The Norse Winter Solstice Traditions

Sources below. Happy Winter solstice! God Vintersolverv!
The pagan Scandinavian and Germanic people of northern Europe celebrate a winter holiday called Yule (also called Jul, Julblot, jólablót). The Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by the Icelander Snorri Sturluson, describes a Yule feast hosted by the Norwegian king Haakon the Good (c. 920-961). According to Snorri, the Christian Haakon had moved Yule from "midwinter" and aligned it with the Christian Christmas celebration. Historically, this has made some scholars believe that Yule originally was a sun festival on the winter solstice. Modern scholars generally do not believe this, as midwinter in medieval Iceland was a date about four weeks after the solstice.
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The solstice may have been a special moment of the annual cycle for some cultures even during Neolithic times. Astronomical events were often used to guide activities, such as the mating of animals, the sowing of crops and the monitoring of winter reserves of food.
Many cultural mythologies and traditions are derived from this.The winter solstice was immensely important because the people were economically dependent on monitoring the progress of the seasons. Starvation was common during the first months of the winter, January to April (northern hemisphere) or July to October (southern hemisphere), also known as "the famine months". In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began. Most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter, so it was almost the only time of year when a plentiful supply of fresh meat was available.

[@-RONNIE]

As an Irish Pagan myself we call it Geimhreadh. I hope you, your family & friends are well also. Thank you for another year of great year of educational videos 🥃 Sláinte

[@Alcy-091]

Best overview of Norse winter solstice traditions I've come across in a video. I didn't personally realise Yule was originally after the Winter Solstice and was only made to coincide with it in Christian times. But it's clear pagans still celebrated the solstices nonetheless, and it was good to get an idea of what we know of those original celebrations. Great research and thanks for the clear presentation.

[@mongodude2144]

Happy winter ❄️ solstice mate

[@RyanKeithJ2]

my family celebrated today for the first time. We made safron buns, gløgg, hung the mistletoe, and ended with a large fire. We had a great time. Thanks for your work, as always.

[@ajrwilde14]

you realise it's today right? the shortest day is today, not yesterday

[@macmeinn727]

Scottish Gaelic: Gheamhraidh. My paternal lineage goes through Scottish nobility to a Norwegian Viking 1100's. Brother, grian-stad a’ gheamhraidh sona! Happy Solstice! Happy Yule to all! 🐐🌒🌕🌘

[@lauralarson3490]

Yes, @ 11:44 mins subject Solstice & Burial Sites still practice in Norway 🇳🇴 (and throughout Scandinavia 🇸🇪 today) is to placea fresh round decorated balsam wreath and a continuous lit candle 🕯 at Ancestor love ones Graves site. The intention from 13th Dec on through the solstice period, to keep candle 🕯 burning (return, replace the candle with another). The candle lit represents the Sun light or at this time, the lack of true sun light. When I lived with a family outside Oslo, it was the only time spent attending watch over family Graves (wreaths + lit candle 🕯). They were Atheist (had some norsk pegan ritual beliefs). We would take turns with the candle(s) lighting. Same thing while living in Sweden 🇸🇪, my husband's family Graves were few miles away in a forest graveyard. It was all sand there beneath the Pine Forests floor. Ritual we raked with wide wooden tooth rake, clearing the debris away from the grave. BY leaving a clean raked design surface. The fresh wreath was placed, candle 🕯 was lit. Same process replacing candle 🕯 and keeping it continuous lit. Both these Scandinavian families were not religious. Other than attending weddings or funerals, the closest they ever came near a church (church a mile down the road). One year it snowed hard for many days, so hooked up the horse to cutter sleigh instead of snowmobile, for taking elderly parents to their ancestor love ones Graves. This was in rural Swedish mountains. Same ritual tradition placing lit candle 🕯 (now adays, battery or electric candkes) in the windows at darkness of the day for the ancestors (in the month of December). Torch or candle flame left lit outside front entrance of home, as well.💖🍄💖💙❄💙

[@DavefromWork]

the sun just turned yesterday here in north norway. We might not celebrate it much these days, but you def. feel it.

[@joshuaharris5949]

Another highly informative AND easy to follow video based on the sources.OUTSTANDING! Keep up the great work!

