Fun Facts About Norse Mythology – Heimdallr, The Father of Mankind

Are humans fated to fall within one of three different classes? According to the Eddic poem, Rígsþula, the answer is ‘yes.’

The Norse god Heimdallr, using the name Rigr, traveled amongst the folks and found food, lodging, and comfort along the road.

The first stop was with an ancient graybeard farmer and his wife.  The shelter was rude and the food was poor, but apparently the hospitality was pretty good. Heimdallr slept in the couples’ bed and nine months later, Granny gave birth to the progenitor of the servant class, a boy named Þræll.

Heimdallr’s next conquest was at the nice home of a mature craftsman and his wife.  Dinner was edible, and the hospitality was again top-drawer.  Nine months after Heimdallr had departed, the wife delivered a bouncing baby boy named Karl.  When Karl grew up, he was to give rise to the class of craftsmen, independent farmers and herdsmen.

At the end of the journey, Heimdallr stayed at the large, fancy home of Faðir and Móðir. There he enjoyed a sumptuous meal and in return he gave Móðir a son named Jarl.  Jarl begat the warrior/royalty class.  Later on, Heimdallr acknowledged Jarl as his son.

The common thread in this story seems to be the quality of the food.  There is an old English adage — the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Heimdallr’s oats were sewn long ago, but what if the world were given a do-over? What if the graybeard couple had taken Heimdallr out for a bacon cheeseburger, chili fries, and a shake? Conversely, would it have made a difference if Faðir and Móðir had offered up a plate of spa food? I’m thinking things could have turned out a whole different way.

~ S.G. Rogers

When Dani was a teen, she had it all; a starring role in her own television series, a wonderful family, and her health. A few years later, everything has changed for the worse—and her time is running short. All she wants to do before she dies is to fall in love, but when she’s kidnapped and taken to Asgard of Norse mythology, she becomes enmeshed in a quarrel between immortals. Prince Rein lends a hand in her quest to return home, and she begins to think the handsome elf has captured her heart. After a magical artifact goes missing, however, he may be forced to marry another woman to avert a diplomatic catastrophe. To find the artifact and save the prince, Dani must undertake a dangerous quest involving ogres, dark fairies, and underworld criminals. Ultimately, however, she’ll have to defy Odin himself.

Dani & the Immortals is available for the Kindle HERE.

Fun Facts About Norse Mythology – The Brisingamen Caper

The theft of Freyja’s famous necklace, Brísingamen, was quite a coup.  How the deed was accomplished presented a mystery, but the goddess of love was determined to track the cat burglar down.  The case would require the highest level of expertise as well as discretion.  Since the necklace was stolen while Freyja slept, certain tongues might wag.

Enter Detective Heimdallr.

Although the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge had a day job, he could not resist coming to the aid of a lady in distress (particularly one as beautiful as Freyja).

Heimdallr possessed all the necessary skills for a crack detective, such as extraordinary hearing and eyesight.  His vision was so keen, in fact, that he could see into the future.

Heimdallr’s investigation turned up clues that pointed to The Pink Panther of the Norse Pantheon…Loki himself.

It’s one thing to catch a thief, and another to recover the booty.  Loki had cleverly disguised himself as a seal, so Heimdallr transformed himself into a seal too.  The battle between Loki and Heimdallr was short and pitched, but the brightest of the gods prevailed.

See authentic historical recreation HERE

Freyja was happy and relieved when Heimdallr returned Brísingamen.  No mention was made of any reward, although perhaps the whole episode was kissed by a seal, er, sealed with a kiss.

~ S.G. Rogers

When Dani was a teen, she had it all; a starring role in her own television series, a wonderful family, and her health. A few years later, everything has changed for the worse—and her time is running short. All she wants to do before she dies is to fall in love, but when she’s kidnapped and taken to Asgard of Norse mythology, she becomes enmeshed in a quarrel between immortals. Prince Rein lends a hand in her quest to return home, and she begins to think the handsome elf has captured her heart. After a magical artifact goes missing, however, he may be forced to marry another woman to avert a diplomatic catastrophe. To find the artifact and save the prince, Dani must undertake a dangerous quest involving ogres, dark fairies, and underworld criminals. Ultimately, however, she’ll have to defy Odin himself.

Dani & the Immortals is available for the Kindle HERE.

Fun Facts About Norse Mythology – Loki the Gadfly

Loki made a bet with the smithy dwarf Brokkr that his designer label wasn’t as cool as the Sons of Ivaldi designer label.

Bad bet.

Among other super nifty magical creations, Brokkr and his brother Eitri made…Mjölnir, Thor’s awesome hammer.

[Wait!…how the heck do you pronounce Mjölnir anyway?  Watch a short video by Wiseman2024 on YouTube HERE.  It’s mee-uhl-neer for the impatient among us.]

