The break is over

I took a year off from all my blogs and now am returning. Though I won't be posting as often as I once did. Also, all the info I had saved for future posts was lost in the move (well actually, I left my computer in storage bacause I thought I couldn't take it with me.) I will start getting thnigs set up and hopefully have a new post by the end of the month, right before Christmas, lol.

The Little Tiki

Pele, great goddess of Hawaii

The religion of Hawaii is similar in many ways to its oceanic neighbors, Taiwan and Japan (and Korea before it converted to Christianity.) They believe in many spirits, gods, goddesses, mythic creatures, etc... They have small shrines all over the island. Pele, the goddess of volcanoes, is perhaps the most commonly known deity outside of Hawaii, with the great gods Kane, Ku, Kanaloa and Lono or the goddess Hime next. The images of their gods and spirits is a work of art, called Tikis, and were in the spotlight of American culture and design for a spell and have lingered for a while. Many people still imagine having Tikis around during beach parties, silent watchers and patrons of fun. They also remember the proliferate tiki mugs that you see in tropical style bars and clubs. I still remember people refering to great surfers as a Kahuna, though this was really the Hawaiian term of a shaman or someone else with great mana/spirit. Some people around America have embraced the faith and practices of the Hawaiians and here is a way for your children to be part of it.

Tiki mugs,

you should be able to find plastic ones for kids

Tiki toys

Tiki necklaces, great for kids.

I actually have a nice one carved out of coral that my father got me when I was a teen.

The main poster of this forum does some awsome tiki work. While I don't think he has embraced the spirituality, I think the Tiki gods have embraced him. Check it out and get some ideas or buy his merchandise.http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=28069&forum=18&start=135&hilite=kirby%5C

The guy from the above forum made these plush tikis himself.

I think they are very cool, and you could probably make them yourself at home.

The guy who made all these plushies and tons of other cool tiki stuff on that forum is in the background here, wearing the yellow shirt. You see he sold this plush tiki to the lady.

Here is some Disney tiki things if you like that. They are based on real Hawaiian things, so it can still be great to use. http://www.certain.com/system/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x112329ffe5

cool little charms or ornaments

Cool painting for a kids room

While not listed on the above website,

I did find this cool Stitch Tiki while trolling the net for tiki things

2 more tiki websites for you: http://www.tikimaster.com/category/004.1/

http://www.hawaiibulk.com/category/10.traditional_collection.hawaiian_tikis/

Viking

After the Greco-Roman toys, the next group of toys somewhat easy to find would be viking/norseman style toys. Vikings have become part of the stock of fantasy and action stories. Many kids want to be a viking and go plundering, or exploring or trading. I am not heavily into the Norse mythos, so I just found some basic toys.

Viking Chief from Le Toy Van,

who makes nice wooden toys

Playmobil vikings, great for little kids

Viking Warriors from Papo, great for older kids

Another Viking Warrior from Papo


Odin and Sleipnir from Final Fantasy.
This is not really a toy, so for teenage and older

Thor model, great for an altar

Another model, also great for an altar

plush Thor, great for kids, found at
http://www.dungeontrader.com/store/catalog-list.cfm?Cat_Display=73&storeid=1&start=1

Minnesota Vikings plushie

Viking on horse plush

Lego Viking Fortress, with a dragon


Viking ship kit, for kids that love kits


Viking science kit, found at
http://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/Online%20Store/science%20kits.html

I will reiterate, dressing for the part is so much a part of magic and myth, so here are some costumes

modernized Viking girl


Viking princess

furry Viking hat

childs costume helmet

teen and adult costume helmet

Marvel comics has had Thor as one of their major characters for many years. He was one of the founding members of the Avengers, the greatest super hero team in that universe. Though they portray his as more a blonde, cleanshaven Swedish looking man than as the historic version, I feel that it is still okay. I take it as a modernization of Thor, and nothing more. Many sociologists and anthropologists have already commented that comics are todays versions of mythology, so he fits in quite well. And as a god, he is not stuck in only one form. So, here are some Marvel Comics Thor toys.

Thor action figure, his old costume was very super hero looking

He got an updated costume and a beard,

though it still looked like a super hero costume

Here he is with the hulk, who he fought,

his costume was updated again, and looks a lot better, with armor,

though he lost his beard.

Muggs Thor, popular model toys

Heroclix game toy of Thor on his chariot pulled by his goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr

A Thor plushie

Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, here as a model or part of a costume

Thor's helmet, the more recent costume version

Thor kids costume, he can be a god and a hero

There are other kinds of items to get, you just have to look for them. Also, don't forget to gift your child with an amulet of Mjolnir.

Greek and Roman

There are a lot of Greek and Roman themed toys out there. Greek and Roman history and mythology is an essential part of our own history and the myths, legends and stories are the legacy they left us modern pagans. Many movies, books, comics and every other form of media entertainment uses the old gods and heroes and toys come with those. Just look and you will find them.

I will also say that the modern world really seems to hate Hades and there are no good toys out there of him. He deserves more respect than that. He is the god of the afterlife, the ruler of the underworld. I guess they keep confusing him with the Devil, which is exactly what they did in the Percy Jackson movie, which I totally hated. The book did not display him that way, arrogant, dark and moody, but not as some firey devil.

I did not like Disneys Hercules movie that much, they messed up his story too much for my liking, but, they did make some toys that you can use. I would not use Hades though, as they made here into a thug and gave him flame hair, where the hell in all the old paintings and stories is he depicted with flaming hair. Another allusion to the devil, which he is not!

Hermes, they really did not do a good job on him, but it is good enough for a child

Zeus, I actually did not think they portrayed him all that bad in the movie, as a devoted and doting father, the only complaint I have is that they made him a bit simple minded, which Zeus is not!

Some toy blocks for children, in the form of Greek temple architecture

Greek hoplite warrior action figure,

notice the Gorgon face on the shield, used in the old days to ward away evil

Greek infantry soldiers, rather like the old Green American soldier toys my parents used to get for me when I was a kid found here:
http://www.hobbybunker.com/details.cfm?ID=3027

A miniture of Ares, I guess used for RPGs. Here are some more:
http://www.frpgames.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=42824

Zeus toy from that horrid movie, The Lightning Thief, trust me, don't waste your money on that movie, use it to buy the book, it is sooooo much better than that insult of a movie.

Posiedon, from Safari toys (look them up on Amazon)

The next 3 figurines I found on Amazon and got for my son. He put Zeus and Poseidon on his private altar.

Ares toy from D.C. comics,

he often comes into conflict with Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl

Hercules toy from Marvel Comics,

instead of a club, he carries a mace and does not hace his lionskin cape

Hercules toy, though he is missing his beard

Athena doll

Persephone Doll

Demeter Doll

Athena Barbie
Barbie has even gotten in on the Greek and Roman theme
Alexander the Great, said to be the son of Zeus and Amon. Here he is as one of the History Action Figures

The Saint Seiya Japanese anime has the Greco-Roman gods and people who claim their powers

Wyvern

Hades

Hypnos


Athena, in the story she is the actual Athena, masquerading as a human

Greek goddess costume for young girls

Roman soldier costume for boys

Roman Gladiator costume, though made for boys,

since there were women gladiators too, you could let your daughter wear this as well.

Roman centurion helmet