- Heathen holidays
-
The common holidays of Heathenism (black: main names; gray: alternative names; purple: minor common holidays).
Further information: Germanic calendarWithin Heathenry many holidays or tides are observed. Lesser holidays may vary considerably in name and date according to the calendars adopted by the specific Heathen denominations, local traditions, and organisations. However there is a group of holidays which are acknowledged and celebrated by virtually all Germanic Heathens. Various publications have studied and sought to codify traditional Germanic holidays; these are mostly based on medieval references to sacrifices observed in historical Norse paganism.
Contents
Common holidays
The Heathen common holidays are those eight important ones which are celebrated by all Germanic Heathens.[1][2][3] They may vary in name according to the possible adaptations to local languages and local indigenous terms.
- Yuleblot ("Yule-Blessing"), also called Yuletide ("Yule-Time") and commonly simply Yule — falls on 19th to 26th December (Winter solstice)
- It is sometimes overlapped with Mutternacht or Mothernight — falls on 19th to 20th December, or on 23rd December
- Disablot ("Dis-Blessing"), also called Disting ("Dis-Thing") — falls on 31st January to 1st February
- It is often merged with Thurseblot or Thorrablot — falls on 19th to 20th January, or on 1st February
- Ostarablot or Sigerblot ("Victory-Blessing"), commonly called simply Ostara — falls on 19th to 26th March (Spring equinox)
- Walpurgisnacht or Walpurgisnight, fest of Freya Walpurgis and female goddesses — falls on 30th April to 1 May
- It overlaps with May Day — falls on 1st May
- Midsummerblot or simply Midsummer — falls on 21st to 26th June (Summer solstice)
- Freyfaxi, also called Hleifblot ("Loaf-Blessing") or Loaffest — falls on 1st August
- Haustblot ("Autumn-Blessing"), also called Fallfest — falls on 19th to 26th September (Autumn equinox)
- Winternights or Winternacht, also called Vetrablot ("Winter-Blessing") — falls on 31st October to 1st November (Heathen New Year)
Minor common holidays
- Charming of the Plow — falls on 2nd February
- Vali's Blot, celebration dedicated to the god Váli and to love — falls on 14th February
- Ancestors' Blot, celebration of one's own ancestry or the common ancestors of a Germanic ethnicity — falls on 11st November
- Yggdrasil Day, celebration of the world tree Yggdrasil, of the reality world it represents, of trees and nature — 22nd April
- Winterfinding, celebration which marks the beginning of winter, held on a date between Haustblot and Winternights (mid-October)[4]
- Summerfinding, celebration which marks the beginning of summer, held on a date between Ostara and Walpurgisnight (mid-April)[4]
American Ásatrú calendar
The American Ásatrú movement has adopted over time a specific calendar in which the Heathen major holidays figure alongside many "Days of Remembrance" which celebrate heroes of the Edda and the Sagas, figures of Germanic history, and the Viking Leif Ericson, who explored and settled Vinland (North America).
Author Mark Puryear constructed an "eight-spoked Yule, also called achtwung", paralleling the eight holidays in the Wheel of the Year in Wicca: Disting, Ostara, Beltaine, Midsummer, Hleifblot, Haustblot, Vetrablot, Yule. [5] Of these eight names, Ostara, Beltaine, Midsummer and Yule coincide with the Wiccan "Wheel". The remaining four, Disting, Hleifblot, Haustblot and Vetrablot, correspond to Wiccan Imbolc, Lughnasadh, Mabon and Samhain, respectively.
The handbook Our Troth in its second edition, published by The Troth in 2006,[6] likewise lists eight festivals: Yule, Thurseblot, Idis-Thing, Ostara (Sigerblot), Walpurgisnacht, Midsummer, Loaf-Fest (Freyfaxi) and Winternights (Alf-Blessing, Idis-Blessing, Frey-Blessing). In the American Asatruar calendar these eight festivals are not, however, evenly distributed throughout the year as the Wiccan "Wheel of the Year" or the calendar of other Heathen denominations. The handbook takes as its starting point the statement in the Heimskringla on the three major holidays, Winternights, Yule, and Sigerblot (identified with Ostara), set in October, December and April, respectively.
Midsummer is added as a fourth festival in the absence of Eddaic evidence because its popularity in modern Scandinavian folklore. The remaining four holidays are listead as the "lesser blessings".
