Hollebeer Haven, Summer 2012 Now Available

Thanks to Rob Schreiwer for posting this to the Hexenkunst list on Yahoo! The Summer, 2012 edition of Hollerbeer Haven: The Journal of Urglaawe, Braucherei, and Deitsch Wisdom is now available in .PDF form and may be downloaded for free at:
http://urglaawe. com/uploads/ 15_Hollerbeer_ Haven_Summer_ 2012.pdf

Hnefatafl - the Strategic Board Game of the Vikings

In case you're unfamiliar with the site or the game, Sten Helmfrid has gathered a wealth of information on the Norse game of tafl and its many variants. Kings, nobles, and war leaders were expected to be well-versed in this game and its strategies, and the gods themselves are recorded as playing it in Voluspa. Not only to learn more about the Norse and Germanic peoples, but also gain a special insight into their history and politics, you would do well to visit this site.

Amorphis Guitarist Discusses Upcoming Album

"Released on May 27, 2011 via Nuclear Blast Records, "The Beginning Of Times" was described as "the most challenging AMORPHIS album so far in terms of both music and lyrics." Its central character is the iconic hero of Finnish mythology, Väinämöinen, whose tale has been masterfully retold by lyricist Pekka Kainulainen." Read the full article at Blabbermouth.

Thor II filming headed for Iceland?

"Filming for the upcoming action sequel is just getting underway in the United Kingdom, but now several sources have said that the crew will head farther afield in the North Atlantic. The location would be more than appropriate, as the figure of Thor and Norse mythology originate from a handful of Germanic countries, one of which is Iceland."

Read more at Ice News.

Thor And Beyond: Movies About Norse Gods

Featured films in this article include "Thor," "Son of the Mask," "Valhalla," "Thor: Hammer of the Gods," and "The Runestone." Noticeably absent are any of the film adaptations of the Nibelungenlied, but this seems to be written more for the popcorn and pizza DVD/ Blu-ray crowd. The article may be read at Screen Junkies.

Germany’s Fairy Tale Road is a Grimm adventure

"Germany celebrates the contributions of the Brothers Grimm with the Fairy Tale Road, which makes a serpentine route for nearly 400 miles through the back roads and countryside of Hesse and Lower Saxony. It was here that the brothers were born and collected their stories.

... For lovers of quaint villages and towns nestled amid pastoral landscapes, this is an ideal tour for parents and grandparents seeking to relive their childhood and for children to explore the sights where the stories took place."

Read the full article by Bob Taylor about this tour dedicated to the Brothers Grimm, whose collection of fairy tales marks its bicentennial this December, at the Washington Times.

Pennsylvania Dutch cooking gets an advocate in chef who makes scrapple appetizer, hog maw sauce

"Little develops menus with new twists on Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine. He adheres to a simple philosophy — whatever produce is plentiful, makes the plate. One week diners might find a roasted cauliflower dish on the menu, the next week a carrot salad."  This article by Sue Gleiter may be read in its entirety at PennLive.

Wikipedia: Rus' Khaganate

Kälvesten Runestone 

"The Rus' Khaganate was a polity that flourished during a poorly documented period in the history of Eastern Europe, roughly the late 8th and early-to-mid-9th centuries AD. A predecessor to the Rurik Dynasty and the Kievan Rus', the Rus' Khaganate was a state, or a cluster of city-states, set up by a people called Rus', who might have been Norsemen in what is today northern Russia. The region's population at that time was composed of Baltic, Slavic, Finnic, Turkic and Norse peoples. The region was also a place of operations for Varangians, eastern Scandinavian adventurers, merchants and pirates."
Read the full Wikipedia article.

Anglo-Saxon gold pendant treasure

"A gold Anglo-Saxon pendant which was found in a village outside Canterbury has been determined to be treasure at an inquest.

Malcolm John Skeels made the discovery when he was metal detecting in Petham on November 1."

Read the full article at This Is Kent.

Anglo-Saxon warrior found in Wessex

"An award-winning project using archaeology to aid the recovery of soldiers injured on Operation HERRICK has concluded its success on Salisbury Plain with an astonishing treasure trove of Anglo-Saxon finds.

Soldiers taking part in ‘Operation Nightingale’ unearthed a major sixth-century burial site at Barrow Clump, uncovering 27 bodies – including Anglo-Saxon warriors - buried with a range of personal possessions. Artefacts uncovered included shield bosses, broaches, amber and glass beads, spearheads, a silver ring, and a wooden drinking vessel with bronze bands."

Read the full article at British Forces News.

Runa Raven Press Closing

From the Runa Raven "News and Articles" page:
"Unfortunately Runa-Raven will be going out of business as of September 20, 2012. We will honor all orders that have already been made and we still encourage everyone to buy the books still available before September 20. They are bound to be collectors items in the future.
Because we can print on-demand, we can still get most of our titles right up to the end. Custom orders of larger quantities of certain titles at a discount can be arranged by email (runa@texas.net). In the end we were unable to overcome the damage done to the business in 2011."

Books may be ordered through their site at https://runaraven.com/

Sliasthorp, Fabled Viking Military Town, Possibly Unearthed In Germany

"In what may be one of the biggest digs of the 21st century, a team of Danish archeologists believe they have uncovered a once thriving center of Viking activity, Sliasthorp, the fabled military base occupied by the earliest Scandinavian kings.

Since excavations began in 2010, roughly 200 buildings, along with weapons, precious jewelry, glass beads, and silver coins have been unearthed at Füsing, near the Danish border, National Geographic reports, findings that they say offer valuable insights into the military organization and town planning of what is thought to be the earliest Viking settlement in the historical record."

Read the full article at the Huffington Post.

‘Thor: The Dark World’: Christopher Eccleston is villain Malekith

So the "Dark World" in question is apparently Svartalfheim?

"“Thor: The Dark World” has cast its villain. Christopher Eccleston, known for his work in “Doctor Who,” will play Malekith in next year’s sequel to the 2011 Marvel blockbuster that starred Christopher Hemsworth in the title role.

In the comics, Malekith is the ruler of the dark elves of Svartalfheim, one of the nine worlds of Asgard. The dark elves possess superhuman strength, stamina, speed and smarts. Malekith can also teleport, fly by transforming into mist and cast illusions. He is served by minions Bitterhand, Wormwood and Grendell."

Read the full article at the Los Angeles Times's Hero Complex site.

What Vikings really looked like

Thanks to Hex Magazine for finding this:
"There’s no shortage of myths about the appearance of our notorious Viking ancestors....
We have picked out five myths from the resulting debate and asked researchers to help us confirm or bust these myths." Read the full article Science Nordic.