@@leotafaulkner4829 the w is not the problem. He pronounced the w really good. The big Problem is the ch and the rhythm(for example the u needs to be longer). (Hope my english is ok. I just woke up and my brain is not completly working yet😅)
Jacob! My name is Jacob, And I am a Norse Pagan! I want to thank you for you videos and your wisdom! You have been a great guide to open my eyes to the gods! I've felt them around me! I am very new to all of it! But I can tell you now that I can feel a difference in myself! Again thank you!!! Skal!!
I am grateful Odin has crossed my path with your videos. I am new to this faith but i feel the strong pull of the gods, thank you for teaching me so much in such a little time
I live in Tyrol/ Austria and we have a festival in february which is definitly based on heathen traditions. We have specials rituals to help the spring defeat the winter. Men are dressed in different very special costumes and they wear wooden masks and special hats. Every figure symbolices a season. They have special ways to move or dance and at the end the spring is standing on the winter, so it's defeated and the warm weather can come. It was restricted by church every now and then, but it's so deep rooted in ourselfs that it's still practiced! In fact we have information back to 1600 but it's definitly much, much older. And it's still practiced exactly like back then! We're extremly proud of this tradition. If you want to see it check out : fasnacht tirol muller "Muller" is what we call those figures but everyone has it's own name as well. I make those masks as I'm a sculptor. You can see some of it on my insta: hackl.bettina 🤗
Ok so last night I feel as though I had made a real connection with the gods and heard my calling to learn more about Norse Paganism and it’s history and you were the first channel I found and you have been so informal, thank you for the content brother!
Can't recommend Nordic Animist Year by Dr. Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen enough! Incredible research and he holds such a depth of knowledge on animism and speaks on it well. Because the reading never stops, does it?
I know sometimes its easier to adapt the names of what we have from Wicca beliefs and such. I think the main importance is just folk gathering together and connecting with the energies and gods around us. No matter what the day is. Thats what I love about Paganism. You do when you feel is best and not this straight line belief system. :) I tend to celebrate All Hallows Eve, Halloween, Samhain, it goes by many names. Its a time I feel more connected with those that have passed on. Its the strongest time for me personally compared to anytime of year.
Same! All halllow’s eve/sahaim/Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday, I always celebrate it. I do also celebrate some sabbats based off the wheel however not all though. I’ve been struggling between Wiccan and Norse which is why.
Well, the norse had a calendar with all significant days, a runestaff. So the holidays were thoroughly organized. In norwegian it's called a primstav, prim meaning new moon.
@@annastasiaisgreekforrebel2731 I'm Norse heathen and to mix true faith in the gods of my ancestors with modern day childish wica or any other made up garbage is a disgrace think what you want but you water down a belief system that is older than us all and is not an alternative living experience for sjw purple hair teenage girls or crazy old women I would be careful lest the gods take offence then again we are all free to make our own mistakes and our fate is fixed
@@tammywinn9050 you really assume far too much. You’re not the gatekeeper to Norse Paganism. You’re not part of my or anyone’s communications with the gods. I don’t answer to you, no one does. Also I’m 40 and have been a practitioner for a long time. I just have a really good skin care regimen and awesome genetics from my German and Scandinavian ancestors... sorry if you arn’t that lucky. Some of us are meant to look like Freya and some like Hell...
@@annastasiaisgreekforrebel2731 say what you want you know nothing its obvious this is a game to you not any different than most people on here have your fun and I never claimed to be a gate keeper of anything just using my eyes to see what is fake and what is not
🤣 Walpurgisnacht... it's difficult for everybody! This is why I love this channel as well, the info is great and Jacob is great for the entertainment value, just a likable guy all around.
As a German, your pronunciation of Walpurgisnacht was hilarious XD there is a great song about the night you can reference for pronunciation, by the band FAUN!
I think the biggest influence for one's selection of holidays should be an awareness of seasonal cycles where one lives, and secondly, whether one is a gardener, rancher, farmer, etc... Agricultural festivals make little sense for someone who's accustomed to purchasing out-of-season foods all year at a supermarket, rather than observing the process of their planting, growth, harvest and preservation. As you said, Jacob, the part of the world in which you live is going to have a big influence on how you celebrate. I've lived in a temperate rainforest for the majority of my life, which has a different feeling through the year, than would living in a Tropical island country. I've lived in areas where wind is the predominant weather in winter, and in others where rain is the predominant weather. I've also lived in places where snow fell, feet deep, in September, and stayed until May, and in places where the first snow falls in January, and is gone a couple of weeks later... They all feel very different, and impacted how I walked my pagan path.
As always, awesome video! In the process of watching all of your videos(yes, I'm still low key stalking your channel) and it's amazing how your subscribers are multiplying daily 😀 I know I am not alone in my excitement of the future "Hall" and will gladly travel to visit it. Blessed Be brother.
I think you're right on not worrying too much about the reconstructionist approach. I use to be hardcore reconstructionist but like you said, there's just so little to go by and I think also it takes away from the important aspects of the faith itself, being community based but also being fluid and adaptable. At the end of the day, we know the old ways were always open to change when introduced to new concepts and groups, it's not rigid like Christianity. So although we do have to go on modern interpretations of the holidays, it's the mere fact we're putting the effort in to celebrate along the rhythm of nature that really connects us to the ancestors. The same way you can follow in your fathers footsteps without actually being him, the same way he followed in your grandfather and so on. Every generation will and has changed things slightly. Even Christianity has changed in its two thousand years of practice. Great video mate, Skål
Thank you for sharing this information! I was struggling with exactly this! Turns out celebrating it in your own way or with your community is the way to go! Skal!
Hey, Love you Channel and the reference to the topics you present. I am a Native American from the NE kenyenkehaka/Mohawk. I still remember the oral history of when the Vikings were the 1st Europeans to touch the shores of the Western Hemisphere 4-500 before Columbus. 1 thing I think most people overlook. It would be nice to hear about the original meaning behind the words Heathen and Savage. Although, they were initially meant to be an insult. They were unknowingly a compliment and to say someone was sophisticated was really unknowingly an insult.
What a great set of information, I started my journey in late January beginning of February. And what a ride it has been. Still learning on what to offer the gods on daily basis and on holidays
Excellent video Jacob! Liked, and subscribed!! Being a Syncretic Eclectic Neopagan as I tend to term it meaning that I tend to blend any number of Neopagan religions, and traditions while not strictly adhering to any individually. Have been learning more about Germanic Paganism, Norse, Paganism, and Heathenry lately. I tend to follow the old faithful Wheel of the Year mostly, but am certainly fascinated to learn about other Pagan holidays, sabbats, and festivals.
