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Author Topic: Norse gods and goddesses and Celtic holidays and festivals?  (Read 4495 times)

Vymir

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Norse gods and goddesses and Celtic holidays and festivals?
« on: September 04, 2011, 05:47:18 am »
I would just like to know if anybody could tell me which Norse gods and goddesses are honored on each Celtic festival/holiday (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine and Lunasa)?

Dujanka

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Re: Norse gods and goddesses and Celtic holidays and festivals?
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2011, 06:09:45 am »
Quote from: Vymir;17749
I would just like to know if anybody could tell me which Norse gods and goddesses are honored on each Celtic festival/holiday (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine and Lunasa)?

 
Basically some are the same are dates as Christian holidays like Christmas and Halloween.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_paganism#Festivals

Not entirely sure which gods have particular celebrations to themselves.  I am new to practice but didn't want to leave you hanging.  I'm not sure if there parties are with particular dates or moons.

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Re: Norse gods and goddesses and Celtic holidays and festivals?
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2011, 07:08:38 am »
Quote from: Vymir;17749
I would just like to know if anybody could tell me which Norse gods and goddesses are honored on each Celtic festival/holiday (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine and Lunasa)?

 
Since that's a syncretization of two different cultures' stuff, there's no set standard; it'd be up to the individual practitioner - you - if you're not working with a group that's already determined how they want to arrange it.  I'd say, research both Norse deities and Celtic fire festivals, and decide for yourself whom it makes sense to honor when.

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Hildeburh

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Re: Norse gods and goddesses and Celtic holidays and festivals?
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2017, 07:08:49 am »
Quote from: Vymir;17749
I would just like to know if anybody could tell me which Norse gods and goddesses are honored on each Celtic festival/holiday (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine and Lunasa)?

That would depend solely on UPG, since these are Celtic not Norse celebrations. Why use Celtic festivals to honour Norse gods?
« Last Edit: February 12, 2017, 07:11:43 am by Hildeburh »

hraefngar

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Re: Norse gods and goddesses and Celtic holidays and festivals?
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2017, 07:10:51 am »
Quote from: Vymir;17749
I would just like to know if anybody could tell me which Norse gods and goddesses are honored on each Celtic festival/holiday (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltaine and Lunasa)?

As people have said, honoring Norse deities within a Celtic-inspired Wheel of the Year framework is a modern conceit.  

But I believe there is a way to do it intelligently, by matching deities with the theme of the holiday, or looking for historical Heathen observances that transpired somewhere near those holidays.   Norse pagans within ADF do this sort of thing.

Samhain.  The closest Heathen equivalent is Winter Nights which happened in mid October.  The livestock were culled and there seem to have been blots to the disir (female ancestral spirits and protective spirits). So, the ancestors (disir) are a good choice.  Freyr as god of the harvest seems to have been honored, too; plenty of modern Heathens honor Freyr at this time.  Finally,  this time of year begins the Wild Hunt which reaches its apex at Yule.  Some of us give a nod to Odin, particularly in his pyschopomp capacity that he exercises for the Wild Hunt.

Imbolc.  Some people honor Frigg. Since Brighid is tied to the hearth fire, Norse pagans/neodruids may try to replicate the feeling with the Norse goddess most intimately associated with the Heathen homestead.   Another alternative is that sometime in February there seems to have been an old English custom of Charming the Plow and getting ready for the first stirrings of the planting season.  Freyr could easily be honored at this rite.  

Beltaine. The landwights could be easily honored this holiday since they seem rather active.  Another alternative: if this holiday is associated with lusty overtones of spring, Freyja can be honored.   I personally like the Freyja connection, since the preceding night, Walpurgisnacht, has witchy overtones.

Lamas.  Another harvest festival that some people dedicate to Freyr (Freyrfaxi).  Alternatively, some people seem to honor Tyr.  I believe the Thing met sometime in the summer.  Or possibly there was simply no other good time on the modern neopagan calendar to honor Tyr.  Finally, there is a tradition of "Loafmass" which some people link with Thor.


If you want to know my personal Wheel of the Year when I was a Norse neodruid, it looked something like this:

Feb 2:  Frigg
March 21: Ostara(Continental Germanic, not Norse, but most neopagans do not care)
May 1:  Freyja
June 21. Sunna (the sun).
Aug 1. Thor.
Sept 21. The landwights for the harvest.
Oct 31. Odin.
Dec 21.  The ancestors.
« Last Edit: March 11, 2017, 07:11:23 am by hraefngar »

Megatherium

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Re: Norse gods and goddesses and Celtic holidays and festivals?
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2017, 11:44:04 am »
Quote from: hraefngar;203590
As people have said, honoring Norse deities within a Celtic-inspired Wheel of the Year framework is a modern conceit.  