[@SadieAnnCrowdis]

Thank you for speaking about the Saami traditions. I’m very interested in them as well as Norse animism.

[@vikingmountainranchlife7447]

Wow!!! That explains a whole lot that I have been wondering for so long!! You are awesome!! I was wondering why they were saying the 21st of December was midwinter when it wouldn't really be midwinter until January! In the northern hemisphere. 😊💚👍🌲 Happy Yule by the way!! Love your channel!

[@gf1829]

Great video as always! Hälsningar från Stockholm Sverige 😎

[@jameshitchens9045]

A blessed Yule to all people of all faiths.

[@voreshbo7031]

Tak for en fantastisk kanal kære norske broder 🙏 tak for de gode fakta i denne tid. Velsignet være du. Glædelig højtid og solhverv 🕯️

[@DPSCrush]

Day ??? Of asking Thor to make a Nordic bronze age video, merry Christmas uncle Dalr

[@gianninasalati778]

I completely love you channel, it’s been a hard journey for me to find a reliable and entertaining KZbin channel on Norse culture, that also keeps the roots of it and not just randomly try to connect it to Wicca or other modern religions. I’m very thankful to you for producing this amazing videos! I also have a question, I once bought a book about the runes, and on the introduction it said something about Norse paganism being related to black magic, which called my attention and I been trying to learn more about it but haven’t found much information . Is it real that they are connected? If it is so, maybe it’s even a cool video idea!

[@joshuacates4317]

Thank you for the mass amount of knowledge you share I grew up being told we were native American and European I finally got an ancestry DNA test done turns out were Scandinavian, Irish and Russian the majority being Scandinavian about 1% native American lol your videos have helped me a lot to better understand our heritage I look forward to seeing more of your video keep being the awesome guy that you are💪

[@susanschaffner4422]

Thank you for bringing meaning to this date. Animism to the world.

[@guyh.4553]

Great one Thor! I didn't know that the real Júl was actually in January. I find it interesting as to just how much the Norse/Germanic traditions matches up with the Celt traditions. But, if you follow the migration patterns of the early Celts, one would realize that the Norse came from the Celt Western migrations. And that the Norse came from the original Vandal tribes. Anyway, great video!

[@tatianatarakanova295]

Can you please make some video or post be better about all Scandinavian pagan holidays during the year, when to celebrate them and in what order, how many days (as it was before Christianity)? Thank you.

[@Kybones517]

Might have to move my Christmas tree to walk around it lol. It's currently close to the wall.

[@stansdad1]

Thanks for another awesome video. Happy Holidays everyone.

[@johnmclaughlin5660]

Excellent, many blessings , Laing may year Lum reake !;🔥🤘🍷🖤

[@Hadrada.]

Happy Solstice and thanks for your videos One more moon and it’s Yuletide then Thanks for bringing back the old ways

[@BartkowyBlog]

what about the tradition of a candle burned in a trollknut also called Odinstake. The candle is still lit in some regions of Norway on the night of the winter solstice.

[@willemhoek3226]

Your videos are always interesting and full of “aha” moments… Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@taliesinsmap7938]

Ullr (“shining glory”) is also the male Germanic god of the Sun, matching the Irish Bres and Welsh Gronw Pebr, Greek Helios, Vedic Surya. The archery and skiing or snowshoeing combination found in the myths of Ullr and Skadi was clearly seen by the ancient Germanics as emblematic of the activities of sun gods, since Skadi, the “shining bride of the gods,” is likewise a type of sun goddess (a sun princess of sorts (see: Etain, Ariadne, Sukanya)). The intense connection of Ullr to rings is another explicit solar symbolism, also seen in the myth of Bres (a ring from his father given to him at birth) and the incarnation of Surya, Karna (earrings from his father given to him at birth). The myth of Bres’ Sun God father Elatha conceiving his own reincarnation, Bres, is then obviously the myth connected to the winter solstice: The Elder Sun of the old year conceives his own reincarnation, the Sun God of the new year. As the dark of the cycle reaches its peak, the new sun god is fathered by the old. The Vedic parallel, Karna, is also sent down a river in a basket after his birth as the son and re-incarnation of the Sun God Surya. This has a notable similarity to the Danish legend of Scyld Scefing, who is also floated across the waters in a boat upon his birth. Thus the legend of Scyld could also have its roots in this same Sun God mythos. -------------------- Read more about the sun gods Ullr, Bres, and Surya here: taliesinsmap.blogspot.com/2020/05/ullr-and-bres.html?m=1

