Dísablót

According to most sources the Dísablót was held during Winter Nights. It was a sacrifice that honored the Dísir (female ancestral guardian spirits). (432) In Hervarar Saga we have a description of one Dísablót. In this account the daughter of King Alf; Alfhild, was conducting a sacrifice during the dísablót. While she was reddening the hörg with blood, she was kidnapped by Starkad Aludreng. (433) What we find from this account is that very likely, the Dísablót was to be conducted by a woman instead of a man. As most sacrifices and feasts probably were, it was held at night. (434) We also know that like all sacrifices, a feast followed where there was great drinking and celebration. (435) In the description of the Dísasalr (Hall or temple of the Dísir) (436) from Fridthjof's Saga, the hof was the tallest building there at Baldr's Grove. It was said to have fires along the floor with seats on either side, matching the descriptions common to the feasts halls of Northern Europe. (437)

One of the two most important feasts of the year was the Jólablót. It takes its name from Jólnir which is one of Othinn's name. A great majority of customs from modern day Christmas have their roots in the Northern rite of Jól which was a multi-day event. There is some debate as to when this blót was celebrated, some identifying it with January 12th and the Thorrablót, while other sources simply say Mid-winter would imply the winter solstice. Most scholars choose the winter solstice as on or near when the feast was conducted. (438)

This great blót was held over a number of days. Different numbers are given and we probably should allow for variations depending on what area it was celebrated. Some sources give three days (439) while other's give up to twelve (440) which would, of course, be the origin of the "Twelve Days of Christmas." In Olaf Hararldsson's Saga, Two brother's-in-law are described as spending Yule in drinking feasts half at one house and half at the other's house. (441) Although we don't know the exact number of days from this account it is obvious that Jólablót was considered to be a multi-day affair.

There were a number of reasons for different nights being used to honor different deities and/or spirits during Jólablót. According to the Gulathingslög 7, it was overall celebrated for a fertile and peaceful season. A number of sources mirror the Gualthingslög in its stated reason for the Jólablót, including (Ketil Hæng's Saga, c.5) (442)

The time of Jól was also a time of year when the borders between the Nine Worlds was at its thinnest, especially between Mithgarthr and the world of the dead. It was during Jól that Othinn's Wild Hunt was conducted, which was thought to be a procession of the dead lead by Othinn. These processions of the dead were thought to occur all during the twelve days of Jól. This connection with the dead is one that most certainly was carried down from the Stone and Bronze ages. This time of year the dead (draugar) were more active than in any other time of the year. (443)

As the phrase 'Yule-drinking' shows, it was deeply rooted in Northern rites. Snorri represents it as a communal feast, that is, one that the whole community gathered to partake in. (444)

Many of the modern traditions we have for Yule are very likely to have been traditions that are Northern in origin, such as the Yule Log, Yule Boar and Yule Singing. (445) As with most of the major feasts there was a sacrificial feast in which an animal was sacrificed and eaten at a great feast in which the people of the community gathered. (446)

One tradition that was strongly connected with Freyr was the Oath-Boar. This was done on Yule-Eve (the last night Yule) and is very likely the origin of the modern practice of New Year's Eve Resolutions. In later times it would take on a Christian veneer and was called the Atonement-Boar, but it was originally used to make solemn oaths for the coming year at a feast dedicated to Freyr. On Yule-eve a boar consecrated to Freyr was led out or the cooked boar itself. The people present would lay hands on the boar and make solemn oaths for the coming years. (447) This oath was called the heitstrengingar (solemn oath). (448) In later times in Sweden, it was customary to bake cakes and the shape of a boar on Yule-eve. This tradition of baking in the shape of a boar was very wide spread even in lands outside of Sweden, where Freyr was most venerated. (449) This tradition is very likely to have been the source for folklore concerning this time of year.

