Njord (pronounced NYORD) is the god of the sea and wind.
Image by Cleighton Presutti http://www.pinterest.com/pin/302022718730753581/
Njord belongs to the Vanir (an older class of Norse gods associated with wisdom and fertility) and is father to the goddess Freya and her twin brother, Freyr.
Njord is a very handsome god, in the prime of his life, clad in a short green tunic with a crown of shells and seaweed upon his head.
- Njord was the personification of summer because he extended his protection over commerce and fishing, which could only be pursued during the short summer months.
- Njord lived in a palace near the seashore where he stilled the terrible tempests stirred up by Aegir, god of the deep sea.
- Njord is one of the few gods who will survive Ragnarok (the predicted Norse end of the world).
- As all aquatic plants belonged to Njord, the marine sponge was known in the north as "Njord's glove."
Next Thor's Day: Njord's son, Freyr
**facts sourced from Myths of the Norsemen by H.A. Guerber
Last weekend I saw the movie, Divergent. This movie is based on the book of the same name by Veronica Roth. If you haven't heard of this book and/or movie, then you've probably been living under a rock...on Mars.
Divergent
The Book (description from Amazon): One choice can transform you. Beatrice Prior's society is divided into five factions—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions. Her choice will shock her community and herself. But the newly christened Tris also has a secret, one she's determined to keep hidden, because in this world, what makes you different makes you dangerous.
The Movie: The film left out a few key scenes and minimized roles of some supporting characters (for time reasons I'm sure), but it was fairly true to the book. I thought the casting was good, although I did take a very minor issue with Theo James. Don't get me wrong, he was very easy on the eyes and convincing as Four, he just seemed a bit too old for Shailene Woodley.
It is set in a futuristic Chicago that doesn't have any water surrounding it so that was interesting to see. I have an issue with heights, so there were quite a few scenes that made my palms sweat (especially having recently visited the Hancock Tower and knowing just how high it is at the top).
The first half of the movie was riveting, but the second half dragged a bit. I thought the book did a better job with the climax and conveyed a sense of real danger, whereas it felt like the last half of the movie was just prepping you for the sequel.
My hubby graciously accompanied me. He had not read the book. I could tell by the look on his face that he took issue with something. Turns out it had nothing to do with the movie itself, he just didn't buy the premise. I've heard this from a few other friends also which is why I recommend reading the book first. If you like the book, then you'll like the movie.
P.S. A friend was once asked to describe me in one sentence. He said that I was Jack Nicholson's character from A Few Good Men when he says, "You can't handle the truth!" So as much as I would like to be Dauntless, I'm obviously Candor :)
The Movie: The film left out a few key scenes and minimized roles of some supporting characters (for time reasons I'm sure), but it was fairly true to the book. I thought the casting was good, although I did take a very minor issue with Theo James. Don't get me wrong, he was very easy on the eyes and convincing as Four, he just seemed a bit too old for Shailene Woodley.
It is set in a futuristic Chicago that doesn't have any water surrounding it so that was interesting to see. I have an issue with heights, so there were quite a few scenes that made my palms sweat (especially having recently visited the Hancock Tower and knowing just how high it is at the top).
The first half of the movie was riveting, but the second half dragged a bit. I thought the book did a better job with the climax and conveyed a sense of real danger, whereas it felt like the last half of the movie was just prepping you for the sequel.
My hubby graciously accompanied me. He had not read the book. I could tell by the look on his face that he took issue with something. Turns out it had nothing to do with the movie itself, he just didn't buy the premise. I've heard this from a few other friends also which is why I recommend reading the book first. If you like the book, then you'll like the movie.
P.S. A friend was once asked to describe me in one sentence. He said that I was Jack Nicholson's character from A Few Good Men when he says, "You can't handle the truth!" So as much as I would like to be Dauntless, I'm obviously Candor :)
Also the previews at Divergent made me very excited for The Maze Runner movie which stars Dylan O'Brien from Teen Wolf.
Freya is the goddess of love and war. She was the most beautiful and best beloved of all the goddesses. Freya wore a falcon cloak which enabled her to fly through the air as a bird.
Picture from http://nordicwiccan.blogspot.com/2013/07/freya.html
Freya sometimes rides in a chariot pulled by cats.
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Freya had a weakness for beautiful jewels. The story tells that she had intimate relations with four dwarfs in order to obtain a golden necklace they had created. The necklace was named Brisingamen. You can see it depicted in this ornament from the Viking era:
- Freya is the personification of the earth and as such, she married Odur, the symbol of the summer sun.
- Freya's tears turn into gold when they touch the earth and they turn into amber when they touch the ocean.
- The prettiest plants and flowers in the north were called Freya's hair or Freya's eye dew, while the butterfly was called Freya's hen.
I named one of my cats Freya because she is beautiful and demands nothing less than worship.
Next Thor's Day: Freya's father, Njord, the god of the sea
**facts sourced from Myths of the Norsemen by H.A. Guerber
Frigg is the wife of Odin and the patron of marriage and motherhood. Frigg is not the mother of Thor (Norse gods were not known for their fidelity).
Frigg was the goddess of the atmosphere and used a marvelous jeweled spinning wheel to weave long webs of brightly colored clouds.
She was crowned with heron plumes, the symbol of silence because she can see the future, but never relates what she sees.
When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity, Frigg was banished to a mountaintop and labeled a witch. It was believed that every Friday, the spiteful goddess convened a meeting with eleven other witches plus the devil (a gathering of thirteen) and plotted ill turns of fate for the coming week. For many centuries in Scandinavia, Friday was known as the "Witches Sabbath." This may be one of the origins of the superstition about Friday the 13th.
Next Thor's Day: Freya, the goddess of love and war
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