The fate of Norns awaits us all
Oct. 28th, 2009 08:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ferrumaeternumWhile it still is Odin’s day, here’s the drypoint intaglio print on PVC board (10" x 12'') I finished last night:
The theme was time. I originally wanted to do something Tolkien-inspired, and after thinking about Galadriel’s mirror for a while, I thought what could possibly be better to illustrate the past, present, and future than the Norns. I also figured if no one knows what the text means, they’ll at least recognize the figures as the three fates from Greek mythology. The text, by the way, is translated directly from Voluspa from the Poetic Edda.
For those of you who don’t know anything about Norse mythology, the names of the Norns mean 'that which was', 'that which is', and 'that which will be'. They are giantesses that ended the golden age of the gods when they arrived in Asgard from Jotunheim. Although these are the three main norns, there are also many other norns of different races that determine the fate of every man, elf, and dwarf at birth. Not all norns are good, which is why some people have bad luck in life. Skuld, the youngest and representing the future, is also a Valkyrie, which is why she is wearing the winged helmet, chain mail corset, and has the swans near her. All swans in Midgard (where mankind lives) are said to have descended from these two birds. Valkyries can also transform into swans when they put on feathered cloaks like Freyja becomes a falcon with her falcon cloak. The tree is the mighty ash, Yggdrasil, which encompasses all nine worlds. It is kept alive by Norns, using water from the Well of Urd. This is a basic breakdown in order to understand the significance and symbolism of the piece, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. You know I love talking about this stuff! ;)
A few notes on the print itself: all the lines are straight; they just don’t photograph that way from above. The stylized ripples are also intentional, since I wanted the well to be emphasized while adding movement to the otherwise static scene. The background is also more minimal so the attention is focused on the Norns.
The theme was time. I originally wanted to do something Tolkien-inspired, and after thinking about Galadriel’s mirror for a while, I thought what could possibly be better to illustrate the past, present, and future than the Norns. I also figured if no one knows what the text means, they’ll at least recognize the figures as the three fates from Greek mythology. The text, by the way, is translated directly from Voluspa from the Poetic Edda.
For those of you who don’t know anything about Norse mythology, the names of the Norns mean 'that which was', 'that which is', and 'that which will be'. They are giantesses that ended the golden age of the gods when they arrived in Asgard from Jotunheim. Although these are the three main norns, there are also many other norns of different races that determine the fate of every man, elf, and dwarf at birth. Not all norns are good, which is why some people have bad luck in life. Skuld, the youngest and representing the future, is also a Valkyrie, which is why she is wearing the winged helmet, chain mail corset, and has the swans near her. All swans in Midgard (where mankind lives) are said to have descended from these two birds. Valkyries can also transform into swans when they put on feathered cloaks like Freyja becomes a falcon with her falcon cloak. The tree is the mighty ash, Yggdrasil, which encompasses all nine worlds. It is kept alive by Norns, using water from the Well of Urd. This is a basic breakdown in order to understand the significance and symbolism of the piece, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. You know I love talking about this stuff! ;)
A few notes on the print itself: all the lines are straight; they just don’t photograph that way from above. The stylized ripples are also intentional, since I wanted the well to be emphasized while adding movement to the otherwise static scene. The background is also more minimal so the attention is focused on the Norns.
