Yule

For other uses, seeYule (disambiguation).

This article is about the ancient pagan festival and its modern revivals. For the Christian festival, seeChristmas.

"Joulu" redirects here. For the album, seeJoulu(album).

Yule
Hauling a Yule log in 1832
Also called	Yuletide, Yulefest
Observed by	VariousNorthern Europeans,Germanic peoples,Heathens,Wiccans,Neopagans,LaVeyan Satanists
Type	Cultural,Germanic pagan,modern pagan
Significance	Winter festival
Date	See§ Date of observance
Frequency	Annual
Related to	Midwinter,Christmastide,Christmas

Yule(also calledJul,jólorjoulu) is a winter festival historically observed by theGermanic peoplesthat was incorporated intoChristmasduring theChristianisation of the Germanic peoples.In present times adherents of somenew religious movements(such asModern Germanic paganism) celebrate Yule independently of the Christian festival. Scholars have connected the original celebrations of Yule to theWild Hunt,the godOdin,and theheathen Anglo-SaxonMōdraniht( "Mothers' Night" ). The termYuleand cognates are still used in English and theScandinavian languagesas well as inFinnishandEstonianto describe Christmas and other festivals occurring during thewinter holiday season.Furthermore, some present-day Christmas customs and traditions such as theYule log,Yule goat,Yule boar,Yule singing,and others may have connections to older pagan Yule traditions.

Etymology

The modern English nounYuledescends fromOld Englishġēol,earliergeoh(h)ol,geh(h)ol,andgeóla,sometimes plural.The Old Englishġēolorġēoholandġēolaorġēoliindicate the 12-day festival of "Yule" (later: "Christmastide"), the latter indicating the month of" Yule ", wherebyǣrra ġēolareferred to the period before the Yule festival (December) andæftera ġēolareferred to the period after Yule (January). Both words are cognate withGothic𐌾𐌹𐌿𐌻𐌴𐌹𐍃(jiuleis); Old Norse,Icelandic,Faroeseand NorwegianNynorskjól,jol,ýlir;Danish,Swedish,andNorwegian Bokmåljul,and are thought to be derived fromProto-Germanic*jehwlą-.Whether the term existed exterior to theGermanic languagesremains uncertain, though numerous speculative attempts have been made to findIndo-Europeancognates outside the Germanic group, too.The compound nounYuletide('Yule-time') is first attested from around 1475.

The word is conjectured in an explicitly pre-Christian context primarily in Old Norse, where it is associated with Old Norse deities. Among many others (seeList of names of Odin), the god Odin bears the nameJólnir('the Yule one'). InÁgrip,composed in the 12th century,jólis interpreted as coming from one of Odin's names,Jólnir,closely related to Old Norsejólnar,a poetic name for the gods. In Old Norse poetry, the word is found as a term for 'feast', e.g.hugins jól(→ 'a raven's feast').

It has been thought thatOld Frenchjolif(→ Frenchjoli), which was borrowed into English in the 14th century as 'jolly', is itself borrowed from Old Norsejól(with the Old French suffix-if;compare Old Frenchaisif"easy", Modern Frenchfestif=fest"feast" +-if), according to theConcise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymologyand several other French dictionaries of etymology. But theOxford English Dictionarysees this explanation forjolifas unlikely.The French word is first attested in the Anglo-NormanEstoire des Engleis,or "History of the English People", written byGeoffrey Gaimarbetween 1136 and 1140.

Germanic paganism

Attestations

Months, heiti and kennings

Illustration of an ancient Nordic Yule festival (Die Gartenlaube,1880)

Yule is attested early in the history of the Germanic peoples; in aGothic languagecalendar of the 5–6th century CE it appears in the month namefruma jiuleis,and, in the 8th century, the English historianBedewrote that theAnglo-Saxoncalendar included the monthsgeolaorgiulicorresponding to either modern December or December and January.

While the Old Norse month nameýliris similarly attested, the Old Norse corpus also contains numerous references to an event by the Old Norse form of the name,jól.In chapter 55 of theProse EddabookSkáldskaparmál,different names for thegodsare given; one is "Yule-beings" (Old Norse:jólnar). A work by theskaldEyvindr skáldaspillirthat uses the term is then quoted: "again we have produced Yule-being's feast [mead of poetry], our rulers' eulogy, like a bridge of masonry".In addition, one of the numerousnames of OdinisJólnir,referring to the event.

Heitstrenging

BothHelgakviða HjörvarðssonarandHervarar saga ok Heiðreksprovide accounts of the custom ofheitstrenging.In these sources, the tradition takes place on Yule-evening and consists of people placing their hands on a pig referred to as asonargöltrbefore swearing solemn oaths. In the latter text, some manuscripts explicitly refer to the pig as holy, that it was devoted toFreyrand that after the oath-swearing it wassacrificed.

