Hidden Treasures

Some treasures from the Staffordshire Hoard

Sorry to have been lost in the Yellow Wood (my other blog) for a while, but I have been trying to keep up with Blogtober...!

Have you read about the amazing finds of the Staffordshire Hoard? Definitely worth a look...http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/

And I have discovered this gorgeously Medieval sounding band, The Soil Bleeds Black. What do you think?

If you're hungry you have no time to talk at the table

This image from http://welbourneprimary.com

Having greatly enjoyed making some Elizabethan-style food lately, I was delighted to stumble across this PDF of Viking recipes - http://nvg.org.au/documents/other/vikingrecipes.pdf It has been put together by the members of an Australian Medieval Re-enactment group, the New Vanrangian Guard (http://ngv.org.au). I am going to test out the Chicken Stew with Beer tonight and the Blackberry Patties look very promising for dessert. Yum!

In the Zone

Do you ever have those days when you're there and you're doing stuff and there's stuff that has to be done, but you're kind of disconnected? I had one of those today and I found a great selection of atmospheric almost tribal music (if you will) really helped. I just got into the zone and got on with it...

Trippy

I am very into detailed and eccentric illustrations at the moment, even better if they take their cue a little from 60s psychedelia. Band posters seem to provide some really good examples of this. The In Gowan Ring poster is from a turn-of-the-century Fidus drawing, I think, and then there is this one by David V. D'Andrea for Wardruna below.

This illustration can be found at http://dvdandrea.bigcartel.com/

Beowulf

This is an amazing scene from Beowulf, performed by Benjamin Bagby. Thanks to the good people at Hex magazine (http://hexmagazine.com/) for posting it on Facebook!

I can resist everything except temptation

Freya and the Fox from The Art of Emily Balivet at http://www.etsy.com/listing/51114883/freya-and-the-fox-5x7-blank-greeting?ga_search_query=freya&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5124363

This gorgeous torque from World Tree Designs at http://www.etsy.com/listing/33033432/torque-silver-double-weave-on-copper?ref=ss_listing

Gorgeous beaded necklace from Tunrida at http://www.etsy.com/listing/16075108/elements-of-transformation-necklace-to?ref=sr_gallery_4&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=norse+jewelry&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_page=2&ga_order=price_desc&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

And lovely things (above and below) as always from Norse West at http://www.etsy.com/people/NorseWest

Etsy is a dangerous site for me to visit...there are so many people making so many lovely things. I am spending a very good while browsing and trying hard not to spend quite as long buying! I really love the new twists that people are putting on the traditional styles and methods of Norse jewellery.

PS And how could I resist Freya and the Fox...my very favourite of all animals!

Did you see the Moon last night?

This gorgeous images is from the Etsy shop Delarenaissance

http://www.etsy.com/listing/10030994/aceo-black-raven-crow-moon-nordic-dragon


Did you see the Moon last night?

Did you see the Moon last night
Bathing the Earth in its cosmic glow?
Did you see the Moon last night
Willing me to follow where I long to go?
Did you see the Moon last night
Whispering the secrets of all that it can see?
Did you see the Moon last night
Sharing its tales just with me?

(Poem copyright Feronia & In a Dark Wood 2011)

Runes

A fjord just out of Bergen.

Quite by chance, I discovered The Runes Workbook by Leon D. Wild while shopping on the weekend. I have only just started it, but having read quite a bit about the runes already, I am really taken with his approach in this book. If you are at all interested in the runes and have a chance to get a copy, I would highly recommend you do so. Really inspiring stuff. If you are in Australia, I happened to find my copy being remaindered at Angus and Robertson, who - very, very sadly - are going out of business.

Inspired by nature

Ran, Norse goddess of the Sea

Had lots of fun yesterday, starting to make some little treats from my recently arrived stash of beading supply goodies. The colour of the beads in the necklace on top reminded me of that sort of dramatic, brooding sky before a storm and the one underneath it was in part fashioned from a lovely shell I found on the beach once, with a hole naturally worn through it from the continual sweep of the waves. The Norse sea goddess Ran inspired me on this one.

If you like them, they are for sale in my Etsy shop In dark woods (link in sidebar) but I would also just really welcome your comments about them here!

Excitements on a Tuesday

Excitement! I have just received my order of beaded goodies from the very wonderful Over the Rainbow online shop (http://www.polymerclay.com.au/) and so I can now start on the new Norse jewellery projects I have been planning...stay tuned!

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Finally got my Ipod working again and re-discovered all sorts of good stuff I had downloaded and forgotten about...

The Norse Goddess

Image from www.monicasjoo.org

I have waxed lyrical on the works of the late Monica Sjoo before, but at the moment I am re-reading The Norse Goddess and it is great. As a recovering academic (ha-ha) I have been previously a little snobbish about her subjective style of writing but now, with my own priorities in that direction altogether changed, this is precisely what I love about her books. Factual and yet with her own voice clearly coming through. Get a copy if you can.

Erik Werenskiold

I saw so much beautiful art while we were in Scandinavia - modern right back to very ancient objects from pre-Christian Scandinavia, which were so very special to see. Amongst the many, many interesting works I saw was that of nineteenth century Norwegian artist Erik Werenskiold. As well as beautiful rural scenes, he also drew a number of illustrations under the title of "Olav Trygvesøns Saga". The National Museum of Oslo is certainly worth a visit.

Hello

Beautiful dappled sunlight and mysterious shadows combine in the forests behind Bergen, Norway.

Hello! What a long time it is since I have wandered through the Dark Wood. Most recently, I have been wandering in the Norwegian woods which were so very beautiful. The horrific happenings late last week in Norway compelled me to post a little about the ancient and mystic natural beauty of the country, as an antidote of sorts to the bleak ugliness of the hatred expressed by one poisonous individual.

Blogger is not being very helpful about posting clips at the moment, so instead I would encourage you to follow these links to the wonderful music of Wardruna, whose music I discovered in Norway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKMDcTnezvU&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMV78a-G5xY