Yule: The Real Reason for the Season
How many have heard the message "Jesus is the reason for the season"
amidst all the commercialism of "Christmas?" Many fundamentalist
Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses walk around like grinches cursing at
other Christians during this season because they don't like the association
of the "birth of Christ" myth being mixed in with Pagan traditions, such
as decorating trees, burning Yule logs and caroling. In truth, Christmas,
like Easter and other holidays were adopted by ancient Christians because
they couldn't stamp out the Pagan holidays. They were too much fun!
So they integrated it into their new, not-so-fun imported Middle Eastern
religion. The "Christmas" celebration we have in the west today is
a collection of repackaged Yule traditions from the Scandinavian and Celtic
world. Most significantly, the reason for the season was twisted
into a celebration of the birthday (which is in spring) of the controversial
maybe-a-jew Jesus Christ, said to have risen from the dead, like so many
Pagan deities all of the world before him.
Our White Pagan ancestors actually celebrated Yule around the
21st of December. This is the celebration of the Winter Solstice,
seed-time of the year, the longest night and shortest day. This is
the darkest night of the year, when the Goddess becomes the Great Mother
and once again gives birth to a new Sun God (or King). When
we look at a modern "nativity" scene, consider that the ancients' central
characters were Mother Nature, Father Time, and the Baby Sun God.
Somewhere along the line, the Sun God became the "Son of God."
It was rumored in the West that the "virgin" Mary bore the son of God on
the twenty-fifth day. But they didn't know which month. So
the Roman Catholics decided, in 320 CE, that December would be the month
"Jesus" was born, coinciding with the mithraic Roman celebration (several
of their pre-Jesus Gods were resurrected on the solstice) and that
of the Yuletide celebrations of the Celts and Saxons. By 529, "Christmas"
was a civic holiday.
Yule Plants
Long before the the Jesus myth was told to our people, Pagans had been
observing the season by bringing in the Yule log, wishing on it, and lighting
it from the remains of last year's log. This log was to burn for
12 hours in order that wishes may come true. Magic and rituals were
practiced, wild boars were sacrificed and consumed, along with lots of
alcoholic beverages. Fertility rites were practiced, so it is also
no surprise that males and females under the mistletoe did naughty and
delightful things. The Celtic Druids used to cut mistletoe
with a golden sickle on the sixth night of the moon, and believed
it to be an aphrodisiac. (I should say this plant is poisonous and
should not be ingested.) It was used as a magical aphrodisiac, and
this tradition is where its association with amorous behavior originated.
In addition to the Yule tree and mistletoe, the ivy and holly were important
seasonal plants. Ivy was green amongst winter whiteness, and holly
was hung on doors to "snag" and ward off evil before it entered one's home.
Eventually, the tradition of the burning of the Yule log was replaced with
the Yule Tree. The tree was decorated with burning candles.
And oddly enough, most ancient references to Yule trees had them..upside
down! Try this! But remember that such a sacred tree, as with
any sacred object, has to be disposed of by fire. And hopefully not
while in your living room via candles that weren't snuffed out before bedtime.
Yule Characters
Of course, Yule celebrations differed from region to region. There
is much interesting reading if one is willing.. But lets look at
the origins of Santa and his reindeer. Santa may have been the first
Sumerian King, who dressed up in red, had a white beard and delivered presents
to poor children. But more fascinating is the Yule goat from Sweden,
Odinist country. The "Julbukk" (Yule goat) used to be the carrier
of the God Thor (or Thunor). Now the Yule goat carries the elf when
he delivers presents. This Yule elf is called Jultomten in Sweden,
Julesvenn in Norway, and Jule-nissen in Denmark and Norway.
An offering of porridge (or rice and milk) is left for the Yule elf on
the eve of Yule (or Christmas).
And from Iceland....
If one was naughty rather than nice, they might get eaten by the Yule
cat. Those who did not help with the communal work of their village
not only missed out on the Yule reward of a new article of wool clothing,
and they were threatened with becoming sacrifices for the dreaded, but
probably sweet and innocent Yule kitty cat.
Continuance of our Folkways
For ancient Germanic and Celtic people, the solstice was a celebration
of the cycle of nature and a reaffirmation of the continuation of life.
They celebrated simply, and made gifts from the harvested wool and other
materials produced by communal efforts. Today, our ancient holiday
has been reduced to a profiteers dream, especially the Jewish banker and
merchant. Most sadly, we have forgotten the real reason for the Yule
season, and it ain't the Hebrew Jesus. I see Yule and other Pagan
holidays as the continuation and renewal of our ancient traditions and
lore. Yule survives in a perverted form today, but I urge serious
traditionalists to do further research on this and other Aryan holidays
so we can pass them down in their pure form to our children. We must
continue the lore of the true folk (our folk), symbolized by the meaning
of Yule, which is "wheel." If this wheel stops turning, the
cycle of our race will as well.
ANGRY WHITE FEMALE
