The last Folksmother

[Nordic]

Chapter 2 of Ynglinga saga notes that Odin was part of 12 temple priests and this is in original Old Norse language "hofgoðar". Hence the traditional Norse term for temple priest, goði or gothi 'god' and its Finnish equivalent for leader type wizards and sages jumala 'god', puolijumala 'demigod'.

Also your output is very interesting, especially so as I myself quit doing OL amateur art years ago (Ott has seen it all).

[Kraftr]

your output is very interesting, especially so as I myself quit doing OL amateur art years ago (Ott has seen it all).

would love if you can expand on it, both on what is interesting in my art and sharing yours, if you want of course. Maybe I can continue some ideas of yours.
Also Pax, you can copy my art and make your own layers, why not, if you feel artistic. we could have a group artpiece. Many old masters had apprentices who would do just hands. or clothing etc. on the masters name.

[Nordic]

Krafts - your takes on various OL themes are very fresh, often literally no-one has before ventured there artistically.

Pax - that is indeed nice art in style of sketches.

[Kraftr]

Fortuna!
I've bought a second hand book that went with the 2009 exposition 'from Bergen to Bergen' from the Museum der Westküste, Alkersum North Frisian Island of Föhr, with Danish, Dutch, German and Norwegian artists. I'm so happy.
These are of Föhr, but really shows the way the Netherlands looked before dykes

Paul Lehmann-Brauns- well in tidal flat of Habel Hallig c. 1932.jpg (72.38 KiB) Viewed 1280 times

Alf Bachmann puddle in the Heath (Föhr) 1927.jpg (43.38 KiB) Viewed 1276 times

[Kraftr]

I haven't had much time to do much, but here's a little progress in my studies; an improved son(I looked at some sculptures) the Magus put more in the dark and Kelta in layers(still crude), maybe making the composition more interesting by perhaps a waving cape, or the option of spears in front and poppyflowers for more elements and as a hommage to Europeans killed by other Europeans.

a bern.jpg (18.23 KiB) Viewed 901 times

n Wodin.jpg (8.2 KiB) Viewed 901 times

[Kraftr]

Also thinking on an improved Last folksmother showing legs, and her dress/body better, correct text, more visible borg with holy fire in background

a tlm.jpg (43.81 KiB) Viewed 900 times

[Kraftr]

I am not sure about turning the horse into a unicorn, but I guess you are experimenting?

the horns are a reference to her being Celtic. The horse is supposed to be a belgian 'blonde' horse, big and muscular(the horse is I believe a symbol of power-and war) and I'm thinking Kelta should be a redhead, it looks good for the image too. I thought of making the rivers on the ground resemble the rivers of roughly Belgium. I'm looking at things to make the image more interesting, for instance I'm thinking of giving her cape a broche as was found in the Netherlands a lot, with a Wodinface with two birdhorns. I see now that I had the horsehelmet on backwards as I feared, because horns curve back, but it was from this relatively recent find below. I find similarity with Scythian practice of putting antlerlike shapes on their horses.

Celtic-horse-helmet.jpg (41.74 KiB) Viewed 743 times

scythian horse reconstruction.jpg (113.29 KiB) Viewed 743 times

scythian warrior.jpg (101.08 KiB) Viewed 743 times

[Kraftr]

latest version

kelta.jpg (56.38 KiB) Viewed 376 times

[Kraftr]

I'm exploring composition, color, light and dark, stance of Kelta, adding symbolic details, the horse's headdress, the flag, a borg in the distance, spears and poppyflowers(a reference to the killing fiields of WWI) All can be taken out too, like maybe the helmet should be a cuirass so the hair looks better waving, or the hints to the rooster are overdone. It has to ripen for now before I commit to work on it more, and it is satisfying enough to share and collect reactions.
I made versions with more dynamic stances, but the text says she rested her head against her spear, so probably spoke calm. The text said she wanted to be revered as an Eastern princess, so I added gold and purple, and she became more dimensional to me, less of a symbol of simple wrong; I think she represents immaturity but also ideals, ambition and spirit that have some merit. I think it could be part of a thriptych, together with Nyhellennia and Rosamund.

[Pax]

The more nuanced interpretation of the character, portraying her as a complex villainess with depth rather than a simplistic negative figure, is a welcome deviation from the conventional portrayal. The choice of purple and gold, reminiscent of the Romans' use of the dye Tyrian purple, which was notoriously difficult to produce, adds an intriguing layer of symbolism.

The potential symbolic interpretations, as suggested in previous posts, are noteworthy. My perspective on the OLB does not typically encompass the intricate interweaving of myth and history; therefore, it is enlightening to encounter an alternative viewpoint. Kelta could indeed be associated with ambition and determination, yet it was taken to its extreme, resulting in a scenario akin to a queen of the ashes situation. I acknowledge the similarity to Game of Thrones, but I believe there is a valid argument to be made.

The concept of a triptych is intriguing. The Finnish Aino myth has been compellingly retold in a tripartite narrative. On a tangential note, I find myself intrigued by the potential connections between the Finnish Aino and the Japanese Ainu. The Ainu people, inhabiting the regions with the highest concentrations of Nordic ancestry in Japan, share a name that is orthographically similar to the Finnish Aino.