Yule / Yuletide / Jolablot

December has arrived, now its time to prepare for Yule.

Yule / Yuletide / Jolablot is a pagan celebration connected to Óðinn and Mōdraniht.

Mōdraniht is held on the Night of the 24th of December. This in old English means "Night of the Mothers" or "Mothers' Night". This was converted by Christians to Christmas Eve, however, very much still celebrated in Heathenry. Mothers night is considered the longest night of the year.

This is the night when Óðinn comes with other deities and the spirits of the ancestors to bare gifts (which is later where Father Christmas was created). In return, goats were sacrificed (blót). However, the gift of life demands something far greater, human sacrifices are also made. To hang their corpses on trees by their neck or legs. This is what red decorations are for at Yule time.

The different colours of Decorations resemble:

Red - Blood (sacrifice)
White - Winter
Gold - Light
Green - Rebirth of the Earth (Tree)

Yule is a celebration, usually held on the 21st of December (12 days from the winter solstice) Where the night is longer and marks the re-birth of the Earth, and the Sun reviving (coming of the Sun). Celebrated as the end of the year/darkness and the beginning of the new year.

We thank the Gods, spirits of the land and we thank our ancestors for protection and advice.
We ask the gods for a good harvest. Some of the gods worshipped at this time are:

Sunna / Sol - Sun
Freyr and Baldr - Light and rebirth
Thor - Rebirth / Warmth and Fire
Nott - Night
Njorun - Dreams and Darkness.

In Yule, we praise life and the gift of life. Yule starts on the 21st of December through to the 2nd of January.

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Hávamál - Stanza 24 (The Counsel of Óðinn the One-Eyed)

An unwise man
thinks those who laugh with him
are his friends.
He doesn't understand
that the wise are mocking him.

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Óðinn - Hávamál - Stanza 71 (Words of the High One)

"Be humble and kind, for you may find that it was Óðinn you entertained."

Óðinn, ruler of Asgard and chief of the Aesir gods. He is married to the queen of Asgard, Frigg. Óðinn is the son of Borr and the jötunn, Bestla. His sons are Þórr the god of thunder, Baldr, Höðr, Víðarr and Váli.

Óðinn carries a spear named Gungnir. In Skáldskaparmál, its attested that the spear was fashioned by the dwarves known as the Sons of Ivaldi under the mastery of the blacksmith dwarf Dvalin. Odin rides an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir. The hanged god is accompanied by his wolves Geri and Freki and his ravens Huginn and Muninn.

Óðinn is the god of wisdom, healing, death, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, victory, and poetry. There is much information attested in many sources surviving today, Odinn is a pre-Christian god who travels widely in the search for wisdom and knowledge. From obtaining the mead of poetry, sacrificing his eye in Mimir's well of Urd, for a drink of the water from the well for knowledge and sacrificing himself in order to learn the runes, plus many more.

Odinn rules over the hall, Valhöll "hall of the slain". He chooses half of those who die on the battlefield, these warriors are led by Valkyries back to Valhöll, who then train with the Einherjar in preparation of Ragnarök.

The cripple may ride a horse,
a herd, the handless may drive,
the deaf one, in fights is useful;
Blind is better
than being burnt:
useful to none is a corpse!

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Voluspa - Stanza 3 and 4 - ("The Witch's Prophecy")

It was at the very beginning,
it was Ymir's time,
there was no sand, no sea,
no cooling waves,
no earth,
no sky,
no grass,
just Ginnungagap.
But Óðinn and his brothers
created the earth,
it was they
who made Midgard.
The sun shone from the south
upon the stones of their Hall,
and the land turned green
with growing plant life.


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Týr

Týr - God of War, Law, and Justice. Týr is mainly known for losing his hand in the sources surrounding the Binding of wolf Fenrir. The Wolf that was brought up by the gods and only Týr had the courage to go up
to it and give it food. Due to the prophecies foretold that it was doomed to do them injury, the Æsir adopted the plan of binding the wolf. In order to Bind the Wolf, Týr sacrificed his hand doing so.

