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The Nine Mothers
of Heimdallr
by Miriam Nash
with artwork by Christina Edlund-Plater
signed limited edition of 300
Hercules Editions is pleased to announce the publication of Miriam Nash’s beautiful new chapbook, The Nine Mothers of Heimdallr, which gives voice to the powerful matriarchal figures of Norse mythology.
Miriam’s own Scandinavian ancestry started her on a quest to ‘find’ the nine mothers, Jötunn or ‘giants’, who ‘gave birth’ to the god Heimdallr. Although they are named in extant Norse literature, their stories remained untold. In Miriam’s poem, these goddesses are the protagonists, as they impart their creation myth to Heimdallr in a cave on the edge of the Norse world.
In developing the project, which began as a commission for the podcast series ‘Bedtime Stories for the End of the World’, Miriam asked her mother, Christina Edlund-Plater, to create new fabric works, which experiment with the traditional craft of felting, to illustrate some of the key moments and characters in the poem. These pieces stem from older practices of making but have a very contemporary feel. This mother-daughter collaboration beautifully evokes the ideas of legacy and inheritance expressed in Miriam’s retelling of this ancient myth.
The Nine Mothers of Heimdallr includes an introduction by medieval and Viking specialist Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir and a conversation between author and illustrator about their generational alliance in making the book.
Photo Naomi Woddis
As always, we rely on the generous assistance of our readers, so we hope you will support this new publication. We are offering some exciting incentives to donors, including an opportunity to have your name listed in the book (a regular feature of all our publications; a way of making our readers integral to the project), a chance to receive a signed copy of a new unpublished poem by Miriam not included in the text; and, for our most generous donors, a custom-made fabric piece by artist Christina Edlund-Plater with one of the images from the poem.
Ice
£25
For a pledge of £25, your name will be included in the list of donors at the back of the book,
and you will receive a copy of the publication postage free.
Included rewards
A copy of the book with your name listed as a donor
Fire
£40
For a pledge of £40, you will receive a signed print of a new, unpublished poem by Miriam Nash which is not included in the book. In addition, your name will be included in the list of donors at the back of the book, and you will receive both print and book post free.
Included rewards
A copy of the book with your name listed as a donor
A signed print of a new poem by Miriam Nash
Goddess
£80
For a pledge of £80, you will receive a custom-made fabric piece by artist Christina Edlund-Plater with one of the images from the poem. There are three images to choose from: Blood Sea, Fire and Ice or Inside the Cave. In addition, you will receive the signed print of a new poem by Miriam Nash which is not included in the book, your name will be included in the list of donors at the back, and you will receive all items postage free.
Included rewards
A copy of the book with your name listed as a donor
A signed print of a new poem by Miriam Nash
A custom-made fabric piece by artist Christina Edlund-Plater with
one of the images from the poem: Blood Sea, Fire and Ice or Inside the Cave.
Blood Sea
(approx. 22 x 39cm)
Inside the Cave
(approx. 29 x 33 cm)
Fire and Ice
(approx. 24 x 26cm)
Photos Jack Gorman, thereallygoodmediacompany.com