Help with a Norse illustration project?

[Sidhe-Ra]

Hi everyone!

I'm currently illustrating a book on Norse Mythology, and although I have good sources and am very interested in the subject, there is the odd detail I could do with help on...

If you can help, my current question is this- I understand that Hel rides a three-legged horse. What colour is this horse, and where are it's legs positioned? Did it used to have four and lose one, or does it have a central one like a horsey trike?

Also, if there have been any mis-portrayals in other's work that have annoyed you, please let me know, as I would like to avoid any silly mistakes.

Many Blessings,

Em x

[David19]

I can't help you with your questions, but I did just want to say, your drawings look very cool and you should be proud (I wish I could do drawings like that, I love drawing, but some of them don't turn out that well, hopefully, I'll improve though).

[Mjollnir]

I understand that Hel rides a three-legged horse. What colour is this horse, and where are it's legs positioned? Did it used to have four and lose one, or does it have a central one like a horsey trike?




the drawings are very good.


what reference do you have for Hel having a horse?

[Sidhe-Ra]

It's in the book I'm illustrating, by Marion Pearce, and it's mentioned on the web in a few places...apparently she rides out on it in times of plague?

http://www.northvegr.org/lore/rydberg/067.php

Thank you for the lovely comments, by the way! :)

[Hærfest Leah]

This web site says her horse is white but I am unsure of their source for this.

http://www.michaelorgan.org.au/metrov.htm

A white horse is mentioned here also...
LINK (http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:xpHCxH3ANQgJ:timothystephany.com/papers/Article05-Lady.pdf+Norse+goddess+Hel+horse+plague&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=28&lr=lang_en)

Our Troth vol 1 pg 387 says that "Hellas chief animal is the horse and mentions the "horse-idis". She is also seen as a three legged white goat and another folk belief was that Hel had a huge ox whose breath caused people to fall down dead" ie. the plague I assume. However, this section contains no footnotes/endnotes or quotations so we do not know if they made this part up or where they acquired the information from. (Oh would my historical writing professor have a hissy if he saw that.)

I can look up more for you afer I get home if you like, I am on my way out the door to the grocery store.

[Sidhe-Ra]

That's a great link! Anything else you come up with is greatly appreciated also...I'm off to bed now, and am likely to start work on hel in the morning...

Blessings,

Em x

[Mjollnir]

It's in the book I'm illustrating, by Marion Pearce, and it's mentioned on the web in a few places...apparently she rides out on it in times of plague?

http://www.northvegr.org/lore/rydberg/067.php

Thank you for the lovely comments, by the way! :)

Rydberg eh??..........figures.


There is really nothing I have seen in the source material to indicate that and as seapearls mentioned, even though it is mentioned in Our Troth, with no footnotes to back up the claim it's iffy at best.

[Hærfest Leah]

I wrote some on her in my research paper for the term that just ended and I do not remember coming across very much like this for her except by Grimm.


Page 314 Grimm Teutonic Mythology vol 1 says:


Saxo Gram. p. 43 very aptly uses for Hel the Latin Proserpina,
he makes her give notice of Balder s death. In the Danish popular
belief Hel is a three-legged horse, that goes round the country,
a harbinger of plague and pestilence ; of this I shall treat further
on. Griginally it was no other than the steed on which the goddess
posted over land, picking up the dead that were her due ; there is
also a waggon ascribed to her, in which she made her journeys.

Grimm Vol II pg 844 In a section about Death and Rides a Horse


Arnkiel quotes 1, 55 the Schleswig
superstition, that in time of plague die Hell 2 rides about on a
three-legged horse) destroying men ;

Here, as in other cases, the notion of Death
has run into one with the personified plague. In our own
medieval poems we never read of Death riding about, but we do
of his loading his horse with souls.



Grimm vol III pg 1183 section on Plague


Like such an angel of death, the Norse Hel rides about on her
steed (pp. 314. 844), which is no other than the dead-horse seen
in churchyards, p. 1142 (see Suppl.).

There is no mention of it in Teutonic Mythology under Hel or horses.

Nothing in Hilda Ellis-Davison's Roles of the Northern Goddess or Road to Hel

Nothing in Gundarsson's Teutonic Religion

I have a 7 pg JSTOR article entitled Hel our Queen, but nothing mentioned in it either.

I see nothing in the Poetic or Prose Eddas on it.

[Sidhe-Ra]

That's very interesting...Thank you so much for all this!

I will have a good think as to whetehr to portray her on a horse or not...it does make for a good picture, but I don't want to be horribly inaccurate.

Blessings,

Em xx

[Hærfest Leah]

Your most welcome, and good luck with your illustrations.

[lightdragon]

That's very interesting...Thank you so much for all this!

I will have a good think as to whetehr to portray her on a horse or not...it does make for a good picture, but I don't want to be horribly inaccurate.

