Rob Roy MacGregor
December 11th, 2003, 10:45 PM
Yule, a European Tradition
Posted on: 2003-12-11 10:49:06
http://www.nationalvanguard.org/printer.php?id=1398
by April Gaede
The winter holidays are upon us, and in this time when we Americans are beaten over the head with foreign cultures and traditions, like Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, it is imparative that we remember what this time of year means to OUR people. Yule is the name of the winter holiday that our European ancestors celebrated long before Christianity came to their lands. Since our ancestors were so in touch with the natural world around them, and since they relied so much upon the changes in the seasons and the weather, it was important to keep track of the time of year. Yule is another name for the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day of the year, falling this year on December 22nd.
After this date, the days will grow longer until the Summer Solstice, June 21, traditionally called midsummer. The Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes (March 21 and September 21) are the days when there are exactly 12 hours of daylight and night, thus the term Equinox, or “equal.”
Our ancient ancestors celebrated this day of Yule as the birth of the sun god from the womb of the longest night of the year. Thus, since they celebrated it as the nativity of the sun god, it was easier for Christian priests to convince them to accept it as a celebration of the nativity of the “new god” Jesus. Many biblical scholars state that textual evidence does not indicate a winter birth for Jesus, but rather a warmer time of year. Indcidently, Jesus' birthday was officially undated until 273 AD.
The priests of the new religion adopted Yule as Christmas in order to make it easier for our ancestors to accept the birth of Christ as religious day. Another example of this is Easter, a time of birth and new life which was originally the Spring Equinox, a celebration of the dawn deity variously called Eos, Eostre, Aurora, or Ostara in various European languages -- from which we get the words East, Easter, and estrus, among others.
In addition to the theme of birth, we also have the theme of death, symbolized by the Yule log. The ancient Druids worshiped the Great Trees, symbolic of the Gods, and often sang or chanted to them and poured libations to them, as well as made other offerings. The custom of "wassailing" is a descendent of the Druids "wassailing" the trees. The word means to "wish good health to" and at one time was associated with many other holidays, not just this one. The Yule log is also "wassailed," being decorated with mistletoe, holly, ivy, red berries, and bright ribbons, and having libations poured over it, and also being sung to, especially while it is burning. The Yule log symbolized the sacrificed god, since the druids believed that only the sacrifice of a Great Tree was strong enough to bring back the Sun. In Rome, their Yule log was expected to burn during the entire 12 days of the Saturnalia, a mighty Tree indeed! Pieces of the Yule log were then kept to protect the home and family throughout the coming year, and also used to light the following year's log. These are the last cultural traces of the Perpetual Fire that was once kept in honor of many Gods and Goddesses.
Holly and Ivy were seen as the male and female principles (respectively), and were believed to bring good luck and fertility to men and women. Holly, berries, pine cones, and acorns were all used to signify the male aspect at this season, while the wreath symbolized the female aspect. As a complete circle, the wreath symbolized the circle of life, the wheel of the year, and the sacred cycles of the Goddess (female), and was usually decorated with the holly, berries, ribbons, etc. of the God (male), and so combined both aspects in one decoration.
Of course, mistletoe has come down as the plant most associated with the Yule season. Being a parasite, it only grows high in trees, where the seeds land after being borne on the wind. The Druids therefore believed the plant was put there by the Gods, probably via lightning bolt, or put there by the Sun. It was believed to have miraculous healing powers, be very strong good luck, and have many other magical and mystical attributes; and thus it was referred to as "the Golden Bough." In Scandinavian countries, enemies would often be reconciled underneath boughs containing mistletoe, and any contract thus made could never be broken. Thus comes our custom of kissing beneath the mistletoe.
