Welcome to Thorvald!

Sometimes, the process of making a stop motion animated film is a bit like being locked in a deadly struggle with a fearsome sea serpent, only to look into its face and recognize yourself. This blog is for anyone who has battled a 12-inch tall monster of their own and discovered a worthy adversary and a beautiful friendship.

Welcome to my lair. Visit my monsters and tell me about yours.

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All About Thorvald

Thorvald
Thorvald Erik the Great, Son of Thor is a legendary knight and a fearless warrior, and his heroic deeds will be remembered for generations to come. Unfortunately, his six older brothers are unaware of this. For now, he is more commonly known in his small village in Orkney as simply Erik, the shepherd's eccentric youngest son - ever so slightly less epic.
Erik (or Thorvald as he prefers), is different from his brothers. He asserts that this is because he is the lost son of the god Thor and destined for greatness. They say it's because he is an odd wimp. They call him delusional, strange, a worthless dreamer, hardly imposing enough to be a demigod - little do they know. Thorvald will not be crushed by the ignorant masses. He alone knows that the time will come for him to meet his true destiny...  

 The Stoorworm

The Stoorworm is known by many names: Jormungand, Midgard Serpent, Mester Stoorworm, World Serpent, and others. In essence it is a huge sea serpent, a monster that figures prominently in Norse mythology and in Scottish folktales, such as the Orcadian tale, "Assispattle and the Stoorworm". The Prose Edda, an Icelandic collection of Nordic mythology, contains many myths detailing the stoorworm's antics 
 as well as his encounters with the god Thor. According to Norse legend, Jormungandr, the original stoorworm, is one of the sons of the villainous god Loki, tossed into the ocean by Odin. There he lies, encircling the earth with his enormous coils awaiting the end of the world when he will clash in a final battle with his arch enemy, Thor. 




The Story

     Erik, the youngest son of a simple Orcadian shepherd, dreams that he is destined for greatness. Inspired by the legends and folktales of his childhood he fantasizes about being the son of Thor and becoming a great hero. Giving himsef a suitable new name, Thorvald Erik the Fearless, Son of Thor, he prepares himself for the legendary exploits that await him. He practices his fighting skills attacking haystacks, and never parts with his beloved, rusty, old helmet. Thorvald reasons that one never knows when one will unexpectedly be called on to fight a dragon, or some mysterious knight in black armour who is perhaps an evil sorcerer in disguise. Angered by what they see as their ridiculous little brother's arrogance and deluded superiority complex, his more practical narrow-minded older brothers reject and bully him, making fun of his visions and ambitions.

      When a terrifying sea serpent known as the stoorworm attacks Orkney and claims the King's daughter, only Thorvald has the courage to step forward and confront the monster, as his six brothers cower in fear. But even the young aspiring hero cannot imagine what lies ahead. Swallowed by the stoorworm, he is plunged into the darkness of its bowels. Undaunted, he embarks on a perilous journey to the creature's core that will make him question everything he knows, a journey of unexpected revelation and transformation that will bring him face to face with his destiny.