Myths & Folklore : Gods, Heroes, and Monsters

08/28/2025

08/12/2025

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

Artist: Howard David Johnson:
Howard David Johnson (born 2 September 1954) is an American photorealist Illustrator and painter most noted for historical, religious and mythological art. He works in a wide variety of mixed media ranging from oil on canvas to digital media.
Though he paints in a realistic vein, he creates a world of folklore and mythical characters combining his traditional style and methods with contemporary digital techniques.
Specializing in archetypal and idealized iconic imagery, he is a classically trained artist who is particularly influenced by the great illustrators of the late 19th century and the artists of the pre-Raphaelite period.
Early life:
Born in Mötsch, West Germany, the son of an American Air Force officer stationed at Bitburg Air Base, he was influenced by the art and culture that he was exposed to while traveling in the Mediterranean and Central Europe.
He began his life as an artist as a boy in 1960.

08/12/2025

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

Odin, The All-Father:
"Hliðskjálf, the high seat of Odin"
Odin, the supreme Norse god, was the son of Borr and Bestla, king of the Aesir (Æsir, Asynur pl. pronounced "eye-seer") and lord of Asgard.
He was also the god of war, wisdom, magic, poetry, prophecy, victory and the hunt. Odin was called by more than 200 different names revealing his many roles.
Among others, he was known as Yggr (terror), Sigfodr (father of Victory) and Alfodr (All Father). When he went out to battle, he rode an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir.
His weapon of choice was a magical spear called Gungnir, fashioned by the dwarfs that returns when thrown and always hits its target.
His Old High German name was "Wôtan", in Old English "Wōden", and Old Anglo Saxon"Wôdan" Wednesday (Woden's day) was named for him

08/12/2025

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

F***g, Queen of Asgard
F***g takes oaths from all living creatures
F***g, Queen of Asgard and wife of Odin, mother to Baldur and stepmother to Thor, Tyr, Hermodr, Hödur, and Bragi was first and foremost among the Asynjur or Norse goddesses. She was the only one who could sit with Odin on his throne, Hlidskjalf (located in Valaskjalf), and look down on everything that transpired in the universe. She was a prophetess who spun the clouds. Her name means beloved lady in the Old Norse F***g (F***gjar), Old Saxon Fri, and Old English Frig are derived from Common Germanic Frijjō 'wife; dearest, beloved one. The weekday Friday is named for her.
One morning, she awoke from a hideous nightmare. She had seen Hel, the Goddess who rules the underworld, take Baldur into her realm. Baldur had also been tormented by frightful dreams foretelling his doom. So, Odin called the ancient prophetess, Wala, from her grave to divine what was behind the dreams. He asked her who was next to enter the realm of Hel, and her answer was "It is Baldur, the noble one, who is next for Hel, and Hödur, his blind brother, will be the bringer of his death."
So, the Aesir counseled on forestalling Baldur's death. Odin decreed that every creature in heaven and on earth must swear an oath to never harm Baldur. Queen F***g personally oversaw the administration of the oaths. Fire and water, dwarfs, giants, and elves, humankind, and all plants and animals swore it, everything save little mistletoe which she perceived was too young to be a threat, and Baldur was rendered invulnerable.

08/12/2025

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

Freyr,
Norse god of the Sun & Lord of the Elves
Freyr or Fricco of the Vanir [fertility gods], was brother of Freya and son to Njord. He was the Norse god of the sun and rain, and very popular for being the bringer of peace, prosperity, bountiful harvests and fertile marriages. After the war and the joining of the Aesir and the Vanir, Freyr was called 'Lord of the Aesir' Paradoxically he was both a god of peace and a warrior god, possessing a magic sword that could emerge from its sheath on its own and spread a field with carnage and death.
Also, Lord of Alfheim and the ruler of the Elves, Freyr was the most celebrated and most beautiful of the Vanir men, called 'God of the World' by the ancient Vikings. His dear companion, Gullinbursti the wild pig carried him in a chariot made by the dwarfs Brokk and Eitri. He was very similar to the god Apollo of Greek mythology in many ways.
He married the beautiful giantess Gerd and the story of how Freyr wooed her is chronicled in the poem Skírnismál. Freyr's shield bearer and servant was Skirnir, to whom he gave his sword as reward for his perilous journey to the hall of the giant Gymir to procure Gerd for him to be his wife.
On the day of Ragnarok he will battle without weapons and be the first to be killed, yes, the loss of Freyr's magic sword will be dearly missed at Ragnarök for Freyr will be killed with a single blow from Surtr, the fire giant.

