Þorrablót

Seems to be the theme for the world that January didn't count for 2024, and I'm jumping on that train! At work we started teaching a whole new curriculum a couple weeks ago, and I've been exhausted by all the excitement. I'm hoping that I can get on a better routine so I can post about my holidays before they happen, but for now I'll settle for afterthoughts.

On January 28th, my husband and I celebrated Thorsblot, otherwise know as Þorrablót or Þorri. It is inspired by an ancient Norse midwinter feast, and as such is celebrated either in late January or early February in our modern calendar, which would've been the month of Þorri in the olden times. Þorri is the Icelandic name of the personification of frost or winter in Norse mythology, but has long been identified with Thor. Þorrablót was likely a sacrifice dedicated to Þór (Old Norse for Thor) himself, hence why we refer to it in English as Thorsblot.

While the history of my holidays is important to me, they cannot be celebrated without some traditions. Since pagan traditions are informed by nature's cycles, for the midwinter feast we prepare a meal of preserved foods that would've been the main source of winter food before globalization. This includes cured meats like Serrano ham as well as cheeses, dried fruits, and pickled vegetables, much like a charcuterie board. When possible, we try to incorporate traditional Icelandic foods as well as any hunted meat. This year my husband went on his first duck hunt, so duck gumbo and pâté were part of our feast.

While filling our bellies, we do as many cultures do during the winter and tell the stories of our ancestors. We focus on Norse and Celtic mythology, exploring the gods and their journeys, as well as discussing the values of the past that we see in them. Unlike some other religions that focus on sharing the same faith, we focus on sharing the same practices, allowing for more freedom when it comes to personal beliefs.

Since much of pagan religion has been lost to Christianization, we rely on historic texts to inform us. Unfortunately male figures are the focus of the available Norse mythology, but this is not because they valued men above women. In reality, pagan Germanic societies valued men and women equally and their mythology reflected this, which we can see today in the vastness of female figures that have names but not stories. Those who recorded the myths left out many of the female figures, quite possibly as an influence of Christianity. By informing ourselves of the female figures, we are able to return balance to our religious practices. I will mention three from the Völuspá (Prophecy of the völva, a seeress) in the Poetic Edda here, Urður (being), Verðandi (becoming), and Skuld (been), who came from Yggdrasil (tree of life). They are now known as The Maiden, The Mother, and The Crone. May they guide you through the year.