[@black4pienus]

I knew about the Northern tradition of red things hung in the tree and that they represent blood and life. Didn't know it was Sámi! Interesting. Couple years ago a stumbled on a Sámi artist on youtube called Mari Boine. I was hooked right away. I really dig 'neo folk'. Also love Heilung and an Altai ensemble that does some impressive throat singing (I know. Altai is in a different corner of the world). I don't understand the words from any of these artists, but you don't always have to with music.

[@dmitritelvanni4068]

She's not bad. Sophia janok is pretty cool too. Her voice got me through pushing snow in the worst winter in 50 years back in like 2014-2015. Pipes were freezing, my beard was crusted in ice, and the snow drifts were too big for the snow blowers.... But man did I love it. My first flirtation with amor fati. And all while listening to her, and of course to tyr when we were actually shoveling in the pre dawn hours. Can't wait to finally see them live this spring.

[@joyleafsidhe6185]

Oh, I just happen to live on a hill. So my bonfire is on the right place.

[@christopherbeavers8344]

Always enjoy the videos, hope you have many more winter solstice to be a part of. Keep your peoples actual traditions alive. We have all lost too much.

[@MrEnaric]

At the start of the 'Twelve Nights' ( I let the debate rest where and when they should start) I bid you all a 'tige goede 'Jûle-tiid' from Friesland! Here we also have midwinter celebrations going back to the dawn of times, put on an earlier date (feast of st Nicolas) by the church. On the Frisian Isles, 'Sundrum' (Skylge) and 'Sundeklaas' (Ameland) are still celebrated on the 6th of december. Just like the Wild Hunt (Wylde Hear) the adult men of the communities dress up as midwinter demons (ancestors), chasing everyone from the streets, demanding obedience (and alcohol). They all have messages they will tell with twisted voices (once via special cowhorns, I still have an antique one). The practice goes back to prehistory just like arouns the fringes of all Europe, though they are not mentioned before the 17 century. Bit the themes, unsuccesfull banishement by state and church (the festivities can be violenr at times, disrespectfull tourists sometimes end up at the first aid ward) show it's an ancient tradition of the people themselves. The ritual of following the path of the sun also survives here. During funerals, the coffin is carried around the churchyard (still 'hôf', 'temple-site' in Frisian) three times by family before it's laid in the grave. The old churches were built on the summit of the terp mounds and were like once temple sites or at least the site of the most prominent farmstead where sacred festivities were held. Like the Sun, the soul has to make the same journey to be reborn/find eternsl rest. Christianity never could root this practice out, though no one now nows why it's done anymore. It simply is 'the right thing to do'. Merry celebrations to you all and a fantastic new (sun-) year 2023!!!

[@heathenhammer2344]

Really isn't a debate. The solstice isn't the middle of winter. Three full moons after the Winter Nights in October is the Midwinter Jol. The solstices are not Germanic.

[@michellem7290]

Reminds me a little of Chinese Lunar New Year… (with the bonfires and all the red stuff at the threshold between winter and spring)😉

[@hypnotikkajjs]

Thanks for the video, your work is greatly appriciated!

[@miguelmulero2802]

Could you do a video on the Vanir?

[@sweaterdoll]

Thank you so much. I've been very drawn to your videos. I love to hear that the Sami would put amanita mushrooms in the trees. A few years ago, I started hanging felt amanitas I made and now have a collection of toadstool mushrooms made with wood and other materials and love to decorate my tree with them. Nice to hear it functions as an offering for the season. That makes me feel very glad.

[@upcycle.outdoorsman9629]

Thank you for producing this video, and I hope you enjoy your Winter Solstice!

[@jaynorris3722]

Very interesting and informative. Only thing is, holly berries are red, the mistletoe is white.

[@RevLetaLee]

Thank you.