Blessings,

Em xx
Hope i`m not too late .
If I were to draw Hel on a three legged horse. I would have one of the front legs removed. actually I would have it seem eaten or decayed away. And it would be the left leg as that is the side where Hel is supposed to be dead or decaying. Or I would draw one front leg between where the two front ones are supposed to be at.

[lightdragon]

It's in the book I'm illustrating, by Marion Pearce, and it's mentioned on the web in a few places...apparently she rides out on it in times of plague?

http://www.northvegr.org/lore/rydberg/067.php

Thank you for the lovely comments, by the way! :)
after reading this I would choose the leg in the middle.

oh btw good luck in your project.

[Hærfest Leah]

And it would be the left leg as that is the side where Hel is supposed to be dead or decaying.

Just a note: Some sources say that she is decayed/alive top and bottom instead of left and right. In this case it is the bottom that is decayed or dead.

[lightdragon]

Just a note: Some sources say that she is decayed/alive top and bottom instead of left and right.
I could believe that . It's just that I did a quick search on her. Anyway most of the pics i saw of her were was the decayed part on the left side. I even saw one pic of her as half skeleton.

[Sidhe-Ra]

Thanks for all the input...and the luck! :)

I think I will do what I imagine other illustrators have done, and apply my own artistic interpretation. I was thinking along the lines of having one of the legs rotted away, actually, like your first suggestion, Lightdragon.

I have also read about the division being uper and lower as opposed to down the middle. I'll look back to the book I'm actually illustrating, to see how she puts it- i should reflect the author's interpretation if I can...

Huge thanks to you all!

I'll post the image here when I've finished.

Blessings,

Em xx

[lightdragon]

Thanks for all the input...and the luck! :)

I think I will do what I imagine other illustrators have done, and apply my own artistic interpretation. I was thinking along the lines of having one of the legs rotted away, actually, like your first suggestion, Lightdragon.


:abanana:

I was also thinking of giving you a thumbnail sketch of the horse. But I was nervous
I would be infringing on your on your own artistic interpretation. not to mention our styles of drawing differ. As my current avatar is an example of my work.

[Sidhe-Ra]

Well, I can see that you are a highly skilled artist, and thanks for the helpful thought! I do prefer to work from my own vision, though, thanks - I've never been one for copying and rarely even use pictoral references other than my own imagination, unless I'm doing a portrait or a specific object.

Thanks so much for the thought though!

Em xx

[lightdragon]

Well, I can see that you are a highly skilled artist, that depends on who you talk to ,but thanks.
And do I need to tell you you are highly skilled.


and thanks for the helpful thought! I do prefer to work from my own vision, though, thanks - I've never been one for copying and rarely even use pictoral references other than my own imagination, unless I'm doing a portrait or a specific object.

I usually do the same, at least at this time.


Thanks so much for the thought though!

Em xxyou are most welcome.

[Sidhe-Ra]

Thanks Lightdragon :)

Here is what I ended up with, and a detail close up of her face...

Blessings,

Em xx

[lightdragon]

Here is what I ended up with, and a detail close up of her face...



interesting. Very nice.

[Sidhe-Ra]

Thanks :)

Em x

[lightdragon]

your welcome :ballonsmi

[Hærfest Leah]

Your drawing came out good Sidhe-Ra.

[David19]

Thanks Lightdragon :)

Here is what I ended up with, and a detail close up of her face...

Blessings,

Em xx

Very cool, you are definitely very talented. I'd love to be able to draw as well as that, although I need to start doing some more practice (I'd like to try and draw a picture of my Goddess, Ereshkigal soon).

[lightdragon]

Very cool, you are definitely very talented. I'd love to be able to draw as well as that, although I need to start doing some more practice (I'd like to try and draw a picture of my Goddess, Ereshkigal soon).
I would suggest you buy some books by George Bridgeman. Even though he didn`t draw pics of Ereshkigal. he did have some useful steps in anatomy.

[Sidhe-Ra]

Thanks Guys!

I'm going to be working on Loki next...anything you feel should essentially be included? (His children, i.e. Sleipnir, Fenris and the midgard serpent will be a seperate picture)

Blessings,

Em xx

[cesara]

Really nice work, Sidhe...well done! :)

[David19]

I would suggest you buy some books by George Bridgeman. Even though he didn`t draw pics of Ereshkigal. he did have some useful steps in anatomy.

Thanks for that, I'll definitely look into him :).

[David19]

Thanks Guys!

I'm going to be working on Loki next...anything you feel should essentially be included? (His children, i.e. Sleipnir, Fenris and the midgard serpent will be a seperate picture)

Blessings,

Em xx

Those pics you've planned should be really cool, and I'll look forward to seeing them.

You're definitely a very talented artist :).