08/12/2025

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

Thor,
the god of Thunder:

The Mighty Thor, who was known primarily as the thunder god was also the Norse god of war and agriculture.
He was among the great gods of the Aesir, second only to Odin, his father.
His mother was Fiörgyn the beautiful giantess, and Loki, his half-brother, was a frequent companion on his adventures
His name is the Teutonic word for thunder, outside the Teutonic areas, he has close affinities with Jupiter or Zeus. He was worshipped as Thunor, or Thonar in ancient England.
His hammer, also created by the dwarfs, was aptly called Mjölnir (crusher) was as destructive as the thunderbolts of Zeus in punishing wrongdoers. It was the most potent weapon against the Frost Giants, Fire Trolls and other enemies. When Thor hurled it, it returned to his hand after hitting it's target. When Thor put on his magic belt his enormous strength was doubled, and he could grow to gigantic size.
The creators of these marvels, the Dwarfs were a class of clever supernatural beings not unlike elves and fairies, noted for skill at metalworking and serving the gods. Thor is for whom Thursday or Thor's day was originally named. He was apparently more widely worshipped than any other god by the ancient Norsemen. The evolution of the popular Thor Mythology continues to this day in comic books, video games, and motion pictures.

08/12/2025

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

Heimdall -
(Guardian of Bifrost)

Heimdal, (Old Norse Heimdallr) the first Patriarch, was the son of nine mothers and whitest of the gods- the god of the dawn and light and culture as well as the mighty guardian of Bifröst, the Rainbow Bridge, the only entrance to Asgard.
Heimdall's duty was to serve as watchman for the gods against the giants (Jotun) and other threats to the Asgardians with his mighty horn called Gjallar and his rooster Gullinkambi. All-seeing, he stood on the boundary of the human and divine worlds and some accounts was a personification of the world tree Yggdrasil.
Needing less sleep than a bird and seeing a hundred leagues away in day or night, his hearing was so sharp he could even hear grass growing down in Midgard, the land of men.
Both the son of Odin and nine sisters, a feat possible for gods and giants, but not Earthly creatures, he was said to be the father of mankind.
Born at the beginning of time at the end of the world and forced up by the Earth, the white foam of seawater and the blood of a boar, Young Heimdall lived among men and gave them the gifts of culture.
He was said to have been one of the "first gods" dating back to the earliest Indo-European pantheons. It was Heimdall and not Odin who fathered the three classes of mankind: serfs, peasants, and warriors.
At the dire sounding of the horn Gjallar heard throughout the nine worlds, the Aesir will assemble knowing from their prophecies it has heralded their doomsday.
Resigned to their fate, they go to meet the enemies of the gods gathered at the plain Vígríðr for the Apocalyptic Battle of Ragnarök.
At which, Heimdall will be the one to take down Loki, but will perish himself from his wounds and the world will be engulfed in flames and sink into the sea.

08/12/2025

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

Loki and his Children:

Also known as Loptr, or Hveðrungr, Loki is both Aesir (Norse god) and Jötunn (giant) He is father to Hel, ruler of the underworld, the wolf Fenrir, and the world serpent Jörmungandr all by his first wife, the giantess Angrboda.
Fenrir was the eldest and took the form of a wolf while his younger brother Jörmungandr took the form of a serpent, and his younger sister Hel was both half alive and dead.
"The Aesir feared them all and seized them in the dead of night from Angrboda's hall.
They brought the three monsters back to Asgard where they threw Jörmungandr into the waters that surround Midgard and Hel into Niflheim where she rules until Ragnarok.
Hel will make her last stand at the twilight of the gods when she brings up her hoard of dead out of Nifilheim to join Loki and the other giants in the final battle of Ragnarok.
Unlike her brothers Fenrir the Wolf and Jörmungandr the Serpent, we are not told how she will meet her end on the field of Vigrid.
By his beautiful Aesir wife Sigyn, he fathered Narfi and/or Nari and by the stallion Svaðilfari, acting as mother while in the form of a mare to the eight-legged horse Sleipnir. He is also listed as the father of Váli in the Prose Edda.

