Description: This scene is from a retelling of Norse mythology in the 1908
edition of Annie
Keary's The Heroes of Asgard (1857). Louis
Huard's illustration depicts
the giantess Skaði choosing her husband from among the gods
as compensation for the death of her father Þjazi. The
illustration is the frontispiece in the 1908 edition but is on
page 227 of the 1893 edition.
Source: The Heroes of Asgard
Folio or Page: Frontispiece
Medium: Not known
Date: 1908
Dimensions (mm): 80 x 125
Provenance:
This illustration is from The
Heroes of Asgard 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.:
Early print review of the first edition of The Heroes of Asgard: "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 lOympus. 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: "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:
Editions
Keary,
Annie, and
Liza
Keary. The
Heroes of Asgard: Tales from Scandinavian Mythology.
London: Macmillan and Co.
Limited, 1908.
Secondary Sources
Cleasby, Richard
and
Vigfússon
Guðbrandur
. An Icelandic-English Dictionary.
Oxford: Clarendon Press,
1957.
Review of The Heroes of Asgard, by Annie Keary and Liza
Keary.
The Athenaeum, 11 Apr. 1857:
470. Web. 27 July 2021.
Review of The Heroes of Asgard, by Annie Keary, and Liza
Keary. The Critic, 16 Mar.
1857: 130. Web July 27,
2021.
Skaði (non.)
Skadi (en.)
In Snorri's Edda, Skaði is a giantess who
choose her husband from among the gods as compensation for the death of
her father, Þjazi. However, Skaði is only allowed to see the feet of the
gods and she mistakes Njorðr´s feet for Baldr´s. In Ynglinga saga, the
first saga in Heimskringla, she
is one of the group that traveled with the chieftain Óðinn from Asia to
the northern lands. Her first husband Heimskringla, was Njörðr, but she later married the
chieftain Óðinn and they were said to have had many sons.
Þjazi (non.)
Thjazi (en.)
The giant who persuaded Loki to abduct the goddess Íðunn.
Myths
Abduction of Iðunn Myth
The myth concerning the abduction of Iðunn and the apples of
immortality by the giant Thjazi with the help of Loki. In the end, the
god's compel Loki to rescue Iðunn and regain the apples.
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).
Victorian (en.)The
Victorian era began with the reign of Queen Victoria and ended with her
death (June 20, 1837 – January 22, 1901).
Source Materials:
Heroes of
Asgard (1870 ed.) (en.)The second illustrated edition of The Heroes of Asgard was published in 1870 and
illustrated by Louis Huard. These images are from the 1908
reprint.
Source Persons
Huard,
Louis (fr.)
b. 1st January 1814
d. 9th September 1874
Nationality: French
Occupation: Illustrator and painter
Huard was born in France but moved to England as an adult and died in
London. He illustrated the second edition of “The Heroes of Asgard”
(1870).
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.
