This was very fun! I hope I get chance to try it again sometime!

Peter Cushing with his toy soldiers

I grew up reading Calvin & Hobbes, and one of my favorite running jokes was the snowmen that Calvin would build.

An exceedingly rare para-elemental of ice, a midwinter maiden can only be summoned when the conditions are just right: the summoner must spill their own blood using a shard from a broken mirror, rimed in perfect frost, in the presence of a snake, on Auril's holy day.

There are many reasons why one might want to summon a midwinter maiden. Not only are they incredibly lethal in combat, but they also have the ability to grant shelter against the most ferocious blizzard, or even part the veil and transport their summoner to other planes of existence. If you intend to do so, however, great care is required. Midwinter maidens are cruel and violent by nature; if one happens to break loose from its summoner's control, it is liable to go on a rampage, slaughtering anyone it can get its hands on.

“There are such a lot of things that have no place in summer and autumn and spring. Everything that’s a little shy and a little rum. Some kind of night animals and people that don’t fit in with others and that nobody really believes in. They keep out of the way all year. And then when everything’s quiet and white and the nights are long and most people are asleep - then they appear.“ 

Tove Jansson: Moominland Midwinter.

✨ The collection of my Mari Lwyd art through the years ✨ — First art is called: “Dude… give me the bottle” (or when you lost a rhyming contest against the supernatural skeletal horse) Second art is a meme reference x) Third art is featuring Mari on her day off (hence no rhyming, but she wouldn’t say no to a treat) Plus other stuff, silly sketches and artworks, like Mari Lwyd in modern times being disappointed that nobody wants to rhyme with her anymore, so she has to buy everything herself (featuring a distant relative of the guy from the first piece, plus a Waterboy mashup). —

P.S. - don’t forget about the frogs in some of the arts

wth? I got some 1oz copper bars from this metals merchant and they look to be very poor quality 😞

I'd heard good things about this brand (been around a long time!) but I guess their quality is substandard 😕

I mean what the heck is this, the copper is sealed in an assay and tarnished like crazy...

And support is non-existent, looks like I need to get a clay tablet just to be able to complain 🥀

The Terrors of Poison Gas in WWI

Already subjected to constant bombardment by artillery, enemy sniper fire, and the awful living conditions, soldiers fighting in the muddy trenches of the First World War did not imagine their situation could get any worse. Then, from April 1915, a new nightmare began: gas warfare. Lethal poisonous gas was first used by the German Army in the war, but it was soon adopted by all sides. Although there were often terrible and lasting consequences for the individual soldiers who experienced a gas attack, the weapon did not prove strategically decisive since wind and countermeasures like gas masks frequently negated its effects.

First Use of Gas: Ypres

Non-lethal tear gas (lachrymatory) was experimented with in the early part of WWI, but the first major assault using deadly poison gas was undertaken by the German Army against French, Algerian, British, and Canadian troops in the afternoon of 22 April 1915 at the Second Battle of Ypres. This gas attack released 168 tons of poisonous chlorine gas from 500 special canisters. The attack was primitive, since the German Army simply hoped the wind would spread the gas in the right direction: the enemy trenches. The gas killed 5,000 to 6,000 Allied soldiers and injured another 10,000 in just ten minutes, either directly from the effects of the gas or because desperate men climbed out of the trenches trying to escape it and were consequently shot. The German commanders were surprised by the devastating effects of the gas, and so they were unprepared to take full advantage of the 5-mile (8-km) gap caused by the new weapon. In addition, the attackers were understandably reluctant to advance into an area still containing gas, and, in any case, they had insufficient reserves to make a major breakthrough. It was to be the last such opportunity on the Western Front until the final stages of the conflict.

The Allied reaction to the first gas attack was one of horror and outrage. The Hague Convention forbade the use of gas in ‘projectiles’, a wording which allowed the German authorities to disingenuously claim the release of gas from canisters was, therefore, not a breach of the rules of war. In any case, although widely regarded elsewhere as against the rules and rather cowardly, after Ypres, all sides quickly adopted the weapon. Specialised units were formed to use gas in attacks, such as the Royal Engineers of the British Army.