Later traditions are very likely connected with the tradition of the Yule-boar. In the customs of Wetterau and Thuringia there is mention of a clean gold hog. A folk belief concerning a golden boar that is ridden by the hero Derk (Derrick). He goes round on Christmas-eve night and all the people must get all their implements of husbandry within doors lest the boar trample them and make them unusable. (450) It is almost certain that this was a tradition connected with Freyr and that in later times Derk was put in the place of Freyr. The connection with fertility (implements of husbandry - Freyr as god of Fertility) and the golden boar (Freyr's boar Gullinborsti) make this almost certain in my opinion. There is a sacrificial play that was still performed in the latter part of the 19th century in some parts of Gothland. In it, young fellows blacken their faces. One of them plays the part of the sacrificial boar by wrapping himself in fur and sits in a chair while holding in his mouth a bunch of straw cut fine which reaches as far back as his ears. The straw is meant to represent the bristles of the boar. In England the boar eaten at Christmas is decked with laurel and rosemary. (451)

The Yule Log was a very widespread tradition as well. At Marseille this was a large oaken log that was set alight and on which was poured wine. The master of the house had the responsibility of lighting the log. The hewing of a Christmas block is mentioned in the Weisthümer and the English Yule-log and Scandinavian Julblok are well known in those lands. The Lettons call Christmas eve blukku wakkars (block evening), from the burning of the log. Grimm also makes mention of a Yule-tide fire which very likely could have been connected with the Yule-log. He also relates how the Servians light a newly cut log of oak at Christmas and pour wine over it. They bake a cake over this fire and hand it all around. (452)

Another tradition observed by the Anglo-Saxons was Modraniht (Mother Night). It was in honor of the mothers and was observed the night before Christmas. Food was left for them as well as the alfar on Christmas Eve. (453) This may have been connected with the veneration of the ancestors in general since this time of year was thought to be specially connected to the dead.

The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt or the Jól-ride was a procession of the dead led by Othinn that occurred all during Jól-tide. These ghostly riders rode through the storms that were common during the twelve nights of Jól. The boundaries between the living and the dead were at their thinnest during Jól. Dogs and horses were commonly among the procession of the Wild Hunt. Dogs have long been connected with death throughout Northern Europe and the horse has taken many a rider between the nine worlds. (454)

The Oath boar

The custom of the Yule-boar was performed on Yule-Eve. A boar that was consecrated to Freyr was led out and everyone one present would lay their hand on the boar and swear a holy oath. This oath was called the "heitstrengingar" (a solemn vow). This part of Yule was, of course, to honor Freyr and for peace and fruitfulness in the coming year. (455) The boar was called sónargöltr (sacrificial boar) and the sacrifice it was sacrificed at was called specifically, the sónarblót (special sacrifice of a boar). (456) Some sources say that after placing hands on the boar and swearing the solemn oath, that the Braggi-full was drink and this would make sense, since the Braggi-full was many times an occasion for the swearing of a solemn oath. (457) That vows were taken at the Yule-tide feasts is shown in more than one source, including, Helga Kvida Hjörvardssonar, c.14; Hörd's Saga, Hervarar Saga and Fornmanna Sögur. (458)

The practice of the offering of the Yule-boar was continued into modern times where it became the baking of loaves and cakes on Yule-eve in the shape of a boar. A popular belief in Thuringia said that, "..whoever on Christmas eve abstains from all food till suppertime, will get sight of a young golden pig, i.e. in olden times it was brought up last at the evening banquet. A Lauterbach ordinance (weisthum) of 1589 decreed (3, 369), that unto a court holden the day of the Three-kings, therefore in Yule time, the holders of farm-steads (hübner) should furnish a clean goldferch (gold-hog) gelded while yet under milk; it was led round the benches, and no doubt slaughtered afterwards." (459) In England the custom of the boar-vow lasted very late. Even in modern times during festive occasions a wild boar's head is seen among the other dishes as a show-dish. In the Middle Ages it was served up with laurel and rosemary and was carried about with all manner of pranks. In one ballad about Arthur's Table it was said that only a virtuous man could carve the first slice from it. And lastly, at Oxford they exhibit the boar's head on Christmas day and carry it around solemnly singing, "Captu apri defero, Reddens laudes Domino." (460)

As with many of the traditions of the people, the Christians decided it wiser to incorporate the Jól traditions into their Christmas instead of trying to stamp them out altogether. (461) There is little doubt that such Christmas traditions as the Yule-log, the Christmas Tree, the song "the Twelve Days of Christmas" and even ole Santa Claus have their roots in Northern traditions.