The Holy Calendar
Gerímbóc
The religious calendar presented here, is a reconstructed one based upon what the authors have been able to glean from various sources, and rationalized with modern lifestyles and constraints. It is based in authentic Heathen practices and lore, but it is by no means “historical”, as such an attested calendar of Heathen rites from the Iron Age or Anglo-Saxon period does not exist, and would not have been so precise and unified across tribal boundaries even if it did.
This calendar is intended as a framework for the modern West Germanic Heathen, and exists as a template, not as something to be uncritically and rigidly adhered too. Every Ingwine clan/congregation may place a different emphasis on these celebrations, or promote the worship of certain gods over others.
The Lunisolar Calendar
One important thing to understand about the holidays and seasonal observances of the ancient Ingwine, is that that they were rooted in a very different method of time keeping than we see today in our secular calendars. They used a lunisolar calendar, in which the months (moons) were based on actual lunations, rather than having been arbitrarily manipulated in order to synchronize with the Solar year, which marks the journey of the Earth around the Sun. If one observes the cycles of the Moon to measure the passage of time as did the Heathen Anglo-Saxons, one will quickly come to see that twelve lunar months do not total 365 days, but approximately 354. The Lunar “Month Calendar” will quickly come to be out of sync with the realities of the Solar year, the time it takes the Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun.
They therefore conceived of an ingenious manner in which to reconcile the Lunar calendar to the Solar, by observing predictable solar phenomena to determine where the Earth was on her journey, (the Solstices) and then adding a “leap month” if needed, to move important agricultural and social events back into alignment with the seasons in which they belonged. As it happens, this de-synchronization of the lunar months from the solar year stretches over a (roughly) 19 year period that was known in Old English as the getæl-circul, which is known more commonly today as the Metonic Cycle. After one such 19 year cycle is complete, the lunar months will be very close to being back in the same relative position versus the Solar year that they were when one first began to observe the cycle. This allows for some fairly straightforward means of aligning the traditional months to the solar calendar using a mathematical formula and knowledge of the Metonic Cycle, but this is probably not how the average Anglo-Saxon Age Heathen did it. There are some simple observations that can be made, and will suffice today to allow us to align our modern, reconstructed Anglo-Saxon calendar with the Earth’s journey around the sun, and also with the Gregorian Calendar. In doing so, we wish to ensure that Midsummer and Yule occur at the right time of year, and all else will fall into place.
To understand all this, let’s take a look at the Anglo-Saxon Calendar (of months) as described by Bede:
| Anglo-Saxon Moon | Rough Modern Equivalent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Æfterra Gēola | January | After Yule. |
| Sol-mōnaþ | February | The Month of Cakes. |
| Hrēþ-mōnaþ/ Hlyd–mōnaþ | March | The Month of Wildness or Month of [the Goddess] Hrēþe. |
| Easter-mōnaþ | April | The Month of [the Goddess] Ēostre. |
| Þrimilce-mōnaþ | May | The Month of Three Milkings. |
| Ærra Līþa | June | Before (or First) Mild Month. |
| Þrilīþa | — | Third Mild Month. (The intercalary Month) |
| Æftera Līþa / Mǽd-mónaþ | July | After or Trailing Mild Month. Also called Mowing Month. |
| Weod-mōnaþ | August | The Weed (or plant) Month. |
| Hālig-mōnaþ | September | The Holy Month. |
| Winterfylleth | October | Winter Full Moon. |
| Blōt-mōnaþ | November | The Month of Sacrifices. |
| Ærra Gēola / Midwinter-mónaþ | December | Before Yule. Also: Midwinter Month. |
Note that the month of Þrilīþa has no modern counterpart. This “Third Litha” is an intercalary month, which is to say, it is an “extra” month or a leap month which is inserted only when needed to true up the Anglo-Saxon months with the beginning of the year. Such a intercalary month is sometimes colloquially called a “Blue Moon”.
Most cultures that use a lunisolar calendar begin a month shortly after what we would today call the “New Moon”, when the first sliver of the Crescent Moon is observable. Indeed Bede himself tells us:
taking inspection of nature has taught, the Moon plainly completes the zodiac in 27 days and 8 hours, but its proper course is 29 days and 12 hours, setting aside the calculation of the ‘‘leap of the Moon’’. Therefore it is more accurate to define a lunar month as the circuit and reintegration of the lunar light from new Moon to new Moon.
-The Reckoning of Time, Bede
This would have worked well enough in Medieval England or Europe, but we are a modern, global society and the observability of the Moon presents some issues. Therefore, in our reconstructed calendar we shall reckon a month to have begun 36 hours from the astronomical New Moon, regardless of whether the Waxing Crescent Moon can actually be seen from one’s location or not. Alternatively, one may use this more precise online calendar, Which is generated using a tested formula and lunar visibility data from NASA.
Regarding the use of the intercalary month, probably the simplest way to determine if a given year is a “Three Litha Year” and requires the insertion of Þrilīþa following Ærra Līþa, is to determine if the Crescent Moon beginning Æfterra Gēola actually occurs within the 12 night Yule festival. If Æfterra Gēola does not begin until after 11 nights have elapsed following the night of the Astronomical Winter Solstice, the next year will NOT be a Three-Litha year.
Holy Tides and Feast days
Yule ( Géol )
Yule is a festival in Modern Ingwine Heathenship, that takes place at Midwinter, typically beginning on or about the night of the Winter Solstice, and formally lasting 12 nights. The remembrance of this festival survives in modern German folklore as the Rauhnächten, the “Rough Nights”, and as the Zwolften, or “Twelve”. The twelve night interval is significant as noted above, in that it represents a liminal time period bridging the commencement of the next solar year as marked by the Solstice, and the reset of the lunar “year” which can only begin with the onset of a lunation. During this interval, if the new moon of Æfterra Gēola appears, the new year will be a Three-Litha year. Otherwise, the new moon signifying the beginning of Æfterra Gēola will certainly occur shortly after Twelfth Day, and the new year will not require an intercalary month. Additionally, Germanic folk lore also holds that ghosts and spirits are abroad during this period, moving among the living, and only return to rest after the twelfth night (Manfred Becker-Huberti, 2007). In the English speaking world, we have the so-called “Twelve Nights of Christmas”, though many of the traditions associated with this nominally Christian festival are in fact, Heathen in origin.
