Thought I present you all to a extra holiday treat. A more close up look of the Reindeer behind this years Launa vs. Santa pic and to answer a few questions along the way. She is part of the real first eight reindeer that fight alongside the wargod/king Odin in many battles and wars through the millennia. They are:

Brynjar (m)
Halvar (m)
Ingeolf (m)
Gunnarr (m)
Úlfr (f)
Ragnhildr (f)
Astar (f)

and Magnhildr. Which means in old Norse for "Strength" and she lives by it as she is the world's strongest reindeer. Mighty by her own will, strong as if blessed by her master along with the others she is known for her incredible exploits. But before she got mixed up in this whole ordeal with Santa and Launa let us look into the famed stories that established this character into the battle.

Moving Mountains

Like Hercules and his twelve labors, Magnhildr got hers, not as a form of punishment but as a test of her strength given by Odin himself. Odin was never a cruel man but his methods of letting any warrior fight by his side are and to allow her that honor would take extremes. He told Magnhildr as he points to the moon that she as until the next full moon to move a series of mountains from one part of the valley to the next. At first she objects stating that is a unchallengeable fool's errand until Brynjar, Odin's strongest male told her that he has done it and if she wants in she will have to do it.

Though frustrated, she obeys and gets to work as the two vanish, leaving her nearly thirty days to move massive mountains from one part of the valley to another. Of course Odin was lying of course he knows what she said is true but it was all in hopes that she would give up. What they did not expect that when they arrive on the night of the next full moon they witness something shocking. Magnhildr carrying the last mountain on her back. Muscles exploding all over the place with great mass grunting and sweating bullets as she takes the great rock of her back and over her head, tossing it with great force before the rock lands into its new place.

It was impossible but Magnhildr proved them wrong. According to legend, Swedish locals talked about how some mountains weren't in their original place and were moved hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles from their real natural spots. That was all her work. In fact, if you learn a few stories from the Locals, if you see some mountains in Sweden that are slightly off from the rest of the mountains native to the area, there's a good chance, those where the ones she moved.

The Cape of the Stars

It was a holiday and many years have passed since the mountain task but Magnhildr still has a way to go before being in the ranks of the Odin's reindeer. All of the souls of the fallen come and gather to pay tribute especially to their strongest warriors. Along with heavy feasting and small battles in the hall comes the time of the tributes to exchanged their "gifts" mostly treasures, animal skins, forged weapons and many bounties. It was the first for the reindeer to get their tributes and also means they are exempt to exchange back because again, they were new to it. They usually get new weapons, ceremonial garbs and tributes in forms of spices, leaves and other trinkets. For Magnhildr she gets her first weapon a hooked sword and shield, selective body armor gauntlets and leggings made from the hides of bulls whose skin can't be broken by sword or arrow and what became her trademark piece.

It is called the Astaskappa or Cape of the Stars. Now the cape has special magical properties that would come in handy for her in the future. For one it makes its wearer blend into any surrounding and through the wearer's mind can transport them to anywhere. She came to cherish it not for its function or its style of seeing the moving stars across the span of the cape but it was a gift given by Odin himself.

The War of the Seasons

The Native Council sees this battle between the denizens of Asgard and the Hallowed Land and the ice Giants as a minor battle not worthy of their attention. However if you wondering why civilization as we know it are not buried in miles of ice in a perpetual snowball Earth. You can thank them for it in what is a battle to the Ancient Council was in fact a full on war spanning a thousand years known as The War of the Seasons.

In a nutshell the Ice Giants have had it with the gods and decided to do an indirect war against the earth by altering their seasons locking the world in a long winter, the gods respond in kind and fought against the ice giants for a thousand years and the consequence of such a battle are a series of violent storms and freak weather phenomena. Magnhidlr's role along with the other reindeer is to follow Odin in a big pitch effort to stop the grand armies strolling across Europe. All have thought bravely and to make a long story short. They won against the army of giants just in time for their great weapon to be set off but with their great power suppress the spread of the cold from reaching the rest of the globe and isolate and minimize the damage only to Europe.

You might know this as the Little Ice Age. But it could have been worse had they not fought.

The Day Odin Left & The Launa vs. Santa Storyline

One day Brynjar discovers Odin has disappeared and left a note easily telling the Norse pantheon and his beloved guardians, the reindeer he has abdicated. Just up and left. Magnhildr is the most upset of them all but Brynjar forces her to not bring this up as to whatever decision he made it is basically law to them. The reindeer while fellow warriors equal to the vikings and to Odin, they were also raised not to question the acts of their leader or defy his wishes.

Magnhildr didn't like this one bit even though they swore to his wishes, it left her wondering how could he left them like this. It was then she decides to damn the consequences and find Odin herself even without the rest's help. Byrnjar is first to get in her way and a fight ensued waning to punish Magnhildr for her defiance but she will not have any of it and moves on. By the time she reaches the edge of the hallowed land, She had dragged her fellow warriors a thousand miles before finally snapping and beating each and every one of them to pulp.

Using the cape, she transported herself to where Odin has ended up and there it was a shock to her. From hallowed halls to bright lights and candy canes?! This was way incomprehensible but she has to hide only to see what the mighty war god has become: Jolly, Fat, Happy outside of a good bloody battle?! It was the first time she has passed out. She eventually gets waken up by a disgruntled elf named Teague just in time for her to grab him by the throat and press the blade of her sword against this throat threatening to kill him if he utters a word.

Teague means no arm but is curious of her and why is she here. She wants to seek Odin only find him as this "Santa" character... The both overtime do talk and exchange stories until they come up with the plan to get Odin back and be done with this stupid Christmas thing.

I won't spoil any details of what happens next mainly because I need to find a viable way to get Santa to go after Launa in retaliation for going after Ms. Claus when it was Magnhildr who did it, but not in a way you think it was. She's too good of a warrior to go that far. Unfortunately it did. I hope you enjoy this little info diddy of the big reindeer warrior and expect something extra later this month.