Norse Calendar Archives — The Rational Heathen

The Viking Month of Þorri

March 14, 2023 The Rational Heathen Comments 0 Comment

The Viking month of Þorri, also known as Thorri, is a traditional Icelandic winter festival that is celebrated in January and February. This festival has been observed by the Icelandic people for over a thousand years and is a significant part of their cultural heritage. In this blog post, we will explore the history and significance of Þorri and its importance in modern-day Iceland.

Origins of Þorri

The origins of Þorri date back to the Viking Age, when Iceland was settled by Norse explorers. According to Norse mythology, Þorri was the god of winter and the hunt. He was revered by the Vikings for his strength and resilience during the harsh winter months. In honor of Þorri, the Vikings would hold a festival in the middle of winter to celebrate the end of the darkest period of the year and the beginning of the lengthening days.

In Norse mythology, Þorri is a personification of the winter season and the god of frost and cold. He was often depicted as an old man with a long white beard and wearing a fur cloak.

According to the Prose Edda, a medieval Icelandic text on Norse mythology, Þorri is the son of Fornjót, a giant who ruled over the northern regions of Scandinavia. Þorri is said to rule over the month of Þorri, which falls between mid-January and mid-February in the Icelandic calendar.

Þorri is also associated with the hunt, and it was believed that he would bring about the end of the darkest period of the year and the return of the lengthening days. He is often invoked during the winter months to help ensure a successful hunt and a bountiful harvest.

While Þorri is not as well-known as some of the other Norse gods such as Thor or Odin, he was an important figure in Norse mythology and played a significant role in the cultural and religious practices of the Viking Age.

Celebration of Þorri in Iceland

Some traditional Icelandic food (plate to the left: Hangikjöt, Hrútspungar, Lifrarpylsa, Blóðmör, Hákarl, Svið. plate to the right: Rúgbrauð, Flatbrauð). This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Image by The blanz.Umm, doesn’t that look appetizing? Especially the sheep’s head…

The modern-day celebration of Þorri in Iceland is a continuation of this ancient tradition. It is a time for people to come together and enjoy traditional Icelandic food and drink, including fermented shark (hákarl), sour ram testicles (súrsaðir hrútspungar), and smoked lamb (hangikjöt). These foods were traditionally preserved during the winter months and served as a vital source of nutrition for the Icelandic people during the long, cold winter.

In addition to the food, Þorri is also a time for music, dancing, and storytelling. Many Icelandic folk songs and stories have been passed down through generations and are still performed during the festival. The traditional Icelandic instrument, the langspil, is also often played during Þorri celebrations.

While Þorri is deeply rooted in Icelandic tradition, it has evolved over time to reflect modern-day Iceland. Today, many Þorri celebrations include elements of contemporary Icelandic culture, such as art exhibitions and concerts. The festival also provides an opportunity for Icelanders to connect with their heritage and celebrate their unique identity as a people.

Þorri — A Controversy?

Despite its cultural significance, Þorri is not without controversy. Some Icelanders believe that the traditional foods served during the festival are outdated and unappetizing, and have called for a reimagining of the festival to include more modern cuisine. Others argue that the preservation of traditional foods is vital to the preservation of Icelandic culture and should not be abandoned.

A Popular Festival in Iceland

In recent years, Þorri has also become a popular tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world to experience traditional Icelandic culture firsthand. Many tour companies now offer Þorri-themed excursions, where visitors can sample traditional Icelandic foods and participate in Þorri celebrations with locals.

In conclusion, Þorri is a significant part of Icelandic culture and history. This ancient winter festival has evolved over time to reflect modern-day Iceland, while still maintaining its roots in traditional Icelandic food, music, and storytelling. Whether you are a visitor to Iceland or a local, Þorri is a time to come together and celebrate the strength and resilience of the Icelandic people during the long, dark winter months.

