Christmas As We Know It Today

In the last three weeks we discussed three specific pagan religions and their Yule traditions. Today, we're going to explain why these three and what they have done to create the Christmas of current times.

The first sect we showcased was the Old Germanic/Norse religions. This one has had the MOST pull in what shaped Christmas. From the tree, to the decor, to even the foods, they were beyond the true main source of the celebration. The giant Yule log that was once burned for 12 consecutive days has become a common french cake. The lore of gift giving evolved from the gnomes and great hunt with obvious sights into the reindeer who carry Santa, the horse Sleipnir who Odin rode on and the number 9 being a very religious number to even the Norse. (8 reindeer and 1 Santa). We also know that Odin bestowed gifts according to some accounts, but only to those who deserved it. (Nice and naughty list). The gnomes, Tomte, were originally the gift receivers and pranksters of poorly behaved children and adults (the new elf on the shelf), and later were described as gnomes who would go door to door giving gifts. The wreaths and garland... the list is nearly boundless.

In the post about the Holly King, I briefly described as being the image of Santa. Before Coca-cola turned Santa in the jolly man in a red suit, he actually looked almost exactly as the Holly King of lore. He was usually depicted as wearing a long thick robe in the colors of blue of green and always wore a crown of holly. They also made the gathering of holly a tradition though the ages. We can even go as far as to thank the early Celts for the very day the Christian's use for the birth of Jesus because the Oak King (the Sun King) was born on Yule.









Saturnalia has other very deep connections to the current holiday. They celebrated it joyously, while the other two saw it as a time to be solemn and look back at the year. The Romans instead partied and caroled happily as they feasted welcoming in the new year. The act of gift-giving is mostly associated with this sect and we can also thank them for our vast and varying amount of advent calenders.

So why are we talking about this? We should all understand and give thanks to these Pagan traditions that have been allowed to survive the ages and overrule of Christianity. What you may not know is how controversial all of this was the Christians in the beginning and how even their own churches and sect rebelled against the entire celebration because its not only mentioned in the Bible to NOT practice these very traditions, like a setting up and decorating a tree, but the birth of Jesus was NOT ever recorded. We can see and understand both their fallacy in attempting to warp these pagan holidays while condemning them in the same breath and understand that their desperation to overcome these "barbaric" peoples by bending to their celebrations and incorporating them to make the transition into the Abrahamic religions easier. However, it is through these common day practices that our ancestors and Gods have survived and have allowed such a powerful resurgence of the old ways.  We can still honor them, just as the Christians do today.







© 2016, Copyright The Dame and The Devil Business Blog - Writer The Dame
The images are not mine, and I do not own the rights to them. They have their own copyrights are only being used for imagery. They are still owned by their original owners credit will be given as they're claimed. 

Saturnalia - The Roman Winter Holiday

Saturn - The God

The Agricultural God of Seed and Sow was usually depicted with bound ankles, though during this celebration, the cloths were removed as a way to allow him to wonder around. On the first day, they would sacrifice a young pig in his temple as well. The idea was that he was actually a god of mischief and chaos, hence the changing of order, and to honor this specifically each household would choose a King of Misrule.

Celebrations-

Unlike other traditions, the Romans treated it more like a long party. It started about the 17th and lasted an entire seven days, ending on the day of the Solstice. They had both large public right as well as household celebrations. A very interested tradition was a week of freedom to their slaves where they would don a red hat  and colorful clothes and could act as insubordinate as they wanted to their owners and others. The slaves could even be treated to having a meal they prepared served to them by their owners. This particular event kept everyone in order, but allowed for a pleasurable time. This also applied to other levels of society, where it allowed every man and woman to be equal. Businesses and courts would close the entire week and  gave way to extravagant banquets, heavy drinking and gambling in public. They would deck the hall with their local greenery and even decorate tree with baubles. Some would go caroling house to house, though they were usually naked. It was warmer this time of year than other places, hopefully.

Fertility Rituals -

In Rome, some of the more common rituals were for the land owner and his wife to out and have sex in the middle of each field. It could be an all day affair if you had a lot of land, but it was almost guaranteed that your crops would grow. They would also offer tributes to the Goddess Flora for fertile lands and wombs.




© 2016, Copyright The Dame and The Devil Business Blog - Writer The Dame
I do not own the image and it may be subject to it's own copyright. 

The Holly King's Season - A Celtic History

A Celtic History

Before Coca-Cola created the Jolly Old Man in a Red Suit, there was a more pagan-esque picture of an elder man with a beard usually in green or blue garb with holly in his hair. This older Claus is the Holly King, the God of the Waning year. 