Saga of Hákon the Good

TheSaga ofHákonthe GoodcreditsKing Haakon I of Norwaywho ruled from 934 to 961 with theChristianizationofNorwayas well as rescheduling Yule to coincide with Christian celebrations held at the time. The saga says that when Haakon arrived in Norway he was a confirmed Christian, but since the land was still altogether heathen and the people retained their pagan practices, Haakon hid his Christianity to receive the help of the "great chieftains". In time, Haakon had a law passed establishing that Yule celebrations were to take place at the same time as the Christians celebrated Christmas, "and at that time everyone was to have ale for the celebration with a measure of grain, or else pay fines, and had to keep the holiday while the ale lasted".

Haakon planned that when he had solidly established himself and held power over the whole country, he would then "have the gospel preached". According to the saga, the result was that his popularity caused many to allow themselves to be baptized, and some people stopped making sacrifices. Haakon spent most of this time inTrondheim.When Haakon believed that he wielded enough power, he requested a bishop and other priests from England, and they came to Norway. On their arrival, "Haakon made it known that he would have the gospel preached in the whole country." The saga continues, describing the different reactions of various regionalthings.

A description of heathen Yule practices is provided (notes are Hollander's own):

Old Norsetext

Hollander translation

Þat var forn siðr, þá er blót skyldi vera, at allir bœndr skyldu þar koma sem hof var ok flytja þannug föng sín, þau er þeir skyldu hafa, meðan veizlan stóð. At veizlu þeirri skyldu allir menn öl eiga; þar var ok drepinn allskonar smali ok svá hross; en blóð þat alt, er þar kom af, þá var kallat hlaut, ok hlautbollar þat, er blóð þat stóð í, ok hlautteinar, þat var svá gert sem stöklar; með því skyldi rjóða stallana öllu saman, ok svá veggi hofsins utan ok innan, ok svá stökkva á mennina; en slátr skyldi sjóða til mannfagnaðar. Eldar skyldu vera á miðju gólfi í hofinu ok þar katlar yfir; ok skyldi full um eld bera. En sá er gerði veizluna ok höfðingi var, þá skyldi hann signa fullit ok allan blótmatinn.

It was ancient custom that when sacrifice was to be made, all farmers were to come to theheathen templeand bring along with them the food they needed while the feast lasted. At this feast all were to take part of the drinking of ale. Also all kinds of livestock were killed in connection with it,horsesalso; and all the blood from them was calledhlaut[sacrificial blood], andhlautbolli,the vessel holding the blood; andhlautteinar,the sacrificial twigs [aspergills]. These were fashioned like sprinklers, and with them were to be smeared all over with blood the pedestals of the idols and also the walls of the temple within and without; and likewise the men present were to be sprinkled with blood. But the meat of the animals was to be boiled and served as food at the banquet. Fires were to be lighted in the middle of the temple floor, and kettles hung over the fires. The sacrificial beaker was to be borne around the fire, and he who made the feast and was chieftain, was to bless the beaker as well as all the sacrificial meat.

The narrative continues that toasts were to be drunk. The first toast was to be drunk to Odin "for victory and power to the king", the second to the godsNjörðrandFreyr"for good harvests and for peace", and third, a beaker was to be drunk to the king himself. In addition, toasts were drunk to the memory of departed kinsfolk. These were calledminni.

Academic reception

Significance and connection to other events

ScholarRudolf Simeksays the pagan Yule feast "had a pronounced religious character" and that "it is uncertain whether the Germanic Yule feast still had a function in the cult of the dead and in the veneration of the ancestors, a function which the mid-winter sacrifice certainly held for the West EuropeanStoneandBronze Ages."The traditions of theYule log,Yule goat,Yule boar (Sonargöltr,still reflected in theChristmas ham),Yule singing,and others possibly have connections to pre-Christian Yule customs, which Simek says "indicates the significance of the feast in pre-Christian times."

Scholars have connected the month event and Yule period to theWild Hunt(a ghostly procession in the winter sky), the god Odin (who is attested in Germanic areas as leading the Wild Hunt and bears the nameJólnir), and increased supernatural activity, such as the Wild Hunt and the increased activities ofdraugar—undead beings who walk the earth.

Mōdraniht,an event focused on collective female beings attested by Bede as having occurred among theheathen Anglo-Saxonswhen Christians celebrated Christmas Eve, has been seen as further evidence of a fertility event during the Yule period.