[@danielmalinen6337]

I've been thinking about what possible midwinter traditions Finnics had before Christmas, because the current Finnish Christmas and New Year traditions come from the autumnal harvest festival, Kekri, which the church banned as problematic because the Finns were drunk on All Saints' Day (and the church accidentally moved this problem to Christmas Day), and this video helped me understand and taught me more about the traditions of the western neighbors, so many thanks for that.

[@danielmalinen6337]

Oh, but I almost forgot that the Finnish "old Christmas" was almost a two-month long celebration that started on the 30th of November and ended on the 25th of January, but the "efficiency" King Gustav III thought it was too long and he shortened Christmas to last from the 21st of December to the 13th of January so that the peasants would have more time to do works. But that's pretty much all I know about it when we strip away the traditions passed down from Kekri.

[@mikahirvilammi6262]

Ei kekriä ole kirkko poistanut missään vaiheessa. Sen merkity väheni kristinuskon myötä samoin kuin joulun merkitys muuttui. Ennen kristinuskoa joulu oli samanlailla pakanajuhla, kuin Skandinaviassakin ja muissa pakanauskonnoissa. Täällä lahjottiin tonttuja ja maahisia. Siitä tulee tontut jouluperinteessä.

[@danielmalinen6337]

@@mikahirvilammi6262 The Joulutonttu is a fairly young newcomer in the large family of the Finnish Tonttu tradition and it has only appeared in folklore for a couple of hundred years. You should read the Tonttu book by Heikki Aure. For example, in the oldest version, the Tonttu was the spirit of the person who built the house or the fireplace and this is now buried under the frontdoor. After that, the Tonttu found his way to the yard buildings such as the stable, the barn, granary and the sauna. The word Tonttu is also a loanword from Swedish, and it is synonymous with Finnish Haltia. For this reason, the name Haltia is more commonly used for the nature spirits that living outside the farm yard while the Tonttu was its domestic equivalent.

[@mikahirvilammi6262]

@@danielmalinen6337 Juu tiedän kyllä, eikä joulupukkikaan ole ollut alkupeistä tarustoa. Ja kyllä tonttu sana kuvaa haltijaa tai henkeä. Täällä myös muisteltiin vainajia ja esi-isiä, joulun aikaan tehtiin uhreja ym. siis vanhoja pakanauskon perinteitä. Samankaltaisuuksia löytyy skandinavisten pakanoiden kanssa, mutta eroja myös.

[@ajrwilde14]

@@danielmalinen6337 so in Britain traditionally 'Yuletide' was the lunar cycles either side of the longest night, so about 60 days, people apparently had their decorations up the whole time and then burnt them when it was all over

[@chrisd1]

Rune Rasmussen's book, The Nordic Animist Year and his Nordic Animism platform/channel have some good information

[@steveanderson3444]

I'm going to be in a -15⁰F windchill and heavy snow tonight. I'm not going to be getting any bonfires lit tonight, man. Lol. Takk for dette.

[@zacko1755]

The intro music 🥳🥳🔥🔥

[@CharlesWilliams-ih6ml]

Great video!🎉

[@shortscaryhorrorstories]

Hope you have a good one. I will try to have one

[@lady12roses]

I am new to this, although have followed the pagan trail for decades..nature is all to me. That said, I have recently had my DNA test results and find my ancient DNA trail shows from Norway/Denmark to Orkney/Scotland to Northern England. This is sooo interesting. Thank you for the videos 🌿

[@stonedape2406]

gonna go to my local downs (Isle of Wight) to the barrows, thinking of giving some offerings/lighting a fire. Hope you all have a good solstice.

[@rolfrobertson6404]

To be alive back with our ancestors. If time travel was possible, this would be the time period I would love to observe. Just observe. God jul

[@padraicjohnson5873]

Great video!! Thank you brother

[@ShieldenMomma793]

I wish I had someone to share with me about my Pagan beliefs. Where I live no one cares or practices in accurate date and time with inaccurate information. I've been tellimg people that Jul,Jol, or Yule is not winter solstice. I for the longest time did think the winter solstice was Yule because I had followed the Wiccan tradtions. I had stepped back over the past year to really look at paganism and trully feel which tradtion called to me more. It was either Celtic or Norse Paganism. I feel connected to both because I have both Celti and Norse dna but I altimately feel the closest to the Nordic traditions. Chrisitanity always made me feel shameful, box in, and just a hateful person. Paganism in my physical and mental liberation. I would really like to build my own temple where I am. There isn't one in my state that truly follows the tradtional values, and ethics I have in my own beliefs. Where I live its all lets be gays and orgies. Sure you can be gay ect but I just don't want to be around it let alone my kids. If I were to build a temple alot of plannimg would go into it and research. Idk if I will ever have a community like I see other pagans have and I crave it like craving water or food. I feel like I need it.