Today, almost the only Christian sect to oppose celebrating Christmas is the Jehovah's Witnesses, who rightly recognize that the traditions carried out are totally Pagan in their origin. Especially so is the Christmas tree, with its garland, lights, and ornaments; it has its roots in the Druid worship of the Trees. The garland represents the circle of life, the never-ending cycle. The lights, as discussed above, add energy to the Sun, and are an encouragement for the Sun's return. Candy canes are a reminder of the renewal of all life as they are symbolic of the maypole, with their red and white colors, which stand for the blood and the milk of the woman, the ancient waters of life. Tinsel and icicles are fertility magic also, representing the rains which will come to fertilize the earth in the spring. Bells were used to purify the air, and to summon the friendly spirits for protection. The star at the top of the tree is OUR symbol, representing the four elements of air, earth, fire and water.
Even Santa is a European tradition. Many different European peoples have their own traditional character who visits at the time of Winter Solstice, bringing gifts and treats. He embodies characteristics of Saturn (Roman agricultural god), Cronos (Greek god also known as Father Time), the Holly King (Celtic god of the dying year), Father Ice/Grandfather Frost (Russian winter god), Thor (Norse sky god who rides the sky in a chariot drawn by goats), Odin/Wotan (Scandinavian/Teutonic All-Father who rides the sky on an eight-legged horse), Frey (Norse fertility god), and the Tomte (a Norse Land Spirit known for giving gifts to children at this time of year). Santa's reindeer can also be viewed as forms of Herne, the Celtic Horned God.
So during these times when Christmas and the winter holidays have been so commercialized by the media and corporations, hoping to get us to go into a shopping frenzy buying plastic garbage made in Third World sweatshops for our little Freyas and Ians, let us remember what this time of year really means to our people.
Let us take back this holiday. Singing and decorating a beautiful Yule tree with family members, cooking family recipes with your children, listening to classical music written in Europe long ago, and looking forward as a people to the adventure of the coming solar year are all ways that we can take this time back to what it really should mean for us all.
Below are some links to sites that have more information about the ancient traditions of Yule and how our ancestors celebrated this time of year. Some of these are from a New Age point of view but if you can overlook the 'liberal' overlay and sift through to the main points you can glean a lot of information. They explain how the Yule and winter holidays were celebrated in many different ways by our European ancestors. Some even have a few good cookie recipes!
http://www.nationalvanguard.org/printer.php?id=1398 (links found with story)
Posted on: 2003-12-11 10:49:06
http://www.nationalvanguard.org/printer.php?id=1398
by April Gaede
The winter holidays are upon us, and in this time when we Americans are beaten over the head with foreign cultures and traditions, like Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, it is imparative that we remember what this time of year means to OUR people. Yule is the name of the winter holiday that our European ancestors celebrated long before Christianity came to their lands. Since our ancestors were so in touch with the natural world around them, and since they relied so much upon the changes in the seasons and the weather, it was important to keep track of the time of year. Yule is another name for the Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day of the year, falling this year on December 22nd.
After this date, the days will grow longer until the Summer Solstice, June 21, traditionally called midsummer. The Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes (March 21 and September 21) are the days when there are exactly 12 hours of daylight and night, thus the term Equinox, or “equal.”
Our ancient ancestors celebrated this day of Yule as the birth of the sun god from the womb of the longest night of the year. Thus, since they celebrated it as the nativity of the sun god, it was easier for Christian priests to convince them to accept it as a celebration of the nativity of the “new god” Jesus. Many biblical scholars state that textual evidence does not indicate a winter birth for Jesus, but rather a warmer time of year. Indcidently, Jesus' birthday was officially undated until 273 AD.
The priests of the new religion adopted Yule as Christmas in order to make it easier for our ancestors to accept the birth of Christ as religious day. Another example of this is Easter, a time of birth and new life which was originally the Spring Equinox, a celebration of the dawn deity variously called Eos, Eostre, Aurora, or Ostara in various European languages -- from which we get the words East, Easter, and estrus, among others.
