Yule
Sign in to saveYule (, ) is a winter festival and time of the year historically observed by heathen Germanic peoples that was later merged with the festival of Christmas during the process of Christianisation. The oldest accounts describe two Yule-months around the winter solstice in early, and sometimes explicitly heathen, Germanic calendars.
AI overview
Yule is a winter festival that was traditionally celebrated by Germanic peoples around the time of the winter solstice before being blended with Christmas during the spread of Christianity. The historical significance of Yule lies in its roots as one of the oldest recorded seasonal observances in Germanic cultures, documented in ancient calendars of that region.
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Key facts
- Holiday.holiday_name
- Yule
- Holiday.image
- File:Drinking scene on an image stone.jpg
- Holiday.caption
- A drinking scene on the Tängelgårda IV image stone from Gotland, in the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm
- Holiday.observedby
- Germanic pagans, Modern pagans (Heathens, Wiccans), LaVeyan Satanists
- Holiday.frequency
- Annual
- Holiday.date
- Middle of winter (see )
- Holiday.type
- Pagan
- Holiday.significance
- Winter festival
- Holiday.relatedto
- Midwinter, Christmastide, Christmas
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
24 sectionsContents
- Etymology and derived terms
- Yule months
- Timing of heathen Yule celebrations
- Historical Nordic traditions
- ''Blót'', feasting and drinking
- ''Heitstrenging''
- Games and performances
- Supernatural visitations
- The Wild Host
- Guising
- Academic reception
- Significance and connection to other events
- Existence of pre-Christian Yule
- Contemporary traditions
- Relationship with Christmas in Northern Europe
- Modern paganism
- LaVeyan Satanism
- See also
- Notes
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Primary
- Secondary
- External links
Yule (, ) is a winter festival and time of the year historically observed by heathen Germanic peoples that was later merged with the festival of Christmas during the process of Christianisation. The oldest accounts describe two Yule-months around the winter solstice in early, and sometimes explicitly heathen, Germanic calendars.
Later, and more extensive, Old Norse sources also describe a Yule festival occurring during this period, which possibly began on Hǫkunótt and continued for several days. During it, feasting, ceremonial drinking and oath swearing was central, and plays and games likely took place. Tales set at this time frequently feature supernatural beings visiting halls and farms, such as trolls and undead draugar. Such traditions closely resemble folk practices and beliefs from the modern period such as julebukking and the Wild Hunt, which may have partly heathen roots.