Meanwhile Loki was having a fine old time frolicking in the fields. In fact he became pregnant, and gave birth to a fine baby boy stallion with eight legs. He gave this as a gift to ODIN and it was called Sleipnir.

Loki was now well in with Odin and his son Thor, with whom he shared numerous adventures. Thor, the perfect fall guy, was even once persuaded to appear in drag as the prospective bride of a giant. That is another story. Thor could always be relied on to supply the muscle when corners became too tight for Lokis' trickery.

Loki also had many run-ins with the dwarves, which he cheated at any opportunity until they stitched his mouth shut, which kept him quiet for quite some time. That is my cue for now. There are so many stories of Loki that they could fill a book. Do you know anyone like him? 

Odin-Father of the Gods

Odin

Odin was Married to Frigg and their family inclduded, Baldur, Hod, Hermoth, Thor and Vidar. Together they were the chief divinity of the Norse pantheon, the foremost of the Aesir. 

Odin had to put himself through some very rigorous ordeals to become the great God that he was. One of these ordeals included the sacrifice of one of his eyes. Mimir was an ancient being noted for his wisdom. Mimir was the guardian of a sacred well (known as Mimir’s Well) that gave knowledge to those who drank from it. Odin so coveted wisdom that he gave up one of his eyes to Mimir to gain the privilege of drinking from the well. Mimir placed the eye in the well, where it shone as brilliantly as the Moon.

The well of wisdom lied under the second root of Yggdrasil, which allowed the Dew of Knowledge to seep into it. So Odin stabbed himself with his own spear and hung himself on the tree for nine days and nights. He was then allowed a peep, and saw magic runes appear on rocks beneath him.With a superhuman effort he lifted them and running his eye over the mystic symbols, he was instantly freed of all encumbrances. Restored and rejuvenated with everlasting vigour he droped lightly to the ground. His ordeal accomplished, Odin was at last able to drink from Mimirs well, making him the wisest of all.

Odins self-sacrifice gave him knowledge of the runes, the Norse symbols used for writing and fortune-telling. Yet although Odin was wise, he could also be sly and treacherous. It was not unusual, for example, for him to break his word or to turn people against each other to start conflicts.

Odin's attributes were the spear Gungnir, which never missed its target, the ring Draupnir, from which every ninth night eight new rings appeared, and his eight-footed horse Sleipnir. He was accompanied by the wolves Freki and Geri, to whom he gave his food for, he only consumed wine or mead.
 
Odin could make the dead speak in order to question the wisest amongst them. His hall was Åsgard and Valaskjalf ("shelf of the slain")  was where his throne Hlidskjalf was located. From this throne he could observe all that happened in the nine worlds. The tidings were brought to him by his two raven Huginn and Muninn. He also resided in Valhalla, where the slain warriors were taken. If you think a wise one-eyed Norse super power on an eight-legged horse would be easy to recognise you would be wrong because one of Odins many talents was that he could shape-change, and travel incognito under a variety of false names and shapes.

Sharing  God status with brothers Ve and Vili, the Great Odin helped bring the world as we know it into being.. The legend tells that in the ice-laden wastes of Nifleheim, he got into an extreme snowball fight with Ymir, the king of the Frost giants. Ymir was slashed into pieces and Odin made the world from all the left over bits and pieces. On the day of the final battle, it is said that Odin will be killed by Lokis pet wolf Fenrir.

Thors Gift to Freyja

Norwegian Goddess of Love

Freyja is the most passionate of all the Norse Goddesses. Not surprising since she is the goddess of love and lust. Her passions were abundant, vigorous, and unrestrained, my kind of girl.  There are many faces to Freyja, but today I would like to tell you a story about Thors gift to Freyja

Freyja is often seen riding her golden chariot through the skies pulled by two large blue cats. What you may not know is that these cats were a gift from Thor. He wanted to please Freyja after angering her one morning. Freyja was upset with him for awakening her from her beauty sleep with his boisterous and noisy preparations to "go fishing" for a sea dragon.

