The ancient Greek Gods were of the warm south, but in the north of Europe the Norse Gods reigned in equally ancient lands of ice and fire. The Norse deities and heroes seem to me to be carved from the landscape, craggy, more primitive and megalithic than the sun-bathed, elegant Greeks. While my initial inspiration comes from my love of Wagner’s take on aspects of the Nordic myths in his Ring Cycle - gods, goddesses and those magnificent Valkyries - further research illuminates an entire worldview of sagas from Iceland and Scaninavia, a true inspiration for sculpture.

Herja was a Valkyrie. The Valkyries were beautiful women, part human, part magical, who influenced the fate of warriors. They rode horses through the sky and chose which heroes would die in battle and be taken to Valhalla, Odin’s hall.

Odin was the chief Norse deity associated with wisdom, healing, knowledge, victory, sorcery, poetry, frenzy, and the runic alphabet. He was the husband of the goddess Frigg and travelled the world in search of knowledge accompanied by wolves and ravens.

Fafner and his brother Fasolt, from Wagner’s “Ring of the Nibelung”, were the giants hired by Wotan (Odin) to build Valhalla, the home of the Gods. Their payment was to be Freia (Freyja), the Goddess of Love. It didn’t work out…

Finn was the Irish Giant who created the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, as stepping stones to Scotland, also creating the Isle of Man and the tiny island of Rockall when he threw chunks of Ireland at his great rival Benandonner.