Description: Trish Baer based this needle felting on E. Boyd Smith's illustration
in Abbie F
Brown's In the Days of Giants. The illustration depicts Þórr´s Journey to the Court of
Útgarða-Loki. Þórr and his traveling companions, Loki, Þjálfi, and Röskva, spend the night in a
giant´s glove that they mistook in the dark for a huge building. In the
morning, a giant appears, introduces himself as Skrymir and offers to travel
with them. See Research Notes below for information relevant to the
needle felting. See Boyd's original illustration here.
Source: Trish Baer's needle felted rendering of The Giant
Skrymir
Folio or Page: Inspired by Elmer Boyd
Smith's frontispiece illustration in Abbie F
Brown's In the
Days of Giants.
Medium: Needle felted with wool and silk on a piece of material from a
woolen blanket.
Date: 2021-04-14
Dimensions (mm): 180 x 250
Provenance:
This needle felting piece is from
from the Collection of P. A. Baer.
Rights:
All Rights Reserved
Research notes, early print reviews, etc.:
In the primary source for Norse mythology, Þórr is a red head with a red
beard. However, in the Victorian era, story telled described Þórr as a blonde, for
example, when Þórr woke up and discovered that his hammer was missing in Abbie F
Brown's "In the Days of Giants", the text states that "Thor's yellow beard quivered
with rage, and his hair bristled on end like the golden rays of a star, while all
his
household trembled" (110).
Bibliography:
Primary Sources
Brown,
Abbie. In
the Days of Giants: A Book of Norse Tales.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin,
1930.
Baer,
Trish (en.)
b. 25th January 1952
Occupation: Adjunct Professor in Medieval Studies; Digital Scholarship
Fellow in the Electronic Texts and Culture Lab; editor and MyNDIR-IDG
(Insight Development Grant) Team Leader
Loki is counted among the gods but is a giant by birth.
Giants and Giantesses
Skrýmir (non.)
Skrymir (en.)
The giant who rules the castle called Útgarðr in Jötunheimr. He is
also known as Útgarðaloki. In the Prose Edda,
Snorri calls him Skrýmir when relating the myth concerning Þórr's
journey to Útgarðr. He is also called Skrýmir in the poem Lokasenna but is called Fjallir in Hárbarðljóð.
Þjazi (non.)
Thjazi (en.)
The giant who persuaded Loki to abduct the goddess Íðunn.
Gods and Goddesses
Þórr (non.)
Thor (en.)
In the Prose Edda, Þórr is the son of Óðinn
and the giantess Jörð. However, in Heimskringla, he is a mortal.
Myths
Þórr´s Journey to the Court of Útgarða-LokiThor's Journey to the Court of Utgarda-Loki
This myth relates the story of Þórr's Trip to the Court of
Útgarða-Loki and the tricks that giants play on him and his companions
Loki and Þjálfi.
Mythological Persons
Röskva (non.)
Roskva (en.)
In the Prose Edda, Röskva and her brother
Þjálfi are the children of a farmer that Þórr stays with on one of his
journeys. Þjálfi is responsible for the laming of one of Þórr´ goats and
as a result the two siblings become Þórr´s servants in order to appease
his anger.
Þjálfi (non.)
Thjalfi (en.)
In the Prose Edda, Þjálfi and his sister
Röskva are the children of a farmer that Þórr stays with on one of his
journeys. Þjálfi is responsible for the laming of one of Þórr´s goats
and as a result the two siblings become Þórr´s servants in order to
appease his anger.
Nouns
Edwardian (en.)The
Edwardian era began with the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910
(January 22, 1901 - 28 July, 1914). However, the era's end date is
sometimes extended to the beginning of World War 1 (28 July
1914).
needle felted (en.)
A 2D or 3D felted item produced with a barbed needle and unspun
fibre.
Source Materials:
In the Days of Giants (en.)
Retelling of Norse Myth written by Abbie Farwell Brown and illustrated
by Elmer Boyd Smith.
Source Persons
Brown, Abbie
Farwell (en.)
b. August 21, 1871
d. March 5, 1927
Nationality: American
Occupation: Author
Residence: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Abbie Farwell Brown was an American novelist, journalist, playwright,
lyricist, and children's author.
Smith,Elmer
Boyd (en.)
b. May 31, 1860
d. October 5, 1943
Nationality: Canadian/American
Occupation: Author/Illustrator
Residence: Wilton, Connecticut, USA
A Canadian-American writer and illustrator.