But I believe there is a way to do it intelligently, by matching deities with the theme of the holiday, or looking for historical Heathen observances that transpired somewhere near those holidays.   Norse pagans within ADF do this sort of thing.

Samhain.  The closest Heathen equivalent is Winter Nights which happened in mid October.  The livestock were culled and there seem to have been blots to the disir (female ancestral spirits and protective spirits). So, the ancestors (disir) are a good choice.  Freyr as god of the harvest seems to have been honored, too; plenty of modern Heathens honor Freyr at this time.  Finally,  this time of year begins the Wild Hunt which reaches its apex at Yule.  Some of us give a nod to Odin, particularly in his pyschopomp capacity that he exercises for the Wild Hunt.

Imbolc.  Some people honor Frigg. Since Brighid is tied to the hearth fire, Norse pagans/neodruids may try to replicate the feeling with the Norse goddess most intimately associated with the Heathen homestead.   Another alternative is that sometime in February there seems to have been an old English custom of Charming the Plow and getting ready for the first stirrings of the planting season.  Freyr could easily be honored at this rite.  

Beltaine. The landwights could be easily honored this holiday since they seem rather active.  Another alternative: if this holiday is associated with lusty overtones of spring, Freyja can be honored.   I personally like the Freyja connection, since the preceding night, Walpurgisnacht, has witchy overtones.

Lamas.  Another harvest festival that some people dedicate to Freyr (Freyrfaxi).  Alternatively, some people seem to honor Tyr.  I believe the Thing met sometime in the summer.  Or possibly there was simply no other good time on the modern neopagan calendar to honor Tyr.  Finally, there is a tradition of "Loafmass" which some people link with Thor.


If you want to know my personal Wheel of the Year when I was a Norse neodruid, it looked something like this:

Feb 2:  Frigg
March 21: Ostara(Continental Germanic, not Norse, but most neopagans do not care)
May 1:  Freyja
June 21. Sunna (the sun).
Aug 1. Thor.
Sept 21. The landwights for the harvest.
Oct 31. Odin.
Dec 21.  The ancestors.


I just wanted to say that I think the links you've drawn here between Celtic holidays and Germanic deities is really well done.

Interestingly, (perhaps you know this already) in Urglaawe (Pennsylvania "Dutch" Heathenry) Frigga is honoured on February 2nd, so I think that this association of the Goddess with this particular date, though modern, is something that seems to strike a lot of people as a reasonable time to worship her.
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Tom

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Re: Norse gods and goddesses and Celtic holidays and festivals?
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2017, 01:27:02 pm »
Quote from: Megatherium;203598
I just wanted to say that I think the links you've drawn here between Celtic holidays and Germanic deities is really well done.

Interestingly, (perhaps you know this already) in Urglaawe (Pennsylvania "Dutch" Heathenry) Frigga is honoured on February 2nd, so I think that this association of the Goddess with this particular date, though modern, is something that seems to strike a lot of people as a reasonable time to worship her.

 
...I would be far too tempted to incorporate groundhogs into that tbh, but groundhogs /are/ part of the fauna here. There happens to be a groundhog thing in Pennsylvania since the lottery mascot is also a groundhog as well as the famous Phil. Which means that one could associate them with luck, games of chance, or money. Though this would obviously be a very localized symbolism.

I do find it interesting that Urglaawe honors Frigga on that date and I wonder if part of it is tied to it's own particular form of localization.

Megatherium

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Re: Norse gods and goddesses and Celtic holidays and festivals?
« Reply #7 on: March 11, 2017, 02:28:57 pm »
Quote from: Tom;203604
...I would be far too tempted to incorporate groundhogs into that tbh, but groundhogs /are/ part of the fauna here. There happens to be a groundhog thing in Pennsylvania since the lottery mascot is also a groundhog as well as the famous Phil. Which means that one could associate them with luck, games of chance, or money. Though this would obviously be a very localized symbolism.

I do find it interesting that Urglaawe honors Frigga on that date and I wonder if part of it is tied to it's own particular form of localization.


I found an article which talks more about the importance of groundhogs in Urglaawe. There's not much about exactly why Frigga is honoured at this time, but she is mentioned in the following article.

http://www.heathenhof.com/the-other-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year/
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Tom

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Re: Norse gods and goddesses and Celtic holidays and festivals?
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2017, 03:07:52 pm »
Quote from: Megatherium;203607
I found an article which talks more about the importance of groundhogs in Urglaawe. There's not much about exactly why Frigga is honoured at this time, but she is mentioned in the following article.

http://www.heathenhof.com/the-other-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year/

 
Thank you! I would imagine the reason Frigga is honored is partly due to her role as the head of the household and carrier of the keys as well as her association with spinning. And I am very glad that our furry neighbors are not forgotten. Several groundhogs live in the riverside park near by, so they're still something I encounter.

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