Hello Row80 folks. My updates since 7th (goal list day for round 4 of ROW80) are zero so accept my apologies. And for the Indelible folks, same. I will still visit you, especially if you’ve visited here. Stay and join the following blogfest, or I’ll see you next time. 
Today is Siv Maria Ottem‘s birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) and we’re joining her in celebrating her new book, Secrets of the Ash Tree, with The Norse Gods Blogfest.
Post about your favourite Norse God and be creative. Siv will be giving away a copy of her book to whomever actively parties the most on this day. Special points are given if you visit her NEW WEB PAGE (check, it’s gorgeous) and like her Facebook Author page (Check, I posted).
She’s even offering an autographed print of this Freya illustration, created by her daughter to anyone who purchases her book between now and the end of this blogfest (just email her with the evidence). Isn’t it beautiful?
For those who haven’t a clue about Norse Gods, read this.:
“Divided between the Æsir and the Vanir, and sometimes including the jötnar (giants), the dividing line between these groups is less than clear. However, it is usually accepted that the Æsir (including Óðinn, Þórr and Týr) were warrior gods, while the Vanir (mainly Njörðr, Freyja and Freyr) were fertility gods. Various other groups of beings, including elves, dwarves and jötnar were probably minor gods, and might have had small cults and sacred places devoted to them.” Source
Click Source for a list of them, and pick one to post about, should the fancy grab you! :) I searched for one god or goddess I felt more inclined towards and chose:
Freyja…daughter of the sea god Njord and sister of Freyr
Freyja by ~TheBastardSon [http://thebastardson.deviantart.com/]
…Originally worshipped as a fertility goddess but in the Eddas she was often portrayed as a goddess of love, beauty and attraction. She was also associated with war, battle, death, wealth, magic and prophecies. Freyja was said to be the most beloved, honored, and renowned among goddesses. She is one of the most popular deities of Norse mythology. Freyja is a warrior goddess. Whenever she rides into battles, she gets half of the souls of dead heroes. Freyja is also a priestess, and she taught the gods the magic arts. She has a magical dress made of feathers which allows her to fly between different worlds. Freyja is the patron goddess of crops and child birth. She is also a goddess of love, whom lovers may send prayers to.
Frigg and Freyja are the two main goddesses in Norse mythology. They were especially worshipped by Vikings. Freyja is said to be the kindest among goddesses. In a poem in Poetic Edda, a young man called Ottar always trusted in the goddesses; he built a rockshrine for the goddesses, and Freyja answered his prayers. She disguised Ottar as her golden boar, and went on a trip to help him find his ancestors.
Both Odin and Freyja divided the heroic dead of every battle fought. Odin’s share went to live in Valhalla, while Freyja’s lived in her hall, Sessrumnir.Freyja sprinkled morning dew and summer sunlight over the earth as she flew, shook spring flowers from her golden hair and wept tears that turned to gold (Gold was once thought to be Freyja’s tears).
It is rumoured that Freyja’s husband [Odur, or Od] was in fact Odin. Freyja was the goddess of lust as well as love which would make her a suitable partner for Odin, the father of battle. Freyja, a sorceress who flew in a falcon’s skin, arrived in Asgard to teach the gods the spells and charms of the Vanir (the group of Gods and Goddesses, older than those of the Aesir). Freyja’s greatest treasure was the Brisingamen’s necklace:
The Brisingamen necklace was crafted by four dwarfs with such artistry that it glittered like a constellation of stars in the night sky. Around Freyja’s lovely neck it became an emblem of the fruits of the heavens and earth. She in her turn, produced treasures for the earth whenever she cried and Freyja wept profusely, especially during her search for her husband, Odur. When her tears fell on rock, they turned to gold. When shed at sea they turned to amber. It is said that she obtained the necklace by sleeping with the 4 dwarfs.
Let’s not forget we’re here to celebrate this lovely book.
Secrets of the Ash Tree is the story about Liv, a young woman who discovers her true nature through the unraveling of hidden secrets.
Her adventures begin when she digs up a chest that was buried by her father under the old ash tree in her garden. What she finds inside the chest changes her life forever. Liv discovers one secret after another and is thrown into a world full of dangerous and strange creatures, mighty Norse warriors and perils beyond her belief.
What started out as a fairy tale in her father’s journal was to become her legacy, a guide line to survival, and a map to the world she was about to enter. Each day, each mystery, each encounter will ultimately reveal her true destiny and behind the edge of a sword awaits a young god who is willing to share that destiny with her.
READ SOME FOR FREE HERE
Unrelated Announcement:
Must announce that on 23rd of September my first ever Goodreads giveaway began and lasts for one month. You can find it here: http://bit.ly/1duJm1o. Please go enter to win one paperback copy of Finding Esta. If you would, please mention it somewhere, that would also be wonderful!
As an added bonus, I found this and thought it might be of interest to some readers. Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome. Click the link to grab a copy in audio for your ipod, for iTunes or as MP3.
This is a comprehensive collection of all the major and minor gods of Rome and Greece, with descriptions of festivals and retellings of major mythological stories. (Summary by Sibella)