This is the first year I have been actively practicing witchcraft and celebrating the holidays on the Wheel of the Year. With the pandemic going on celebrations have been just myself doing tiny rituals, making food, and taking long nature walks. For Yule I really want to have a fire, celebrate the Sun and bake some delicious sweets.
I have been a believer in the gods for a while but have never delved deep into the history or taken my beliefs any further. One day I started thinking about trying to contact the gods or do something more and that exact day , I stumbled across your channel. I watched many of your videos and finally decided I wanted to make an offering, I set up a little alter and made an offering to odin. At first I kept seeing and hearing things but I wasnt sure if that was me looking for a sign, odin in all his wisdom must have known this for I then experienced something I knew was his presence. I feel like a different person and I have never felt so eager to learn and do more. I just wanted to say thank you for guiding me on this journey to find myself, you deserve a great many more subscribers than you have. Perhaps you were chosen to guide me considering we have the same name, only the gods will ever know. Wishing you all the best
Thank you SO much for mentioning the HISTORICAL elements in this! It's not a bad thing that we're celebrating the holidays differently than our ancestors did, but it's important to know where our practices came from.
The thing I love about Norse Paganism is that it evolves just like it would of done centuries ago. Perhaps we are adding to traditions that were celebrated then.
I feel you calling me out with that Arizona comment lol. Im so glad that I found your channel yesterday and I’ve been binging your videos. Lots of good information and I’m glad that you’re bringing up the historical aspect. I know when I started 3 years ago much of the information I was finding seemed “fake” and then I took a deep dive into the Eddas and research in my own and fixed a lot of misconceptions I had!
I have researched many religions it's hard to find some that don't contradict themselves I'm studying Norse paganism another's for my research so far I'm loving it
Yule was celebrated from the first day of winter which is actually the beginning of the life cycle for everything we humans use to survive like plants and animals that we eat for 13 days but in later times the Christian religion adopted the time and transformed it into the 12 days of Christmas. The idea behind the entire Yule season is to gather with kinfolk and feast and drink. Many Heathens would also Blot on several nights of the Yule season to give thanks to the Gods for blessing their kindred and themselves with bounty and the industrious fortitude to make it happen.
Hello my friend!!! So happy I saw this video.. trying to find the best way to celebrate the upcoming holidays... And just thank you for your support and videos. You know me constantly on Heilung! Also I'd love to invite you to a group but that aside so happy we met online, love the sweater, so happy to see your cute cat! Hope your doing well man. Hope to chat sometime. Skal and stay frosty my brother.
Something I’ve learned from historians and others who practice is that it’s believed Pre-Christian pagans didn’t necessarily base holidays on singular days or dates because they experienced the rituals and holidays through the feeling and experience of doing it. So instead of the modern day where we live a holiday through it being on a certain day, they lived through the holiday as being closer to the Gods and other practitioners through the recreation of their experiences. Solid dates didn’t matter, more the time of the year and the significance of what they did!
Hello! Am still new to the Norse Pagan way of life, so I'm sure you've found this as well. While reading the other day I came across a story of Idun and her golden apples. It says that not much is mentioned of Idun, but that she is the Goddess of spring as well as eternal youth. Once a year she gives each of the Gods a golden apple from her basket to return their vitality and they celebrated, in usual heathen style, with drinking and feasting. Also would like to say, I am quite happy to have found your channel and I look forward to learning more from you and others. Skal, brother.
I live in arizona, so the seasonal "shifts" are very slight, the summer is is seen as the season of tempests (either monsoons or raging dry heat fires)when everyone stays indoors if they can help it, and fall is the primary planting season, so I celebrate autumn to halloween as a kind of ancestral/rebirthing season. Christmas is more community oriented than strict family centric and spring starts the season of prepping for the summer hibernation. But groundhog day is still a favorite of mine. The weather starts to get the perfect 75-80°, little wind and that feels like the start of a new cycle for me 🤗
My understanding is that the equinox celebrations based on the solar calendar have Celtic pagan roots. The equinoxes seemed to be more important than the solstices. But like you said, there is so much that we just don't know because so many traditions have been lost to history. My personal opinion is that since most people of European descent (especially Americans) are of mixed European blood that it seems appropriate to mix and match traditions for modern use. If I have a mixture of Celtic, Saxon, and Norse bloodlines, it seems okay to pull from all of those traditions in order to put a practical system together that works in the modern world. In fact there might be some good Greco/Roman pagan traditions to draw upon for modern use since so much of our modern world is heavily influenced by classical Greek and Roman culture.
Hey Jacob, just so you know my name is spelled Frelsi, not fresli 😅 just wanted to point that out when I saw it in the credits! Also loved the video, and I strongly agree with many of the points you made.
Winter solstice this year will have a special event. The planets are going to be so lined up they will look like one. Hasnt happened in like 800 years.
It's Wal-pur-gis-nacht ^^ The Walpurgis Night festival is based on historical foundations, because the way it is celebrated goes back to the customs of the rural population before they were Christianized. The dances, fire, parades etc. (often in disguise) should drive out winter and the evil spirits and celebrate the beginning of spring. With costumes, masks, dancing and roaring, they still drive away evil spirits with torches and the May fire. According to legend, the witches gather on the dance floor near Thale on Walpurgis Night in order to fly together on brooms, pitchforks, cats ... to the Brocken, where the actual witch festival takes place. Allegedly all witches dance in a big circle around the fire with their backs to each other and then kiss the devil's buttocks. Then they get married to the devil, whereupon he draws the witches with the so-called witch's mark and gives them the ability to do magic (this was also used by Goethe in "Faust"). When Christianity arrived, May 1st became the day of St. Walburga.
I still celebrate xmas with family, so it's less of a religious thing for me, Its honoring past and present family. I would like to start yule traditions, as well as something for spring equinox. Couldn't help but watch the cat the whole time 🤣 I have the same starwars sweater! I won an ugly sweater contest with it once👍
"Christmas" is pagan. It was never Christian. Catholics(whoch arent christians , they are pagans) tried making it christian. But it never was and never will be.
I honestly do the Norse holidays then half of the sabbaths on the Wheel of the Year. It fits for me best personally since I do have this struggle between Wiccan and Norse, choosing between the two. I was gonna just go for it and whichever one I draw closest to I’ll go with. I’m more resistant for Wicca though because of how much it’s hated by everyone however it falls so much in line with my personal beliefs.
