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 VII: "The Binding of Fenrir" for Part II: "The Secret of
Svartheim" depicts the dwarves showing their handiwork to Skirnir, who in
Keary´s retelling, has come to ask them to make a chain strong
enough to bind the wolf Fenrir.
Source: The Heroes of Asgard
Folio or Page: 192
Medium: Not known
Date: 1930
Dimensions (mm): 98 x 61
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
Liza
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.
Simek,
Rudolf.
Angela
Hall
. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. W
Woodbridge: D. S. Brewer,
2007.
Dunn-Krahn,
Sage (en.)
b. 13th July 1999
Occupation: Research Assistant
Artifacts
Gleipnir (non.)
The magic fetter that the gods succeeded in binding Fenrir with.
Gleipnir means "open one" and was made from six things that do not
exist, i.e., the sound of a cat's foot tread, the beard of a woman, the
roots of a mountain, the sinews of a bear, the breath of a fish, and the
spittle of a bird.
Creatures: animals, birds, monsters etc.
Fenrir (non.)
One of the names for the monstrous wolf who is one of the three
monstrous offspring of Loki and the giantess Angrboða.
Gods and Goddesses
Skírnir (non.)
Freyr´s servant who woos the giantess Gerðr on Freyr´s behalf in
exchange for Freyr´s sword.
Myths
Binding of Fenrir Myth
This myth relating the story of how the gods managed to trick the wolf
Fenrir into letting them bind him with a magic fetter. They fail with a
fetter called Leyding and another called called Dromi but succeed with
one called Gleipnir. Unfortunately, the god Týr had put his hand in
Fenrir´s mouth as a guarantee that the gods were not trying to trick
Fenrir into being bound. Fenrir bites off Týr´s hand when he realizes
that he has cannot break the fetter.
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.
