Well, it’s taken only about 25 years, but I think I’m biting the bullet and getting some new tattoo work done, and I can think of none better then some of the folks here for advice on something…
My particular heritage is primarily French from Québec, with both sides of the family having solid roots in Normandy.
I fell into the DNA rabbit hole a few years back, and even invested in a few tests (while they were on sale) to compare… French was naturally prominent, but there were surprises.. Some Scandinavian traces were still there even from French communities where very few ever left the Saint Hyacinthe area.. To this day, my mother and I are really the only two of three in the family that left & speak English lol…
Comparing it to archeological dna services like mytrueancestry has definitely been revealing, especially when it highlighted an ancestral link to Visigothic and Danish roots (with many other Germanic influences, including a smidgin of Norwegian)..
In any case, I’ve always been fascinated with the Elder Futhark and all things proto-Germanic.
I currently have a camel spider tattooed on one hand, and a scorpion on the other.. Due to a promise I gave to fellow soldiers after our 1992-93 Somalia tour that I’d “fight” them on a bar table once we got home to remind us of our only entertainment out there lol.
The idea is to add runes on my fingers…
I have tried to research the proto-Germanic inspiration for the Nordic influence of Huginn & Muninn.. These would be transcribed using the Elder Futhark, and figured these to be Hugiz and Muniz.
Any thoughts by those with a bit of knowledge in this area?

Once settled, I also have an itch to get the Visigothic Eagle on one side of the neck, and the well known Raven from Vikingtid banners on the other side… Both would be fair homage to two ancestral links.

When visiting Peel Castle on the Isle of Man back last summer i'm pretty sure that we had a Raven, (not a crow) land on the castle wall just in front of us, shortly before this my partner and myself had been waxing lyrical about our ancestral connections to the castle. We felt blessed :-) Unfortunately we weren't fast enough with our cameras and started to doubt the evidence of our own eyes - the 'Raven' flew low from its perch, below the walls crenellations never to be seen again....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peel_Castle

Seems it was not ravens i saw recently, they are large-billed crows instead. Got some real weight and size to them though! -Which is why i didnt notice at first

So many Ravens in Tokyo City, kinda odd! Ive seen around 11 so far.

Tons of ravens here in Japan, where i am visiting.

Update time ;)

Aethyrien:
I am working on releasing a very short (but insanely brutal) track for Aethyrien called 'Modern Viking' hopefully as early as next week. I have plans on making an extended version of this track, but for now you get the "Story Version". I have also finished a track that will be called "Hel's Embrace" that will pair with the 6th chapter of a saga I have written called "Helsa's Saga". I am debating releasing this without context, as well as future songs related to Helsa's story. I may say fuck it and just release them as I finish them.

Helsa's Saga:
The short 9-chapter saga is 90% complete. The saga takes place just before the start of Ragnarök and explains the moments leading up to it and what "caused" it since Norse lore doesn't exactly go into detail (like how did Fenrir's chains break?). The goal is to officially release this as an audiobook of sorts, but I need to figure out narration. Ideally this audiobook will also be released with a 9-song album. More info to come on this though.

Æthyrien X:
I have also completed a track for Æthyrien X that captures the emotional moment Odin has been hanging from the Tree of Yggdrasil after 9 long nights, but it is sung from the perspective of Huginn, one of his ravens. The song is called "Gefinn Óðni (Odin's Sacrifice)". Additionally, I will soon be releasing another song called "Eldr ok Járn (Ov Fire and Iron)" which is essentially a Blacksmith's prayer/chant sung in Old Norse. I am working on the atmosphere and sound effects that will accompany the chant.

Lastly, it feels good to be back in my creative space. I still very much love and miss my now-ex girlfriend and everything we were building, so my sacrifice was not easy. But I need to drown in my work. I have so many things in my head that if left in for too long it will drive me fucking insane. I bleed creation. It is who I am and what I do.

I have missed you all <3

On the Viking trail. After Steepholm, (see earlier post) we then went on the trail of Ubba, (9th-century Viking and one of the commanders of the Great Heathen Army that invaded Anglo-Saxon England in the 860s). He has two potential burial spots one is near 'Bloody Corner' Bideford, Devon or on Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel. On Lundy two unusual graves were discovered and It has been suggested that they are the graves of Vikings, those owing to the discovery of possible Viking glass beads. A visitor to the island has also suggested that the remains are of Danish origin. After the battle of Kenwith Castle in 894 the raven standard was taken and (H)Ubba slain. It was Danish custom to remove their dead and Lundy was the nearest point

Decided to create a page on here with the hope that like-minded old souls who hold nature and the old gods sacred will find and enjoy the music I have been gifted with to bring forth into this realm and find healing within. This song was intuitively channeled and Freyja's name came though. When I close my eyes listening back to it I see a raven flying high above snow crowned mountains, icy fjords & vast frost covered forests... If you wish to share the visions you see while listening comment below https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49MHFEZFTUE

It doesn‘t get any better than going out, beeing greeted by two Ravens in front of your balcony and see the snow falling down on Wodan‘s Day

Anybody who lives in UK especially Somerset/Glastonbury area should give https://wyrdraven.co.uk/ a look.