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⇒ The Terrors of Poison Gas in WWI

4: Gudrun and Svanhild

Then still with Svanhild sat her maids, the one of my children whom I loved best in my heart, so was Svanhild in my hall like a splendidly glowing sun-ray.

The Whetting of Gudrun 15, translated by Carolyne Larrington

"These poignant lines, a mother's expression of love for her daughter, are spoken by the heroine Guðrún, a woman who suffers through one tragedy after another in the course of her tumultous life. Guðrún, who was born into the Gjúkung dynasty, is bullied into a disastrous marriage by her own mother, and she loses three brothers, two husbands, her daughter and four sons in the brutal events that form the core narrative of Norse heroic legend, told in eddic poems collected in the Codex Regius and the prose Völsunga saga. But Guðrún wasn't a straightforward victim and some of these losses were her own doing."

"At this point, she has suffered another loss: her young daughter Svanhildr, married to a jealous, older man, had been unjustly accused of adultery and put to death by her husband. Bereft but unbending, Guðrún sends her other two sons, Hamdir and Sörli, on a mission to avenge their sister, one from which all three know they will never return.

[…] in the eddic poem Guðrúnarhvöt (The Whetting of Guðrún), Guðrún is determined when she takes Hamdir and Sörli's battle gear out for them, laughing in the knowledge that they will exact revenge for their sister, but she breaks down in tears after their departure. It's not clear if these are tears of repentance, but Guðrún realizes that she must live with the dreadful fact of having sent her sons to their deaths, and the poem depicts her as aware of how her choices have changed her for the worse. Norse legends give us an insight into the horrific costs of maintaining an unyielding culture of honour and shows that the Vikings' descendants were intensely preoccupied with the repercussions of pursuing revenge. The legends about Guðrún convey the inner turmoil and remorse that many people may have experienced when the ideology of maintaining honour at all costs and the love for a child collided."

Valkyrie: The Women of the Viking World by Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir

Impressions of an early medieval farmstead Pics taken in Lauresham, which is an open-air laboratory for experimental archeology in Lorsch, Germany - and the absolute best workplace of all time

I'm beginning to think that the early medieval anywhere in Europe is very similar. There's not a whole lot to distinguish this stuff from Finland or Ireland, unless you get into very specific stylistic details.

HEL

In Norse mythology, Hel is the enigmatic goddess of death and the sovereign of Helheim, the realm of the dead. She is the daughter of the trickster god Loki and his first wife, the giantess Angrboda. Hel’s brothers are the wolf Fenrir and the world-serpent Jörmungandr, both central figures in the events of Ragnarök. Through Loki, she is also a half-sister to Sleipnir, Narvi and Vali.

Hel’s appearance is as striking as it is haunting. She is often described as half-living and half-dead—one side of her body is that of a living woman, pale and beautiful, while the other is decayed and corpse-like, with darkened, rotting flesh. This duality reflects her dominion over both life and death.

Odin, terrified by what Loki’s children would become in the future, cast Hel into the underworld, granting her authority over those who died of sickness or old age. Hel’s realm is not one of torment but a cold, shadowed reflection of life, where the dead find their final rest under her somber yet impartial rule.

(Text by Delia Gosforth, Illustration by Ellen Artistic)

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram.com/ellenartistic or tiktok.

These illustrations all made it into a Norse Goddess Coloring Book!

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The Valkyries

The Valkyries were formidable warrior maidens, tasked with selecting fallen warriors from the battlefield and guiding them to Valhalla. Many were of royal birth before becoming Valkyries, and some, like Brunhild and Svafa, fell in love with mortal heroes. They could transform into swans using magical skins, which men sometimes tried to steal to claim them as wives. Certain goddesses, such as Freyja, Eir and Sigyn, were associated with them, though their names do not appear in traditional Valkyrie lists. Among the most famous Valkyries were Skuld (one of the Norns), Gunnr, Hildr, Olrun and Thrud, the daughter of Thor.

(Text by Delia Gosforth, Illustration by Ellen Artistic)

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram.com/ellenartistic or tiktok.

