Odinic Rite Vinland Midwinter Festival
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Odinic Rite Vinland AND Donars Hearth OR Presents: Midwinter Festival The Danish Yule Heart (Julhjarta) is a beautiful symbol of Freya and Frigga. The loving caress of our Goddesses warm our hearts and souls through the cold dark season. • Cut a rectangle 2 1/2 inches by 9 inches from red and white construction paper. • Fold the rectangles in half. The folded sheets should be 2 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches. • From both the red and white rectangles, cut up from the fold, three 3 inch slits. • Opposite the fold, round off the top. • Weave according to the picture. (C over 3, B through 3, A over 3, etc…) • Cut a handle and glue or staple the handle. The Story of Baldur Gods were doing to Baldur. Frigg said that they were throw- Loki’s Refusal Baldur’s Dreams ing all different types of objects Baldur the good had at Baldur and not a single weap- The Aesir sent messen- some really bad dreams about on or tree could harm Baldur gers to every part of the world people hurting him and killing because she had asked for an to ask all trees, creatures, rocks him. When he told the Aesir Oath from all things. Loki (the and metals to cry for Baldur so about these dreams they went old woman) asked Frigg if ev- he could come back from Hel. to get protection for Baldur erything had given an Oath and Everything agreed to do this, from everything in the world. Frigg at this point told him of a (this is what we see when all Frigg asked for an Oath from little bush of mistletoe that she things unfreeze from in frost), fire and water, iron and all met- did not ask an Oath because and when the messengers were als. She asked for Oaths from she thought it was too little to returning they saw Loki who stones, earth, trees, animals, harm Baldur. Loki left and was disguised as a Giantess poisons, and serpents. They all went to find the little bush of sitting in a cave. Loki said his said that they would not harm mistletoe, and with it he created name was Thokk. They asked Baldur. a small dart out of its branches. her to weep for Baldur as all After this had been done, all of other things agreed to do and the Aesir used to think it was When Loki returned to she said: where all of the Gods were hav- funny to throw darts, rocks, Thokk will weep ing fun he saw Baldur’s blind arrows and blades at Baldur be- Dry tears brother Hod. Loki asked him cause he could not be harmed. At Baldur’s embarkation: why he wasn’t having fun with The old fellow’s son the other Gods and Hod said Was no use to me Baldur’s Death it was because he didn’t have a Alive or dead weapon and couldn’t see where Let Hel hold what she has. Remember how all Baldur was standing. Loki things promised not to hurt guided Hod towards the others Baldur? Well there was one and passed the dart of mistletoe Loki’s Punishment little Mistletoe bush that was to him and said that Baldur was not asked. Frigg thought it right in front of him. He said Loki had done many too little to ask. When Loki, join the other Gods at some fun bad things to the Gods and Laufey’s son, saw that every- and honor your brother as the they were very angry with him. one was having such a fun other gods were doing. He was going to be punished time throwing things at Baldur for what he did to Baldur. and that he was not being hurt Hod took the mistletoe When Loki heard of how an- he became very angry. He and threw it at Baldur. The gry the Gods were he ran away dressed up like an old woman dart went right into Baldur’s and hid in a mountain. In this and went to visit Frigg in her heart and killed him. This was mountain he built himself a hall, Fensalir. There, Loki the worst thing that had ever house that had four doors, one asked Frigg what all of the happened to the gods and men. in each direction so he could see each way. During the day jumped back over the net and Loki would change himself swam up the waterfall. The into a salmon and hid in the Gods saw where Loki had waterfall called Franang. Loki gone this time. The Gods would also make nets and went into two groups in the practiced how to escape from water, they dragged the net them because he thought that again while Thor stood back this would be the way that the and waded in midstream. Aesir would catch him. Odin Loki once again had to either had seen from his thrown, go into the massive ocean and Hlidskjalf, where Loki was be lost or try to jump back. hiding and Loki threw this net Loki tried to jump back but into the fire and once again this time Thor was there to turned into a salmon and catch him. He slipped in jumped into the river. his hands but Thor held on tight to his tail (that is why the When the Aesir finally salmon tapers at the tail). came, Kvasir, the wisest of them all, went into the house Loki was taken to a first. He looked at the fire and cave forever and was bound saw the net that Loki had built. over the edges of three stones. He knew that it was something Loki’s sons Vali and Narfi to catch fish and he told this were also captured and Vali to the other Gods. The Gods was turned into a wolf, and then made a net like the one then he ate his brother Narfi. that Loki had made and they Skadi took a poisonous snake went to the river to cast it into and fastened it up over Loki the waterfall. Thor held one and the venom dropped onto end of the rope and the other his face. His wife Sigyn sits Gods held the other side. The by him and holds a basin to Gods dragged the net along catch the poisonous drops. the bottom. When the basin is full she leaves to empty it, but while Loki was however hid- she is gone the drops fall ing between two rocks and onto Loki and he shudders in wasn’t caught. The Gods tried great pain (that is where earth- again and this time went very quakes come from). This is low so that nothing could es- where Loki will lay until Ragn- cape. Loki tried to get ahead arok. but the ocean was near, he Yule Yule, an ancient tradition, a half and dark half. Later the to be born on the Solstice to time when families gather to year progressed into thirds Frigga and Oðin. This birth exchange gifts, and enjoy the and finally fourths. The year of light also coincides with time they have together, a time was also viewed as a ring that the rebirth of the sun. Up when the days are short and in passed in cycles. (Grimm) There until Mother’s night, the sun some places our Folk reside is some confusion regarding was waning. From Yule till the sun never, or rarely, shows the actual date. Some believe Summer Finding the sun herself. What are the origins that Yule was in what is now waxes, during which Baldur of Yule, the traditions, spiritual January from either the 7th diminishes into Hel to only be foundations, continuations, and to the 19th, or the 13th to the reborn again on Yule in the finally, modern celebrations by 25th. Regardless of the ancient great cycle of the year. Here those who still hold true to the origins, Yule (or a very close lie many intriguing myths that ways of Our Ancestors? In the variation) has been, and still hold the spiritual truths of our following these questions will is, the most celebrated holiday Folk. be answered, so the reader can across European/Western understand this beautiful ex- Civilization. As related in myth, Oðin pression of the hospitality and goes wandering during the giving nature of Our Folk past Spiritual Foundations winter months. Beginning with and present. Winterfinding and possibly To understand the ending on Walpurgisnact, Origins of Yule spiritual foundations of this Oðin leaves Asgard to Ullr, the Folk Celebration, one must hunter, to wander Midgard. Although the ancient understand our Northern During this time Oðin visits the origins of Yule are lost in the Folk. Our Folk lived in a homes of His Folk. Leaving a annals of time, we, as a Folk, harsh environment that saw gift for the gifts left for Him by can determine from the lore anywhere from 15 to 20 hours the household. It is said that a several constants. Yule was of darkness during the winter there was a great war (referred at the end of the year and months. They had no outside to in the Edda as the First War heralded in the rebirth of the distractions being confined to between the Aesir and Vanir) Sun. Held on the Winter only their longhouses or close and Oðin was dethroned. Ullr solstice (around the modern surrounding land. This was is said to take the throne and Dec.