[@Bjornbloodeye]

Tusen takk venn! Veldig bra!

[@skylerpalmerton6985]

This year, the first full moon after the winter solstice is only five days later. The day after Christmas, actually.

[@gunnargarisson4052]

Yep, The Cold Moon. Great cap -off bonfire for the three day Jul celebration!

[@Krystoff04111]

Good info. Thanks.

[@davidotness6199]

Glad Jul from Alaska.

[@snakey319]

Hoping in the New Year you get out of that dorm room. 🤣

[@Corey-iw4ot]

Christmas is the winter solstice

[@susanswanson2253]

Very good information.

[@revagencesavage1883]

Hey how are you doing keep the good job up I was wondering can you make a video on top 10 Viking movies of all time

[@jasonreed9739]

He’s getting it right

[@andrewswanlund]

Thanks for another great video. May I ask for clarification? Is the original Old Norse Jul the first full Moon after the Solstice or the first full following the first new Moon? Thanks

[@ajrwilde14]

the latter

[@andrewswanlund]

@@ajrwilde14 Thank you

[@jamesvandemark2086]

Pliny the Elder.... he mounted a rescue operation at Pompeii. It didn't turn out well for him & his men. He tried.

[@fishwithmagic7796]

8:00 Wow! I was growing my beard and not cutting it from the start of winter till the solstice. Maybe I was channeling some ancestral memories.🤯 What is the Practice Called ?

[@cloudninetherapeutics7787]

In reference to those who lived the furthest north in Scandinavia who didn't see the sun for such a long time. Wouldn't that have influenced their culture and beliefs uniquely different even from those who may have lived south of them who saw the sun much more?

[@bjoerndahl1289]

God jul 😊

[@wodensreign9839]

Do I recall correctly that you once described a ritual in which the practitioner walks counter-clockwise around an altar or totem? Is this related to some of the planets moving counter-clockwise? Therefore implying planetary deities?

[@jasonreed9739]

And I got a question for you there’s a village in Norway is called Reed Keyes see if you can get the manuscripts there of the very family surname

[@Thekoryosmenstribepodcast]

Can you do a video about our ancestors and the spiritual importance of long hair? No one has done a video on this, and i want to teach ny kids about it.

[@YamiPoyo]

When do you think you can get smaller dainty feminine mjolnir pendants at the store?

[@jesseehlers7598]

Have you seen the shows ancient civilizations and an ancient apocalypse? I have only seen apocalypse. What's you thoughts? I wonder if these traditions originate as some kinda 4th of July celebration but instead of Independence it celebrates rebirth and the gift of life. Basing everything around the winter solstice being round the time of the great flood. The Bible says it lasted 40 day and 40 nights maybe just maybe it was round the time of the wolf moon I believe they call it. I maybe be way off base here since for some reason I was believing it originally lasted 2 weeks now I'm not sure where that came from but logically speaking they would of had some kinda celebration that would be something like the winter holidays as I said earlier for gift of life and rebirth that would be how I'd feel after serving a great catastrophe heck its what they sew happen in a sense before they're eyes but like I said it's just a Theory and I'm curious to know what others think

[@He_Grows]

I'm trying to find the video where you mentioned mistletoe and baldur, does anyone know the video I'm talking about?

[@phillipr.mctear8962]

👍

[@rickardt1222]

👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻☀

[@Sviareik]

Whats the song from in the beginning ?

[@Wieslawson]

7:08 How do you spell it? Kyngle?

[@runeguidanceofthenorse]

You not going home for Christmas?

[@StigTP]

Når de byttet til den Gregoriansk kalender ble vel alt flyttet på?

