01/02/2024
Yule
Yule is one of the three main Blots of the year decreed by Odin in the Ynglinga Saga and is said to be for a good harvest in the coming year. To many Heathens, this is the biggest and most sacred celebration of the year. It is a celebration marking the loosening of winter’s grasp on the earth and the birth of a new year. Some consider it symbolic of the rebirth of the worlds following Ragnarok and the time of Baldr’s return from the realm of Hel. It is a time for dancing, feasting, gift giving, and family.
This is the season when the gods are closest to Midgard and when the spirits of the dead return to share in feasts with the living. The gods have sometimes been referred to as “Yule beings” and one of the names of Odin is Jólnir, meaning the "Yule One". It is also the time when the wild hunt (Odin’s host of the restless dead) rides most fiercely. It is said that it is dangerous to meet them but that they can also bring blessings and fruitfulness if greeted with gifts of food and drink.
Yule consists of a twelve day celebration beginning at sunset on the winter solstice (usually the 21st of December), the shortest day and longest night of the year. After the solstice the days begin to get longer and the nights get shorter. The first night of Yule is referred to as Modraniht, meaning Mother’s Night, in honor of Fr**ga and the Disir (female goddesses and ancestors). A vigil is held from dusk until dawn this night to witness the returning of the sun representing the birth of the new year.
While Yule predates Christianity by thousands of years most people are unaware that they are practicing traditions of this celebration. The majority of modern holiday traditions come from Heathen origins. During the spread of Christianity, when Heathenism was outlawed and people were forcibly being converted, many of the celebrations and traditions were allowed to continue but with new names and Christian reinterpretations. The missionaries believed that it would be easier to transition people to a new religion in this way instead of by trying to suppress the practice of traditional Blots. Some of the traditions which are still practiced today by many people unaware of their origins are the twelve days of Christmas, Santa and his elves, the Yule tree (Christmas tree), the Yule boar, hanging wreaths, gift giving, and mistletoe.
The celebration of Yule traditionally lasts for twelve days beginning at sunset on the winter solstice. In the northern hemisphere this normally falls between the 20th and 22nd of December. The modern celebration of the twelve days of Christmas comes from this Heathen tradition.
Odin’s Wild Hunt (the host of the restless dead) is said to be closest to us during this time and Odin himself is the inspiration for Santa Claus. The appearance of Santa was traditionally even based on Odin as a grey haired traveler with a long beard. It was not changed to the current image of a jolly fat man with a white beard and red suit until the 1930’s when Coca-Cola presented him in this way for advertising purposes. They also changed the image of the elves to diminutive beings as we hear of them today. Prior to that time, they were akin to the Alfs who were also believed to be descended from Odin. The eight reindeer represent the eight legs of Odin’s horse, Sleipnir, and the milk and cookies that people leave out for Santa come from the tradition of leaving offerings of food and drink for those of the wild hunt.
The Yule tree is the basis for today’s Christmas tree and was decorated with symbols of the gods or their animals and reminders of those who had passed. The decorated tree was symbolic of Yggdrasil, the world’s tree or tree of life. An evergreen was used to represent it as everlasting and because the tree was symbolic of fertility. The Yule tree was traditionally kept and decorated outside but was later moved inside to hide it from the church after Heathenism was outlawed. When the Yule tree was kept and decorated outside, it was a wreath which would be brought inside and decorated. This wreath was symbolic of the wheel of the year which is said to be at its lowest point during the time of Yule.
Yule was a family celebration when people would come together to feast. It was traditional to give gifts to loved ones during this time and it is from this practice that we now have Christmas presents. It was also said that Odin would leave gifts for people which is why Santa is said to leave presents now.
Mistletoe has a bittersweet part in the holiday celebration. While Loki plotted the use of mistletoe to cause the death of Baldr, the mistletoe itself was believed to be young and innocent. After Baldr’s death it is said that the tears of Fr**ga are what caused the berries to turn white. While mistletoe was used as an instrument of death, it has also come to be a symbol of innocence and love. Thus, we have the tradition of kissing under it.
The Yule log is a log placed on a fire and kept burning all night on Mother’s Night to symbolize life lasting through the darkness until rebirth in the morning with the return of the sun. Ashes or pieces of this log are kept for good luck or protection throughout the year and then used to start the fire on the next Mother’s Night the following year.
A boar, which is the totem animal of Freyr and Freya who symbolize fertility, is kept for Yule. Oaths are sometimes sworn on this boar. A sacrifice is then held; the Hlaut blood is collected and spread on the dwelling and the participants and a feast, usually held on the 5th day of Yule, is prepared for those gathered. This is why a ham is the traditional meal served for the holidays now.
During the celebrations on the last day and night of Yule a drink is passed around all those who are gathered to bring everyone together as one. This drink was usually beer or mead but could be imported wine among nobles. Especially meaningful oaths are sworn on this drink and are considered sacred. The modern idea of a new year’s resolution is a diminished version of this Yule Oath and the modern calendar new year coincides closely with the end of Yule instead of the celestial new year.
A traditional toast or prayer at this time of year is “til árs ok friđar” meaning “for a good year and frith (peace)”. This among many other ideas and traditions that we see every year have a long standing history originating from Heathen beliefs. Most people today are simply unaware of what it is that they are really celebrating. That however, makes it easy for those of us who do know to continue to practice our traditions and honor our beliefs largely unnoticed within a culture which is predominantly Christian.
