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spellbind | ˈspelˌbīnd | verb (past and past participle spellbound | ˈspelˌbound |) [with object] hold the complete attention of (someone) as though by magic; fascinate. Apple Dictionary
In the guise of populism, right-wing influencers hold parts of the populace spellbound in belief of their propaganda. The mission of this web site/art praxis is to mirror the negative energy back and bind fascists with their own projections.
There is a need to protect ourselves and rebound those lies and projections. Care needs to be taken so spells don't come back on us. However, in this process, we are sending back to them what they have initiated. The intent is they will be bound by their own evil deeds, revealed, and hopefully the populace will "snap out of it".
For this purpose, through the acting role of a Viking Era, or Norse, galdramaðr "sorcerer", we present actual spells and curses found in Old Norse literature and repurpose them. These snippets of the Old Norse language are suitable from both an oral and visual perspective. Many are drawn from poetry, which inherently weaves together words and sounds in a mesmerizing fashion. Connections with this oral art have been made with the interlaced "gripping beast" stylizations seen in Viking Era visual art. The patterns wind in and out binding both the figures and eye when gazed upon.
It is somewhat ironic to utilize norse mythology to counter fascism. For example, Hitler and the 3rd Reich appropriated the Norse gods as militaristic champions of Germanic culture and used Viking Era symbolism for propaganda. So much so that Carl Jung with all of his examples of mythic archetypes avoided drawing comparisons with the norse pantheon - even though they are rich with prototypes.
Odin has characteristics of the authoritarian fascist ruler. As a trickster, he is portrayed as a con-artist, and he acts with deception. Today's fascist rulers may choose to emulate him, but they miss the point. Namely, the gods illustrate the dangers of transgressions - behaviors for humans to avoid rather than mimic. Ultimately, these rulers fall because they don't heed the warnings.
-- Úlfr Ólason
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