[@scientiautverum]

What did the ancient Pagan's take the Solstices to be (a singke day; a week; the longest day/night?) and how did they know when that day/period was, i.e. how did they physically observe it?

[@ajrwilde14]

for the Romans it was a week 17th-24th Dec, for the Northern Europeans it was the longest night

[@scientiautverum]

@@ajrwilde14 thanks for that. A week makes a lot of sense. Do you know how the Northern Europeans knew, or calculated, the longest night?

[@ajrwilde14]

@@scientiautverum they probably just counted, and found the midway-point between the equinoxes

[@iancampbell1494]

What about other Norse pagan KZbin channels that say the source material does teach the celebration of Yule?…

[@Einarr_Norge]

we have sources for celebration of YULE but not for the winter solstice.

[@kennethmoore625]

Though we may cut our hair and beard, I made an oath to not cut either until I have another child, and they reach a certain age. A promise to my ancestors I would produce more children and raise them proper in the old ways. Due to certain issues, I may be growing my hair for plenty of years to come.

[@SlaviSokol]

Yes, This not a christian holiday. Matter of fact the catholic church for many years resisted the chrismas tree. Here in Slovakia we have allmost the same traditions and the tree for chrismas schould be a JEDĽA ( literally meaning edible) JEDĽA- JEĽ(rus)- JUL/YULE Tree, fire, pastrie,red decoration.... this all have a logical meaning and goes millennia back in time.

[@Stella77_7]

The Birthday of Jesus 😂. Even most Christians know that Jesus was born most likely in Sep. As a deconstructing Christian we didn't partake in Christmas at all for many years for that reason. It's simply ignorant to take Pagan traditions to worship the Hebrew God who says Don't Do that. Now as a women with her husband seeking to reconnect to our Ancestoral Beliefs we partake in Winter Solstice & Christmas but we do NOT associate it with the Birthday of Christ at all. For us it's about partaking in celebration rooted in Nature & simply human traditions going way Back. We are gathering for our very first Winter solstice feast and celebration today and tonight.

[@arcanoflowz]

Or March, being that his “symbol” was a fish

[@olafharoldsonnii4713]

He was born in the spring

[@Shaz78x]

ur grgeous

[@michaelnewby3898]

Jeg har hatt denne debatten og argumentasjonen i flere uker nå. Jeg har fortsatt til og med norrøne hedninger her i Amerika, vil bare ikke lytte til fakta.

[@dannyboi162]

I'm trying to get my family to celebrate the solstice and not the plastic Santa and Jesus. Thanks for your video

[@jensjohansen2205]

Hejsa Prøv at tage et kig på en Dansker (a Dane;) der lever efter vikinge traditionerne. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXSZiHetYtmLfLs Love your channel and the way you follow the writen sources.

[@ThorAnderson]

Sad thing is that there is evidence to support that jesus was actually born in the spring. PS leaving out cookies for santa is pretty much the same thing as making a sacrifice to Odin.

[@sarahgilbert8036]

Except Jesus' birthday was in the spring. The xtian xmas is a huge lie from one end to the other. Men for oss andre: Gledelig Jul!

[@olafharoldsonnii4713]

He was born around the passover

[@sarahgilbert8036]

@@olafharoldsonnii4713 exactly.

[@raphlvlogs271]

Christianity become so successful and mainstream in Europe is because it fits in with Indo European culture and society very well despite being a Semitic invention in the first place

[@lawneymalbrough4309]

The pagan connection is one of the reasons I no longer celebrate christmass. That and it seems mainly about a fat man in a red suit these days.

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

I'm willing to bet the Winter Solstice was recorded by other cultures while norway was still under the glaciers. But heh if you think pagans discovered the sun...

[@jackwhite1742]

They didnt. There is no such thing as a "Norse faith" it has never existed. It varied widely from village to village, person to person. So, if you want to follow the true Norse faith, just make it up as you go, because that is what they did.

[@dicksaucer3231]

Didn't realize kringle was Scandinavian. My area of Wisconsin has a bunch of bakeries that make kringle this time of year, but I always thought it was Polish or something lol

[@cometomicke]

Do you know how the ancients in the north viewed their place here, geocentrical heliocentrical or perhaps other view alltogether?