I think you would love The Ole Norse calendar by the artist called Sigrun. It puts the dates into what the old Icelandic people would have followed along with a lot of other important blots that differed from the different regions. It's more than just a calendar as it has history and explains bits and pieces about what we know.
I created an android app called Nature Clock that combines the wheel of the year with a wheel of the day. It helps connect you with the seasons, holidays, sunrise, sunset and moon phases. I think you guys would love it!
Jul was, and is, the most important in Norway - easter is popular as the country shuts down for a good 10 days to go skiing. I keep old family traditions which include .. food, and booze. More food, and more booze. Green tree inside w decorations, gifts .. how old were those? Likely very, as the Old Norse were always exchanging gifts. VERY important is to make SURE to feed the husnisse/ fjøsnisse ... local little gnomes who help with the work around the house/ farm as long as you honour them. If not .. your risk! Bad things tend to happen.
I know he's mentioned he's hesitant to make that kind of video because he doesn't want to inadvertently encourage people to take a bunch of oaths they then break. Hopefully one day we get more info. Maybe someone else has made such a video.
The harvest blot is known as Haustblót, and the practice of lighting hearth fires from a communal fire in which the bones of the feast sacrifice were thrown is the origin of the term 'bonfire'
Walpurgisnacht was originally just the celebration of spring/summer known as May Day, but it was combined with the feast of Walpurga in the late 9th century. The celebrations were combined because the people of Germany wanted to celebrate May Day, so they integrated the feast celebrations. The holiday became a Christian holiday in Europe shortly after this integration. It had pretty much become a second Halloween by the 13th century. Today it's not really a religious holiday, but more of a celebration of witches and an excuse to get drunk around a bonfire.
You need to watch survive the jive on TH-cam. He has a lot of information on Indo European beliefs. Including mayday, that is still very popular in England and most of Europe.
Beltane is in fact older than the Walpurgisnacht. It did not originate in Christianity. It was a celtic fire festival, which the catholic church adapted. Much later it was adapted again into a Germanic pagan holiday, but it was originally a pagan holiday and therefore is historic.
im so much in love with nnorse paganism i love the pagan gods and the worldview of paganism. i can say i agree to nearly everything in paganism but the thing is im so very sceptic about everything i dont know if these gods exist or not. the thing is i readed about alot of religions but no matter what i allways end in paganism its like my soul is saying to me something but i cant understand it :D i was over 24 years a muslim and after i leaved islam i understanded how blind my faith was and i did not want something lıke this ever again. so if anyone can explain me why odin etc in your opinion is real?
They all feel real. Most people who believe in them feel the gods energies and presence all around them all the time. They have felt the gods presence and influence all the time and some have had many interactions with the gods Sadly while i believe in them i haven't really felt their presences much. I felt Thor's presence once but i haven't really gotten that good at sensing their energies
I've noticed that no one has made the connection between the May pole and May day. That is the usual day that I have seen this particular celebration. Interesting to find that other's are celebrating it in June? Well, if it works for you, go for it✌
Your pronunciation of Walpurgisnacht wasn't bad,you just have to emphasize the "pu". Love your videos! Plus our Midsommar is called Maifest, translated it means a festival in May. On this day you typically get drunk and eat a lot. In regards to the day of the dead, in Austria we celebrate the dead on November second, the celebration now is Christian, however some sources state that it is based from paganism.
Greetings. I really don't think that in a pagan/ heathen pre-christian society that there where any sort of "fixed date's". Since majority of folks lived in communities, or earldom. Agricultural holidays and celebration are regional things and never be on the very same day across such a huge span of cultural and geographical regions. further south the spring is earlier then further north., and so on. celebration are "family / clan traditions" not a country wide thing. As modern heathens, i think we need some new holidays / celebrations alone the agricultural calendar. honouring the old mentioned holidays.
Im brand new to this faith so thank you Jacob for explaining these holidays so i can understand them and do more of my own research so i can celebrate them correctly
Tyler, I wouldn’t worry about celebrating “correctly.” My advice is to learn at your own pace, prioritize doing little things every day (yes to making offerings, no to making oaths just yet), and be willing to make and learn from your mistakes. Best of luck, skál!
Hey man I’ve recently really gotten into your channel it’s super enlightening for someone who’s new and trying to find the bearings. I’m wondering is there any material on fasting and feasting with norse pagans?
i am still getting into it all i have bought the prose and poetic edda (they where suggested) and some runes for beginners and “the viking spirit” it’s just of norse mythology and the religious set please don’t hate on me i really am trying to learn there’s a lot of reading i would plan of celebrating yule but i think i will wait till next years since by then i shall have much more knowledge
In norway on june 23, we celebrate jonsok/ sankthans, or saint johns day by creating bonefires. While the name is definitly Christian in orgin, i am sure that the celebration itself its pree Christian
A little off topic, but today we are seeing the first snow fall in south Tennessee. I want to give an offering to Ullr. Any ideas what he might like? I was thinking maybe brandy?
If Brandy feels appropriate i would go with it. A big thing with offerings is that they are from you to the gods, so if your intent is there, I don't see why it wouldn't be a bad offering. I hope this helps
@@jeremiahmyers284 I gave an offering of brandy on my outdoor alter I built over the weekend. A few minutes later there was one of those "feel it in your bones" gusts of wind and I briefly felt an "old man winter" like presence. It stopped snowing shortly after that. At first I thought he left because he didn't like my offering, but he may have been just stopping bye to introduce himself to the new heathen in town.😉
@@hopsicliesthebringerofbeer6211 sounds like it was a successful offering! When I offer to the gods I try to look for signs like you did that the offering was either they accepted or denied. But ive also found when you have the right intent they will accept it just because you are giving them the time and the respect.
Part of the problem is that the idea of fixed holidays is a much more modern concept than what pre-Christian pagan communities probably practiced. There was also undoubtedly a wide variety of practices by region or even by individual families/clans/communities. Also, I know that you are Norse pagan, but have you looked into Celtic/Irish pagan practices as well? My understanding is that things like jumping over bonfires and carving gourds actually came from Ireland, as did celebrations like Imbolc. The god Lugh, from which we get the term Lughnasadh, likewise had its origins in Celtic mythology and beliefs.
