Founder of Viking Chapter Stung In Bee Attack

For my US and international peeps:

Lloyd Loven and the Ormen Lange II

91-year-old Lloyd Loven – founder of the Dallas chapter of the Norwegian Society of Texas 35 years ago and friend to Vikings near and far, was attacked by bees at home on Sunday.

He’s doing remarkably well -  a true testament to tough Viking nature.

Please see the video link below. It would be great if any of you would leave a comment for Lloyd here on my blog. Lloyd doesn’t use a computer, but we print things out for him.

I took this picture this past Syttende Mai – Lloyd built this reproduction of the Ormen Lange – at 91, he’s still “rah rah Norge!”

Everyone in the video is a member of the Norwegian Society of Texas.

Anyhoos - click “Leave a Comment” right above this post. We’ll print out the comments and give them to Lloyd. Won’t y’all wish him well?

Much love!!! Dawna

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa090727_wz_beesting.81715ea9.html

Momentary Return to Barbarian Hotness

OK – I’ve got tons of posts I need to be writing about. But for the moment, I have to take a little station break for a topic near and dear to my heart: Barbarian Hotness, or hot Viking men, or however you choose to define it.

My intent one of these days is to get my vatos in all the Viking reenactment groups I heartily support to send in some real-life manly pictures for us to vote on.

Until then, here are some pics to tide us over. In a rare executive decision , I’ve named Richard Bremmer’s character as Skeld the Superstitious as Supreme (Fantasy) Barbarian Hotness. 

In yet another rare executive decision, I decree that Richard Bremmer gets inducted into the Barbarian Hotness Hall of Fame. His Viking number (12) can never be used by the Viking team again – his supremacy is acknowledged.

Richard Bremmer's "Skeld the Superstitious" is Officially Inducted

An author friend of mine will disagree with me (she’s a Rethel the Archer kind of person). That’s OK – we each enjoy our own type of Man Candy.

So enjoy the pics – no, they’re not mine; I don’t own the copyright, blah, blah, etc.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daniel Southern as "Edgtho the Silent"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tony Curran as "Weath the Musician"

 

Vladimir Kulich as "Buliwyf"

A Shout Out to my Viking Pals Across the POND!

OK, peeps -

Rogann Ragnarsonn (Deputy Battle Trainer of the Dahrg de Belne)

For those of you who’ve been hiding for the past week, I’ve finally gone over to the Dark Side and joined Facebook. And I had no idea how many Vikings were marauding and pillaging their way through cyberspace (figuratively speaking, of course!)

Anyhoos – I ran into this nice, nice fellow. Paul James McDaid – that’s Rogann Ragnarsonn to you – is in the Birmingham Vikings (yep, UK) and also starting up his own combat group called the Jotun Warband (a badass Viking reenactment society.)

Paul sent me The Death Saga of Rogann, a poem he wrote in the tradition of the sagas.  And I have to say it – I’m impressed.

I asked Paul if he minded me publishing a brief excerpt here. I don’t want to reprint the whole thing, because that’s what his Facebook page is for. So go visit it, or I’ll send Paul after you in full battle attire. Paul also has a book called Tiivestelma. Got to catch up with Paul and get the link for it, so stay tuned.

So here’s an excerpt from Paul James McDaid’s The Death Saga of Rogann, used with permission from the (talented) author:

Wounded by the spite of Enemies.
Ruined upon Erda’s fields,
There did I see his blood,
Flowing like Fimbulthul,
Out of mighty Hvergelmir
From which many mighty rivers flow
In the heart of Nifelheim,
Strengthened by the sparking water
That drips from Eikthyrnir’s antlers.
His eyes did gaze up into the House of Winds,
Laden with clouds, and bright,
He watched Skoll chase Sun’s chariot
To make way for Mani, bearing the moon,
Fleeing from Hati’s wrath.
There, as his Odin-gifted soul
Did seek to leave him,
He spotted a Shining Light,
Out of Ymir’s Skull it seemed to come,
Blinding and pure in his mortal eyes.
In gleaming dress of steel
Upon barded horse,
Came Freya’s servant,
Valkyrie of Sessrumnir,
That lovely hall adorned with
many seats….

Awesome stuff, Paul (Rogann). Thanks for sharing with us, and I’ll put up the link to your book soonest.

WMY (and Paul knows what this means!)

Sankthansaften – Norwegian Midsummer Celebration!

Trunk Handpainted by Marsha's Dad

Greetings, Viking lovers near and far -

A Longship - Model Not to Scale!!!

