Random Heathen Ramblings: S3, EP44 - You're Celebrating Yule All Wrong!!!
Channel: Midgard Musings
Date: 2022-12-15

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Hail to all!  Some of the references I made to when and how Yule/Jól was observed historically: 

Hakon the Good was a Norwegian king, who tried to force Christianity on Norway (hence he is called “the Good.”)  In the Saga of Hakon the Good, Hakon moved Yule from its traditional time on the Heathen Lunar calendar, to be at the same time as Xmas. Chapter 15 of the saga "Hakon the Good": “King Hakon was a good Christian when he came to Norway; but as the whole country was heathen, with much heathen blot, and as many great people, as well as the favor of the common people, were to be conciliated, he resolved to practice his Christianity in private. But he kept Sundays, and the Friday fasts, and some token of the greatest holy-days. He made a law that the festival of Yule should begin at the same time as Christian people held it, and that every man, under penalty, should brew a meal of malt into ale, and therewith keep the Yule holy as long as it lasted. Before him, the first night of Yule was on hǫkunótt, that is midwinter night, and Yule was held for three nights. It was his intent, as soon as he had set himself fast in the land, and had subjected the whole to his power, to introduce Christianity. He went to work first by enticing to Christianity the men who were dearest to him; and many, out of friendship to him, allowed themselves to be baptized, and some laid aside performing blot.” Hakon the Good is the reason why Xmas is called "Yule" (various spellings) in Scandinavia today.  Thus, forced christianization brought about naming Xmas "Yule".  Xmas and Yule are two different things. Please note, Hakon the Good 15, quoted above, is about Hakon the Good moving Heathen Yule to the same time as the Christian Christ Mass (Christmas). Hakon the Good 16, describes a Yule blot and Sumble. Please see this link to read Hakon the Good: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/05hakon.htm

The Poettic Edda states Yule was three nights. HELGAKVITHA HJORVARTHSSONAR The Lay of Helgi the Son of Hjorvarth, Chapter 4.

The Ynglinga Saga (chapter 8), from the year 1225, lists the three great blots of the year: “Odin established the same law in his land that had been in force in Asaland… On winter day (first day of winter) there should be blot for a good year, and in the middle of winter for a good crop; and the third blot should be on summer day, a Victory-blot.”

Hervarar Saga: On Yule eve a boar would be led into the palace, and oaths would be sworn upon his bristles. See the Hervarar saga, chapter 10, which lists the  sonargǫltr or sónargǫltr , i.e. the Yule boar.

The Germanic Rule for Yule is that Yule is always the first full moon after the first new moon after the winter solstice.

Yule is really more like christian Easter in the dating.  The church dates Easter to the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the vernal equinox.  Therefore, Easter can occur anytime between March 22 and April 25th every year.  Yule is similar, as Yule always occurs on the first Full Moon after the first new moon after the solstice in pre-Christian times, in Heathen times.  Theitmar of Merseburg wrote in a year where Yule was late, in January.

Dr. Andreas E Zautner in his book: "The Lunisolar Calendar of the Germanic People's: reconstruction of a bound moon calendar from ancient medieval and early modern sources"
Chapter 10.2.2: "It is a common misinterpretation to think it happened (midwinter) on the winter solstice. According to the primstaff, the midwinter feast was celebrated in the so-called 'hökunótt' on January 12, this it has been a calendar fixed date in the middle of the Julian month. Applying a lunar calendar, this is the full moon date, also in accord with the Jól moon and Disting rules, this time in the first lunar moon (of the year, beginning after the solstice)."

Bede states in De Temporum Ratione, Ch 15 (725 AD): "Thus, the moon by which they began their winter season was called “Winterfylleth”, a name compounded of the terms for winter and full moon, because from the full moon of that moon winter was thought to begin."

All source material has been obtained from https://www.aldsidu.com/

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