A series of three magical and mythological challenges is about to be unleashed upon Midgard (Norse name for Earth) and you're invited to participate. Learn first, the stories behind each of the three legendary medals our Champions will be heroically fighting to attain.
Series 1, Medal 1: "Until Valhalla" According to Norse legend, Odin created the "Tree of Life", called Yggdrasill
[ˈyɡːˌdrɑselː] that sat in the center of all creation. This tree was an enormous Ash tree, and Odin created the nine realms around it. To call the tree sacred is an understatement. The feature image of this medal is Yggdrasil, and the name, written in Runic is etched down the center of the woven trunk. The foliage on top is enameled in bright green, representing life and health, then surrounded by yellow representing sunlight. On either side of the trunk sits Odin's two black ravens: Huginn and Muninn- and the story goes that these magical friends of Odin's were able to fly around Midgard in one single day. Coming out the sides of the medal are two mighty swords representing the many mythological heroes that fought "Until Valhalla" to protect Midgard and life itself from the end of everything, or Ragnarök.
Valhalla was the Norse word for the afterlife, heaven, or their interpretation of the place you go when you die a hero. "Until Valhalla" is a battle cry- and one we thought would round out the story of this medal quite nicely. At 999 miles, this medal is a true challenge. One mile short of 1000, and the number nine represents the nine realms surrounding the tree of life. The challenge is a long one- perhaps taking you mentally around all nine realms. But you are a warrior. A Champion. Will you accept this challenge for life, health, and glory? Will you cry out "Until Valhalla" and join us on this quest to attain better health?
Series 1, Medal 2: "For All the Gold"
The second challenge in our legendary journey brings us deep into a long-dead forest where a cursed golden dragon named Fafnir lives.
Fafnir was a dwarf before being cursed. He was the strongest and most loyal of three sons and defended his father's home and wealth with total fearlessness.
One day, Odin, Loki, and Hǿnir came upon their home in their travels. They saw and killed an otter- which turned out to be Otr, one of Fafnir's brothers. The gods were unaware and boasted about the beautiful pelt from their kill. This enraged the father, and he along with his remaining sons captured the gods and held them while they sent Loki out to collect a ransom to save his family.
Loki, ever the trickster, did as was demanded- and brought back not any gold- but cursed coins from Andvari and a cursed golden ring called Andvaranaut. Both treasures were fabled to bring death to whomever possessed them.
Fafnir accepted the gold from Loki, becoming crazed by the riches- and killed his father to keep the treasure all for himself- running into the forest to hide with his magical treasure.
The curse caused Fafnir to turn himself into a mighty dragon that breathed poison all around him to kill the land and keep away anyone that might try to take the gold.
Fafnir's living brother, Regin asked his foster-son, Sigurd to go kill Fafnir and collect the gold.
Sigurd took his sword named Gram, then went to kill the beast and collect the gold. In his plan to kill the beast, Sigurd dug trenches to drain Fafnir's falling blood away so that Sigurd wouldn't drown in it as it fell.
When Fafnir approached, Sigurd crawled up from a trench and stabbed him in the shoulder, his blood spilling all over. Sigurd accidentally swallowed the blood and in doing so, developed the ability to understand birds.
Little did he know, his foster father was plotting to kill him as well so that he would be the only one to own the treasure. But Sigurd overheard Odin's two ravens talking amongst themselves and gossiping about Regin's plot.
Sigurd was able to stop the assassination attempt by beheading Regin with Gram- and then Sigurd ate Fafnir's heart.
When Sigurd took the gold from Fafnir, he was warned that all men who had the gold would be cursed to die. Sigurd responded that he held no fear of death in his heart because all men must die one day.
In this challenge, we celebrate this tale and the slaying of a great beast- for us in this challenge, represented by the grand golden dragon that was Fafnir. Enameled in glistening gold color, this glittering serpent-like dragon is modeled after ancient drawings discovered all over Europe. He sits, surrounded by his riches, in wait- for a Champion to slay him and take his gold without any fear in their heart.
This challenge represents our own internal battles to overcome our own big monsters of fear, weakness, and failure. Accept this 300 mile challenge, slay your dragon, and enjoy the riches and health it brings you.
Series 1, Medal 3: "The Sword of Legend"
The sword from the second medal challenge was called Gram, or Gramr- ancient Norse for "wrath"- and this sword lived up to its name. The sword's story begins when it was gifted to the Volsung people at a wedding by Odin- who thrust the sword into a tree and declared any man that could remove it would be worthy to wield the finest sword one could ever own. Everyone, including the king tried to remove it, but only one could. The sword stayed with this man through epic battles, plots of murder with the intention to steal the blessed sword, and even after Odin broke it- the pieces stayed in the family until they were needed again by Sigurd.
Gram was forged together again, and when it struck the anvil it was fixed upon, the anvil cracked in half. The sword, though once broken by a god- was as good as new and ready to battle Fenrir. The journey of this sword took it through generations. Through battles, trials, and even destruction. It was rebuilt and ready to take on the next challenge. A gift from a god- this sword and its story represents life to us- though we may face battles and we may feel broken sometimes- we can be put back together again in time to face another battle and another victory. To the Champion that accepts this challenge, we bestow unto you, the mightiest sword ever held by man. The king killer and dragon slayer. The sword of wrath that can only be wielded by the most worthy. Are you the champion that will accept this 639 mile challenge to attain Gram? Are you worthy? ___________________________________________________________ The numbers we selected for miles in this saga were chosen because of their importance in Norse mythology. The number nine and any derivative of it, was considered lucky- thus nine, six, and three were important historically. You might notice similarities in these sagas to modern stories such as The Lord of the Rings and the Sword and the Stone. Both tales borrowed heavily from ancient stories of gods and kings- and there is much information available to support Tolkien's use of these legends in the Hobbit books. Even the great dragon, Smaug, was modeled after Fenrir. The stories we use above were taken from several early norse writings, including The Volsung Saga (circa 12th century). But even the Volsung saga was a retelling of ancient viking stories carved on rocks from as far back as 1030 a.d. Clearly these sagas are epic in nature, passing the test of time and transitioning into our modern world and the stories we read even now. How appropriate to select a set of legends that have passed through generations to reach us today to draw inspiration from as we embark on our own journeys to greatness. These ancient heroes fought kings, dragons, and even gods- certainly we can fight ourselves in our own personal epic tale. We hope these stories inspire you as they inspired us to create the challenges. As the medals are developed, we will share them here. In the meantime, hold your spot to reserve one, two, or all three medals when they're launched. It costs nothing to be added to the list. You can do so here: (coming soon)
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