Oslo City Hall, Courtyard

The entrance door

Dagfin Werenskiold (1892-1977) completed 16 wooden friezes on the walls of the courtyard, the motifs are from Norse mythology.  Each frieze is made by pine deck timber, which is glued together into blocks weighing approximately 1000 kg (2200 lbs). The friezes are impregnated with a triple application of linseed oil, then painted and gilded with gold or silver.  Photos of a few:

Embla and Ask

The gods Odin, Høne, and Lodur are out wandering. At the beach, they find two trees «without destiny». Fate is granted by the gods who empower them: Odin gives them spirit, Høne gives the gift of vitality and Lodur gives them blood and colour. Ask (ash) and Embla (elm) step forward through the myth of creation as the two first human beings.

The eagle in Yggdrasil

High up in Yggdrasil`s branches a powerful eagle is sitting looking far around him and flapping his large wings. The small squirrel Ratatosk is running down the trunk carrying the eagle`s words to the beast Nidhogg (the one who cuts with malice or evil), who is gnawing at the world tree`s roots

The norns pour water on Yggdrasil

The norne Urd (the past), Verdande (the present) and Skuld (the future) are three powerful goddesses of destiny. They live by the well Urd where one of the roots of Yggdrasil ends. Here the gods ride over Bifrost (the bridge that connects heaven and earth, the rainbowbridge) on their way to council. The norns water the world tree`s leaves each day with spray water from the flood. From this comes the dew that falls in valleys, and this is why the holy tree remains evergreen above the Well of Urd.

Odin on Sleipner

Odin, the most powerful of gods, is riding his eightlegged Sleipner, the fastest stallion in the world. Odin`s spear Gungne strikes everything he hurls it at. On his arm, he has the valuable ring Draupne, which drips eight equally beautiful rings every ninth night. Odin`s two ravens Hugin (thought) and Munin (memory) fly out every day into the wide world and bring news back to their master. Here they guide Odin in the twilight of the forest.