Pagan Poetry

~ Cakeordeath
autoestima-l-sarusq1
Daria Endresen-2011

The self portraits and the eerie frozen landscapes, empty apart from figures engaged in disturbing occult ceremonies, of Norwegian photographer and digital artist Daria Endresen combine various elements from Nordic mythology, fetishism, Surrealism and a particularly Northern form of romanticism to skillfully evoke a mysterious Gothic, ritualistic dreamworld.

In this cold, isolated, sinister fairy-tale like realm she has managed to capture the essence of a pagan poetry long since disappeared from the world.

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95 thoughts on “Pagan Poetry”

  1. So…. two of these photos I would swear I’ve seen before: the forest floor with the figure amidst the pagan symbols/arrows, and the one with the horns. Really cool! I’m glad you’re exploring the modern “surrealists.”

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      1. The Norwegians (and Scandinavia in general) are absolutely fascinating. I watched this documentary on Norwegian Black Metal – you know what I mean? Totally creepy cool. Part of it was about the resentment of native people over being force converted to Christianity back in the day and how if they were to embrace the thing that opposes the Christian god well who would it be? Chills… As the Viking warrior sips his blood red wine…

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      2. As a pretty serious student of the occult I am familiar with the whole dank black metal thing and the church burnings (some historic stave churches went up in flames). Very interesting and quite chilling.

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      5. Oh I totally agree. Magic is part of our lives in subtle and insidious ways. And I don’t mean that negatively. I mean in unknown ways. Giving away the game. You know it just adds to your mystique, don’t you?

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      7. Yes, gambling, horse racing, Eddie Izzard and your sweet tooth, numbers and tarot, am I forgetting anything? PS I didn’t look- that’s from memory

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      7. True… in this modern age we have at our fingertips more information than we’ve ever had before. An artist’s Facebook page for instance (I know, fucking blech) but there it is.

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      1. Yes, Mads Mikkelsen. He’s beautiful and so talented. I watched the first two seasons but only part of the third. It got weird but it actually might be right up your alley. It was like surrealist art on TV.

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      2. I will give it another shot… I think at the time they were a lot of serial killers on either television or film, and I wanted to watch something without a plethora of corpses. I like the Surrealist art on television bit.

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      3. I get that. I stopped watching Walking Dead for that reason. I feel like Hannibal is unique for the style and for the relationships it features. Will and Hannibal’s relationship is so complex and compelling, yet extremely disturbing. Makes for a tense but enjoyable watch. The third season is much more quiet I feel. But no less disturbing. I just couldn’t get into it but perhaps if I’d watched them one after the other.

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      13. I try. I like not conforming. Perhaps it’s a personality flaw. But perhaps that’s my own reality creeping in, because in general I am pretty well conformed to societal standards. Except in a few key areas…

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      1. Ah yes. That’s a great effect. Mirrors are fun and sinister. Do you know what a Tulpa is? I read a terrifying story about one once. Featured a mirror. Scared the crap out of me. I’m a scaredycat.

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      3. In this story it was a mirror image of the man it took over. By that I mean, it came out of his mirror. 😳 Makes you want to look real quick at yourself if at all. Lol. A turning point, huh? Hmm…

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      7. All mirrors are inherently mysterious and magical. The moment when Narcissus looked into the lake and realized that what he saw reflected was at one …
        Mirror||rorriM
        william blake,magic mirrors,gnosticism,st paul,haiti,fairytales,fall,religion,innocence,snow white,experience,magic,garden of eden,lsd,judaism,mirrors,vodou,jorge luis borges,alice in wonderland,bible,narcissus
        https://cakeordeathsite.wordpress.com/2017/01/31/mirrorrorrim/

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  3. Having just returned from the acupuncturist, I am horrified by the one with needles and threads and little things stuck into the sacrificial victim. Now I have an idea of what I might have looked like as I lay there!

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      1. They took my mind off the the other pains! Actually, I am a great deal better today, so the treatment is working. Ireland Scotland tomorrow. Italy might beat Wales (?). Then the big one: England France. We get it in French (TVCinq) out of Quebec. Allez les Bleus!

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      3. Watching Ireland in an Irish pub: what glory. I am not “into “Ireland’s Cal”, been away too long, but The Fields of Athenrye still get me going. Not to mention, the wearing of the green, in the version I was taught as a child.

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  4. I enjoyed this Cake. My mind has been in the realm of darker stories, art and poetry lately. And Scandinavia seems to be good setting for things that are dark…. Perhaps it is the cold, the lack of sunlight and their mythology.

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    1. I have a thing for Scandinavia… I am quite knowledge on medieval Icelandic literature believe or not and also the role they played in the creation of modernity is impressive. I have loved the Norse myths ever since I was a child and that love has never gone away. Glad you enjoyed… sometimes I put up edgier stuff, this was a bit of a departure but I enjoyed it as well.

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      9. Italy are dragging their feet, but there is a lot of strength in the other five nations. France could / should have won. Ireland / Scotland was close. Wales are interesting with the coaching and captaincy changes. I won’t place any money on the games!

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