|
We still observe many pagan traditions inherited from the Norse, some of which were also common to the Celtic tribes across Europe. Here are some examples:
Halloween
This time marked the beginning of winter as well as the beginning of the New Year, according to the Norse calendar. It is also on this night that Wodan leads his horsemen away on the Wild Hunt which lasted throughout winter, peaking at Yule's night. The Celtic people called this night ‘Samhain’ eve. Like their Celtic counterpart, the Norse used to celebrate this night by lighting large bonfires to frighten spirits and demons, as on this night they were free to roam the world.
Christmas
Yule was a midwinter festival on December 21, celebrated by the Norse/ Teutonic and Celtic people as a day of merrymaking. Yule was the night when the long ‘Wild Hunt’ was at its peak. Wodan rode his eight-legged horse, named Sleipnir, leading a band of spectral horsemen and hounds in a hunt through the night sky. On the night of Yule, children usually placed socks filled with hay outside their doors to feed Sleipnir.
The Christians has adopted many of the pagan customs of Yule in Christmas, such as giving out gifts to children, the decoration of the fir trees. Saint Nicholas, (or Santa Claus), and his reindeers replaced Sleipnir of the Wild Hunt.
Easter
St Bede the Venerable wrote that the Christian Easter derived its name from the festival of Eostre, (Germanic goddess of the sun and fertility) which was originally held on the same day. The rabbit was the sacred animal to Eostre, the symbol of fertility. The egg also symbolised fertility and rebirth of spring. The whiteness of the egg and the rabbit also indicated purity. Ostara was a time when children would decorate the egg with vibrant colours and patterns. Eostre was the goddess of spring and her sacred animal was the rabbit, which symbolised fertility.
Weekdays
Only four of deities were common to Norse and other Germanic tribes: Tiw, Wodan, Thor and Frigg
Tiw or Tyr was the Norse equivalent of the Roman war god Mars. It is thought by scholars that he may have been the original father-god of the archaic Indo-Europeans and a forerunner to Woden and Thor. The ‘T’-rune embodies the "sky god" Tyr which governs law and justice, and proceedings at the ‘thing’ (the Norse assembly). He sacrificed his hand ("active abilities") to a wolf in order to save his fellows, thus tiwaz is the rune of self-sacrifice and of kings. The word tiwaz,(of Tues day) is a cognate to Sanskrit ‘dayus’ (Greek- Zeus)
It was Wodan (of the aforementioned ‘Wild hunt’) who broke Sigmund’s sword in two, before Sigmund lost his final battle. This sword allowed the wielder to win all his wars. Only Sigmund, had been able to draw the sword out of the mighty oak tree ‘Branstock’. The God of poetry ‘Bragi’ (Also ‘best, foremost’ in Norse) was a son of Wodan who had other mortal sons who ruled all over North Europe and they were believed to be the ancestors of the main Scandinavian peoples and Germanic tribes. Wodan gave us Wednesday.
Thor was also a son of Odin (and Frigg, the Earth Goddess).
He was depicted as a mighty, red-bearded, hungry, hot tempered (but slowwitted) dependable man with his feisty war-hammer ‘Mjollnir’ that he used to create thunderbolts. Sites associated with Thor’s hammer (often rocky outcrops on hills which attract lightning) were used to bless brides, newborns, and the dead. As he was god of thunderstorm he was similar to the Roman god, Jupiter or Jove. Thursday was named after him, matching Jove's day.
Frigg is a Norse god sometimes confused with Freyja, she corresponded to Venus, and her sacred day is Friday. She was said to be the wife of Odin, and mother to Thor.. She tried to prevent the death of her son by a bargain with Hel (God of the underworld). Her name was invoked by women to assist in giving birth to children
|