His given name is Arawn. He comes from Annwn, also called the Otherworld in Welsh Mythology. Arawn is a very prominent King in this world from leading men into battles over stolen dogs, deer, and birds, to a voyage by King Arthur into Annwn to rescue a prisoner and take a cauldron. However, for this particular post, we will concentrate on his roll in Yule and his battle with the Oak King, his twin.

Arawn, the Holly King, and Hafgan, the Oak King are forever engaged in this battle of darkness over light, but it is well understood that both are necessary. The darkness brings an end to life, but also brings us closer. We have it well documented that more babies are born in the winter months than summer, so it's quite possible they also saw this trend. At the time of Midsummer, the Holly King would wake from his great rest and start to gain strength, thus leading to the death of the Oak King at Samhain. A rather common and interesting theme seen in one particular faith. Much like Jesus, the "Sun" of God, the Sun God, The Oak King, also was born at Yule and then rose from his death at Ostra. 

We also see yet another reference to a Wild Hunt, but in the Celtic tradition it is more a force of good to chase away the evil than it is anything to do with ancestors or death. A very striking difference from the Germanic Tribes. It does, however, still involve wolves, but more wolf like hunting hounds being lead by the great Holly King in a crown of antlers. 

He is also referenced along side Cailleach, or the Queen of Winter, who also has a twin, or double aspect, none other than Brighde. Cailleach goes and frosts the earth and then turns to stone at Bealltainn (Beltane). Though lesser known, she is still a rather interesting character in this epic and has a rich history in the same story.  

© 2016, Copyright The Dame and The Devil Business Blog - Writer Shannon Hinojos

Yule/Jul - A True History

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A lot of people believe Yule to have come originally from the Celtics, but it actually started with the Old Germanic Tribes (who later become the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons). It's true spelling is Jul pronounced as "Yule". The celebration is dedicated to Odin and has a lot to do with the Wild Hunt lead by Odin which is said to bring war or a great death. This could just be seen as the Wild Hunt brings on the cold, shorter days when many would catch colds and such, but what it truly stands for is much debated.

This particular holiday is very long and can start anywhere from Mid-November and last up to Mid-January, though many texts that I have read personally, have it more around Mid-December and ending around the first week of January. You can read more of this reference in chapter 55 of the Prose Edda.

To celebrate everyone would carry out a sacrifice and bring all the food needed for the celebration to the temple. They would drink ale and sacrifice the animals associated with Jul (horses, cows, goats, and pigs) and collect their blood. They would use special twigs gathered together to sprinkle the blood at the pedestals of the Gods as well as the inside and outside walls. When people would enter the temple, they would also be sprinkled with the blood to receive the blessings and give thanks. They would then light a large fire in the middle of the temple and the chieftain and person preparing the feast would bless the meat from the sacrificed animals and the other foods before cooking. The first toast was always to Odin, followed then by Frejyer and Njoror, then lastly to the king himself. After this they would drink to their fallen loved ones.

“Glorious Maiden Who Knows the Age Cure of the Aesir”,

This holiday is also closely associated with the Sun (of course) and the Poetic Edda also talks about a Sun Goddess being reborn when the Gods are weakened, or dying. The other Gods are waiting for the Maiden to come forth and bring them new life as Sunna who rides a chariot across the sky and runs from the Wolf of darkness. The Winter Solstice is the time of the year where its thought she is finally caught by the wolf and devoured, then the springs buds her anew. Sunna is critical to the way they saw Earth created and the cycle of life itself. She is the first who made man and formed the heavens and other planets. Its possible that she actually is just dying at the end of the year as she gives birth to herself in the beginning of a new year; a common theme throughout many pagan religions. She is also quoted to be the actual seed of Yggdrasill, though her place and person was later replaced in the age of the Vikings. She can still be seen in much of their imagery and the other goddess of the new pantheon. Thor was also depicted as her protector who fought for her resurrection and can still be seen in the essence of the Yule Goat as well as then when they sacrificed the goats for feasting.

The Wild Hunt - Asgardr-Riders

The theme of souls roaming the Earth does not stop at Alfabot (or Samhain for those new Pagans) for the Old Germanic Tribes. It continues on through the passage of winter and is even considered more powerful because of the lack of sunlight. The Riders are souls of dead ancestors who ride killing and maiming those who cross those paths, unless they were met with offerings and well-wishes. These dead could then become helpful or bestow blessings. These souls appear to have become what we now know as gnomes, elves, and other various little people who wreck havoc and create mischief. 

  © 2016, Copyright The Dame and The Devil Business Blog - Writer Shannon Hinojos
I do not own the image and it may be subject to it's own copyright.