Hello I am a Swedish Norse pagan and I'd like to share some of my thoughts on some of the points you made in this video. I am not hating, simply offering my perspective from my own research and from what I know from being Swedish. First of all, it is always good to think of time as a cycle if you are a pagan. We follow the seasons and change with them, do not resist nature. When you talk about "Walpurgisnacht" you're using the german word for it, in Sweden we call it Valborg/Valborgsmässoafton. In Sweden this holiday is practiced by most (although sadly not in a pagan way anymore) and it is celebrated on the 30th of april. From what I know we honor Freyja on this day because may is her month and on the evening of the 30th of april we light a huge bonfire to welcome her. I am unsure of what the Christians are celebrating on this day since you claim it is a Christian holiday? What saint are you referring to? I would appreciate some more clarity on this :) I have to say some stuff about what yo said about the midsummer stuff as well. The maypole didn't come from Germany in the 1500s. The proof? It is depicted on several rock carvings in Scandinavia. One example is the carving in Gerum. Search for "Gerum - Runohällen" if you want to find a picture of it. It depicts a few human figures dancing around a maypole. The symbolic meaning of the maypole is depending on how it is structured, either supposed to symbolize manhood/ the male fertility God Freyr or Freyr's union with Gerdr, his wife. The two got married during summer and many scholars theorize that the pagan midsummer was celebrated to honor their wedding and to celebrate summer of course! Also another small thing just for fun, you can also jump over a type of wooden fence 7 times to revel who you are supposed to marry on this day. Or pick 7 different kinds of flowers and sleep with them under your pillow. (This is in reference to what you said at 7:15) Lastly, there is no connection between Alvablot and halloween. Halloween in a more modern concept and not Scandinavian at all. Alva blot is about honoring your ancestors and the dead, it is supposed to be a quiet and calm holiday. Halloween is nothing like it. We know this holiday existed because it is mentioned in the sagas (I think it was the sagas but I do not remember exactly and it is only mentioned in passing). Your videos are interesting Jacob but the more I watch them the more I start to realize how different European Norse pagans are to American Norse pagans. You guys have your own interpretations and you do not have the same cultural knowledge to fall back on as us Scandinavians do. I wish you luck in your continuing research, may the Gods guide you and your subscribers! Skål!
Also thanks for mentioning Haakon the good and the different calendars. Originally Jul was celebrated in the full moon in January, and he moved it to December and maintained the 'Jul' name to placate converted pagans who wanted to keep their traditions.
What are the main differences between Norse Paganism and other organized religions? Mostly Christianity? Maybe keep it to five differences? I'm really trying to decide if Norse Paganism is for me, but I do have a very strong belief in a prime consciousness/original spirit...etc., because I had a very profound experience with it. But, I have an extremely strong connection to nature, especially trees and the belief that nature has spirits. I do believe in the gods, but I also believe the Norse gods are the same as the Roman gods that are the same as the Greek gods that are the same as the Sumerian gods. Plus, I'm Danish, so I had been aware of the Norse culture my whole life and I never felt an attraction to any of the organized religions. Any help would be appreciated.
With holidays that aline with changing of season, charming of the plow for example, in Australia would be celebrated in August rather than febuary right?
Hello my name is Dylan and I have me found and awaken by Odin. I am a Norse Pagan I thank you so much Jacob for helping me realise who I truly am. Do you have any advice for a 17 year old new found Norse pagan? And any advice on how to celebrate these holidays since I live in Australia and my seasons are different ?
Hey Jacob. I'm not sure where in Ky your from, but I live in southwest Va about 15 miles from the Ky state line. I've had a hard time finding folk to have get togethers and celebrations with and I'd be super interested in meeting you and your group of folk for one of your gatherings.
@The Wisdom of Odin What if you are Asatru and you want your kids to choose their religion. Would you still celebrate Christmas. As in just giving gifts and having a feast, nothing really religious towards Christianity. Would this still be acceptable towards the Asatru faith?
Fun fact: Freya Aswynn, the founder of the Ashatru movement was a 2* gardnerian wicca. The 8 celebrations of the Wheel of the year are made by Gerard Gardner and Doreen Valiente. They mixed old pagan celebrations together. The Wheel of the year has nothing to do with old norse celebrations at all. The old norse pagans follod the rythm of the moon and they called all of their "holidays" blót, wich means sacrifice. So the central element of the holidays was the gift for mainly to the spirits of the land or for the ancestors. The norse pagan celebrations are moon-based, so Jól is in 2020 on 30. 12. or in January, but not on 21. Dezember for sure. It's a wicca or neowicca thinking. I think you are on the very start of norse paganism and get lost in the informations. May the norse pagan path not for you at all.
Cliff notes: No matter what you celebrate,, every holiday involves feasting, fire, and drinking. 😂🍻
Exactly! Skál!!
Skal!!
Pretty much, especially Norse.
What’s a holiday without those things anyway?
@@draconity right? Haha
Anybody else have to rewatch this due to the wholesomeness of the kitty?
Im german and the way you said Walpurgisnacht killed me😂 dont want to make fun of you. Learning takes time but you say it so funny
is the "W" pronounced like the "V" in velcro? If so, would the pronunciation of the word be välˈpo͝orɡisˌnäKHt?
@@leotafaulkner4829 the w is not the problem. He pronounced the w really good. The big Problem is the ch and the rhythm(for example the u needs to be longer).
(Hope my english is ok. I just woke up and my brain is not completly working yet😅)
Jacob! My name is Jacob, And I am a Norse Pagan! I want to thank you for you videos and your wisdom! You have been a great guide to open my eyes to the gods! I've felt them around me! I am very new to all of it! But I can tell you now that I can feel a difference in myself! Again thank you!!! Skal!!
My name is Jacob too! Skål
Hail to the All Father!
*distracted by kitty bath time* 😂😻
I came here to say the same thing. 😻😹
I am grateful Odin has crossed my path with your videos. I am new to this faith but i feel the strong pull of the gods, thank you for teaching me so much in such a little time
I live in Tyrol/ Austria and we have a festival in february which is definitly based on heathen traditions. We have specials rituals to help the spring defeat the winter. Men are dressed in different very special costumes and they wear wooden masks and special hats. Every figure symbolices a season. They have special ways to move or dance and at the end the spring is standing on the winter, so it's defeated and the warm weather can come. It was restricted by church every now and then, but it's so deep rooted in ourselfs that it's still practiced! In fact we have information back to 1600 but it's definitly much, much older. And it's still practiced exactly like back then! We're extremly proud of this tradition. If you want to see it check out : fasnacht tirol muller
"Muller" is what we call those figures but everyone has it's own name as well. I make those masks as I'm a sculptor. You can see some of it on my insta: hackl.bettina 🤗
Ok so last night I feel as though I had made a real connection with the gods and heard my calling to learn more about Norse Paganism and it’s history and you were the first channel I found and you have been so informal, thank you for the content brother!