OK – I’ve been busy getting the crap kicked out of me lately, with contests entries, critiques, book reviews, getting chapters written, and now slaving away in the salt mines, too. So I’m WAY behind on some of my goodies (including new pics of Barbarian Hotness).

However, can’t let the opportunity go by without mentioning the celebration of Santansaften a few weeks back with my vatos at the Norwegian Society of Texas. Truly, they’re the nicest people on the planet. So what are you waiting for???? Take a liking to a Viking!

Anyhoos, the nice folks at the Norwegian Society gathered at the lovely home of Norwood and Marsha Band. Here’s some pics (sorry that I didn’t capture any of the chow). You need to know two things:

1. Norwegian hospitality is surreal. Marsha is the perfect hostess, which only confirmed my suspicion that if I tried something similar, it would end in absolute disaster.
2. Norwegians can eat. This requires no explanation. But it’s probably the reason they didn’t actually take over the world – they couldn’t maintain their food supply.

Norwegian Hospitality

I also owe a shout out to my vato, Steve Ogden, one of our loyal Viking dudes. Steve’s a die-hard, and he sent me some pics of him in his Viking attire. Steve, you’re da MAN!!!! See his pics below – or else.

 

Capital One should hire him for their commercials!

And my friend Hayward McMurray got us all singing “Home, Home in Norway” (to the tune of “Home on the Range”. Here are the lyrics:

O give me a home/ Where the Viking men roam/Where the trolls and the reindeer all play/ Where the midnight sun beams/ Over mountains and streams/ And the people are friendly all day.

Home, home in Norway/ Where the trolls and the reindeer all play/ Where the midnight sun beams/ Over mountains and streams/ And the people are friendly all day.

Note: I like this – particularly the part about “roaming Viking men.” Thanks, Hayward!

 

 Last – just one little plug:

 I’m now on Facebook (yes, I’ve gone to the Dark Side). So don’t be haters – send me invites!

 

Steve "What's in your wallet?" Ogden on His Viking Best Behavior - Victim is Auntie Liz, Matriarch of the Hawaiian Dance Group "Hula Halau Ohana Elikapeka" (Because Vikings beat up on Hawaiian dancers most commonly.)

Steve Demonstrates Proper Pillaging Technique (On Auntie Liz and her granddaughter, Bella.)

 

ALERT – Barbarian Hotness! (Because I’m just not smart enough to make this up.)

Richard Bremmer and Friends Modeling Barbarian Hotness

OK, peeps, y’all will never believe me on this one. But I swear, even though my specialty is making up stories, I would never have thought of it.

So, y’all know I’ve been on this quest to discover the finest in Barbarian Hotness (this means fine-looking Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, and Finnish men),  though I review any other applications that are accompanied by photos with absolute impartiality.

I’m a member of the Norwegian Society of Texas (as y’all know), and I got this email forwarded on from the TexFinns (I had no idea we had TexFinns! What????) Somebody haul out the vodka.

Anyhoos – here’s the email. I’m copying it in its entirety. My comments (because I just can’t shut up on this) are in red. Here ya go:

“I am approaching you as an employee of the Finnish television production company Nordisk Film TV. Our company is casting for a new television series that deals with Finnish identity, the search for one’s roots and the search for love. Attached is a small poster (in both Finnish and in English; please them as you best  see fit) that I would kindly ask you to post in a place or places where Finnish males (or males with Finnish roots) might roam: (If I knew where they were roaming, I would have left these posters like a trail of breadcrumbs to my house, where we could all play Naughty Viking Games) indeed, we are hoping to get the attention of as many guys as possible (me too – preferably Richard Bremmer) during the next
three months. (I love goal-oriented people.) So, of course, if you know a man who fits the description of the poster and might be interested in contacting us, (no, just ME) please tell him about us! (see previous comment) Also, please feel free to include the message in any possible newsletter or publication that is at your disposal. (ANY publication? Like a blog dedicated exclusively to Barbarian Hotness?) Thank you! I
would like to emphasize how grateful I am for your help:  this show would never be made without it! (Well, we can’t have THIS show fail.)
 
Sincerely, 
Joona Junkkari
Sales Coordinator
Nordisk Film TV
Matila Röhr Nordisk
Address:   
Tallberginkatu 1 A 141, 00180 Helsinki
Mobile:     
+358 44 5479938
Tel:             
+358 9 5407820
Email:  joona.junkkari@matilarohrnordisk.fi

Y’all, I’m emailing Joona first thing tomorrow. I’ve got to get the dirt on this! And remember – post this “in a place or places where Finnish males may roam.”