christmas

yule logs | 2015-12-16

permafrown

16 Dec 2015 — 3 min read

this week’s topic: yule logs

a merry yuletide to you all!

‘yule’ comes from germanic roots and even so far back as norse mythology:

“The word is attested in an explicitly pre-Christian context primarily in Old Norse. Among many others (see List of names of Odin), the long-bearded god Odin bears the names jólfaðr (Old Norse ‘Yule father’) and jólnir (Old Norse ‘the Yule one’). In plural (Old Norse jólnar; ‘the Yule ones’) may refer to the Norse gods in general. In Old Norse poetry, the word is often employed as a synonym for ‘feast’, such as in the kenning hugins jól (Old Norse ‘Huginn‘s Yule’; ‘a raven’s feast’).” ref

as an aside, Huginn (trans: thought) and Muninn (trans: memory) are Odin’s ravens who fly all over the world and bring information back to odin — ref

so, ‘yule’ seems to be related to the gods or to, at least, the chief Norse god.

further, in pagan germanic traditions, there was a pre-yule period (Ærra Jéola | before Yule) and a yule-time (Modranicht | mother’s night) and a post-yule period (Æftera Jéola | after Yule) which all line up, more or less, with advent, christmas eve, and new years/january. so, this all ends up being related to christmas and winter.

but where do we get this yule log from?

as far as people can figure (cuz no one seems to be able to really nail it down), the tradition stems from these old pagan traditions of acknowledging the start of a new year and the beginning of longer days within the cold of winter. gathering together as loved ones, making the whole house dark, lighting big-ass candles, and then lighting up the big yule log symbolizes that the sun is going to break free from the cold of winter and light will fill the darkness. truly, a great reason to have a feast (jól) and to thank father odin (jólfaðr) for allowing us to break free of winter and for sending Skadi back to the hills, lovely though she may be.

obviously, today, few people think about Odin when they light their yule logs. instead, according to the quote below, people have morphed the Norse concepts into slightly more mystic, be they benign, traditions:

“The Yule log is generally given, and is at once put on the hearth. It is unlucky to have to light it again after it has once been started, and it ought not go out until it has burned away.To sit around the Yule log and tell ghost stories is a great thing to do on this night, also card-playing. (…) large colored candles are a Christmas present from the grocery. Just before supper on Christmas Eve (where furmety is eaten), while the Yule log is burning, all other lights are put out, and the candles are lighted from the Yule log by the youngest person present. While they are being lighted, all are silent and wish. The wish must not be told, but you see if you get it during the year. As soon as the candles are on the table, silence may be broken. They must be allowed to burn themselves out, and no other lights may be lighted that night.” ref

for added hilarity, it is a western British tradition to supplant the yule log with the ‘ashen faggot’ but most of the tradition is the same.

so, enjoy your yule-tide fires, thank father Odin (you can tell his ravens), and wish Skadi adieu as we remember that winter isn’t forever and, oh yeah, that our Saviour was born!