While he was on the way to his fishing spot, Thor kept hearing lovely song-like noises that seemed to be lulling him to sleep. Stopping to investigate the source of the odd sounds, he found them coming from a nest of mewing blue kittens being tended by a tomcat. The sound that Thor had heard was the male cat singing to the kittens, "Sleep, sleep, my dear little ones". Thor thundered at the cat and demanded that he stop singing the lullaby. The cat was not impressed and sassed him back. “You have no idea how difficult it is for a single-parent male to rear his children.” The cat tilted his head and with a mischievous grin he purred softly and asked, “Might you know a women who would be willing to take them in?”
Immediately Freya came to mind, and Thor agreed to take them to her. Like all cats, this one was not quick to show his appreciation. The Tomcat meowed at Thor, “My children are very unique. They are blue cats and deserved an especially fine home.” Thor took offense at the comment and thundered back at the cat who not the least impressed, bared his claws, turned into a bird and flew away.

Freyja was enchanted with Thor's present and did the kittens honor by letting them accompany her on her daily rounds across the sky. Thor on the other hand was rewarded for his gift with the passion of Freyja. For one whole week the skies lit up in amazing colors of blue and violet, and the thundering sounds of Thor and Freyjas passion could be heard through all of Åsgard.

Thors Hammer

One day Thor woke up to find that his hammer Mjøllnir was missing. In a panic Thor turned to his friend Loki, and told him about the stolen hammer. Thor suspected the giants in Jøtunheimr, so devising a plan the two then went to Freyja. They asked her if they could borrow her feather cloak in order to find Mjøllnir. Freyja, still mourning the loss of her beloved agreed, and Loki flew off in Freyjas feather cloak in search of Mjøllnir.

In Jøtunheimr, theJøtunn king Thrymr sat on a burial mound, plaiting golden collars for his female dogs. Thrymr seeing Loki asked him why Loki was traveling alone in the Jøtunheimr. Suspecting that he would get an answer, Loki told him about Thor's missing hammer. Thrymr said to Loki that he should return to the Gods with the following message, that he had hidden Mjøllnir eight leagues beneath the earth, and that it would be returned only if Freyja was brought before him to become his wife.

When Loki returned he found Thor and gave him Thrymrs message. The two then went to Freyja, and told her to dress herself in a bridal head dress, so they could drive her to Jøtunheimr and collect Mjøllnir. Freyja, indignant and angry, went into a rage, causing all of the halls of the Æsir to tremble in her anger, she refused which should not have come as any surprise.

As a result, the gods held a meeting to discuss and debate the matter. The god Heimdallr came up with a genius suggestion putting forth the idea that, in place of Freyja, Thor could be dressed as the bride, complete with jewels, women's clothing, a bridal head-dress, and the necklace Brísingamen. Thor rejected the idea, but Loki reminded him that this would be the only way to get back Mjøllnir, and pointed out that without Mjøllnir, the jøtnar would be able to invade and settle in Åsgard. The gods dressed Thor as a bride, and Loki went with Thor as his maid to Jøtunheimr.

The two disguised bandits arrive in Jøtunheimr. Thrymr commanded the jøtnar in his hall to spread straw on the benches, for Freyja had arrived to be his wife. Thrymr recounted his treasured animals and objects, stating that Freyja was all that he was missing in his wealth.

Early in the evening, the disguised Loki and Thor met in the hall with Thrymr and the assembled jøtnar. Thor ate and drank ferociously, he consumed entire animals and three casks of mead. Thrymr thought the behavior was at odds with his impression of Freyja, and Loki, sitting before Thrymr and appearing as a "very shrewd maid", made the excuse that "Freyja's" behaviour was due to the fact that she had not eaten anything for the eight days before arriving due to her eagerness. Thrymr then lifted "Freyja's" veil to kiss  "her" until he caught the terrifyed eyes that stared back at him, burning with fire. Loki stated that this was because "Freyja" had not slept for eight nights in her eagerness.

The sister of the jøtnar appeared,  and asked for   "Freyjas" bridal gift, and then the jøtnar brought out Mjøllnir to "sanctify the bride."  Thor laughed inside when he saw the hammer, he took hold of it, striked Thrymr down, and killed all of the jøtnar. Taking his mighty hammer in hand he returned home in his chariot. It was quite a site to see him as he rode back into Åsgard still dressed as Freyja and by his side Loki as his maid.

My Norwegian Mythology week continues tomorrow. Have a nice day and beware of men in dresses with a big hammer.