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The Viking Month of Mörsugur, or the Bone-Sucking Month

February 8, 2023 The Rational Heathen Comments 0 Comment

Well, it’s that time again to talk about the Viking Calendar. This month is Mörsugur, the second Yule month. Mörsugur is also known as jólmanoðr (Yule Month) and hrutmánuðr/hrutmánaðr (Ram Month). It is the third winter month. Yule proper occurs during Mörsugur.

Mörsugur: Why Bone-Sucking Month?

The name seems odd to our modern sensibilities. Mörsugur is the fat and bone-sucking month because that’s how our ancestors got their calories during this freezing time. By cracking open bones and sucking on them to get the marrow, the Northen ancestors were able to get enough nutrition to survive the cold.

Mörsugur, aptly translated to “the bone-sucking month”, is an ancient Viking month held in winter right after Yule (the winter solstice). It is the coldest, longest and darkest of all Viking months as the days near Yule are the shortest. This is because Mörsugur occurs at the end of winter and marks the point when the sun returns and the first signs of spring begin to appear.

Mörsugur ran from mid to late December into January. At this time, there weren’t any fresh vegetables or fruit. If you ate fresh food at all, it came from animals: meat, fat, eggs, milk, and products from those foods.

Bone-Sucking Tradition

The name may have originated from the traditions the Vikings practiced during Mörsugur, when the whole community would undertake a “bone-sucking” ceremony. The Norse practiced this tradition while they celebrated the longest night of the year, symbolizing the end of Yule. As part of the ceremony, everyone gathered around to “suck on bones”; they would pass around bones that had been cut up, the pieces containing marrow and fat. This practice was believed to bring good fortune for the upcoming year. Thus the Norse month of Mörsugur started. It was a month-long celebration that occurred during the winter months in Scandinavian and Baltic countries.

The month’s name may have also come from an ancient Norse practice called Haflgerðing, or “bone-worming”. Norse peoples carved a tiny hole in an animal bone using a knife, and then inserted a small object into the bone, either a piece of cloth or a tiny animal bone. They then buried the bone in the ground, and they believed that by doing this, the gods would more likely grant the wishes of the person who buried the bone.

Our Northern Ancestors Held Celebrations During Mörsugur

Mörsugur was a special month for our ancestors, as it was a time for families and communities to come together and celebrate the winter season. During Mörsugur, our Northern ancestors indulged in their traditions and ancient customs. The center of attention during the month was feasting, drinking, and games. They sang various songs and danced; families and friends enjoyed large feasts. People feasted while sitting around a fire and sipping drinks like mead. Meals included beef or pork, smoked or salted fish, legumes, vegetables, and cheeses.

Playing Games

The Viking played many games, including those played indoors and those played outdoors. Examples of outdoor ngames include rolling snowballs, skis, and sleighs. Indoor games included dice and board games and the Viking version of chess. Like today, people enjoyed parties, both indoors and out. Concerts and theatrical performances were also popular.

Religious Significance of Mörsugur

Mörsugur was also a month of religious observance. People dedicated the Mörsugur celebrations to Odin and Thor. They inscribed runes on tree branches to give luck for the new year. At midwinter, our ancestors lit sacred fires to celebrate the winter solstice. The celebrations emphasized joy over fear. People believed that a good harvest, success, and protection from natural disasters depended on the gods.

During this month, people made offerings of food and drink to the gods and wights. Our ancestors would also offer gifts of horses and weapons to their ancestors. The Vikings lived under the death’s constant threat, so this was the time to ask for prosperity from all those who could help them.

Mörsugur Today

Mörsugur was an ancient celebration, yet it still lives on today, through the culture and traditions that are celebrated throughout the Nordic region. In Finland, a special dish called Mustamakkara is prepared during this month, which consists of a black sausage. The Swedes serve a traditional drink called Glogg from Yule until Christmas. In Norway, there is still a tradition of sacrifice to the goddess Freyja during Mörsugur. This sacrifice is a small offering made by throwing coins into a bowl of water.

