By Dan Ralph Miller
Special to the Gulf Islands Driftwood
Winter solstice holds a special significance in many religions. Today,
with our consumer culture, the holiday season has deteriorated into a
commercial and economic concern. Some, objecting to this rampant
materialism, call for a return to a more spiritual basis for the
holiday. Often heard is the lament that "the Christ" needs to be "put
back into Christmas". While others assert that the true origins of
Yuletide custom stem from long before the coming of Christianity to
Europe, and are making a call to put the original Yule-father, Odhin,
"back into Yuletide".
Many Yuletide traditions still practiced today have their beginnings in
the ancient pagan religion of the Germanic tribes, also known as the
Teutonic or Nordic peoples. Yuletide customs, which are so integral a
part of our modern experience of this holiday, have been very well
preserved by the descendants of those ancient tribes, right to this very
day. Traditions such as large family and community gatherings,
bonfires, decorating of trees, and of course the Yule log, the hanging
of wreaths, holly and mistletoe, the feasting, toasting, the wassailing
songs, the giving of gifts, all night dancing, drinking, and
merrymaking, only to name a few.
Yule traditions have survived despite numerous historically documented
attempts by various powerful Christian groups to ban such "heathen
practices" as Yule. These attempts were only ever partially successful.
The Norwegian practice of drinking Yule-beer in honour of the old pagan
Gods could not be eradicated completely, so it was made law, about the
year 1000ce, that all Yule toasts had to be made in honour of Jesus and
Mary. Even as late as 1964, Norway's Christian Sobriety Council tried
to ban the use of the term "Yule beer", saying it was unchristian.
Commercial brewers were able to argue that Yule had nothing to do with
the Bible and had much deeper roots in Norway than Christianity.
The English still prepare a special brew at Yule called the "wassail
drink", prepared with ale, wine and cider mixed with fruits and spices.
The word "wassail" comes from Old English "Wes Thu Hal", meaning "to
your health". Wassail-drink is the preferred to drink to "go
wassailing", which today is known as caroling. In heathen times, these
were songs of praise and blessing not only presented to the neighbors,
but also to fruit trees in hopes of their continuing fruitfulness.
Songs and libations were offered and bits of toast were floated in a
"wassail bowl" which was then perched in the branches of the tree.
Shades of this tradition survive throughout the Western-world in the
formal "toasting" in someone"s honour or to their health.
The Orkney Islands, of Scotland, were a rest-stop on the sail from
Norway to Iceland a thousand years ago. To the Norse settlers there,
the preparation of "Yule-Ale" was very serious business. Strict
penalties were brought against those who refused to drink on Yule Night,
including heavy fines.
The origins of the word "Yule" are shrouded in mystery, but most
scholars agree that it it likely related to the root-word for "Wheel".
It is thought to refer to the wheeling, or turning about, of the sun in
its seasonal journey. The God Odhin, seen by many as chief among the
Nordic Gods, has numerous sacred names, including "Julfodhr" or
"Yule-father". It is likely that Odhin himself is the original
"Yule-Elf", the Gift-giving Elf.
To the ancient Teutonic tribes, the sun was seen as a Goddess in the
form a golden sow, or boar. The golden boar is closely associated with
Freyr, King of the Elves, and his twin sister Freya. They are the
Goddess and God of love, peace and plenty.
Pork is still a traditional Yule dish, especially in Norway, a custom
which traces back to the ancient Heathens. According to a thousand year
old Norse saga, "On Yule-eve vows were made: the sacrificial boar was
led in, men laid their hands on him and swore dear oaths as they drank
from the hallowed cup." The boar was then humanely slaughtered and
cooked to eat at the great Yule feast.
In later times, a bread baked into the shape of a boar would take the
place of the Yule boar. The history of the baking of special breads and
pastries at Yule is a subject worthy of an article unto itself.
Throughout the West, the practice of creating edible symbols of the
holiday come down to us from pagan times.
Heathen Yule traditions have been preserved generation after generation
by folk who may not even be aware of the origins of the customs they
observe. Why would folks supposedly converted to Christianity still
preserve pagan rites, even for thousands of years? The answer, whether
spoken in Dutch, English, Icelandic, German or Norwegian, would likely
be the same, "Because we have always done it this way..."
And though it has been heard that "Christ" should be put back into
"Christmas", upon closer examination it would appear that he barely made
it there to begin with. Save for the image of the babe in the manger,
and an impressive anthology of Christmas carols, most other modern
traditions surrounding the midwinter holiday are hardy survivals from
the heathen religion of the Germanic tribes.
~ ~ ~
Written by Dan Ralph Miller
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The steel must suffer to become the blade.
Thats some very intresting stuff Bear , all that history etc& that other post of yours to Bear. My ppl came from nothern europe , afew diffent places i think.
also a basterd-son[][:-], so i dont know exacly where some of my tree roots go.
I almost named my son Thor, but everyone thought that to weird(including the boss, bearer of child) , but some ppl did call him bam-bam anyways- not that i dresses him in furs lol
My first love was called Olga.( a nordic type name?)
It was 1-3? grade& i dont thhink she knew about it much lol , i gave her speical valinetines& a ring in one once.( she gave you a odd look but looked happy)
That was ny state She was a nice porta rican girl, she must have been around but i dont rememeber seeing her after like 3 grade.
A love not meant to be
rings? where did i get those ideas- forced to watch those early soap opras as a child? bet it was my sister too...
In heathen times, these
were songs of praise and blessing not only presented to the neighbors,
but also to fruit trees in hopes of their continuing fruitfulness.
Songs and libations were offered and bits of toast were floated in a
"wassail bowl" which was then perched in the branches of the tree.
It's a free country--if you want to sing and make offerings to a tree, have at it. I think you'd have better luck using fertilizer though.[X(]
Chad
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"We can have no '50-50' allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all."-- Theodore Roosevelt
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. Ecclesiasties 10:2
The last four letters in American..........I Can
The last four letters in Republican........I Can
The last four letters in Democrats.........Rats
Bring the Yule-father Back to Yule
][:-], so i dont know exacly where some of my tree roots go.