Can't recommend Nordic Animist Year by Dr. Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen enough! Incredible research and he holds such a depth of knowledge on animism and speaks on it well. Because the reading never stops, does it?
I agree! I didn't get this year's ($) but was able to get the 2021 edition with the book!
And I love his videos too btw
I know sometimes its easier to adapt the names of what we have from Wicca beliefs and such. I think the main importance is just folk gathering together and connecting with the energies and gods around us. No matter what the day is. Thats what I love about Paganism. You do when you feel is best and not this straight line belief system. :)
I tend to celebrate All Hallows Eve, Halloween, Samhain, it goes by many names. Its a time I feel more connected with those that have passed on. Its the strongest time for me personally compared to anytime of year.
Same! All halllow’s eve/sahaim/Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday, I always celebrate it. I do also celebrate some sabbats based off the wheel however not all though. I’ve been struggling between Wiccan and Norse which is why.
Local clan/family traditions probably influenced how and when the ancestors honored their significant events more than any organized holiday calendar.
Well, the norse had a calendar with all significant days, a runestaff. So the holidays were thoroughly organized. In norwegian it's called a primstav, prim meaning new moon.
I’m a Norse Pagan but also a witch so I just go with the Sabats and add a Norse Pagan spin cause I used my religion in my craft.
Makes no sense
@@tammywinn9050 Cool, my practice doesn’t have to make sense to you. That’s the great thing about religion, witchcraft and belief, it’s personal.
@@annastasiaisgreekforrebel2731 I'm Norse heathen and to mix true faith in the gods of my ancestors with modern day childish wica or any other made up garbage is a disgrace think what you want but you water down a belief system that is older than us all and is not an alternative living experience for sjw purple hair teenage girls or crazy old women I would be careful lest the gods take offence then again we are all free to make our own mistakes and our fate is fixed
@@tammywinn9050 you really assume far too much. You’re not the gatekeeper to Norse Paganism. You’re not part of my or anyone’s communications with the gods. I don’t answer to you, no one does. Also I’m 40 and have been a practitioner for a long time. I just have a really good skin care regimen and awesome genetics from my German and Scandinavian ancestors... sorry if you arn’t that lucky. Some of us are meant to look like Freya and some like Hell...
@@annastasiaisgreekforrebel2731 say what you want you know nothing its obvious this is a game to you not any different than most people on here have your fun and I never claimed to be a gate keeper of anything just using my eyes to see what is fake and what is not
🤣 Walpurgisnacht... it's difficult for everybody! This is why I love this channel as well, the info is great and Jacob is great for the entertainment value, just a likable guy all around.
Well said!!! Such topics are a fine line, it's like walking on eggshells - But you walked the tightrope with wisdom and grace.
What is your profile pic? Looks cool
@@josephperkins3031 Thank you, it's a picture of Freyr that I found off of google!
@@Renegade_Melungeon awesome, happy Yule, and Skal 🍺
@@josephperkins3031 Thanks!!! You as well ✊
As a German, your pronunciation of Walpurgisnacht was hilarious XD there is a great song about the night you can reference for pronunciation, by the band FAUN!
You offer a very interesting view into modern hearten religious practices and thought. Thanks for that!
Reason why we don't know for sure is because most of them did not write... The fact that any information has been left behind by skalds is a gift.
I think the biggest influence for one's selection of holidays should be an awareness of seasonal cycles where one lives, and secondly, whether one is a gardener, rancher, farmer, etc... Agricultural festivals make little sense for someone who's accustomed to purchasing out-of-season foods all year at a supermarket, rather than observing the process of their planting, growth, harvest and preservation.
As you said, Jacob, the part of the world in which you live is going to have a big influence on how you celebrate. I've lived in a temperate rainforest for the majority of my life, which has a different feeling through the year, than would living in a Tropical island country. I've lived in areas where wind is the predominant weather in winter, and in others where rain is the predominant weather. I've also lived in places where snow fell, feet deep, in September, and stayed until May, and in places where the first snow falls in January, and is gone a couple of weeks later... They all feel very different, and impacted how I walked my pagan path.
As always, awesome video! In the process of watching all of your videos(yes, I'm still low key stalking your channel) and it's amazing how your subscribers are multiplying daily 😀 I know I am not alone in my excitement of the future "Hall" and will gladly travel to visit it. Blessed Be brother.
I think you're right on not worrying too much about the reconstructionist approach. I use to be hardcore reconstructionist but like you said, there's just so little to go by and I think also it takes away from the important aspects of the faith itself, being community based but also being fluid and adaptable. At the end of the day, we know the old ways were always open to change when introduced to new concepts and groups, it's not rigid like Christianity. So although we do have to go on modern interpretations of the holidays, it's the mere fact we're putting the effort in to celebrate along the rhythm of nature that really connects us to the ancestors. The same way you can follow in your fathers footsteps without actually being him, the same way he followed in your grandfather and so on. Every generation will and has changed things slightly. Even Christianity has changed in its two thousand years of practice.
Great video mate, Skål
Thank you for sharing this information! I was struggling with exactly this! Turns out celebrating it in your own way or with your community is the way to go! Skal!
Hey, Love you Channel and the reference to the topics you present. I am a Native American from the NE kenyenkehaka/Mohawk. I still remember the oral history of when the Vikings were the 1st Europeans to touch the shores of the Western Hemisphere 4-500 before Columbus. 1 thing I think most people overlook. It would be nice to hear about the original meaning behind the words Heathen and Savage. Although, they were initially meant to be an insult. They were unknowingly a compliment and to say someone was sophisticated was really unknowingly an insult.
What a great set of information, I started my journey in late January beginning of February. And what a ride it has been. Still learning on what to offer the gods on daily basis and on holidays
It has been very helpful thanks my pagan brother love the channel
Excellent video Jacob! Liked, and subscribed!! Being a Syncretic Eclectic Neopagan as I tend to term it meaning that I tend to blend any number of Neopagan religions, and traditions while not strictly adhering to any individually. Have been learning more about Germanic Paganism, Norse, Paganism, and Heathenry lately. I tend to follow the old faithful Wheel of the Year mostly, but am certainly fascinated to learn about other Pagan holidays, sabbats, and festivals.
An honest video with honest no answer answers.😂 I can't wait to continue my journey.
Waited all weekend for the new video
I love the sweater when your speaking about yule. I have a gray one that has Vader in a Santa hat saying "I find your lack of cheer disturbing"
This is the first year I have been actively practicing witchcraft and celebrating the holidays on the Wheel of the Year. With the pandemic going on celebrations have been just myself doing tiny rituals, making food, and taking long nature walks. For Yule I really want to have a fire, celebrate the Sun and bake some delicious sweets.