The month of Mörsugur is a month to celebrate the gods and ask for abundance. The ancient Norse people created these joyful celebrations which we can still enjoy today. The month of Mörsugur is just one of many special occasions in the Viking calendar.

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The Month of Gormánuður or the Slaughter Month

November 26, 2019 The Rational Heathen Comments 0 Comment

By now, we’re in the midst of Gormánuður according to the old Norse calendar. It is the first month of winter according to the ancient calendar, and it is the month of slaughter or butchering. I figured that since I’ve talked about Haustmánuður, the Harvest Month, I should continue with the months…well,…monthly, so you can get a feeling of the ancient Norse year.

A Bit of History About Refrigeration (Stick with me on this)

Nowadays we have refrigeration, which is possibly why Gormánuður may be puzzling to some of you. After all, we can get meat year round and keep it in the freezer or refrigerator. And you’re probably quite aware that our ancestors didn’t have refrigeration until 1913–not that long ago–available for home use. Even then, owning a home refrigerator was expensive and it didn’t become popular until the 1930s. So, your recent ancestors probably had iceboxes–that is actual boxes that held ice to keep their food fresh. The icebox was invented and patented by a farmer in 1802. The original icebox was made from wood, rabbit skins, and lots of ice (duh!). The icebox took off, and there even was a market for harvested lake ice up until the 1930s. These required ice houses that kept the ice together even during the summer months until the lakes started freezing over again.

As an aside, as a child I did hear adults use the term “icebox” for refrigerator, even though the days of the icebox were long since gone. I assumed that they meant “freezer” because that’s where you kept the ice. Yeah, that makes me older than dirt. Deal with it.

How Did Gormánuður Get Its Name?

So, how did Gormánuður get its name? Well, if you didn’t have refrigeration or even an icebox, slaughtering an animal was a bit problematic. You had to either slaughter and prepare the

animal right there or risk spoilage, or you had to wait until the weather was cool enough to keep the meat fresh. Since it was very expensive to feed animals during the winter months (using up valuable resources of hay and grain), most farmers slaughtered all but their breeding stock for the next year. That required a way to preserve the meat so it would last during the winter and into the early part of the summer.

In many climes, Gormánuður was cold, but not brutally cold yet. Although the days were significantly shorter, there was still daylight left. And you could pretty much count on the weather keeping your food cold before you could salt it and preserve it further.

Common Practice Even into the 20th Century

Surprisingly, the idea of butchering meat in the fall was common practice until fairly recently. It wasn’t that uncommon for farms to slaughter pigs in the fall and store to have “pork sales” in the months leading up to Christmas and Yule. If you ever wondered why it’s still popular for people to have a Christmas ham, there you go. That, and our ancestors had a ham to celebrate Freyr during Yule and the increasing daylight. In fact, after hunting season, I’m going to be slaughtering goats and geese to reduce the herd. I suspect other farmers and ranchers out here do that out of necessity, too.

Nowadays, we see some of the remnants of this, but in the age of factory farming and a global economy, we can get foods we like anytime and don’t have to wait to get our favorite foods. All we have to do is shell out a bit more money to get what we want. When I buy foods, I tend to choose local, so the seasons are more apparent to me.

Ways to Celebrate Gormánuður

With Thanksgiving or Harvest coming up, celebrating Gormánuður is easy. Farmers and ranchers have raised turkeys to be slaughtered during the fall just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas. While they’re not pigs, goats, or cattle, you can certainly go with the intent of the season. Here are some other ways to celebrate Gormánuður:

Look for deep deals on local pork.
Choose foods which would have been harvested in October and November as part of your Harvest meal.
Choose local foods over those imported from the gods know where.
Learn all you can about local farming and slaughter practices. Find those farmers who use sustainable methods and patronize them.
Hunt for your meat. You’ll have a learning curve if you don’t hunt, so if you can find a knowledgeable and ethical hunter who will let you tag along this year just to help them (and maybe get some yummy venison), do that.
Get your pantry stocked up for Yule.

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