Celebrating throughout this period with thematic holiday traditions such as evergreen wreaths, the burning of a yule log, or wassailing would be wonderful and traditional ways to observe this Festival with family, or with the local Heathen community. Yule is generally thought of as an ushering in of the new year, a celebration of enduring life even in the heart of Winter, and a time to ask the intercession of the gods for a good harvest in the year to follow. Regarding the ancient timing of Yule, the venerable Bede tells us in De Temporum Ratione:
They began the year on the 8th kalends of January, when we celebrate the birth of the Lord. That very night, which we hold so sacred, they used to call by the heathen word Modranecht, that is, ‘mother’s night’, because (we suspect) of the ceremonies they enacted all that night.
…
The months of Giuli derive their name from the day when the sun turns back [and begins] to increase, because one of [these months] precedes [this day], and the other follows…
Now, it is important to note here, that as of Bede’s writing, the Heathen Mother’s Night celebration he refers to may very well have been on the night of Christmas, but this is incidental; the Heathens of course did not use the Julian calendar for dating their festivals. Moreover, in this year, which was about 725 CE, this calendar was already known to be flawed, and was in a sense “losing days”. What Bede thought of as the 25th, would by our modern reckoning be the 29th of December. The astronomical Winter Solstice actually would have occurred on December 17th in that year, but by our modern Gregorian calendar, this would have been the 21st of December. From all of this we can discern the following:
- The Anglo-Saxon Heathens named the Yule months for the Solstice, the day the Sun ‘turns back’, a holiday that presumably bore the name that inspired the names of the months.
- The Anglo-Saxon Heathens celebrated Mother’s Night on the evening of Christmas Day (NOT Christmas Eve), though this would have been coincidental, the Heathen English having made no documented pre-conversion use of the Julian Calendar. Of note, this celebration is nowhere identified by Bede as being one and the same as the Solstice feast itself, as many including this author, had previously assumed.
- Mother’s Night (if we take Bede at face value), would have been celebrated on the eighth night following the commencement of Yuletide in 725 CE, by a simple count of days, making it the ninth night of the festival.
- The timing of the third named Yuletide feast, Twelfth-Day, is self explanatory.
As modern commentators have noted, Bede is quite relaxed about interchanging the scientific and anecdotal dating of solstices and equinoxes. Bede himself concedes that the popular dating of the Solstices in his day is not really accurate, when he says:
But because, as we have learned in connection with the calculation of Easter, the judgment of all the men of the East (and especially of the Egyptians, who, it is agreed, were the most skilled in calculation) is in particular agreement that the spring equinox is on the 12th kalends of April [21 March], we think that the three other turning-points of the seasons ought to be observed a little before [the date] given in the popular treatises.
— Bede, The Reckoning of Time
It is widely accepted that Bede, as a monastic scholar, found it agreeable to treat Christmas as the “Solstice” for all intents and purposes, despite his own concession that they were not perfectly aligned. Therefore, in our reconstructed calendar, Mother’s Night is no longer on Christmas (this would not have concerned pagans) but rather the eighth night following the astronomical Winter Solstice, Eight and Nine being auspicious numbers regardless of how pre-conversion Heathens truly calculated the dates, which we may never know. Additionally, when employing this methodology, the morning following Mother’s Night will mark the point at which the days will actually begin to dawn measurably earlier each day, and it may be that this “observable Solstice” is the occasion originally being commemorated by Romans on the 25th of December. It is not within our scope here, to fully explore or re-litigate how the “Birth of Christ” happened by human contrivance to be attached to this auspicious date, that of the Roman Saturnalia, in the teachings of the early Church, except to aver that it certainly did. In the same work, Bede goes on to say regarding the dating of Christmas:
To this they add the explanation that it was fitting that the Creator of eternal light should be conceived and born along with the increase of temporal light, and that the herald of penance, who must decrease, should be engendered and born at a time when the light is diminishing.
The “Herald of Penance” named here, would be John the Baptist, whose “birth” had been arbitrarily placed at Midsummer. The topic of Solstices and how they were perceived across the religions of Antiquity could indeed be the subject of a book in itself. It is sufficient for our purpose here however, to note that today the date of the Solstice is the 20th in some years, in others the 21st, and thus the beginning of Yuletide begins on this date in the Gregorian calendar. It is worth reiterating that the Heathen Anglo-Saxons did NOT ascribe to December 25th in the older Julian calendar, any particular significance. Rather, it is the Solstice they were marking, by celebrating the holy feast of Geóhol, which was followed by Mōdraniht, the ‘Mothers’ Night’ the timing of which might be debated at length, but would seem to have followed the Solstice and almost certainly had no relationship (beyond the coincidental) to the celebration of Christmas, in the minds of pre-conversion Anglo-Saxons. Rather it would have marked the night preceding the dawn of the day when the human eye and basic instrumentality could detect that the sun had indeed left its lowest stead, and was beginning to “return”. Thus it is a celebration of the new year.
These events were followed by a third attested “official” feast day; Twelfth-Day, or Twelftadæg.
Geóhol-blót
| Traditional Date | On or about the Winter Solstice |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | Dec 21st |
| Associated Gods | Woden, Wulð, Thunor, Ing, Frig |
The Yule Night itself Yule marked the longest night of the year and the return of the sun, symbolizing the rebirth of light and the coming of longer days. Many traditional activities were enjoyed on the evening of Yule to honor this important event. Some of these activities might have included:
Yule Log: The Yule log was a central element of the celebration. A large, specially chosen log, often from an oak tree, was brought into the home or community gathering place and ceremonially lit. It was meant to burn throughout the night, representing the returning sun’s light and warmth.