I have been a believer in the gods for a while but have never delved deep into the history or taken my beliefs any further. One day I started thinking about trying to contact the gods or do something more and that exact day , I stumbled across your channel. I watched many of your videos and finally decided I wanted to make an offering, I set up a little alter and made an offering to odin. At first I kept seeing and hearing things but I wasnt sure if that was me looking for a sign, odin in all his wisdom must have known this for I then experienced something I knew was his presence. I feel like a different person and I have never felt so eager to learn and do more.
I just wanted to say thank you for guiding me on this journey to find myself, you deserve a great many more subscribers than you have. Perhaps you were chosen to guide me considering we have the same name, only the gods will ever know.
Wishing you all the best
Absolutely fantastic informative video, thank you for all you do Jacob. It would be an honor to share a fire with you
Thanks for making these confusing differences of holidays more clear :)
Thank you SO much for mentioning the HISTORICAL elements in this! It's not a bad thing that we're celebrating the holidays differently than our ancestors did, but it's important to know where our practices came from.
Many of us still follow the Lunar cycle.
I have both of those books!, great great books!
The thing I love about Norse Paganism is that it evolves just like it would of done centuries ago. Perhaps we are adding to traditions that were celebrated then.
So many festive jumpers. Particularly enjoyed the last one.
I feel you calling me out with that Arizona comment lol.
Im so glad that I found your channel yesterday and I’ve been binging your videos. Lots of good information and I’m glad that you’re bringing up the historical aspect. I know when I started 3 years ago much of the information I was finding seemed “fake” and then I took a deep dive into the Eddas and research in my own and fixed a lot of misconceptions I had!
Thank you brother! Skal
I have researched many religions it's hard to find some that don't contradict themselves I'm studying Norse paganism another's for my research so far I'm loving it
Yule was celebrated from the first day of winter which is actually the beginning of the life cycle for everything we humans use to survive like plants and animals that we eat for 13 days but in later times the Christian religion adopted the time and transformed it into the 12 days of Christmas. The idea behind the entire Yule season is to gather with kinfolk and feast and drink. Many Heathens would also Blot on several nights of the Yule season to give thanks to the Gods for blessing their kindred and themselves with bounty and the industrious fortitude to make it happen.
Woah nice sweater change lol
Hello my friend!!! So happy I saw this video.. trying to find the best way to celebrate the upcoming holidays... And just thank you for your support and videos. You know me constantly on Heilung! Also I'd love to invite you to a group but that aside so happy we met online, love the sweater, so happy to see your cute cat! Hope your doing well man. Hope to chat sometime. Skal and stay frosty my brother.
Something I’ve learned from historians and others who practice is that it’s believed Pre-Christian pagans didn’t necessarily base holidays on singular days or dates because they experienced the rituals and holidays through the feeling and experience of doing it. So instead of the modern day where we live a holiday through it being on a certain day, they lived through the holiday as being closer to the Gods and other practitioners through the recreation of their experiences. Solid dates didn’t matter, more the time of the year and the significance of what they did!
Hello! Am still new to the Norse Pagan way of life, so I'm sure you've found this as well. While reading the other day I came across a story of Idun and her golden apples. It says that not much is mentioned of Idun, but that she is the Goddess of spring as well as eternal youth. Once a year she gives each of the Gods a golden apple from her basket to return their vitality and they celebrated, in usual heathen style, with drinking and feasting.
Also would like to say, I am quite happy to have found your channel and I look forward to learning more from you and others. Skal, brother.
lol love the bathing cat photobomb 😂
I live in arizona, so the seasonal "shifts" are very slight, the summer is is seen as the season of tempests (either monsoons or raging dry heat fires)when everyone stays indoors if they can help it, and fall is the primary planting season, so I celebrate autumn to halloween as a kind of ancestral/rebirthing season. Christmas is more community oriented than strict family centric and spring starts the season of prepping for the summer hibernation. But groundhog day is still a favorite of mine. The weather starts to get the perfect 75-80°, little wind and that feels like the start of a new cycle for me 🤗
My understanding is that the equinox celebrations based on the solar calendar have Celtic pagan roots. The equinoxes seemed to be more important than the solstices. But like you said, there is so much that we just don't know because so many traditions have been lost to history. My personal opinion is that since most people of European descent (especially Americans) are of mixed European blood that it seems appropriate to mix and match traditions for modern use. If I have a mixture of Celtic, Saxon, and Norse bloodlines, it seems okay to pull from all of those traditions in order to put a practical system together that works in the modern world. In fact there might be some good Greco/Roman pagan traditions to draw upon for modern use since so much of our modern world is heavily influenced by classical Greek and Roman culture.
Hey Jacob, just so you know my name is spelled Frelsi, not fresli 😅 just wanted to point that out when I saw it in the credits!
Also loved the video, and I strongly agree with many of the points you made.
Fixed it on the next video, I apologize!
@@TheWisdomOfOdin no problem!
I need that sweater, that is amazing!
i still remember when this guy had 1,000 subs, with 400views a video. Amazing how much he's grown
Winter solstice this year will have a special event. The planets are going to be so lined up they will look like one. Hasnt happened in like 800 years.
It's Wal-pur-gis-nacht ^^
The Walpurgis Night festival is based on historical foundations, because the way it is celebrated goes back to the customs of the rural population before they were Christianized. The dances, fire, parades etc. (often in disguise) should drive out winter and the evil spirits and celebrate the beginning of spring. With costumes, masks, dancing and roaring, they still drive away evil spirits with torches and the May fire. According to legend, the witches gather on the dance floor near Thale on Walpurgis Night in order to fly together on brooms, pitchforks, cats ... to the Brocken, where the actual witch festival takes place. Allegedly all witches dance in a big circle around the fire with their backs to each other and then kiss the devil's buttocks. Then they get married to the devil, whereupon he draws the witches with the so-called witch's mark and gives them the ability to do magic (this was also used by Goethe in "Faust"). When Christianity arrived, May 1st became the day of St. Walburga.
I really dig the Star Wars shirt! Ps. I appreciate his honesty on the subject though!
Hope you have a happy Yule!
we celebrate the equinox and the solstices and that’s about it.
I still celebrate xmas with family, so it's less of a religious thing for me, Its honoring past and present family. I would like to start yule traditions, as well as something for spring equinox.
Couldn't help but watch the cat the whole time 🤣
I have the same starwars sweater! I won an ugly sweater contest with it once👍
"Christmas" is pagan. It was never Christian. Catholics(whoch arent christians , they are pagans) tried making it christian. But it never was and never will be.