From the information from sources I have read about, making offerings to Týr would be the courage to do difficult things rather than an offering of objects. Tyr does not tolerate oath-breaking. Altar's consist of weapons with a knotted cord, for oaths and the rune Teiwaz. Colours are Steel grey and dark red.
Happy Tiwesdæg!
Hail Týr!
Soft and smooth
like a silken ribbon,
yet firm and fast as well:
the Aesir wished
the wolf to try
Gleipnir against his strength.
The wolf had guessed
that guile and tricks
were used to form that fetter;
a pledge as proof
to place in his mouth,
he demanded from the mighty Aesir.
And almost all
the Aesir refused
to pledge the price required,
but honourable Týr
offered his hand,
the weregild the "the wolf desired..
With the slender band,
they bound the wolf:
that fetter firmly held!
But the wolf’s price
was paid by Týr:
in lying he lost his hand.

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Hávamál - Stanza 16 (The Counsel of Óðinn the One-Eyed)

An unwise man
thinks he'll live forever
if only he can avoid a fight,
but old age
will give him no peace,
even if weapons do.

Hail Óðinn!

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Máni

Máni, the moon god is the brother of the sun goddess Sól, and the son of Mundilfari. Máni gifts us sleep, good dreams, and Healing. He is known as the Protection of children and the mentally ill.

Máni is said to be quieter and more reflective; he has been known to watch over people and is especially fond of the humans of Midgard.

He has a compassionate heart and is struck by seeing those in need. He is often called upon to in order to protect specific children or those who are experiencing emotional difficulties.

Some offerings to Máni are; jasmine, carnations, night-blooming flowers, highly aromatic flowers, mugwort, blue sea glass

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Sol

Sol, (Sunna) is the goddess of the Sun and sister to Máni, God of the moon. She rides across the sky in her chariot pulled by two horses.

She is the symbol of the sun and its power. She is the very light that warms the hearts of those in need. She can be called upon to give you energy, motivation, happiness, peace and joy.

Hail Sol!

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Voluspa - Stanza 1 and 2 ("The Witch's Prophecy")

HEED MY WORDS,
all classes of men,
you greater and lesser
children of Heimdall.
You summoned me, Óðinn,
to tell what I recall
of the oldest deeds
of gods and men.
I remember the giants
born so long ago;
In those ancient days
they raised me.
I remember nine worlds,
Nine giantesses,
and the seed
from which Yggdrasil sprang.

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Viðarr

Viðarr, the god of vengeance and the son of Óðinn. Born and fated to avenge his father by killing Fenrir at Ragnarök.

Known as “the Silent God”, he does not flaunt his vengeance; Vidarr is said to speak little, but be a fierce warrior when the moment is needed.

In Grimnismal Stanza 17 Óðinn describes the place Vidarr dwells:

“Brushwood grows and high grass
widely in Viðarr’s land
and there the son proclaims on his horse’s back
that he is keen to avenge his father.” 

Viðarr will avenge his father, stabbing the wolf to the heart according to one account and tearing his jaws open and ripping Fenrir apart, according to another.

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Voluspa - Stanza 28 ("The Witch's Prophecy")

I sat alone
when that ancient one came to me,
Óðinn of the Aesir,
and he looked into my eye.
What do you seek from me, Óðinn?
Why do you seek me, Óðinn?
Óðinn, I know
where you hid your eye
in the famous waters
of the well of Mimir.
But Mimir can drink every morning
from those waters
where your own eye drowns.
Have you heard enough yet, Allfather?

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The Counsel of Brynhildr - Saga of the Volsungs

"Fight your enemies right away. Never wait for them to burn you inside your own home." "Never swear a false oath. Grim vengeance comes to oathbreakers." "Behave faultlessly with your kin"

The above is taken from part of The Counsel of Brynhildr - Saga of the Volsungs.