Feasting: Yule was a time of feasting and merriment. Communities would come together to share a lavish meal, featuring foods like roasted meats, root vegetables, fruits, nuts, and spiced ale or mead.
Bonfires: Besides the Yule log indoors, bonfires were often lit outdoors. People gathered around the fire for warmth, singing, dancing, and telling stories.
Yule Tree: The custom of decorating trees during Yule is of obscure origin, and while we can say that Heathen Germanic peoples decorated their homes with evergreen during Yuletide, the actual origin of the tree decorating tradition is very difficult to pin down. Nevertheless, given the symbolism and sanctity of certain trees such as the Pine, Oak, and Yew, it seems most appropriate to continue this tradition which has been widely adopted by Heathens of various stripes.
Divination: Yule was considered a liminal time when the veil between worlds was thin. People engaged in various divination practices to seek insights and guidance for the coming year.
Gift Giving: Exchanging gifts was a part of Yule festivities, symbolizing the spirit of giving and generosity during the holiday season.
Mummers Plays: Mummers plays were traditional folk plays performed during Yule, often featuring symbolic characters like the Sun King and the Winter King, reenacting their battles and the triumph of the returning light.
Singing and Chanting: Music played an essential role in Yule celebrations, with communal singing and chanting being integral to the festivities.
This would be a good time to hold a Husel in honor of the “Yule Beings” such as Woden, Wulð, Thunor, Ing and Frig.
Mōdraniht
| Traditional Date | On or about the Ninth Night of Yuletide |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | Dec 29th |
| Associated Gods | Idese, Nehalennia, Hludana, Baduhenna, Tamfana |
Modern Ingwine Heathenship as discussed elsewhere, venerates the powerful feminine ancestral spirits known as Idese. These figures, associated with the Matres and Matronae of Northwestern Europe, are today seen as fertility goddesses, shapers of fate, and numinous beings who grant luck and prosperity to individuals and families. Bede characterizes Mother’s Night as a New Year’s celebration (as are fundamentally, all Yuletide celebrations) and we have certain hints from antiquity that further cement this connection between a New Year’s feast following Yule Night, and the cult of Mothers. Bernadette Filotas states in Pagan Survivals, Superstitions and Popular Cultures in Early Medieval Pastoral Literature in 2005:
Caesarius of Arles denounced the rustic custom of setting little tables on New Year’s Eve with all the foods “necessary for eating” in the belief that this would ensure abundance for the coming year.
Caesarius of Arles was an ecclesiastic from Gaul, active in the late Fifth and early Sixth Centuries, writing in this case regarding remnants of paganism among the Goths, and particularly concerning offerings in observance of the New Year. The author goes on to say:
Martin of Braga in the 6th century warned his flock that garnishing the the table was the practice of a diabolical cult. In the eight-century “Homilia de Sacrilegiis”, ‘garnishing’ meant preparing tables at night with loaves of bread and other foods and treating them with reverence on the day itself.
Likewise Burchard, the Bishop of Worms writes in or about 1000 CE (Barth. 50, foll. 258vb–259ra) that he “felt obliged to condemn the practice of leaving food on the table with three knives for the Parcae.”
This would seem to be a reference to the cult of Mothers (Ideses) who are generally depicted collectively, and appearing in threes, in imagery that clearly resonates with the Norse “Norns”, triple goddesses that weave the fates of men as do the Greek Parcae. These attestations would seem to bear out, that on or approaching the end of the year, during Yuletide but after the Solstice, Germanic Heathens on the Continent were offering food to powerful female figures as early as the 5th Century, if not before.
In another important treatise connecting goddess worship with the Twelve Nights of Yuletide, the folklorist and linguist Jacob Grimm tells us in his Deutsche Mythologie in 1835:
In popular legends and nursery-tales, frau Holda (Hulda, Holle, Hulle, frau Holl) appears as a superior being, who manifests a kind and helpful disposition towards men, and is never cross except when she notices disorder in household affairs. None of the German races appear to have cherished these oral traditions so extensively as the Hessians and Thuringians (that Worms bishop was a native of Hesse). At the same time, dame Holle is found as far as the Voigtland, past the Rhön mts in northern Franconia,in the Wetterau up to the Westerwald, and from Thuringia she crosses the frontier of Lower Saxony. Swabia, Switzerland, Bavaria, Austria, North Saxony and Friesland do not know her by that name.
From what traditions has still preserved for us, we gather the following characteristics. Frau Holle is represented as a being of the sky, begirdling the earth: when it snows, she is making her bed, and the feathers of it fly. She stirs up snow, as Donar does rain: the Greeks ascribe the production of snow and rain to their Zeus: so that Holda comes before us a goddess of no mean rank. The comparison of snowflakes to feathers is very old; the Scythians pronounced the regions north of them inaccessible, because they were filled with feathers (Herod. 4, 7. conf. 31). Holda then must be able to move through the air, like dame Herke. She loves to haunt the lake and fountain; at the hour of noon she may be seen, a fair white lady, bathing in the flood and disappearing; a trait in which she resembles Nerthus. Mortals, to reach her dwelling, pass through the well; conf. the name wazzerholde.
Another point of resemblance is, that she drives about in a waggon. She has a linchpin put in it by a peasant whom she met; when he picked up the chips, they were gold. Her annual progress, which like those of Herke and Berhta, is made to fall between Christmas and Twelfth-day, when the supernatural has sway, and wild beasts like the wolf are not mentioned by their names, brings fertility to the land. Not otherwise does ‘Derk with the boar,’ that Freyr of the Netherlands (p. 214), appear to go his rounds and look after the ploughs. At the same time Holda, like Wuotan, can also ride on the winds, clothed in terror, and she, like the god, belongs to the ‘wutende heer.
