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"Found a Shrivelled Witch-Woman"

"Found a Shrivelled Witch-Woman"
  • Creator: T. H. Robinson 1869 - 1954
  • Description: This frontispiece by T. H. Robinson is from the second edition of Katherine F. Boult's Heroes of the Norselands that was first published in 1901. The illustration depicts Hermoðr and Þökk in Boult's retelling of the Death of Baldr myth. Þökk is actually Loki disguised as an old woman, who is the only living thing that refused to weep for Baldr. Consequently, Hel would not release Baldr from her domain. The caption for the illustration is "Found a Shrivelled Witch-Woman." The text describing the scene is on page 8.
  • Source: Heroes of the Norselands
  • Folio or Page: Frontispiece
  • Medium: Not known
  • Date: 1903
  • Dimensions (mm): 75 x 120
  • Provenance:
    This illustration is from Heroes of Norseland in the collection of the National and University Library of Iceland.
  • Rights:
    This illustration from Heroes of the Norselands is in the public domain.
  • Bibliography:

    Editions

    Boult, Katharine F.. Heroes of Norselands. London: J.M. Dent, 1903.
  • Identity Number: HrsNrsLnds-1903-01-FrtP
  • Download size: 3.7 KB
  • Source code of this document: [XML]
Boult, Katherine   Robinson, Thomas Heath   Heroes of the Norselands   Edwardian   Death of Baldr Myth   Hermóðr, Hermod   Þökk, Thokk   Loki   Hel   Baldr, Balder  

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The MyNDIR Team

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

Anomalies

Loki (non.)
Loki is counted among the gods but is a giant by birth.

Giants and Giantesses

Hel (non.) A monstrous female being who is one of the three offspring of Loki and his mistress, the giantess Angrboða.
Þökk (non.) Thokk (en.) A giantess in Gylfaginning in the Prose Edda who refused to weep for Baldr thereby preventing his release from Hel. According to Snorri, Þökk is Loki in disguise.

Gods and Goddesses

Baldr (non.) Balder (en.) The god who was killed by his brother Höðr.
Hermóðr (non.) Hermod (en.) The god who rode Sleipnir to Hel to try and obtain the release of Baldr.

Myths

Death of Baldr Myth A myth concerning an accidental fratricide. It sometimes includes Loki as an instigator who dupes Baldr's brother, Höðr, into the act and actually guides his hand. In the Prose Edda, Snorri says that Höðr was blind.

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).

Source Materials:

Heroes of the Norselands (en.)The Heroes of the Norselands by Katherine F. Boult was illustrated by T. H. Robinson. The first edition was published in 1901.

Source Persons

Boult, Katherine (en.) b. 1855
d. 1927
Nationality: English
Occupation: author, translator, musician
Katherine Boult, née Katherine Florance Barman, was the wife of the oil merchant and justice of the peace, Cedric Randal Boult, and the mother of the conductor, Sir Adrian Cedric Boult. Katherine’s poor health prevented her from following a promising career as a pianist.
Robinson, Thomas Heath (no.) b. 1869
d. 1954
Nationality: English
Occupation: illustrator
Residence: London
The son of the engraver Thomas Robinson (1838–1902), and the older brother of Charles and W. Heath, who were also illustrators