In addition to the theme of birth, we also have the theme of death, symbolized by the Yule log. The ancient Druids worshiped the Great Trees, symbolic of the Gods, and often sang or chanted to them and poured libations to them, as well as made other offerings. The custom of "wassailing" is a descendent of the Druids "wassailing" the trees. The word means to "wish good health to" and at one time was associated with many other holidays, not just this one. The Yule log is also "wassailed," being decorated with mistletoe, holly, ivy, red berries, and bright ribbons, and having libations poured over it, and also being sung to, especially while it is burning. The Yule log symbolized the sacrificed god, since the druids believed that only the sacrifice of a Great Tree was strong enough to bring back the Sun. In Rome, their Yule log was expected to burn during the entire 12 days of the Saturnalia, a mighty Tree indeed! Pieces of the Yule log were then kept to protect the home and family throughout the coming year, and also used to light the following year's log. These are the last cultural traces of the Perpetual Fire that was once kept in honor of many Gods and Goddesses.
Holly and Ivy were seen as the male and female principles (respectively), and were believed to bring good luck and fertility to men and women. Holly, berries, pine cones, and acorns were all used to signify the male aspect at this season, while the wreath symbolized the female aspect. As a complete circle, the wreath symbolized the circle of life, the wheel of the year, and the sacred cycles of the Goddess (female), and was usually decorated with the holly, berries, ribbons, etc. of the God (male), and so combined both aspects in one decoration.
Of course, mistletoe has come down as the plant most associated with the Yule season. Being a parasite, it only grows high in trees, where the seeds land after being borne on the wind. The Druids therefore believed the plant was put there by the Gods, probably via lightning bolt, or put there by the Sun. It was believed to have miraculous healing powers, be very strong good luck, and have many other magical and mystical attributes; and thus it was referred to as "the Golden Bough." In Scandinavian countries, enemies would often be reconciled underneath boughs containing mistletoe, and any contract thus made could never be broken. Thus comes our custom of kissing beneath the mistletoe.
Today, almost the only Christian sect to oppose celebrating Christmas is the Jehovah's Witnesses, who rightly recognize that the traditions carried out are totally Pagan in their origin. Especially so is the Christmas tree, with its garland, lights, and ornaments; it has its roots in the Druid worship of the Trees. The garland represents the circle of life, the never-ending cycle. The lights, as discussed above, add energy to the Sun, and are an encouragement for the Sun's return. Candy canes are a reminder of the renewal of all life as they are symbolic of the maypole, with their red and white colors, which stand for the blood and the milk of the woman, the ancient waters of life. Tinsel and icicles are fertility magic also, representing the rains which will come to fertilize the earth in the spring. Bells were used to purify the air, and to summon the friendly spirits for protection. The star at the top of the tree is OUR symbol, representing the four elements of air, earth, fire and water.
Even Santa is a European tradition. Many different European peoples have their own traditional character who visits at the time of Winter Solstice, bringing gifts and treats. He embodies characteristics of Saturn (Roman agricultural god), Cronos (Greek god also known as Father Time), the Holly King (Celtic god of the dying year), Father Ice/Grandfather Frost (Russian winter god), Thor (Norse sky god who rides the sky in a chariot drawn by goats), Odin/Wotan (Scandinavian/Teutonic All-Father who rides the sky on an eight-legged horse), Frey (Norse fertility god), and the Tomte (a Norse Land Spirit known for giving gifts to children at this time of year). Santa's reindeer can also be viewed as forms of Herne, the Celtic Horned God.
So during these times when Christmas and the winter holidays have been so commercialized by the media and corporations, hoping to get us to go into a shopping frenzy buying plastic garbage made in Third World sweatshops for our little Freyas and Ians, let us remember what this time of year really means to our people.
Let us take back this holiday. Singing and decorating a beautiful Yule tree with family members, cooking family recipes with your children, listening to classical music written in Europe long ago, and looking forward as a people to the adventure of the coming solar year are all ways that we can take this time back to what it really should mean for us all.
Below are some links to sites that have more information about the ancient traditions of Yule and how our ancestors celebrated this time of year. Some of these are from a New Age point of view but if you can overlook the 'liberal' overlay and sift through to the main points you can glean a lot of information. They explain how the Yule and winter holidays were celebrated in many different ways by our European ancestors. Some even have a few good cookie recipes!
http://www.nationalvanguard.org/printer.php?id=1398 (links found with story)