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Modern Heathens have at their disposal centuries of customs
concerning Yule. Many of these date back to the time when it
was the ancient Heathens who celebrated the tide of the ancestors,
frith, and gift giving. Many of these can be used to enhance
the blots and
symbels done during this period, and therefore are presented
here with a brief description. By using the rites designed for
each of the Twelve Nights of Yule, as well as the traditions
here it is hoped you can have a fuller holiday experience.
Dreams
One ancient belief is that dreams during the Twelve Nights predict
the events in one's life for the coming year. An interesting
activity would be to keep a log of one's dreams for each of the
Twelve Nights.
Gift Giving
The tradition of gift giving goes back to Heathen times when
gifts were exchanged throughout the Yuletide and not only on
one day of the tide. Therefore it is fitting Heathens do this
as well. Gifts need not be expensive and often handmade gifts
are better than something purchased at a store. Ideal gifts are
those relating to our religion, books, ritual gear, art, tapes,
and of course drinking horns.
Holly, Ivy, and Yule Decor
At Yuletide the Elder Heathens decorated their homes with ivy,
holly, and boughs of evergreens. Ribbons were also used and the
entire home covered with garlands and wreathes. Modern Heathen
should do not less in an attempt to capture the Yuletide spirit.
Below are three of the more common house decorations.
Yule Tree: The tradition of the Yule tree comes
from Germany. Originally it is believed the trees were decorated
outside and gifts left for the land wights. This custom can still
be observed in other parts of Northern Europe. With Christianity,
the trees were brought inside to hide from the church. Modern
Heathen trees can be decorated with Heathen symbols as well as
the commercial lights, glitter, and ornaments. If one wants they
an decorate a tree outside instead as the Heathens of old did.
Yule Wreaths: Modern tradition uses a Yule wreath
at the Mothers' Night symbel as an oath ring. This wreath is
oathed upon as well as wished upon, and then burned at the Twelfth
Night blot. Therefore these wreathes are best made out of natural
substances such as cedar branches. Other wreathes can be used
as decorations around the house.
Lights: In the more northern countries, Lucy Day
which was a festival of lights is celebrated and seems an ancient
holiday in connection with Yule. Candles, torches, and other
forms of light were left burning to light up the night skies.
Today we can use electric lights for the same purpose.
Hoodening
A tradition well recorded in England, but probably beyond
the means of most Heathens to perform is Hoodening. The tradition
of dressing in animal skins and performing plays, dances, and
processions is a practice observed throughout all of the Germanic
area, but is recorded particularly well in parts of England and
Scandinavia. As early as the fifth century this practice was
condemned by the Church. Archbishop Theodore condemned those
"who on the kalends of January clothe themselves with the
skins of cattle and
carry heads of animals". While St. Augustine condemned the
"filthy practice of dressing up like a horse or stag in
the 5th century." Men in skins with animal heads are a common
theme in early Heathen art. Hoodening is a practice that was
observed in Kent and the Isle of Thanet on Christmas Eve... areas
that have remained Anglo-Saxon since the intital invasion of
the tribes. Hoodening consisted of carrying either the skull
of a real horse or a wooden one from house to house on a pole.
The jaws of the horse head were rigged to snap by a string being
pulled. The head was then carried by one of the Hoodening party,
who was covered in furs or hides. The rest of the party, also
dressed in furs, carried handbells ringing them while singing
songs. For this they are given gifts usually in the form of money.
It was considered bad luck not to give to the Hoodening party.
There were several reports in the 19th century of folks being
extremely frightened by this, tho those from the area seem to
have been amused. In the modern era, Hoodening has taken on many
aspects of the hobby horse plays and mumming. Below is one of
the songs from a modern Hoodening party:
Boy and horse are friends once more
Head and eyes no longer sore
Dobbin now is all submission
Having learned his hardest lesson
Half starved he is now, poor nag
Something please to fill his bag
Do not burst out the door
Give us something, good friends, for ...
If ye the Hooden horse do feed
Throughout the year ye shall not need.
Morris Dancing
Not quite as impractical as Hoodening is Morris dancing. Morris
dancing, particularly the variety consisting of sword play also
took place during the Yule tide. Morris dancing to quote Linetwigle
of the Ealdriht in her paper, Dance in
Northern Tradition consisted of "stamping, leaping and
hopping, rapping of swords or planting rods against the ground
(these denoting a connection to fertility of the land), and the
wearing of bells, plus a plethora of regional variations."
Morris dancing also consisted of blackening of the faces (as
did often mumming and hoodening) to either scare off evil spirits,
or to mock the Wild Hunt.
Mumming
Something more practical for Heathens than Morris Dancing or
Hoodening is mumming. Mummer plays take place in all of England,
usually in pubs, and like Hoodening seem to date back to the
Heathen Era. All of the plays consist of five to twelve cast
members and follow the same basic plot. 1) A hero returns from
a distant land. 2) The hero is challenged and killed. 3) A doctor
is called and revives the hero. 4) All hostilities are ceased.
Some see this as a ritual reenactment of the birth and death
of a sun god. This is highly unlikely, as Heathen lore seems
to have preserved no myths of this particular type. More likely
the plays were for entertainment value alone, and if anything
to celebrate the healing powers of the gods, particularly Woden
as a healer, and to educate that Yuletide is a time for frith
and wishs that come true. Day 8 of the Yule rites presented here
consists of a Mummer Play.
Sword Dancing
Another form of dance performed at Yule tide besides the Morris
Dances were the Sword Dances. These were at one time performed
with the long sword and seem to be quite ancient. Most of the
dances consist of a procession and the clashing and leaping of
swords as well as the formation of various patterns with the
swords. Often the dance ends with a mock death and revival by
a "doctor" as with the Mummer Plays.
Wassailing
The wassailing of Victorian times resembled carolling more than
it did its earlier counterpart, and is the form most are familiar
with. Ancient wassailing consisted of making the drink wassail,
originally mulled ale, curds, apples, and sometimes nuts. A group
of wassailers would then go out with bowls filled with wassail
from house to house and wassail the apple and cherry trees with
songs and loud noises to ensure a good crop from the orchards
the next year. A few wassailing songs survive, but these seem
to be of a later variety.
Yule Log
The Yule log has not survived into modern celebrations for the
most part, and for most modern Heathens would be difficult to
do without a fireplace or wood burning stove. You may therefore
wish to set up a symbolic Yule log. You can carve it with wishs
for the New Year, garland it, do what you wish. If you have a
place you can burn it outside during Yuletide, you may wish to
do so. Traditionally, the Yule log was brought in on Mothers'
Night, it was then set ablaze and hoped to burn all Twelve Nights
(remember this log was nearly an entire tree to be burned in
the long pits of a long house). Different areas had different
customs concerning the Yule log. Everywhere the log was garlanded
and decorated with ribbons prior to the procession to the longhouse.
The procession was, as most procession during the holidays, a
joyous one. Once burning no one could squint in the presence
of the log, nor were barefooted women allowed around it. In Yorkshire,
England, they practised what is called mumping or gooding. Children
would go begging and singing from house to house as the log was
brought in. In other areas, the children were allowed to wassail
the log the first night and drink to it.
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