This seems to confirm that Frig would be honored at this time, as one of the highest (if not the highest) goddesses of the Germanic peoples, though she is not often explicitly counted among the matronae.
In the Heathenship of today, A blót and celebratory húsel dedicated to the congregation’s Idese, either collectively or individually would certainly be appropriate on this night. It may seem well precedented to leave out three placesettings on this night for the mothers, or an offering with three knives.
When considering offerings to the Idese in this context, it seems safe to say that it would be fitting to honor not only Fríg, but other prominent mother goddesses of the highest order such as Nehalennia, Sunuxsal, or Hludana, as well as the literal mothers of the family or clan, the revered female ancestors of each household.
Twelftadæg (TheTwelfth Day of the Yule Festival)
| Traditional Date | Twelfth Day of Yule |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | January 1 |
| Associated Gods | Frig, Ing, nature spirits |
On this day, the final day of Yule, there are a number of observance that might fit with a modern celebration.
Wassailing: The term “wassail” comes from the Old English phrase “waes hael,” which means “be well” or “good health.” An interesting anecdote comes to us from Geoffrey of Monmouth in his 1135 book History of the Kings of Britain:
While Vortigern was being entertained at a royal banquet, the girl Renwein came out of an inner room carrying a golden goblet full of wine. She walked up to the King, curtsied low, and said “Lavert King, was hail!” When he saw the girl’s face, Vortigern was greatly struck by her beauty and was filled with desire for her. He asked his interpreter what it was that the girl had said and what he ought to reply to her. “She called you Lord King and did you honour by drinking your health. What you should reply is ‘drinc hail.’” Vortigern immediately said the words “drinc hail” and ordered Renwein to drink. Then he took the goblet from her hand, kissed her and drank in his turn. From that day to this, the tradition has endured in Britain that the one who drinks first at a banquet says “was hail” and he who drinks next says “drinc hail.”
Wassailing on Twelfth Night is really two traditions, one of which is more like what modern westerners would call “caroling”. The other involves wassailing apple trees. The tradition of wassailing people involved singing and toasting to the health and prosperity of the community. People would go from house to house, offering blessings and well-wishes for the upcoming year. There was sometimes an implied desire for reciprocity, particularly if the wassailers were of lower class than the householders, who might be expected to let them in and feed them!
Wassailing trees, would proceed somewhat differently. The wassailers would carry a bowl filled with a warm and spiced beverage, also known as wassail. The traditional wassail drink was often made from mulled cider or ale, sweetened with honey, and at least in post-conversion times, flavored with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. The general accessibility of some of these spices in Anglo-Saxon England is somewhat doubtful when it regards the common folk, it may be more safely assumed that this beverage once originally sweet mead, or wine. The beverage was intended to symbolize the wassailers’ good wishes and blessings for the tree and the harvest.
During the ceremony, the wassailers would sing traditional songs and recite rhymes or incantations specific to their local customs. The purpose was to wake up the tree and drive away any evil spirits or harmful influences that could hinder its growth and fruitfulness. The wassailers would then pour some of the wassail onto the tree’s roots or place pieces of toast soaked in wassail in the branches as offerings to the tree and the spirits.
“Here’s to thee, old apple-tree,
— A wassailing Song
Whence thou may’st bud, and whence thou may’st blow,
And whence thou may’st bear apples enow
Hats full! caps full!
Bushel-bushel-sacks full,
And my pockets full, too, huzza!”
In return for their blessings and libations, the wassailers hoped for a successful and fruitful harvest in the upcoming year. The ceremony was also seen as a way to foster a sense of community and encourage goodwill among the participants.
First Footing: First footing, also known as “first foot,” is a traditional custom observed in various parts of the United Kingdom, including England, during the New Year’s celebrations. It is believed to bring good luck for the coming year and has roots in ancient pagan and Scottish traditions.
The custom involves the first person to enter a household after midnight on New Year’s Eve (or in some cases, shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day). This first visitor is called the “first footer” and is considered significant in determining the household’s fortune for the upcoming year.
Traditionally, the ideal first footer is a tall, dark-haired man, as he is believed to bring good luck and prosperity. Fair-haired or red-haired first footers were considered less auspicious, possibly because they were associated with Viking invaders in Scotland’s history. However, in modern times, these specific beliefs have become more lighthearted and less rigidly followed.
The first footer often carries symbolic gifts, such as coal, bread, salt, whisky, or coins. These gifts represent elements that are believed to bring different forms of prosperity: coal for warmth, bread for food, salt for wealth, whisky for good cheer, and coins for financial abundance.
Upon entering the house, the first footer offers these symbolic gifts to the occupants while exchanging New Year’s greetings and well-wishes. The host may then offer the first footer food and drink to celebrate the occasion.
In some regions, it is considered unlucky for the first footer to leave empty-handed, so the host may also offer a small gift or token in return.
Note: Other sources will say that “Old Twelfth Night” was the 5th of January, which is true, but predicated on the Yuletide beginning on the 25th, in the Julian Calendar.