08/12/2025

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

Hel,
Nordic goddess of the Underworld

Hermodr pleads wih HEL for Baldur:

The Aesir all loved Thor's beautiful brother, Baldur. All except Loki, the god of mischief who found his "Achilles heel"- mistletoe and a way to exploit it by fashioning an arrow point to kill him.
Sick with grief, the gods sent noble Nermodr, his brother with Odin's eight-legged steed, Sleipnir to Hel to plead for his return. Hel, ruler of the underworld was Loki's daughter and none too pleased with her and her sibling's treatment at Odin's hands.
Hel conceded, if every living being would shed at least one tear for Baldur, she would return him. Hermod returned to the world of the living and told the Aesir of the agreement. They managed to get every creature in the nine worlds to grieve, except for one giantess named Thokk, who was really Hel's father Loki in disguise.
Because of this, Balder would remain in Nifilheim until Ragnarok. Hermod returned to the living world and informed the gods of the agreement. The gods managed to get all things in the nine worlds to grieve, except for one giantess named Thokk, who was really Hel's father Loki in disguise.
Because of Loki's act, Balder would remain in Nifilheim until Ragnarok. Other names she was known by were Hell and Hella. She was also described as being both black as night and white as snow.

08/12/2025

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

Baldur
Nordic God of Peace and Forgiveness, Light and Spring, of all things Right and Good, Just and fair

The Death of Baldur
Baldur, son of Odin and F***ga and brother to Thor and Tyr, was the handsomest and noblest of the Gods. Forever young, he was the God of Peace and Forgiveness, Light and Spring, of all things Right and Good, Just and fair, Noble Baldur was the best loved among all the Aesir.
Loki, the backbiter, had taken part in the Aesir's council. As the gods amused themselves throwing weapons at Baldur, who could not be harmed, Loki shape-shifted into the guise of an old beggar woman, knowing that he could arouse the sympathy of F***g.
He wrested her secret: An oak tree, outside the gates to Valhalla, had a bush of mistletoe. The tiny sprig had seemed so meek and harmless to F***g that it had not been included in the oath. Loki hurried to the oak tree where he cut a twig from the mistletoe and returned to the game with Baldur. The blind Hödur lamented to Loki: "How can I Shoot what I can't see?" "Take up your bow and ready yourself," said Loki, "and here is your arrow." He handed Hödur the mistletoe arrow point and guided his hand. Hödur joyfully fired his shot. Mortally wounded, Baldur sank to the ground. The horrible prophecy of Wala had come true. Only the prophesy protected Hödur from the deadly wrath of the Gods.
So, the Gods prepared a funeral for their beloved Baldur. Never before had Asgard or Midgard suffered such deep mourning. They erected a funeral pyre on Baldur's own ship, Ringhorn. As Thor set torch to the pyre, he kicked a dwarf into the inferno in his anger. Baldur would not go to Valhalla, for he had not died a warrior's death, he would go to HEL.

08/12/2025

Nordic Myths Fantasy: The Art of Howard David Johnson

Bragi, Norse god of Poetry, Eloquence and Music
Born the son of Odin and F***g, Bragi welcomed the dead into Valhalla and was married to Idunn, the goddess of youth who dispensed the golden apples of eternal life to the Aesir. He had runes carved into his tongue and possessed a magic harp fashioned by the Dwarfs. Bragi was the patron of the skalds; [ Viking poets]and served as chief poet at the court of the gods, supreme in the high art of word craft and equally gifted as a musician of the finest caliber.
Snorri Sturluson writes in the Gylfaginning after describing Odin, Thor, and Baldr:" Bragi is renowned for wisdom, and most of all for fluency of speech and skill with words, and after him skaldship is called bragr"
In the Lokasenna Bragi forbids Loki to enter Valhalla but is overruled by Odin. Loki offers a greeting to all who are in the hall save Bragi. Bragi responds by offering his sword, horse, and an arm ring but Loki accuses him of being afraid to fight of any of the Æsir and Elves within the hall. Bragi responds that if they were outside the hall, he would have Loki's head.
When Iðunn attempts to calm Bragi, Loki accuses her of embracing her brother's slayer, and that Bragi slew Iðunn's brother. In Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál Bragi teaches the fountain-like nature of skaldic poetry and tells the origin of the mead of poetry from the blood of Kvasir and how Odin obtained this mead.