When Sigurðr Sigmundsson slays the dragon Fáfnir he rides to a fortress to find Brynhildr, a Valkyrie sleeping on the floor in chainmail. Sigurðr cut off the chainmail and woke her.

She had been stung with a sleep-horn by Óðinn in vengeance for Bynhildr killing Hjalmgunnar on the battlefield, as Óðinn had promised Hjalmgunnar victory.

After being awoken, Brynhildr gives counsel to Sigurðr. Sigurðr comes to realise that Brynhildr is very wise and wants to marry her. They seal their words with an oath.

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Ullr

Ullr/Ull is the God of hunting, winter and duelling. According to the sources, Ullr is the son of the Golden-Haired Goddess, Sif and stepson of the mighty Thor.

Unfortunately, there are little in the sources that survive regarding Ullr. I believe he was an important god, he is mentioned twice in Grímnismál by the hanged god himself, Óðinn.

"Whoever first puts out the fire
will have the help of Ullr,
and all the gods.
The realm will be open
to all the gods
when the kettles are cooled"
Stanza 42

- - - - - - - - -

"Ýdalir it is called,
where Ullr has
himself a dwelling made."
Stanza 5
- - - - - - - - -

From what I have researched Ullr's name comes from early Germanic paganism, Wulþuz meaning "glory". He is also known as God of the Shield, and the shield was referred to as his "ship", which may be a reference to using a shield or shield-shaped board as a sled.

Ullr can be called upon for good hunting to bless bow and arrows. He is also known to be called upon for safety whilst skiing. "Hail Ullr, Winter's Glory, Shining Light of the Yew Dales!

Hail the Great Lord of Ydalir, honourable Bow-God, whose aim is ever true
Thank You, Ullr, for giving us the courage to aim towards what we strive for, with true precision."

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Hávamál - Stanza 125 (The Counsel of Óðinn the One-Eyed)

I counsel you, Loddfafnir,
if you'll take my advice,
you'll profit if you learn it,
it'll do you good to remember it:
Don't speak even three words
with a man worse than you.
Often the better man will lose
when the worst man fights him.

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Hello all and welcome to my Blog

My name is Jon I have the facebook page of @mimirswellofwisdom and my first post is what is heathenry and what it means to me? Heathenry is a Pre Christian belief rooted back to Scandinavia, Anglo-Saxon England and Germany. Heathenry has main cultural branches: Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and Continental (mainly German) along with Asatru. Myself, I consider being just Heathen as I like to practice all sides of the branches.

Continental is the oldest branch of Heathenry. Wotan or Wuotan is the Old High German form (preceded Old Norse and Old English), WodanaR is proto-Norse and Wotanāz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic form which preceded all of them. Old Norse dropped the “w” sound altogether, which is how Proto-Norse Wodan or WodanaR (Wotan, Wotanaz) gradually became “Odin” in Viking-Age Scandinavia.

I believe and as Written by Cyrus Gorgani, that many think that prayer is un-Heathen, or somehow beneath the dignity of Heathens. Memes abound all over the internet with catch-phrases like “I bow to no one, I am a Heathen!” or “My Gods don't ask me to pray!” A lot of new Heathens are ex-Christians, with bad memories of their former faith. As such, they are averse to the idea that any of the terms used Christians – such as prayer, kneeling, worship, or even 'religion' – could ever have any place in Heathenry. However, there are a lot of sources to suggest that ancestors did worship, kneel and pray to the Gods.

I believe in prayer, honour and worship to the Gods, my ancestors and friends no longer here. Being Heathen means a more than just this to me though. It's a deep connection to me and it's definitely helped me with my situation and my path. It's about independence, the Gods with us but we're our own masters!

I am learning myself and my only goal is to share what I have learned or learning about. No pictures shared are my own unless specified.

Hail the Gods!

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