date holiday significance late December (winter solstice) Yule (Midwinter) one of the "three greatest blessings of the year" mentioned in the Ynglinga saga late January / early February Thurseblot one of the "lesser blessings"; mentioned in Hversu Noregr byggðist, in modern Icelandic folklore associated with Thor late February / early March Disting one of the "lesser blessings"; the Heimskringla mentions this as a Swedish tradition originally lasting for a week during the month of Góa, but later moved to Candlemas and reduced to three days' duration. 9 February Remembrance for Eyvindr kinnrifi one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance", dedicated to a "martyr" of the Christianization of Scandinavia 14 February Vali's Blot The US Valentine's Day celebrated as an Ásatrú-specific "Day of Remembrance"; by folk etymological connection of Váli with Saint Valentine 28 March Ragnar Lodbrok's Day one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance" 9 April Remembrance for Haakon Sigurdsson one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance" April Ostara (Sigerblot) Sigerblot (Old Norse: Sigrblót) is one of the "three greatest blessings of the year" mentioned in the Ynglinga saga, celebrated "for victory". Ostara in Wiccan tradition is set at vernal equinox; the historical Sigrblót marks the beginning of summer and the campaign season. The historical lunar month of Eostre may coincide with the Paschal Full Moon. 9 May Remembrance for Guðröðr of Guðbrandsdál one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance", dedicated to a "martyr" of the Christianization of Scandinavia late May Einherjar Day the US Memorial Day celebrated as an Ásatrú "Day of Remembrance" 9 June Remembrance for Sigurd one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance" late June (summer solstice) Midsummer included as part of Scandinavian folklore 9 July Remembrance for Unner the Deep-Minded one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance" 1 August Lammas (Freyfaxi) one of the "lesser blessings"; The name Lammas or "Loaf-fest" refers to an Anglo-Saxon festival of the wheat harvest; the name Freyfaxi refers to a tradition of horse sacrifice to Freyr. 9 August Remembrance for Radbod, King of the Frisians one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance" 9 September Remembrance for Herman the Cheruscan one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance" mid October Remembrance for Leif Ericson and his daughter The US Columbus Day celebrated as an Ásatrú "Day of Remembrance" mid October Winternights one of the "three greatest blessings of the year" mentioned in the Ynglinga saga. The historical festival marked the beginning of winter, and involved sacrifices to the elves and the dísir. In Neopaganism also observed as a Festival of the Dead and as such associated with Wiccan Samhain on 31 October.[7] 28 October Remembrance for Erik the Red one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance" 9 November Remembrance for Sigrid the Haughty one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance" late November Wayland the Smith's Day The US Thanksgiving celebrated as an Ásatrú "Day of Remembrance" 9 December Remembrance for Egill Skallagrímsson one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance" Italian Lombard-Odinist calendar
The Lombard Odinist Community of Italy celebrates five holidays in addition to the common ones. Some of them are related to the history of the Lombards.[8]
- Ingeld's Blot — falls just before Walpurgisnacht — Ingeld was a king related to the Lombard history
- Gambara, Ibor and Aio's Blot — falls between Walpurgisnacht and Midsummer — Gambara is the mythical warrior-queen of the Lombards' founding myth, Ibor and Aio are her sons
- Sleipnir's Blot — falls between Midsummer and Runefinding — celebrates Odin's eight-legged horse and all the Lombardic totemic animals
- Runefinding — falls between Sleipnir's Blot and Winterfinding — celebrates the revelation of the runes by Odin
- A Freya's Blot between Winterfinding and Winternights
Spanish Odinist calendar
The Odinist Community of Spain — Ásatrú celebrates three holidays in addition to the common holidays of Heathenry.
- Community Founding Day — falls on January the 21th
- Remembrance of Else Ochsner — falls on May the 4th
- Day of Odinism — falls on the 2nd Saturday of September — a national encounter of all Spanish Odinists during which a special blot to the gods is performed
Ritual
Main article: BlótBlot is the historical Norse term for sacrifice or ritual slaughter. The word blot actually translates to "blood", although it is also related to "blessing". Historically, the ritual slaughter of a farm animal was central to the rite. Heathens today does not usually include this practice.
In Heathenism, blots may be celebrated outdoors in nature or at an altar. A blot may be highly formalized, but the underlying intent resembles inviting the gods to take part in it. The purpose of the blot is strengthening the gods showing them gratitude and giving something back, connecting men and gods, but also "folk-binding" or strengthening the bonds of a community.[9]
Versions of rites for some of these holidays are presented in Edred Thorsson's A Book of Troth (1989) and Kveldulf Gundarsson's Teutonic Religion (1993). James Chisholm in 1989 published an article on the possibilities of celebrating Ostara in a Neopagan setting.[10] Chisholm argued for the reconstruction of the "sacred dramas" which he saw reflected in some Eddaic poems, although shorn of their sexual content by the Christian redactors. The revived Neopagan ritual was again to be modified to suit "contemporary American sensibilities"[11]
References
- ^ Norse Holidays and Festivals
- ^ Ásatrú Holidays of the Ásatrú Alliance.
- ^ The Sacred Calendar of Ásatrú. odinsvolk.ca.
- ^ a b Bill Linzie. Germanic Spirituality. 2003. p. 27
- ^ Mark Puryear, The Nature of Asatru: An Overview of the Ideals and Philosophy of the Indigenous Religion of Northern Europe, iUniverse, 2006, p. 214.
- ^ BookSurge, ISBN 978-1-4196-3598-4.
- ^ Graham Harvey, Listening people, speaking earth: contemporary paganism, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 1997, ISBN 978-1-85065-272-4, p. 58.
- ^ Seasonal Blots of the Odinist Community. comunitaodinista.org.
- ^ Galina Krasskova, Swain Wodening. Exploring The Northern Tradition: A Guide To The Gods, Lore, Rites And Celebrations From The Norse, German And Anglo-saxon Traditions. New Page Books, 2005. pp. 147-155.
- ^ James Chisholm, "The Rites of Ostara: Possibilities for Today", Idunna 1, no. 4 (February 1989), 7-10.
- ^ Jeffrey Kaplan, Radical religion in America: millenarian movements from the far right to the children of Noah, Syracuse University Press, 1997, ISBN 978-0-8156-0396-2, p. 76.
See also
External links
Categories:- Religious holidays
- Neopagan holidays
- Germanic neopaganism
- Yuleblot ("Yule-Blessing"), also called Yuletide ("Yule-Time") and commonly simply Yule — falls on 19th to 26th December (Winter solstice)
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