I honestly do the Norse holidays then half of the sabbaths on the Wheel of the Year. It fits for me best personally since I do have this struggle between Wiccan and Norse, choosing between the two. I was gonna just go for it and whichever one I draw closest to I’ll go with. I’m more resistant for Wicca though because of how much it’s hated by everyone however it falls so much in line with my personal beliefs.
I think you would love The Ole Norse calendar by the artist called Sigrun. It puts the dates into what the old Icelandic people would have followed along with a lot of other important blots that differed from the different regions. It's more than just a calendar as it has history and explains bits and pieces about what we know.
Happy Yule from Colorado! Skål 🍻
I created an android app called Nature Clock that combines the wheel of the year with a wheel of the day.
It helps connect you with the seasons, holidays, sunrise, sunset and moon phases. I think you guys would love it!
Jul was, and is, the most important in Norway - easter is popular as the country shuts down for a good 10 days to go skiing.
I keep old family traditions which include .. food, and booze. More food, and more booze. Green tree inside w decorations, gifts .. how old were those? Likely very, as the Old Norse were always exchanging gifts.
VERY important is to make SURE to feed the husnisse/ fjøsnisse ... local little gnomes who help with the work around the house/ farm as long as you honour them. If not .. your risk! Bad things tend to happen.
I actually first started my pagan path in Wicca
Jacob, i'd love to recommend The Way ofFire and Ice: The Living Tradition of Norse Paganism by Ryan Smith. Would love to hear your thoughts.
I just gave this book to my sister to read!
Hey Jacob, could you do a video explaining your oath ring's significance, the ceremony and any other knowledge you have on oath rings?
I know he's mentioned he's hesitant to make that kind of video because he doesn't want to inadvertently encourage people to take a bunch of oaths they then break. Hopefully one day we get more info. Maybe someone else has made such a video.
The harvest blot is known as Haustblót, and the practice of lighting hearth fires from a communal fire in which the bones of the feast sacrifice were thrown is the origin of the term 'bonfire'
Alfblót also is definitely an analog to Samhain and Dia De Los Muertos, where we honor our ancestors when the veil is thin between worlds.
Walpurgisnacht was originally just the celebration of spring/summer known as May Day, but it was combined with the feast of Walpurga in the late 9th century. The celebrations were combined because the people of Germany wanted to celebrate May Day, so they integrated the feast celebrations. The holiday became a Christian holiday in Europe shortly after this integration. It had pretty much become a second Halloween by the 13th century. Today it's not really a religious holiday, but more of a celebration of witches and an excuse to get drunk around a bonfire.
You need to watch survive the jive on TH-cam. He has a lot of information on Indo European beliefs. Including mayday, that is still very popular in England and most of Europe.
Beltane is in fact older than the Walpurgisnacht. It did not originate in Christianity. It was a celtic fire festival, which the catholic church adapted. Much later it was adapted again into a Germanic pagan holiday, but it was originally a pagan holiday and therefore is historic.
im so much in love with nnorse paganism i love the pagan gods and the worldview of paganism. i can say i agree to nearly everything in paganism but the thing is im so very sceptic about everything i dont know if these gods exist or not. the thing is i readed about alot of religions but no matter what i allways end in paganism its like my soul is saying to me something but i cant understand it :D
i was over 24 years a muslim and after i leaved islam i understanded how blind my faith was and i did not want something lıke this ever again. so if anyone can explain me why odin etc in your opinion is real?
They all feel real. Most people who believe in them feel the gods energies and presence all around them all the time. They have felt the gods presence and influence all the time and some have had many interactions with the gods
Sadly while i believe in them i haven't really felt their presences much. I felt Thor's presence once but i haven't really gotten that good at sensing their energies
Mine are 1 my favorite ! Halloween ! / Yule a.k.a. Christmas. 🇺🇸🦃🦅🗽
Holidays 24/7 365. Always drunk, always feasting, always in full party mode
I've noticed that no one has made the connection between the May pole and May day. That is the usual day that I have seen this particular celebration. Interesting to find that other's are celebrating it in June? Well, if it works for you, go for it✌
the kitty on the couch looks like my old kitty itty bitty...:D
Your pronunciation of Walpurgisnacht wasn't bad,you just have to emphasize the "pu". Love your videos! Plus our Midsommar is called Maifest, translated it means a festival in May. On this day you typically get drunk and eat a lot. In regards to the day of the dead, in Austria we celebrate the dead on November second, the celebration now is Christian, however some sources state that it is based from paganism.
I have heard you don't have to celebrate all the holidays, long as you celebrate Heathen Yule.
Greetings.
I really don't think that in a pagan/ heathen pre-christian society that there where any sort of "fixed date's". Since majority of folks lived in communities, or earldom. Agricultural holidays and celebration are regional things and never be on the very same day across such a huge span of cultural and geographical regions. further south the spring is earlier then further north., and so on. celebration are "family / clan traditions" not a country wide thing.
As modern heathens, i think we need some new holidays / celebrations alone the agricultural calendar. honouring the old mentioned holidays.
Im brand new to this faith so thank you Jacob for explaining these holidays so i can understand them and do more of my own research so i can celebrate them correctly
Tyler, I wouldn’t worry about celebrating “correctly.” My advice is to learn at your own pace, prioritize doing little things every day (yes to making offerings, no to making oaths just yet), and be willing to make and learn from your mistakes. Best of luck, skál!
Hey man I’ve recently really gotten into your channel it’s super enlightening for someone who’s new and trying to find the bearings. I’m wondering is there any material on fasting and feasting with norse pagans?
can you do a video on the holidays in the southern hemisphere
i am still getting into it all i have bought the prose and poetic edda (they where suggested) and some runes for beginners and “the viking spirit” it’s just of norse mythology and the religious set
please don’t hate on me i really am trying to learn there’s a lot of reading
i would plan of celebrating yule but i think i will wait till next years since by then i shall have much more knowledge
In norway on june 23, we celebrate jonsok/ sankthans, or saint johns day by creating bonefires. While the name is definitly Christian in orgin, i am sure that the celebration itself its pree Christian
Apparently the Christian holdiday easter was an interpretation of ostara to integrate pagans to Christianity, is there any merit to that?
A little off topic, but today we are seeing the first snow fall in south Tennessee. I want to give an offering to Ullr. Any ideas what he might like? I was thinking maybe brandy?
