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Another favorite book from childhood, I was thrilled last winter when I finally re-discovered my copy of Norse Gods and Giants by Ingri & Edgar Parin D'Aulaire. This book is full of really gorgeous colored pencil illustrations, some full-color but many with just two colors. I didn't get every single god, goddess, or giant in this round -- that'll be a rainy day project for the future -- but I did pull several of my favorite bits.

In fact, I'm going to be really obnoxious and post commentary for some of them (which I'll put under a separate cut - I'm totally having too much fun over here).

All icons are free & up for grabs, although most of these are a bit more...random, shall we say, than the last batch. :)

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Loki is a trickster. He talks fast and acts fast -- which often requires him to think fast and get out of a sticky situation. On one memorable occasion, he and thunder god Thor disguised themselves as a blushing bride and her maidservant in order to trick a giant. Another time, Loki transformed himself into a mare, so that he could delay a stone mason's building of a wall (it's a long story).

Clearly, his plan was a great success.

I can't get over the black stallion's expression. Or Loki the White Mare's -- he's practically fluttering his lashes and giggling behind a lace fan.

My favorite sequence in the whole book is the portrayal of Valhalla, a heavenly paradise where mead, food, and good fightin' are always available. The fightin' is less important than the food, but it's more comically presented: