Strong Oak Crafts

Painting of the Saxon Stone at Creeton in Lincolnshire.

Tried these two colour lino cuts today. For what looks like a simple design, it was far more complex than I anticipated. Once you've made a cut, there's no going back. Most of you will recognise the image as being one of the two figures from the Sutton Hoo purse lid. Most often they are described as being the god Tiw, however I feel they are meant to represent Woden and his two wolves.

Some new linocut prints I finished this week. The symbol is sometimes associated with the Web of Wyrd, however my view is that this represents the Nine Wuldor Tānas, the Nine Glory-Twigs, perhaps representing the nine herb from the Nigon Wyrta Galdor. Tānas means twigs, but those cut for making lots, hence one OE term for a diviner was tānhlyta or tānhlytere, a twig or lot caster. We can still associate the lattice …

Wōdene sȳ wuldor - Glory be to Woden. Ink drawing of Woden, his face from the Sutton Hoo raven and scales from the Staffordshire hoard.

Detail of the ALU stamp markings from one of the cremation urns found at Spong Hill, Norfolk. Each rune contains a mirror of itself so that it can be read left-right or right-left. The mark is sometimes referred to as the Norfolk Tiw Runes due to its resemblance to the word 'TIW'. Art - my ALU lino prints.

Some new lino prints with the original carving I completed today. As usual I'll give these away to family and friends. This image of Woden comes from the Vendel helmet. Both the serpent and birds are symbols of Woden. A friend and follower of Grim once shared an interesting observation with me, that because the artistic styles of the two birds were different they perhaps represented two different species, notably t…

One of my Thunor linocut prints ready for frame. The design was done in the same style as my Woden and Frēa prints. Wes þu Thunor hāl!

Sutton hoo helmet, work in progress.

A batch of Sunwheel lino printed cards ready for the Sunstead this coming Sunday.

Ēþel byþ oferleof æghwylcum men, gif he mot ðær rihtes and gerysena on brucan on bolde bleadum oftast. To every man his home is very dear, as long as he can enjoy his rights and proper station there, in his own house, for the most part prosperously. The eðel or eþel rune, which is shown on the garment above means much more than 'estate' which is the standard translation. The rune represents our home and homeland, …

Eðel, also spelt ēþel or óðel lino prints. The pattern resembling the garnet gem designs found throughout the Germanic world. The Eðel rune represents the homeland, birth-right and ancestral inheritance.

Some new sunwheel cards for Sunne.