Here is the next page in my virtual scrapbook: a round up of the week’s moments.
What made me smile
- Looking out over the blankets of snow, and how they cover every little surface, no matter how thin or delicate
- Finding out I will have some hours back at work, after being furloughed for almost a year
- Winning a giveaway run by the wonderful Tati Magic, and receiving a package of gorgeous prizes, all handmade by her!
- Sending a box of fudge to my boyfriend’s new flat, to bring him a smile
- Beginning work on a new poetry project, that will be drawing together many of my interests and creative practices
- Going outdoors and finding the first signs of spring: honeysuckle blooms, oak tree buds, snowdrops…
What I’m reading
In my camera roll
The waxing gibbous moon, being upheld by spindly, wintery branches 
The gorgeous prizes I won in the giveaway by Tati Magic! 
A buzzard standing in the snow, sporting some very impressive trousers! 
A very impressive icicle outside my window! 
Our snowman, Fernando! 
A little muntjac deer we saw on a woodland walk 
A brilliant sunset turning water to gold… 
A drawing of my DnD character and her animal companion 
Snowdrops, one of the first signs of spring. Oh I can’t wait…
In review:
I’ve seen this book in bookshops for a while, and always wondered what kind of form it would take. A translation of Norse tales into modern English, or a factual overview of Norse beliefs? It lands somewhere in between. Broken down into short, easy-to-read chapters, it begins by introducing the reader to the world (or should I say, worlds), the creation myth, and the cast of characters – the gods and other beings that will play a role in the stories. The following chapters cover a handful of Norse myths, present the reader with a broad understanding of the gods and their adventures – these span through from the creation of the worlds to the destruction of Ragnarok. The stories are told in a casual, entertaining way, and you only later realise how much you’ve learned through a single, short tale. The only thing it doesn’t cover is how the Norse peoples interacted with these beliefs, and how these stories manifested in their day to day world – but there’s other books in which you could find that out. Overall, it’s a really comprehensive, accessible, and entertaining introduction to the Norse myths.
Nellie Cole 