Description: This illustration is from a retelling of Norse mythology in
the 1930 edition of Annie
Keary'sThe Heroes of Asgard (1857) illustrated
by Charles E.
Brock. The book is divided into nine stories
beginning with the Creation
Myth and ending with Ragnarök. The stories
are further divided into parts which have illustrated headers
and illustrated capital letters. This header illustration in
Story 1: “The Aesir” for Part VI: “Odhærir“ depicts the
dwarves drinking the mead of poetry they
brewed from Kvasir's blood.
Source: The Heroes of Asgard
Folio or Page: 38
Medium: Not known
Date: 1930
Dimensions (mm): 97 x 60
Provenance:
This illustration is from the 1979 facsimile edition of The Heroes of Asgard (1930) from the
collection of P. A. Baer.
Rights:
This illustration from The Heroes of
Asgard is in the public domain.
Research notes, early print reviews, etc.:
Charles Edmund Brock signed his work as C. E. Brock because he was often
confused for a portrait painter of the same name. When it got to the point that
they were paying each other's bills, the illustrator agreed to stop using his
middle name and the portrait painter agreed to stop using his first name (Kelly
29).
Early print review of the first edition of The Heroes of Asgard (1857): "The Scandinavian mythology
converted into a tale told for the edification of children, after the manner of
books that have taught the Greek and Roman mythology. But no genius can invest
the gods of Asgard with the charms of the gods of Olympus. They have none of the
grace or dignity. But the authoress has made the best of an unattractive theme."
(The Critic 130). Web. 27 July 2021.
Early print review of the first edition of The Heroes of Asgard (1857):
"The fables of the Northern mythology are here reduced to a form adapted to the
intelligence of children. They have been cleverly set to an accompaniment of
occasional dialogue, lightening and relieving the narrative of giants' wars and
of heroic prowess achieved by dwellers in the immortal city. The book is a good
specimen of learning made easy by being made pleasant." (The Athenaeum 470).
Web. 27 July 2021.
Bibliography:
Primary Sources
Keary,
Annie, and
Eliza
Keary. The
Heroes of Asgard: Tales from Scandinavian Mythology.
London: Macmillan and Co.
Limited, 1930.
―. The
Heroes of Asgard: Tales from Scandinavian Mythology.
London: Macmillan and Co.
Limited, 1979.
Secondary Sources
Cleasby, Richard
and
Vigfússon
Guðbrandur
. An Icelandic-English Dictionary.
Oxford: Clarendon Press,
1957.
Kelly
C. M.
The Brocks: A Family of Cambridge Artists and
Illustrators
London: C. Skilton,
1975
Print.
Review of The Heroes of Asgard, by Annie Keary and Eliza
Keary.
The Athenaeum, 11 Apr. 1857:
470. Web. 27 July 2021.
Review of The Heroes of Asgard, by Annie Keary, and Eliza
Keary. The Critic, 16 Mar.
1857: 130. Web July 27,
2021.
Dunn-Krahn,
Sage (en.)
b. 13th July 1999
Occupation: Research Assistant
Anomalies
Kvasir (non.)
In the Prose Edda, the gods create Kvasir from the spittle collected
in pot as a token of peace at the end of the wars between the Æsir and
the Vanir. In Skáldskaparmál, the dwarves, Fjalarr and Galarr, murder
Kvasir and collect his blood and mix it with honey to make the Mead of
Poetry. In Heimskringla, Kvasir is a Vanir who is held hostage by the
Æsir during their wars with the Vanir.
Artifacts
skáldskapar
mjaðar (non.)
mead of poetry (en.)
The drink created by the dwarves Falar and Galar from the blood of
Kvasir.
Óðhærir (non.)
Odhærir (en.)
The name used both for the cauldron and for the mead of poetry that it
contained.
Dwarves and Elves
Fjalr (non.)
The brother of Galar. These two dwarves were responsible for the death
of Kvasir and the creation of the mead of poetry from his blood.
Galar (non.)
The brother of Fjalr. These two dwarves were responsible for the death
of Kvasir and the creation of the mead of poetry from his blood.
Myths
Creation Myth
A series of myths concerning the creation of the world, the origins of
the gods, and the creation of humans.
Mythological Events
Ragnarök (non.)
Ragnarok (en.)
The final great battle between the gods and the giants.
Nouns
dvergar (non.)
dwarves (en.)
Dwarves often appear in Norse mythology as skillful smiths and wise
beings. The objects that they made were often endowed with magical
aspects. The dwarves made the treasures of the gods, e.g., Þórr's
hammer.
Source Materials:
Heroes of
Asgard (1930 ed.) (en.)The third illustrated edition of The Heroes of Asgard was published in 1930 and was
illustrated by C. E. Brock.
Source Persons
Brock, Charles
E. (en.)
b. 5 February 1870
d. 28 February 1938
Nationality: English
Occupation: painter, line artist and book illustrator
Keary,
Annie (en.)
b. 3rd March 1825
d. 3rd March 1879
Nationality: English
Occupation: Novelist, poet, and childrens book writer.
Anna Maria Keary, known as Annie Keary, was an English novelist, poet,
and children's writer. Her sister Eliza Keary collaborated with her in
writing “The Heroes of Asgard” that was first published in 1857 and many
times thereafter.