Spring and Early Summer Festivals
Sigetiber
| Traditional Date | Within 8 days of the Full Moon in Sol-mōnaþ |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | The 21st-22nd of February |
| Associated Gods | Woden |
This Frisian festivity is attested in several 19th Century journals by various Dutch and German scholars, including the genealogist and heraldic scholar, Johannes Baptista Rietstap. While it is quite probable that the English Saxons also observed such a rite, it is in Frisia that we find the tradition documented. We use the attested Old English term (Sigetiber ‘Victory Sacrifice’) as the putative name for this holiday, as the Frisian name used in antiquity is lost to us. It was reputed to have been celebrated on or about the eve of February 22, when the weather was again becoming conducive to seafaring, and new ventures abroad. The following custom, in various forms, has been documented concerning this night:
–Archiv für Geschichte, Statistik, Kunde der Verwaltung und Landesrechte der Herzogthümer Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg
On the day of St. Peter in Cathedra (Feb 22) a great festival was formerly held in North Friesland. It was a spring festival; for then the mariners left the shore and put out to sea. On the eve of the above-mentioned day great fires (Biiken) were lighted on certain hills, and all then, with their wives and sweethearts, danced around the flames, every dancer holding in his hand a wisp of burning straw, which he swung about, crying all the time: "Wedke teare!" or "Vike tare!" (Wedke, i.e. Woden, consume!). That is, consume (accept) the offerings, as in the days of heathenism.
Volume 4
Rietstap tells us in 1872 in his Magazine for Heraldry, Genealogy, Seals and Medals, of a slight variation on this chant, claiming Frisians would leap and dance around bonfires and shout (Wedke neem onze offers aan! ‘ Woden accept our offerings!’)
It seems clear that this was a sacrifice to Woden for victory in upcoming Spring campaigns, raids, or other adventures that were soon to be undertaken. While the attestations are quite late and the true provenance of the tradition unknown, it seems probable this is a remembrance of a genuine pre-conversion sacrifice, certainly it is entirely Heathen in spirit. Bede tells us that another name for Sol-mōnaþ is ‘The Month of Cakes’, on account of the offerings that heathens made to their gods at this time. Today, this is an opportunity to seek the favor of Woden in both military and non-military ventures that we will be embarking upon in the new year. The lighting of beacon fires and dancing or chanting would be an integral part of the holiday tradition, possibly following Huselgang, when the God’s portion is being burnt.
Lencten-tíd
| Traditional Date | The Full Moon in Hréð-mōnaþ |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | Early March |
| Associated Gods | Hréðe, Hludana |
While it is related the modern English word “Lent”, in Old English, Lencten-tíd simply means “Spring time”. In our calendar, the feast of Hréðe and Hludana takes place on or before the full moon in Hréð-mōnaþ. During the Early Medieval period in England and the North Sea region, this would be a month of plowing and fertilizing (with manure) for the farmers, and thus the Goddesses of Spring and of the Earth might well have been honored, in the hope of a fruitful planting soon to come. Thus this month is called Hrēþ-mōnaþ ‘The Month of Hrēþe’ and also Hlyd–mōnaþ, ‘The Month of Wildness’, the term hlyd seeming very likely to be tied to the name Hludana, perhaps meaning “Wild Waves”.
Eáster-freólsdæg
| Traditional Date | The Full Moon in Easter-mōnaþ |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | First Week of April |
| Associated Gods | Éostre |
Eáster-freólsdæg is a festivity held around the beginning of April, to honor the goddess of spring and fertility. Some remnants of the traditions around this pagan celebration are still widely spread today.
It was around the time, when most plants started to show their heads, the crops would soon need to be sown, the chickens laid more eggs and the cows started producing a little more milk again. Strained from the hardships of winter, our ancestors venerated the goddess Ēostre to help them on their endeavours in the coming year, to bless the crops and the chickens. Ēostre is depicted with a hare, a hare known today as the Easter bunny.
Since Christianity has aimed to replace the traditions associated with this festival, it can be assumed that the general timing of the Easter festivities may have been similar before, which is typically the case in most years, if one follows the Lunisolar Calendar. Leading up to the festivities, our ancestors would take the first herbs to show their heads each spring and make them into a soup. They would give their families strength for the year as they were blessed by the goddess. A recipe for this “magical” soup can be found in the cooking section. Another tradition most likely pagan in origin are the english hot cross buns, which depending on the source are said to bring fortune in different ways, never spoil, or possess other special qualities. Another tradition involves hanging eggs from trees who haven’t developed their leaves for this year yet.
The tradition of egg hunting most likely goes back to a story concerning Ēostre, who came across a bird with broken wings. Winter was coming and the bird could not fly to a warmer place and thus would have to die. Ēostre took pity in the bird and decided that she was going to save it. She used her powers to turn the bird into a hare so it could survive the cold. When spring came around, the hare was so sad about not being a bird anymore that the goddess allowed him to lay eggs once a year, and hide them for the children and the hare was happy again.
Prior to the celebration, a great pile of wood is put together. It will be lit on the sunset proceeding the full moon of Easter-mōnaþ and when the fire has reached the top of the pile, a blòt will be held in honor of the goddess, asking her to warm the land and chase away the cold. Any offerings are given to the flames and a symbel follows.
The morning after the full moon Ēostre’s true festival begins. Early in the morning the kids are woken by their parents telling them they’ve seen a hare around the house. The kids then go search for the eggs which will be used in a big breakfast for everyone. During breakfast offerings will be made and prayers may be spoken. Later on that day, a great blòt will again take place invoking Ēostre to bless cattle and crops or whatever a certain group may live off.
Blostm-freóls
| Traditional Date | The New Moon in Þrimilc-monath |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | April 30-May 2 |
| Associated Gods | Thur, Geofon, Erce |
The Society celebrates Blostm-Freols, a holiday dedicated to growth, joy, and the protection of crops and livestock, as well as being a time for our local communities to gather and discuss business. We honor Thur and his mother, The Earth Mother, Erce. We also venerate Geofon, goddess of sexuality, fertility, plowing and foresight. While much of the pre-conversion thinking and tradition around this holy tide is lost to the ages, it is possible to reconstruct some of it. The term Blostm-Freols, meaning “Blossom Festival” is attested as a gloss for the Roman festival of Floralia, which would have occurred at about this time. Whether or not the Anglo-Saxons also used this name for a native Germanic May festival of their own is uncertain, but the existence of such a festival seems quite likely. No other better-attested name survives.
