Heathen Yule Traditions

Please note: This selection of articles is heavily influenced by my own UPG. Feel free to ignore, change or research to find a better fit for your own path. This is my way of celebrating Yule and so "it's my party and I'll blot if I want to..." applies.

1. Mother Night

On the evening of the winter solstice (or, for some, solstice-eve), Mother Night is celebrated. It is on this night that the Yule period formally begins with the observance of offerings of drink, fame and oaths to our female ancestors. Whether this be known, recently passed ancestors, or simply the unknown collective of our female ancestors throughout history.

Most of this evening is spent feasting and toasting as well as ruminating upon how our female ancestors have been instrumental in our own very existence, as well as blotting for continued protection, fortune and luck.

2. The Yule log

Originally, finding a good sized log to warm the hearth through the coldest nights of winter would have been a key goal for this time of year. Perhaps, a large log would have been prepared and gradually fed (pushed) into the fireplace as it burned to keep the home warm. These days, we have central heating, so such a quest and activity is no longer necessary. However, to symbolise the process and the hope for comfort and frith throughout the festive season, we use a simple log-themed tea light holder. Each time we light this over the festive period, we are reminded how much harder our ancestor's lives were and, hopefully, how much easier our descendents' will be.

3. The Yule Ham

The eating of ham at Yule is an old tradition which is still observed in parts of continental Europe. It is said to represent either Freyr's boar, Gullinbursti or Sæhrímnir, the pig killed and consumed each evening in Valhalla, only to be reborn again next day. It makes a nice change from boring, dry old turkey and is something myself and my family consume on Yule eve. As it was December 24th when I celebrated with my adopted family the year that I lived in Sweden, this has been the source of this tradition for me.

4. Honouring the wights

Don't forget, Yule is celebrated by all across the nine worlds. Spare a thought and perhaps an offering for your wights. Whether those in your home, or around the local area. This is a good time to renew oaths and acquaintances with wights, just as you do with your closer family and friends at this time of year. Just as many people leaving offerings for perhaps the most famous of all housewights, Father Christmas - so do other hidden folk appreciate some thanks and recognition.

5. Preparing food and drink

Baking and preserving foods is a very traditional activity for this time of year, and it can also help to make the feasting even more appetising. If you have the patience for it, perhaps you could even brew some ale or mead to be consumed during the festivities. Even if you don't feel up to brewing yourself, the drinking of mead is another traditional heathen activity (not just at Yule, but all year around).

Did I mention...?

Did I mention that Salgofnir's Call Monthly heathen moot will be child-friendly?

Not just a warrior cult? No, but...

The nation that will insist upon drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking by cowards.
~ William Francis ButlerWhen I first started upon my heathen path, I would respond aggressively to anyone who wrote off norse paganism as merely a warrior cult. Understandable, as there is so much more to the eddas, sagas and lays than that. It was these things in which I was more interested back then.

Now, however, having spent some time as a practicing heathen and having interacted with other heathens (mostly online, I will concede), I find my view changing in one very important respect.

The importance of the role of warrior, of battling one's enemies, of physical confrontation cannot and should not be ignored. The mythology is rife with references to battle and combat-related metaphors. The necessity of fighting to defend one's family or property was very real and pervasive back then.

This shaped our heathen forefathers, both physically and mentally. In a way that I feel many contemporary heathens don't appreciate. To call oneself a 'warrior' because you 'fight high insurance prices' in your daily work (or similar weak metaphor) betrays a complete lack of awareness of the huge effect that regular combat (or even intense training) can have upon a person's personality and values.

There is an argument for ignoring the warrior motif within heathen sources. After all, contemporary society doesn't require all of us to literally fight for our livelihoods. Some of us may become police or soldiers who will act on the front lines in a manner very similar to our viking ancestors, but most of us will spend our lives doing something much more pedestrian, likely in complete safety. Thankfully, very few of us will ever be required to fight at all, never mind literally fight for our lives.

However, the warrior mindset gained through training for and taking part in combat clearly informs a great portion of the beliefs and values expressed in the heathen sources, such as the eddas, sagas and heroic lays.

So, as part of my heathen path, I am taking time to investigate and, where possible, experience, what it is like to actually be a warrior. Even if that is simply some 'alive' training for my internal martial arts - my class, for example, also has a full contact sparring class on Tuesdays. Tentative exploration of this will inform my faith as well as any time spend poring over various texts.

Einherjar: Lone Fighters

I was reading somewhere else online (another heathen blog, perhaps) that the old norse name for the warriors in Valhalla, 'einherjar' literally means something along the lines of 'those who fight alone'.

The writer in question explained that viking warriors were trained in all aspects of combat and could be thought of as 'a one-man army'. Thus, they were well prepared for and perfectly able to fight alone, even outside of the shield wall, if necessary.

All of this I agreed with and admire, but it was at this point that the writer went on to use this to explain the importance, for them, of time alone.

I don't really feel that the importance of alone time (whoever enjoyable that might be) was the lesson to take from this. Rather, I think the more valuable attribute (especially in this modern age and in an overcrowded nation such as the UK) was the importance of self reliance.

Being able to operate, provide for oneself and even thrive - alone - is a very admirable trait. Especially in contemporary society, in which we are expect, and required, to rely on others for everything. Our food, our security, our entertainment, fixing our tools and even making decisions for the direction of our lives and the upbringing of our families - all are provided by third parties. This can leave us over-reliant and unable to fend for ourselves, if we are not careful.

So, perhaps, in a time where striving to be ferocious, ruthless warriors is frowned upon, being something of a Renaissance Man is the next best thing for the modern heathen?

Icelandic Heathen Hof - Icelandic pagans received hate mail?

As reported here: http://icelandmag.visir.is

Icelandic Pagan Association high priest moved by the outpouring international support


Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, the high priest of The Ásatrúarfélag, the Icelandic Pagan Association, tells Iceland Magazine he is pleasantly surprised with the flood of support the Association has received after our story on the hate-mail the association has received ran on Tuesday.

"The response we have received is overwhelmingly positive. I would say 99.5% positive. There are a few nutballs and crazies who have responded negatively. But the overwhelming majority has expressed their support."

The loudmouths drown out the voices of reason and tolerance
On Tuesday Iceland Magazine published a story about The Ásatrúarfélagið receiving hate mail from reactionary and socially conservative foreign pagans. Some of these foreign pagans have indicated they will show up at the temple of Ásatrúarfélagið to "re-dedicate" it to "correct" what they believe is excessive tolerance and respect for human rights by the Icelandic pagan congregation.

Hilmar Örn tells us that he has grown used to such messages:

"You always take most note of the loudmouths and yappers. But we know we have many friends around the world. But we usually hear less from them, they keep to themselves. So, it has been really pleasant to see the overwhelming support we have received since the article ran on Tuesday."


I despise the idea of bigots attempting to pervert heathenry to their own, twisted and bitter world view. Especially when that impacts on other, decent heathens.

Therefore, I ask if you can to pledge your support here:



A declaration of support, "Ásatrúarfélagið – we are at your side!"



After all, no heathen should allow such evil to exist without speaking out against it!