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The Religious Practices of the Pre-Christian and Viking Age North
When we examine accounts of May Day rites we'll see the strong
connection they have with accounts of earlier Vanir rites and how they are virtually
identical to the descriptions of Easter/Ostara rites we have examined so far.
The beginning of May was kept as a great festival from of old and it now regarded
as the trysting-time of witches who were once known as wise-women and who were
very much revered. (477) One account relates that when Whitsuntide (roughly, Summer Finding)
approached the 'maigreve' (probably equivalent to May-king) was elected and
the May-wagon was built from timber hewed from seven villages. All the 'loppings'
were then loaded on the wagon which was drawn by only four horses. A procession
from the town came to take the wagon and the burgonmaster and council received
May-wreaths from the commoners. They in turn handed it over to the maigreve.
The wagon would hold from 60 to 70 bundles of may (birch), which was delivered
to the maigreve, who then distributed it. The floors of the church were strewn
with clippings of boxwood and field-flowers. At this feast dishes of crabs were
served up to all present. (478) If we compare this rite to the rites of Nerthus
described in Tacitus and of later descriptions of the wagon processions of Freyr
we cannot help but see the similarities. That these later May Day rites were
almost certainly continuations of Vanir wagon-rites is almost certain. Both
have processions of wagons that are led from place to place and are accompanied
with great celebration and joy. In Swabia, at sunrise on May Day, the children go into the woods,
the boys carrying silk handkerchiefs on staves and the girls carrying boughs
with ribbons tied in them. The leader, who is called the May-king, has the right
to choose his queen. In Gelders on Mayday-eve they decorate the trees with hanging
tapers much like those the Christmas tree is decorated with and sing while dancing
around the tree with great joy. Grimm says that up to his time, May-bushes were
still brought in houses at Whitsuntide. (479) The choosing of a queen by the
May-king sounds very much like it could be the vestige of an old Vanir rite.
The boy who is May-king playing the part that would have been played by a Freysgothi
(priest of Freyr) or Freyr himself and the queen playing the part of his consort.
These rites would have, of course, been to bless the fertility of land and animal
for the coming season. Like descriptions we have of Easter customs, there are descriptions
of May-games or "Mayings" that were performed as late as the 16-17th
century. On May Day morning the boys and girls set out soon after midnight,
playing horns and other music to a neighboring wood and break boughs of trees
to make wreaths. Wearing these wreaths and posies they then head back home at
Sunrise and set these May-bushes at the doors and windows of their houses. They
also bring with them a tall birch tree which they had cut down and named the
May-pole. It was drawn by 20-40 oxen, each with a nosegay between his horns.
The tree was set up in the village and the people danced around it. The whole
festival was presided over by the Lord of the May who was elected by the people
and he had his Lady of the May. (480) The strong focus on fertility of these
rites in unavoidable as is the obvious connection between the May-lord and Freyr
and the May-queen/lady and Freyr's consort. Another very similar rite is described
as happening in Denmark. The 'jaunint' began on Walburgis Day (May 1st), and
was called (roughly) 'the Summer ride.' The young men would ride out front.
The May-grave wore two garlands, one on each shoulder. The rest of the young
men wore only one garland around their neck. They go a-singing into the town
and the young women form a circle around the May-grave and he picks one of them
to be his 'maiînde,' by dropping one of his two wreaths on her head. In
some places in Denmark the May-fire was called the 'gate-fire', the May-king
was called the 'gate-bear' and the May-queen was called the 'gate-lamb.' (481) We can also see that certain herbs and woods were used in this
celebration. The account just related specified that birch was distributed and
boxwood and field-flowers for the floors of the church. Could this have been
based on a Northern custom where the floors of a hof were spread with the same?
Grimm also mentions that in later times the May-feast devolved into a rite for
cattle in which each cow was bedecked with a garland of beech-leaves. There
is the custom of the May-drink which continued into modern times in the Lower
Rhine and Westphalia. The drink used for this was a wine and certain herbs.
It was said that on no account was woodroof (asperula) to be omitted from its
preparation. (482) In later Christian times it is quite possible that the May Day rites were depicted, by the Christians, as the 'Jaunt of the Witches.' This annual event is said to be on the eve of May Day. As we saw when examining Mountains as Sacred Places the many 'witch mountains' are thought to originally have been holy places of sacrifice to the Northmen and Northwomen. We shouldn't be surprised of this common tactic of the Christians, who at every turn attempted to demonize any Northern practice they could.