The Old English poem “Menologium” (75-79, ed. Kazutomo Karasawa, The Old English Metrical Calendar, p. 76) describes the arrival of the month of May and the tradition of decorating with branches and leaves:
“Swylce in burh raþe [embe siex niht þæs,]105 smicere on gearwum, wudum and wyrtum cymeð wlitig scriðan þrymilce on tun, þearfe bringeð Maius micle geond menigeo gehwær.”
Likewise in the town,
About six nights after [Rogation Day, April 25], elegant in dress,
In boughs and in plants, the beautiful Thrimilce comes
Swiftly gliding into town. May brings much
Of what is needed through crowds everywhere.
This suggests a connection to the practice of “bringing in the May” that was popular in medieval Europe. The Old English month of Þrimilc-monath (literally “thrice-milking month”) roughly corresponds to the modern month of May. The name likely derives from the increased frequency of milking cows during this time due to the improving weather and abundance of fresh grass, which results in the cows producing more milk.
The improvement in weather during Þrimilc-monath also coincides with the growing season for many crops, making it an important time for farmers. The Anglo-Saxons relied heavily on agriculture, and this time of year was crucial for planting and tending to crops such as wheat, barley, and vegetables. The increased milk production from cows during Þrimilc-monath would have been important for making cheese and other dairy products, which were staples in the Anglo-Saxon diet. Matters of agriculture and the sharing of tools and labor may have been very important subjects for discussion and even legal proceedings.
We have attestation to the fact that the Anglo-Saxons held local community meetings known as a folc-gemot, on or about May 1. The Anglo-Saxon Law codes on folc-gemot provide insight into the importance of community gatherings for discussing business, with punishments outlined for those who failed to attend. The laws of Æthelred, for example, state:
“Let every man who wishes to be considered a freeman attend the gemot without fail, unless he has a reasonable excuse. If he does not attend, and has no reasonable excuse, let him pay a fine of 120 shillings. If he is unwilling to pay, let him be declared an outlaw.”
Similarly, the laws of Ine state that:
“If any freeman, who has been bidden to the gemot, does not attend, let him pay 6 shillings to the king as a fine. If he refuses, let him be summoned to the next gemot. If he still does not attend, let him pay another 6 shillings, and let him be summoned a third time. If he still does not attend, let him be fined 120 shillings and declared an outlaw.”
This reflects the importance of community cooperation in maintaining successful agriculture and livestock production.
As for the connection to Thur and Mother Earth, it is worth considering modern German traditions around the Donnarsbaum (or “Thunnor’s Tree”) which is often erected on May Day. The Donnarsbaum today is typically adorned with ribbons and other decorations, similar to the Maypole, and is connected with the god Thunnor (Thur) who was often associated with oak trees. In the Vita Eligii, a biography of St. Eligius written by his contemporary, St. Ouen of Rouen, Eligius is quoted as telling his Frankish congregation:
“No one should observe Jove’s day in idleness without holy festivities, not in May or any other time.”
This seems to imply that idleness or relaxation in May was an issue for Eligius. Jove’s day in Germanic countries of course is Thur’s Day, or Thursday. This seems to imply a connection between Thur, and a May festival of some kind. In addition, Thur was seen as a protector of agriculture and livestock, making him a fitting deity to invoke during a festival dedicated to the growth and protection of these resources. Similarly, Mother Earth, whom we call Erce (or Nerthus in early Germanic mythology) was also associated with fertility and abundance, and may have been venerated during May Day celebrations.
Finally, while not directly attested, we venerate Geofon at this time of year, for a successful conclusion to the season’s plowing and principal Spring-planting, and to ask her blessings for new marriages, unions, and for the growth of crops and livestock.
In an Anglo-Saxon context, a Mayday festival would likely involve a variety of traditions and activities related to the celebration of the arrival of spring and the growth of crops and livestock.
One such tradition might involve the erection of a maypole or other symbolic representation of fertility and growth, decorated with flowers, ribbons, and other adornments. This may have been accompanied by singing, dancing, and other festive activities.
Another tradition may have involved the preparation and sharing of special foods and drinks, such as mead or other fermented beverages, as well as dishes made from fresh spring vegetables and herbs.
Litha and Midsummer Day
Midsumordæg
| Traditional Date | The Day of the Summer Solstice |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | On or about June 21 |
| Associated Gods | Helith, Ing, Sunne |
In Ingwine Heathenship, Midsummer celebrations serve to honor and celebrate the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. These celebrations are deeply rooted in ancient pagan traditions and revolve around themes of honoring the sun, celebrating nature’s bounty, and fostering a sense of community and camaraderie. People partake in rituals, feasting, and various customs to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness and to invoke the power of the sun for prosperity, protection, and abundance in the coming months.
Water and Springs: Midsummer traditions around bathing in natural bodies of water involve the belief in the magical properties of water on this special day. People bathe in lakes, rivers, or sacred springs during Midsummer to purify themselves, seek healing, and ensure good health and fertility for the year ahead. The morning dew is also considered magical, and gathering dewdrops from grass and leaves is believed to bring beauty, luck, and vitality. These water-related rituals are deeply rooted in ancient pagan customs and continue to be cherished in some regions as part of Midsummer celebrations in various cultures. As traditions have blended and merged over time, and Christianity subsumed some older customs, it is hard to know what the exact origins of some of these practices truly are. However today in Scandinavia and in Central Europe, there remain vestiges of these traditions and tantalizing clues as to their ancient meanings.
