Face It: That’s a Viking

I am one of those people who sees hidden faces in everything– tree trunks, curtain folds, and clouds. The tendency is called pareidolia and comes from the Greek words for “instead image” or “alongside form.” However, my husband had never demonstrated the same proclivity, even after decades of living together.

Imagine my surprise when he called me into the kitchen recently and asked, “Do you see a Viking head?”

“Where?” I looked around for a copy of my book cover for Wytchfae Runes, which features a sexy Viking. Had I left the plexiglass flyer display in the kitchen?

“Right there,” he answered, pointing to an array of plastic grocery bags crumbled into a small counter top bin.

I peered at the bags and immediately saw the face. It looked like something discovered in a tomb of Viking royalty. “Wow, it’s a Viking.”

This brought an audible sigh from Mr. R, who had apparently thought he was seeing things.

So tell me, can you see the Viking face?

Welcome to the happy world of pareidolia, or to put it in more mystical, literary terms, the condition of never being without friends, house guests, and inspiration.