Date of observance

The exact dating of the pre-Christian Yule celebrations is unclear and debated among scholars. Snorri in Hákonar saga góða describes how the three-day feast began on "Midwinter Night", however this is distinct from thewinter solstice,occurring approximately one month later. Andreas Nordberg proposes that Yule was celebrated on the full moon of the second Yule month in theEarly Germanic calendar(the month that started on the first new moon after the winter solstice), which could range from 5 January to 2 February in the Gregorian calendar. Nordberg positions the Midwinter Nights from 19 to 21 January in the Gregorian calendar, falling roughly in the middle of Nordberg's range of Yule dates. In addition to Snorri's account, Nordberg's dating is also consistent with the account of the great blót atLejrebyThietmar of Merseburg.

Contemporary traditions

Relationship with Christmas in Northern Europe

In modern Germanic language-speaking areas and some other Northern European countries,yuleand its cognates denote theChristmasholiday season. In addition toyuleandyuletidein English,examples includejulinSweden,Denmark,andNorway,jólin Iceland and the Faroe Islands,jouluin Finland,Joelfestin Friesland,Joelfeestin the Netherlands andjõuludin Estonia.

Modern paganism

Ascontemporary pagan religionsdiffer in both origin and practice, these representations of Yule can vary considerably despite the shared name. SomeHeathens,for example, celebrate in a way as close as possible to how they believeancient Germanic pagansobserved the tradition, while others observe the holiday with rituals "assembled from different sources".Heathen celebrations of Yule can also include sharing a meal and gift-giving.

In most forms ofWicca,this holiday is celebrated at thewinter solsticeas the rebirth of theGreat horned hunter god,who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun. The method of gathering for thissabbatvaries by practitioner. Some have private ceremonies at home,while others do so with theircovens:

Generally meeting in covens, which anoint their own priests and priestesses, Wiccans chant and cast or draw circles to invoke their deities, mainly during festivals like Samhain and Yule, which coincide with Halloween and Christmas, and when the moon is full.

LaVeyan Satanism

Some members of theChurch of Satanand otherLaVeyan Satanistgroups celebrate Yule at the same time as the Christian holiday in a secular manner.

See also

• Dísablót,an event attested from Old Norse sources as having occurred among the pagan Norse
• Julebord,the modern Scandinavian Christmas feast
• Koliada,a Slavic winter festival
• Lohri,a Punjabiwinter solsticefestival
• Saturnalia,an ancient Roman winter festival in honour of the deity Saturn
• Yaldā Night,an Iranian festival celebrated on the "longest and darkest night of the year".
• Nardoqan,the birth of the sun, is an ancient Turkic festival that celebrates the winter solstice.

References

Works cited

• Barnhart, Robert K.(1995).The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology.HarperCollins.ISBN0062700847.
• Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898).An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary.Oxford:Oxford University Press.
• Buescher, James (15 December 2007)."Wiccans, pagans ready to celebrate Yule".Lancaster Online. Archived fromthe originalon 29 December 2007.Retrieved21 December2007.
• Escobedo, Tricia (11 December 2015)."5 things you didn't know about Satanists".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on 7 March 2019.Retrieved6 March2019.So for the Yule holiday season we enjoy the richness of life and the company of people whom we cherish, as we will often be the only ones who know where the traditions really came from!
• Faulkes, Anthony, ed. (1995).Edda.Translated by Anthony Faulkes.Everyman.ISBN0-460-87616-3.
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• Hollander, Lee M., ed. (2007).Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway.Translated by Lee M. Hollander. Austin:University of Texas Press.ISBN978-0-292-73061-8.
• Hutton, Ronald (December 2008)."Modern Pagan Festivals: A Study in the Nature of Tradition".Folklore.119(3). Taylor & Francis: 251–273.doi:10.1080/00155870802352178.JSTOR40646468.S2CID145003549.
• Kannapell, Andrea (21 December 1997)."Celebrations; It's Solstice, Hanukkah, Kwannza: Let There Be Light!".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 31 July 2009.Retrieved21 December2007.
• Kovářová, Lenka (2011).The Swine in Old Nordic Religion and Worldview.S2CID154250096.
• La Ferla, Ruth (13 December 2000)."Like Magic, Witchcraft Charms Teenagers".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2007.Retrieved21 December2007.
• OED Online (December 2022). "yule, n.".Oxford English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Archivedfrom the original on 27 December 2022.Retrieved27 December2022.
• Orchard, Andy (1997).Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend.Cassell.ISBN0-304-34520-2.
• Orel, Vladimir (2003).A Handbook of Germanic Etymology.Leiden:Brill Publishers.p. 205.ISBN90-04-12875-1.
• Simek, Rudolf (2007).Dictionary of Northern Mythology.Translated by Angela Hall.D. S. Brewer.ISBN978-0-85991-513-7.
• Vigfússon, Guðbrandur(1874).An Icelandic-English Dictionary: Based on the Ms. Collections of the Late Richard Cleasby.Clarendon Press.OCLC1077900672.

External links

• Quotations related toYuleat Wikiquote
• Media related toYuleat Wikimedia Commons