In Britain, we see associations of water and healing with the god Helith, whose sacred sites had potentially been appropriated during the Gregorian Mission. He was associated with springs and healing and has been compared to Asclepius. This invites close consideration of St. John’s Day traditions that ascribe to St. John numerous associations we will touch upon below, which almost certainly did not originate with him. Such associations include healing by means of water or springs, and the burning of Mugwort, a tradition with incredibly dubious origins in the mythology of John the Baptist, given the clear connection of Mugwort to divination and purification in many pre-Christian cultures, including that of the Anglo-Saxons. To this day, many Scandinavians mark Midsummer with bathing in springs, in spas, or with the use of Saunas, none of which can be reasonably posited to originate in Middle-Eastern cultures, such as the Levantine culture in which the quasi-historical John the Baptist actually (might have) lived. There is very obvious syncretism here, where St. John seems to have become bound up with cleansing and healing rites that have no Biblical connection. In our reconstructed calendar, we ascribe the traditions of bathing in natural bodies of water for spiritual cleansing and healing to Heathen figures such as Helith.
Flower Crowns and Garlands: Flower crowns and garlands are often associated with Midsummer festivities. These floral accessories were sometimes worn by young people, especially by maidens, as a symbol of beauty and to attract potential suitors.
Bonfires and Burning of Herbs: Burning Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) at Midsummer is a traditional practice in parts of Germany and other European countries. Mugwort, known as “Beifuß” in German, has a long history in traditional medicine and folklore. It was believed to ward off evil spirits and negative energies, with its aromatic smoke providing a purified and safe environment. In some regions of Germany, Mugwort (and possibly Vervain) is still worn during Midsummer festivities, which involve dancing around and leaping over fires for purification. At the festivities’ end, the mugwort and other herbs are thrown into the fires with a spoken charm, such as “May all my ill-luck depart and be burnt up with these.”
This and similar practices are documented in greater detail by Edward A. Armstrong in his article, “Mugwort Lore” published in Folklore Vol. 55, No. 1 (Mar, 1944), pp. 22-27. Concerning the buring of mugwort at Midsummer, he writes:
In the of Isle of Man, where mugwort was called Bollan feaill-Eotn “John’s feast-wort,” it was gathered on Midsummer Eve ‘‘as a preventive against the influence of witchcraft ’’ and placed in chaplets on the heads of man and beast to ward off evil influences. In France, where it is also called after the Midsummer Day Saint, it is worn to prevent aches and pains. In Germany the people had like customs and eventually threw the girdles and crowns of mugwort into the Midsummer fire. In East Prussia it was used for divination.
He goes on to add:
These beliefs and practices are of very ancient origin. The mugwort lore in the herbalists Gerarde, Parkinson and Culpeper was derived from Dioscorides, Apuleius and Pliny, but the plant was a herb to conjure with long before any of these writers lived. Probably Stone Age magicians used it in their rites.
Divination for Love: Midsummer was considered a time when divination and fortune-telling were particularly potent. Young people might engage in divination practices to gain insights into their romantic futures or to seek answers about their love life.
Lovers’ Walks: In some places, couples would take leisurely walks through fields or forests on Midsummer’s Eve, enjoying each other’s company and the beauty of nature.
These and other other traditions, some of which overlap those of Blostm-Freols, should serve as inspiration for the modern festival of Midsummer Day, a celebration of life, health, love and purification.
The Harvest Season
The pre-conversion Anglo-Saxons almost certainly observed a number of harvest and reaping related festivals in late Summer and Autumn. These are reconstructed as best as possible from historical sources, but again, the primary intent here is to be faithful to the spirit of such holy occasions, and the exact details of how and when these events were observed and the provenance of many surviving folk traditions that we draw on today, are far from certain.
Bendfeorm
| Traditional Date | The first full day of Weod-mōnaþ |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | On or about the First of August |
| Associated Gods | Beowa, Ing |
This festival is based upon the attested Early-Harvest festivals of England, which survive in Christian traditions as Lammas, or Hláfmæsse-dæg. It is poorly attested from a Christian standpoint as anything other than a feast marking the beginning of August, but the date does correspond closely with other Pagan observances noted in Great Britain at this time, such as the Gaelic Lughnasadh, which is known to have been an observance of the beginning of the Harvest tide. As such, it seems highly probable the English and other Germanic settlers of the British Isles adopted such a practice before Christianity absconded with and “re-branded” the festival as (Hláfmæsse-dæg ‘Loaf Mass Day’).
During this time frame, the first grain harvest would be underway, and likely would be celebrated with beer, and a feast prepared from the season’s first bounty. The attested name Bendfeorm literally means “binding feast”, and stems from the binding of corn stalks after mowing. This would be an excellent time to give thanks to Beowa, the Grain Spirit, for the bounty that we or others on our behalf, are gathering in during the waning days of Summer.
Hærfestlíc Freólsung
| Traditional Date | After the Full Moon in Hālig-mōnaþ |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | Late September |
| Associated Gods | Woden, Frig |
The Autumnal Festival, or in Old English, Hærfestlíc Freólsung, is a celebration of the final stages of bringing in or “ingathering” cereal and vegetable crops. By the time the next major holy tide of Winter-fylleþ had arrived, crops were considered subject to being “blasted” by a púca, which is to say, afflicted by frost and rendered inedible.
The Saxons and sister tribes observed variations on a similar tradition, of leaving the Last Sheaf of grain in the fields unharvested, a tribute to Woden for his horse. In some regions, this sheaf was made into a Corn Doll, also known as a Corn Maiden or in Latin, vetula. These were thought to give the grain spirit somewhere to live over the Winter months, and were often ploughed into the first furrow of the new season at the plough festivities (Frazer, 1890). We also see Grimm, quoted here in Bullfinch’s Mythology recounting:
Wodan has long since died out of the minds of the people, yet his character and actions are clearly shown in tradition, and his name also appears in proverbial sayings, charms, and invocations. Seventy years ago the Mecklenburg farmers, after the harvest was brought home, used to give their labourers Wodel-beer, a feast at which there was plenty to eat and drink. The people poured out some of the beer upon the harvest field, drank some themselves, and then danced round the last remaining sheaf of corn, swinging their hats and singing:
“Wôld! Wôld! Wôld!
hävenhüne weit wat schüt,
jümm hei dal van häven süt.
