Six Questions III: Frøydis
The subject of our third Mimisbrunnr.info's Six Questions entry is Frøydis. Frøydis has a background in fashion modeling—represented by model agency Pholk in Norway—and was notably a finalist in Norway’s Next Top Model in 2008 (before exiting the competition due to illness).
In addition to modeling, Frøydis is active in Viking Age reenactment, environmentalist, live action roleplaying (LARP), and cosplay circles. She maintains a blog documenting her activities, Lin og Lauk (Nynorsk ‘flax and onion’, referring to a magic formula appearing on a runic inscription from Fløksand, Norway and in the Old Norse Völsa þáttr).
National Geographic and Slavery in the Viking Age
Colorful New Finds at Iron Age Site in Ørland, Norway
Julius Caesar's Massacre of the Usipetes and Tencteri and Recent Archaeological Developments
An FBI Operation, Germanic Heathenry, and Media Representation
Babbel.com Feature on Old Norse Influence on English
Six Questions II: Arrowyn Craban Lauer
Mimisbrunnr.info's second Six Questions subject is artist Arrowyn Craban Lauer. Lauer produces art in a variety of media and is co-creator of Hex Magazine—an independent bi-annual publication active between 2007 to 2013, totaling 11 issues. Today Lauer lives in Portland, Oregon with her daughter and husband, and produces art under the name Little Gold Fox Designs.
Hex Magazine's stated mission was "mak[ing] old world knowledge and wisdom available for use in our everyday lives, and thus to bring continuity to the present and heart to future generations". In effect, a typical issue of Hex Magazine might various feature a guide to building a home garden inspired by the Old English Nine Herbs Charm (issue #6), an essay about the North Germanic goddess Freyja, or an interview with a neofolk musician working with themes from Heathenry. In effect, Hex Magazine was a clearing house for the intersection of subcultures around post-industrial music and forms of Neopaganism, particularly Germanic Heathenry.
Potential Viking Age Site Washed Away by Flood in Southern Iceland
Postmedieval Issue - Hoarders and Hordes: Responses to the Staffordshire Hoard
Viking Age Sword Found by Hiker in Norway
Six Questions I: H. L. H. Swärd
The present post marks the first entry in a new series on Mimisbrunnr.info, Six Questions. Six Questions consists of brief interviews with artists, academics, and otherwise notable individuals that regularly work with topics from historic Germanic studies (as well as subjects such as modern Germanic Heathenry). With Six Questions, Mimisbrunnr.info hopes to provide data on a topic often obscure even to specialists in the area: How concepts of the ancient Germanic peoples are introduced, interpreted, and explored in the modern world.
While following a general formula, interview questions may vary by subject. To maintain accessibility for as wide an audience as possible, interviews are conducted in English, and, for convenience on the part of the subjects, interviews are conducted by way of a variety of media. E-mail interviews are unedited beyond typo correction and formatting.
The subject of our very first Six Questions session is Swedish artist H. L. H. Swärd, who works under the name Forndom. As Forndom, Swärd produces work in a variety of media, including photography and music. Swärd is himself a student with a focus on North Germanic religion.