These illustrations all made it into a Norse Goddess Coloring Book!

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THE NORNS

The Norns are the embodiment of fate in Norse mythology, shaping the destinies of both gods and mortals. The three most well-known Norns are Urðr (Past), Verðandi (Present), and Skuld (Future). They dwell by the well Urðarbrunnr beneath Yggdrasill, the great world tree. Their influence is inescapable, as they are present at every birth, setting each individual’s fate.

Beyond these three, other Norns exist, including dwarves and giants. While often blamed for misfortunes, the Norns do not act out of malice; their work simply reflects the inevitable flow of time and fate. Sometimes, they grant warnings in dreams, hinting at impending doom. Their role is crucial in Norse cosmology, ensuring the balance of the universe and the continuous cycle of life, death, and destiny.

(Text by Delia Gosforth, Illustration by Ellen Artistic)

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram.com/ellenartistic or tiktok.

These illustrations all made it into a Norse Goddess Coloring Book!

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GERD

Gerd, the stunningly beautiful daughter of the Jötunn Gymir and Aurboda, captivated Freyr the moment he saw her from Odin’s high seat, Hlidskjalf. Her beauty shone so brightly that it illuminated all the worlds. Overcome with love, Freyr grew lovesick, longing for her but unable to act.

His servant, Skírnir, took it upon himself to win Gerd for his master. However, Freyr had killed Gerd’s brother, Beli, with an antler. Thus, even though the servant proposed many wonderful gifts, golden apples and Draupnir’s ring, all were rejected. Skírnir then resorted to threats. He painted a terrifying fate for Gerd: a life of misery, isolation, and monstrous suitors. Fearful of his curses, Gerd finally relented, agreeing to meet Freyr in nine nights at the sacred grove of Barri. She then became his wife, joining the gods and embodying love and fertility.

(Text by Delia Gosforth, Illustration by Ellen Artistic)

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram.com/ellenartistic or tiktok.

These illustrations all made it into a Norse Goddess Coloring Book!

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ANGRBODA

Angrboda, whose name means “Grief-Bringer,” is a powerful and mysterious giantess from Jotunheim. She is best known as Loki’s first wife and the mother of three fearsome beings: Hel, the ruler of the underworld, Fenrir, the monstrous wolf fated to break free at Ragnarok, and Jormungandr, the serpent that encircles the world. Her origins are shrouded in mystery, and some scholars believe she was a later addition to Norse myth, appearing after the 12th century.

In the Völuspá, there is mention of a jotunn witch dwelling in Járnvid, or ‘Ironwood’, a dark and foreboding forest. Some believe this could refer to Angrboda, suggesting she played a deeper role in the prophecy of Ragnarok, and raised Fenrir’s children, Skoll and Hati.

(Text by Delia Gosforth, Illustration by Ellen Artistic)

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram.com/ellenartistic or tiktok.

These illustrations all made it into a Norse Goddess Coloring Book!

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SAGA

Saga is a mysterious and wise Norse goddess, known as one of Frigg’s handmaidens. Unlike the others, she resides in her own hall, Sökkvabekkr, whose name means “Sunken Bank” or “Deep Bench.” This hall is said to rest near flowing waters, symbolizing wisdom and memory. Odin himself often visits her there, and together they drink from a golden cup, sharing stories of the past.

Little is known about Saga, but some scholars believe she is an aspect of Frigg, possibly representing her role as a keeper of history and tales. Others speculate that she may be Odin’s daughter, embodying the wisdom passed down through divine lineage. Her name, meaning “story” or “history” in Old Norse, suggests she holds an important role in preserving the knowledge of gods and men. Though enigmatic, Saga’s presence highlights the Norse reverence for storytelling and memory.

(Text by Delia Gosforth, Illustration by Ellen Artistic)

I am the artist! Do not post without permission & credit! Thank you! Come visit me over on: instagram.com/ellenartistic or tiktok.

These illustrations all made it into a Norse Goddess Coloring Book!

(Print Copy)

There are also PDF copies available!

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