Our flowers...

Joe Magarac is a demigod-like folk hero from American folklore. He was born of mountain ore and lightning storms before wandering down to the people below and helping day and night in factories which functioned as his home. He also fell in love with a woman with hair like fire, he won her hand but gave her up so she could be with the man she truly loved. In some stories Joe is a man made of steel from the very start a sort of divinely smithed man in others an accident at the factory caused the steel to cover him melting his flesh but replacing it because it loved him so. He would stir the molten metal and bend bars with his bare hands. When the factories began to collapse Joe melted himself into the steel infusing his soul into all of American Steel and helping build all that was made from it in spirit. Just as our men's blood, sweat, and tears was an integral part of building wonders.-TLK

Today in a sequel to the Soul of Art with Aethelwulf today we continued that conversation. Discussing the spiritual and cultural significance of art. Various styles, various types, including animation, sculpture, and more. Art is a way of manifesting the divine in physical form. This was an important one in this Hiatus Special. https://anchor.fm/heimdallrshome/episodes/Genres-of-Art-with-Neal-Rundgren-e11aj1q

Very busy week at the Hilltop Homestead! AT LAST the garden is planted! I hope you will all enjoy this video! 💚🌿 - Myo B.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K9g80CKhBM

Since TAO's channel is getting made into the new podcast channel, I'll be posting my videos on Lore over here from now on. -TLK https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6G0X_-SFzcw06pJD62ejnQ/videos

In German Mythology "The Faithful Eckhart" or simply Eckhart is a spirit or deity who goes ahead of the wild hunt and warns of its coming. In this way he acts as a herald for the Hunt especially Frau Holle who he is extremely devoted too and sometimes thought to be a priest or devotee of hers before undergoing ascension and becoming her herald. He is also tied up with Yule and some figures hold that he is one of the companions of Sinterklaas. He also waits outside the Venusberg for Holle and her riders to return and warns people away from it. When he is not needed he tends to sleep in a rock or a Linden tree.

New video from Hanz https://youtu.be/28NgbyOsA-A

Thor is one of the most widely venerated deities of the Norse Pantheon. Far outweighing both Odin and Freyr in dispersal of sacred sights and in cultural impact. Thor is one of the possible contenders for "head of the pantheon" before Christian influence caused Odin to rise in prominence. He was credited with bringing fertile fields and defending the people from threats. Thor was also present in marriage ceremonies and was given the highest place of honor in Uppsala over the other idols of Frikko and Wotan. This is likely why we wear "Mjolnirs" and not "Gungnirs". Despite common misconceptions caused by Marvel, Thor is in fact described as a Redhead.-TLK

The Witch's "Sabbath" in European Folklore was often depicted as a satanic orgy and veneration of the devil. This is a Christianized version of what was going on however. In older descriptions while the action is equated to the devil the gifted wise women and men are said to travel in spirit form to a mountain or meeting spot where they will ride animals or broomsticks and fight spirits with a "Witch Goddess" Identified often with Biblical figure Herodias or the Roman goddess Diana. However occasionally actual goddess names fall through such as Holda, Akerbeltz, or Hertha. The entire position in the folklore is actually more akin to a memory of a spirit battle and god/goddess veneration ceremony.-TLK

Issue 2 is finally ready off to the presses: The second issue of Europe & Diaspora continues to dive deep into the lore, legends, history, culture, and traditions of the Hyperborean Peoples. From German Goddesses who ride storms across the land, to a Hero Bear who became a legend of World War II, and even did a tour of the World Tree itself, Yggdrasil, the second issue offers the same great quality of the first and much, much more. Features include tales from German Mythology, the Origins of Groundhog Day, A Bestiary of lesser known spirits, recipes from across the land, and a short story written in the vein of old pulp novels. https://www.whitepeoplepress.com/product/europe-diaspora-vol-1-no-2/

Springerle Cookies are a traditional Swabian and by extension German cookie that is made without fat and flavored with Anise seeds. They are made using Springerle molds that take the shape of everything from the tree of life, bear gods, saints, heroes, animals, etc. While there are traditional designs the actual limit is only the carver/bakers own ability. In some areas of Southern Germany the last test before a baker left their apprenticeship was to carve a Springerle mold, the more complex the usable design the higher the acclaim given to the new baker.-TLK