Mythology:
- a body of myths, as that of a particular people or that relating to a particular person: Greek mythology.
- myths collectively.
- the science or study of myths.
I love mythology in general, and I have been especially drawn to Norse mythology. In particular, I love that mythology often includes both “good” and “bad” characters, and that both are required to maintain balance in the stories/cultures/traditions. In Norse mythology, I love the presence of so many animal characters whose “animalness” is especially important in their roles. Nature is also integral in much mythology - with the entire world in Norse mythology depicted as a tree (an Ash tree). I have always felt at home with trees, so the world tree feels perfect to me.
My predilection for Norse mythology is certainly rooted in the fact that a good portion of my heritage is Norwegian - with a fair amount of Swedish and German ancestry in the mix. My interest in Norwegian things, life, and mythology is strong in part because my paternal grandfather came to the United States when he was young - the most recent of my relatives to immigrate, and the immigrant from our family that I actually knew. We have relatives in Norway, still living on the family farm where my grandpa was born.
When my MS diagnosis came along, I found myself reading and learning everything I could about this disease. MS is a strange and frightening monster. Learning about it meant learning about all of the horrific sounding outcomes it could present in a body. It also meant learning how unlikely it is that all of the things could/would happen to me, and that there’s no way to predict what course the disease will take. At some point I started to wonder if perhaps MS could be a little like mythology? What if having the good and the bad was required to have the proverbial “balance” in life?
Before you ask yourself the whole question - No! I don’t have a romanticized view of this crappy chronic neurological disease. No, I don’t believe “everything happens for a reason.” No, I do not think a being of any sort chose me to have this disease because I am strong or special. No, I don’t think someone “never gives us more than we can handle.”
I do think that attitude counts for a whole heck of a lot in this thing we call life. For me, considering the possibility that this bizarro disease can be a part of my life without taking over my life has been key. Considering the possibility that I can give MS space to be part of my balance is a powerful thought. Considering the possibility that I can decide my MS is a super power? Awesome!
In the sky above the Norse mythology world tree (Yggdrasil) are the sun and the moon. Each is pulled across the sky by a horse-drawn carriage. Each also has an additional carriage and horses in front of the one containing each celestial body. Each is being chased by a wolf. They all appear to travel rapidly across the sky day after day and night after night, as the horses run and run to keep the wolves from catching the sun and the moon. In the mythology tales, the wolves will catch the sun and moon at the end of the world (Ragnarok). While I hope the sun and moon continue their courses for centuries, I know they might not. But I hope the horses are up to the task of giving us as much time in “this world” as “humanly” “possible!”
This all feels important and wonderful to me!
And so my second tattoo is based on the sky above the world tree. When I confidently responded “Nope, I think I’m a 1-tattoo kind of woman” to my artist at the end of my Pink Falcon tattoo session? Clearly I didn’t yet know exactly who I am.
This sky-above ink is sometimes visible, depending on what I wear. I would like for friends to know that my tattoo decisions have never been about showing off my skin (“meh”) or my body (sometimes “EEK!”), even though I love this artwork and I have great fun meeting people who are interested or curious about my depicted stories. I also don’t expect other people to have the same kinds of connections to their ink that I do. Tattoos are personal. Following this tattoo I have added a few more pieces, all from the Yggdrasil myths. I’ll share stories and pictures over the coming weeks or months.
A note about this specific piece of artwork: The sun and moon are depicted as half-and-half or a hybrid body. There is one horse instead of a total of 6. There is one wolf instead of 2. There are no people, even though there are 2-3 beings (depending on the telling) with each celestial orb in the myth. The evolution of my ink has involved (perfectly) learning a bit about the craft of tattooing. My ink is artwork, through and through. My interpretations of the myths I’m carrying on myself are adjusted somewhat to allow for the best artwork and imaging that tattooing allows. I have not shied away from large tattoos and brilliant gorgeous colors in favor of “literal” interpretations of (“non-literal”) century-old myths.
And one or two last bits: I love and am very proud of my tattooed one-of-a-kind artwork. And my artist, Woody who works in Toledo OH at Infinite Art Tattoo Studio is wonderful and has become a friend. In the world of tattoos, there are some whose ink is a representation of many different artists, and there are lots of great artists out there. Representing many artists is a great thing, but for me consistency in design elements is important - and Woody is an artist who works perfectly and creatively with my ideas.
Friends, I wish for you the joy of knowing exactly who you are. And the knowledge that you can always be becoming yourself. What if we are never finished products?
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