Heathen holidays

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In the modern Pagan new religious movement of Heathenry, various publications identify a number of holidays, to some extent based on medieval references to sacrifices observed in historical Norse paganism or reconstructions of an early Germanic calendar, but frequently also inspired by the "Wheel of the Year" popular in Wicca, and sometimes also based on ad hoc innovation, e.g. the various "Days of Remembrance" introduced by The Troth.

As a minimal consensus, the three great seasonal blots mentioned in Ynglingasaga are recognized by practically all adherents. These are: Winter Nights (in October, in some Icelandic sagas identified with Dísablót), Midwinter (some time in December or January, often identified with Yule) and (some time in summer). Beyond this, the modern Icelandic festival of Þorrablót is sometimes considered a "pagan holiday".

Suggestions for rituals suited for these various holidays were published by Edred Thorsson, A Book of Troth (1989) and by Kveldulf Gundarsson, Teutonic Religion (1993). James Chisholm (1989) published a suggestion for Ostara.[1] 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".[2]

Reclamation of Norse Pagan Beliefs[]

These holidays are held in the Norse Reconstructionalist Pagan community as sacred. As Christianity was growing through forced conversions many traditions have been lost through the centuries. Through the availability of the internet and other sources of information the Norse Pagan community is growing in number.

The Troth[]

The handbook Our Troth in its second edition, published by American-based inclusionary heathen organization The Troth in 2006,[3] lists eight festivals: Yule, Þorrablót, Idis-Þing, Ostara (Sigrblót), Waluburg's Night, Midsummer, Loaf-Fest (Freyfaxi) and Winter-Nights (Alf-Blessing, Idis-Blessing, Frey-Blessing). These eight festivals are not, however, evenly distributed throughout the year as the Wiccan "Wheel of the Year". The handbook takes as its starting-point the statement in the Heimskringla on the three major holidays, Winter Nights, Yule, and Sigrblót (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 listed as the "lesser blessings". In addition, Our Troth cites a number of "Days of Remembrance" dedicated to various Eddaic heroes introduced by modern Ásatrú in the United States.

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 Þorrablót 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 one of the Ásatrú-specific "Days of Remembrance", dedicated to a martyr of the Christianization of Scandinavia
14 February Feast of Váli 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 (Sigrblót) 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 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 Unnr 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. It means "mane of 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 sister The US Columbus Day celebrated as an Ásatrú "Day of Remembrance"
mid October Winter Nights (Vetrnætr) 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.[4]
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"

Asatru Free Folk Assembly[]

Below are holidays observed by the white supremacist Asatru Free Assembly, founded in 1974 by Stephen McNallen now called Asatru Folk Assembly which go by the solstices and not the historical lunisolar calendar. While Asatru Folk Assembly holidays reference Norse mythos, they are in practice renamed Wiccan holidays, and not historically accurate.

Listed below are a comparison of the holidays celebrated by Wiccans and Asatru Folk Assembly:

Date Wiccan sabbath Heathen equivalent
21 December
( Saturnalia solstice)
Yule Yule
2 February Imbolc February 14 / Valis Day
21 / 25 March
(vernal equinox / Ostara)
Ostara Summer Finding
1 May
(May Day)
Beltane April 30 - May 1 Baulder’s Night
21 June
(Summer Solstice)
Midsummer Midsummer
1 August
(Lammas)
Lugnasad August 2 - Harvest Feast
21 / 29 Sept
(autumnal equinox / St. Michael's)
Mabon Winter Finding
31 October
(All Souls' Day)
Samhain November 1 Einharjar Feast

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ James Chisholm, "The Rites of Ostara: Possibilities for Today", Idunna 1, no. 4 (February 1989), 7-10.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ BookSurge, ISBN 978-1-4196-3598-4.
  4. ^ Graham Harvey, Listening people, speaking earth: contemporary paganism, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 1997, ISBN 978-1-85065-272-4, p. 58.
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