I think that, from the accounts we have, it can easily be seen how the May Day rites and the Ostara rites were most likely the same rites. People in one location might celebrate May Day. Another location might celebrate Ostara earlier in April or late March. Despite this they were both essentially the same rite, that is, a Vanir fertility rite. In the same way we could see that Summer Finding and Sigrblót were most likely the same rite in the same way that May Day and Ostara were. The Sigrblót/Summer Finding rite was conducted to bring success in battle and ventures. It was definitely Aesir in nature. Communities would have celebrated one or the other depending on class or the devotion of the community leader to one god or the other. They could have also celebrated both rites. Grimm quotes four different ways of welcoming Summer. In Sweden and Gothland, he describes a mock battle between Winter and Summer, with the latter winning and making a triumphal entry. The Second, in Schonen, Denmark, L. Saxony and England is the May Day rites which include processions and the May-wagon or riding. The third, on the Rhine, a mock battle between Winter and Summer but without the triumphal entry and the fourth, in Franconia, Thuringia, Meissen, Silesia and Bohemia, only the carrying-out of wintry Death with no battle and no introduction of Summer. The first two fall in May and the last two in March. In the first two the whole population takes part and the second two only the lower classes take part. However the second and fourth have no anti-thesis battling as the first and third do. (9. c.24) In any case though I will leave it to the reader to decide from the evidence presented as to whether or not my theory holds any water.
The second of the two great tides was Midsummer or Sun's Wending.
Like Jól it marked off one of the two seasons of the year. (483) It was
the counterpart of Jól and like it, we have quite a few customs that
have survived concerning it. As the name suggests this feast was held in the
middle of summer, most likely around the summer solstice. This was later called
St. John's Day by the Christians and was celebrated on June 24th. It was of
old associated with Baldr and in was called Phol-days (Baldr-days). The jumping
over of bonfires and rolling burning sun-cross wheels down hills were features
from this rite from days of old. (484) One of the most well attested customs connected with Midsummer
was the bonfire over which the youth would jump. Unlike the Ostara/May Day fires
which were on hills and mountains, the Midsummer fires were more often in fields
and in or near the towns and cities. They wore garlands of flowers and threw
herbs into the fire. In one account the garland was to be made of nine sorts
of flowers. The same account gives that all manner of herbs were thrown into
the fire and the problems and troubles of the person who threw the herbs would
go off in the fire and smoke. Some of the herbs thrown in were mugwort, monks-hood,
larkspur, mullein and walnut leaves. In another account it is said that wreaths
of mugwort and 'monks-hood.' Everyone was said to carry a blue plant called
larkspur and while looking into the fire they said, "So depart all mine
ill-fortune and be brunt up with this herb!" and then they threw the plant
into the fire. Some accounts tell of pranks being played on passers by with
hidden fireworks as well. Some sources describe the wreaths worn by the those
celebrating as being made of motherwort and vervain with violets being carried
in the hand. (485) Other customs included the baking and distributing of large
loaves or cakes and circular dances like those performed on May Day. The dances,
in some places evolved into plays and dramatic presentations. (486) At Nürnberg the young men went about begging for wood and
carted it to the Bleacher's pond by the Spital-gate and made a fire which they
jumped over. This was thought to give them good health for the whole year. They
also charged passers by for the privilege of jumping over the fire. This tradition
was continued when Mid-Summer was Christianized into St. John's Day. On St.
John's Day eve the bonfire was started and it was jumped over just as in the
Mid-Summer rite. Mead was also drank over it. Nicolaus Gryse (1593) mentions
a regular practice on St John's Day. In his account the fire was the need-fire
and they jumped over the fires and drove the cattle by it as well. They were
described as passing the night 'in great sins, shame and harms.' These fires
were kept burning up till midnight and sometimes up until dawn. (487) Another very good account comes from a German village on the
Moselle, near Sierk and Thionville. Every house delivers straw to the top of
the Stromberg and the men and boys assembled there when it gets close to evening.
Women and girls were stationed by the Burbach spring. They took a huge wheel
and wrapped it all over with straw, so much so, that none of the wood from the
wheel could be seen any longer. They then would put a strong pole through the
center that stuck out about a yard on each side and it is there that it was
grasped on each side by those that guide the wheel. Any straw that was left
over from the covering of the wheel is used to make torches. At a signal given
by the 'Maire of Sierk (who, according to ancient custom, earned a basket of
cherries for the service), the wheel was lighted and it would begin its roll
down the hill. A shout of joy was raised at this and everyone waved their torches.
Part of the men stayed on the hill while the other part followed the wheel down
the hill. If the wheel was still on fire when it reached the river it was considered
an omen of an abundant vintage from the nearby vineyards. While the wheel was
rushing past the women and girls they would erupt in cheers and they would be
answered by the men on the hill and the inhabitants of the neighboring villages
who were in attendance. In similar fashion the butchers of Treves are said to
send down a wheel on fire every year, and in France fires and burning wheels
are attested to as early as the 12th century. (488) Learn more about the Northern Way on Northvegr Forums or join the Northvegr Félag Mailing List. © 2004-2007 Northvegr. Most of the material on this site is in the public domain. However, many people have worked very hard to bring these texts to you so if you do use the work, we would appreciate it if you could give credit to both the Northvegr site and to the individuals who worked to bring you these texts. A small number of texts are copyrighted and cannot be used without the author's permission. Any text that is copyrighted will have a clear notation of such on the main index page for that text. Inquiries can be sent to info@northvegr.org. Northvegr™ and the Northvegr symbol are trademarks and service marks of the Northvegr Foundation. |
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