If Brandy feels appropriate i would go with it. A big thing with offerings is that they are from you to the gods, so if your intent is there, I don't see why it wouldn't be a bad offering. I hope this helps
@@jeremiahmyers284 I gave an offering of brandy on my outdoor alter I built over the weekend. A few minutes later there was one of those "feel it in your bones" gusts of wind and I briefly felt an "old man winter" like presence. It stopped snowing shortly after that. At first I thought he left because he didn't like my offering, but he may have been just stopping bye to introduce himself to the new heathen in town.😉
@@hopsicliesthebringerofbeer6211 sounds like it was a successful offering! When I offer to the gods I try to look for signs like you did that the offering was either they accepted or denied. But ive also found when you have the right intent they will accept it just because you are giving them the time and the respect.
Much better updated video. Last holiday video you almost got killed by two people in a park
I have learned a lot in a years time. Perhaps the two people were a sign I was not ready to discuss such a topic back then
Need that sweater
Hello, Jacob:) I was wondering where Sunwait comes from? I’ve been interested in adding that into my practice. Thank you for everything you do:)
Part of the problem is that the idea of fixed holidays is a much more modern concept than what pre-Christian pagan communities probably practiced. There was also undoubtedly a wide variety of practices by region or even by individual families/clans/communities.
Also, I know that you are Norse pagan, but have you looked into Celtic/Irish pagan practices as well? My understanding is that things like jumping over bonfires and carving gourds actually came from Ireland, as did celebrations like Imbolc. The god Lugh, from which we get the term Lughnasadh, likewise had its origins in Celtic mythology and beliefs.
Nice cat
Hello I am a Swedish Norse pagan and I'd like to share some of my thoughts on some of the points you made in this video. I am not hating, simply offering my perspective from my own research and from what I know from being Swedish.
First of all, it is always good to think of time as a cycle if you are a pagan. We follow the seasons and change with them, do not resist nature.
When you talk about "Walpurgisnacht" you're using the german word for it, in Sweden we call it Valborg/Valborgsmässoafton. In Sweden this holiday is practiced by most (although sadly not in a pagan way anymore) and it is celebrated on the 30th of april. From what I know we honor Freyja on this day because may is her month and on the evening of the 30th of april we light a huge bonfire to welcome her. I am unsure of what the Christians are celebrating on this day since you claim it is a Christian holiday? What saint are you referring to? I would appreciate some more clarity on this :)
I have to say some stuff about what yo said about the midsummer stuff as well. The maypole didn't come from Germany in the 1500s. The proof? It is depicted on several rock carvings in Scandinavia. One example is the carving in Gerum. Search for "Gerum - Runohällen" if you want to find a picture of it. It depicts a few human figures dancing around a maypole.
The symbolic meaning of the maypole is depending on how it is structured, either supposed to symbolize manhood/ the male fertility God Freyr or Freyr's union with Gerdr, his wife. The two got married during summer and many scholars theorize that the pagan midsummer was celebrated to honor their wedding and to celebrate summer of course!
Also another small thing just for fun, you can also jump over a type of wooden fence 7 times to revel who you are supposed to marry on this day. Or pick 7 different kinds of flowers and sleep with them under your pillow. (This is in reference to what you said at 7:15)
Lastly, there is no connection between Alvablot and halloween. Halloween in a more modern concept and not Scandinavian at all. Alva blot is about honoring your ancestors and the dead, it is supposed to be a quiet and calm holiday. Halloween is nothing like it. We know this holiday existed because it is mentioned in the sagas (I think it was the sagas but I do not remember exactly and it is only mentioned in passing).
Your videos are interesting Jacob but the more I watch them the more I start to realize how different European Norse pagans are to American Norse pagans. You guys have your own interpretations and you do not have the same cultural knowledge to fall back on as us Scandinavians do. I wish you luck in your continuing research, may the Gods guide you and your subscribers! Skål!
Also thanks for mentioning Haakon the good and the different calendars. Originally Jul was celebrated in the full moon in January, and he moved it to December and maintained the 'Jul' name to placate converted pagans who wanted to keep their traditions.
I’m ready to buy a piece of land and build a house in the pagan village! When is all that happening ? Did you acquire land ?
It's probably hard as different tribes celebrated everything a little different
What are the main differences between Norse Paganism and other organized religions? Mostly Christianity? Maybe keep it to five differences? I'm really trying to decide if Norse Paganism is for me, but I do have a very strong belief in a prime consciousness/original spirit...etc., because I had a very profound experience with it. But, I have an extremely strong connection to nature, especially trees and the belief that nature has spirits. I do believe in the gods, but I also believe the Norse gods are the same as the Roman gods that are the same as the Greek gods that are the same as the Sumerian gods. Plus, I'm Danish, so I had been aware of the Norse culture my whole life and I never felt an attraction to any of the organized religions. Any help would be appreciated.
With holidays that aline with changing of season, charming of the plow for example, in Australia would be celebrated in August rather than febuary right?
In the Southern Hemisphere, you celebrate the spring holidays during spring, whichever months those are for you, and summer during summer months, etc.
Hello my name is Dylan and I have me found and awaken by Odin.
I am a Norse Pagan
I thank you so much Jacob for helping me realise who I truly am.
Do you have any advice for a 17 year old new found Norse pagan? And any advice on how to celebrate these holidays since I live in Australia and my seasons are different ?
Hey Jacob. I'm not sure where in Ky your from, but I live in southwest Va about 15 miles from the Ky state line. I've had a hard time finding folk to have get togethers and celebrations with and I'd be super interested in meeting you and your group of folk for one of your gatherings.
Like for kitty
@The Wisdom of Odin What if you are Asatru and you want your kids to choose their religion. Would you still celebrate Christmas. As in just giving gifts and having a feast, nothing really religious towards Christianity. Would this still be acceptable towards the Asatru faith?
I think you can celebrate what you wish and let your children know that how they feel called may be different from you and that's okay.
Fun fact: Freya Aswynn, the founder of the Ashatru movement was a 2* gardnerian wicca. The 8 celebrations of the Wheel of the year are made by Gerard Gardner and Doreen Valiente. They mixed old pagan celebrations together. The Wheel of the year has nothing to do with old norse celebrations at all. The old norse pagans follod the rythm of the moon and they called all of their "holidays" blót, wich means sacrifice. So the central element of the holidays was the gift for mainly to the spirits of the land or for the ancestors. The norse pagan celebrations are moon-based, so Jól is in 2020 on 30. 12. or in January, but not on 21. Dezember for sure. It's a wicca or neowicca thinking. I think you are on the very start of norse paganism and get lost in the informations. May the norse pagan path not for you at all.
Odin has sent me a raven what do I do for him