Now Loki REALLY didn’t want to lose the bet because his head was riding on it.  Literally.  So while the Brokkr brothers were slaving away over a hot, magical forge, Loki transformed himself into a gadfly. He bit Brokkr on the eyeball (ew) and as a result, Mjolnir’s handle came out (gasp) a wee bit short.  Since the hammer was nevertheless PHAT, Thor took delivery anyway and compensated by wearing iron gloves. (This goes to prove the axiom that it’s not the size of the hammer that matters, but how you wield it.)

Since Loki lost the bet, you may very well wonder how he managed to keep his head.  In typical Loki fashion, he weaseled out of the bet on a technicality. He claimed Brokkr couldn’t take his head without also damaging his dainty neck (not part of the wager).  Brokkr was hopping mad, and sewed Loki’s lying pie-hole with wire so the trickster couldn’t boast until the wire came out.

For Loki’s next gig, he ran for political office.

~ S.G. Rogers

When Dani was a teen, she had it all; a starring role in her own television series, a wonderful family, and her health. A few years later, everything has changed for the worse—and her time is running short. All she wants to do before she dies is to fall in love, but when she’s kidnapped and taken to Asgard of Norse mythology, she becomes enmeshed in a quarrel between immortals. Prince Rein lends a hand in her quest to return home, and she begins to think the handsome elf has captured her heart. After a magical artifact goes missing, however, he may be forced to marry another woman to avert a diplomatic catastrophe. To find the artifact and save the prince, Dani must undertake a dangerous quest involving ogres, dark fairies, and underworld criminals. Ultimately, however, she’ll have to defy Odin himself.

Dani & the Immortals is available for the Kindle HERE

Savannah’s Secret Underground Tunnel Conspiracy Revealed

There is an urban legend in Savannah which is rooted in fact.  There are tunnels underneath the city, constructed a long time ago, for which no definitive explanation exists.  Some were supposedly used to kidnap hapless men from taverns, to be pressed into service as deckhands by passing pirates. Others may have been used as underground morgues during a Yellow Fever outbreak in the late 1800s.  Perhaps the tunnels were used as drainage systems, or for shelter during hurricanes.  Although one or two tunnel entrances are still accessible, most of the network has long since crumbled, been walled off, or been built over.  Nevertheless, speculation continues…until now.

I managed to score an interview with the receptionist at the Asgard Embassy, downtown Savannah.  Rodentia (last name withheld) is a bureaucRat, the administrative class of beings from Asgard.  She agreed to answer a few questions about the tunnels and how they relate to a deeper conspiracy of silence.

Rodentia, can you tell us a little about where you work?

(Giggles) There are several Asgard Embassies around Midgard—I mean Earth—but they’re all secret.  I work at the embassy built underneath a bookstore in downtown Savannah, Georgia.  The embassy helps expatriates and tourists with any problems they might encounter in Midgard. We’re a major stop on the Rainbow Bridge subway system.

What is the Rainbow Bridge subway system?

The subway leads to Asgard, of course.  Heimdallr, or Mr. H as he likes to be called, is the Station Master.  The Rainbow Bridge is the passage between the Nine Worlds. It used to be a lot more primitive, but Mr. H modernized it considerably over the years.

Can anyone use the Rainbow Bridge? 

Oh, no, but there are rules and regulations I’m not at liberty to divulge.  The immortals don’t mind if I talk about things in a general way because they rather enjoy the glamour it brings.  But if I were to go too far, Mr. H would have me brought to Odin for a hearing.  I wouldn’t want Odin to turn me into a cat or something (shudders).

Are you saying the stories that compose Norse mythology aren’t myths?

The immortals are as real as I am (giggles), but much of the rest has changed over time.  Many of the old stories were exaggerated or flat-out wrong.  Even Emrys Drew used a lot of the old myths in his novel The Asgard Adventure.  He’s so good-looking, though, I’d forgive him anything (sigh).

Thanks, Rodentia!

Kidnapped from Earth and abandoned in Asgard of Norse mythology, Dani Avery must fight to return home.  When she stumbles upon a band of outlaws, Prince Rein agrees to take her to the Rainbow Bridge personally. Although Dani is attracted to the handsome elf, his only interest seems to be in separating her from the magical sword and shield at her side. In Asgard City, rules, regulations and bureaucrats stymie Dani’s quest.  Increasingly frustrated and desperate, she seeks help among powerful immortals. Unfortunately, Dani becomes ensnared in a devious trap that may leave her stranded and alone in Asgard forever.

 

The Druid – An Asgard Adventure Book One fantasy novella available from Musa Publishing (all formats) and Amazon. ($2.99) Look for Book Two in June!