Vulle kruken un sangen hät hei,
upen holte wässt manigerlei:
hei is nig barn un wert nig old.
Wôld! Wôld! Wôld!”*“Wôld! Wôld! Wôld!
— Grimm’s “Teutonic Mythology,” translated by J. S. Stallybrass, vol. i, p. 156. (London: Sonnenschein nd Allen.)
The Heaven-Giant knows what happens here;
From Heaven downwards he does peer.
He has full pitchers and cans.
In the wood grows many a thing.
He ne’er was child, and ne’er grows old,
Wôld! Wôld! Wôld!”
Winter-fylleþ
| Traditional Date | The Full Moon in Winter-fylleþ |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | October 31st |
| Associated Gods | Woden, Ingui, Ælfe |
Literally “Winter Full-Moon”, this feast honors Igui, Woden, and the Ælfe, the masculine guardian spirits of the people.
Heathens in Anglo-Saxon England would have had their crops gathered in by this date, so that pucas (evil spirits) didn’t defecate on them or “blast” them, with frost. It is also about this time of year that Woden and perhaps his wife Frige, The Queen of Heaven, would embark on the Wild Hunt. This event is recorded in English lore as Woden’s Hunt or as the Herlaþing, and is in the latter case associated with a mysterious figure known as King Herla, whom folklorists identify as a disguised form of Woden.
This would likely have been seen as a procession of gods, elves, and spectral beings traversing the land or skies, seeking out unclean beings or ghosts. It is entirely possible that this tradition interlocks in some way with later traditions around “trick-or-treat”, wherein a questionable stranger appears at the door, and must be propitiated in some way without giving them entrance to the house. Similarly, in Viking Age Scandinavia, Heathens celebrated the thematically similar Álfablót in late fall, and honored the Alfar (Elves) in addition to possibly, Odin and even Freyr. There is an attestation in Austrfararvísur of the Christian skald, Sigvatr Þórðarson seeking hospitality on this night by knocking on doors, whereupon he was largely ignored, and told by one woman to go away lest Odin be offended, saying “we are heathens here!”
One can see from these tidbits of lore, that there is a thematic crossover with the modern secular version of Halloween. In fact Halloween itself is a Christian creation, though it is often linked with earlier pagan lore surrounding the Gaelic festival of Samhain. However, it seems clear given the connection of the Wild Hunt, and the furtive celebrations of friendly guardian spirits while eschewing the company of unknown people or beings, that Winterfylleþ may indeed have played a role in the shaping of today’s Halloween, with Woden in his guise as the Lord of the Dead driving his huntsmen across the skies, while roaming spooks and goblins wander the land, and householders buy them off with candy and treats to leave the house in peace.
Today, we celebrate this night as the beginning of the Winter half of the year, and as death overtakes the natural world in the form of Winter…we are mindful of those who have gone before us, and who may yet remain among us, granting us their guidance and luck.
Andetnes-blót
| Traditional Date | The week following the Full Moon in Blōt-mōnaþ |
| Suggested Gregorian Date | November 11 |
| Associated Gods | Seaxneat, Tanfana, Nehalennia, Any |
The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, this high feast is a celebration of all the gods of the people, and marks the time of year during which the ancient heathens would have had to sacrifice all the livestock they could not sustain over the Winter. Bede remarks that Novembris, as they would have said in Latin, November, is in the Anglo-Saxon calendar a “Month of Immolations”, referring to the practice of burning offerings to the gods:
Blodmonath is ‘‘month of immolations’’, for then the cattle which were to be slaughtered were
-The Reckoning of Time, Bede
consecrated to their gods.
We here propose a modern date of November 11th, as it has been suggested with some merit that the Feast of Saint Martin was placed on that date to absorb and re-purpose the existing Heathen High Feast (Chaney, 1970). It would be appropriate at this time to offer sacrifices in thanks for a bountiful harvest in the past growing season, and for peace. It would also be good to remain mindful at this time, of the bounty and blessings already enjoyed following the current year’s harvest. Thus this High Feast aligns well with modern Thanksgiving celebrations in North America.
Regarding deities specifically tied to this event, we can only speculate, from an historical perspective. However, according to J. David Bishop in his article “Dating in Tacitus by Moonless Nights” in 1960, it seems likely that the Roman attack on the shrine of Tamfana occurred in this month, during what Tacitus describes as her main feast. We therefore choose to honor Tamfana in her role as a provider of plenty at this time.
Also, venerating Seaxneat in November offers a meaningful and culturally rooted way to express gratitude and seek blessings during this transitional time of the year. As Seaxneat embodies both the war god Tiw and the god of hunting and fishing, he represents significant aspects of life that were vital to Heathen communities.
Firstly, in his guise as Tiw, we express our gratitude and thanksgiving for Seaxneat’s protection and preservation of our people during times of war. November was historically a time when conflicts and battles subsided as the harvest season came to an end. By venerating Seaxneat as Tiw, we recognize the importance of peace and safety during this period of reflection and the potential dangers that were once faced.
Secondly, Seaxneat’s association with hunting and fishing becomes particularly relevant in November. As the livestock were culled for winter provisions and farming activities diminished, hunting and fishing became crucial sources of sustenance for pre-industrial societies. By honoring Seaxneat, we pay homage to the resources provided by nature, acknowledging the interdependence between humanity and the natural world.
Additionally, Seaxneat’s connection to hunting and fishing goes beyond mere sustenance; it represents the skill, knowledge, and fraught but important relationship with nature that our ancestors exhibited during this time of year.
Similarly, the author proposes that this occasion would be a good one for honoring Nehalennia, a goddess of fertility and a protector of seafarers, who would potentially be returning home from abroad, and may even have chosen a autumnal event such as this one, to dedicate votive offerings to the goddess, to thank her for guiding them home after difficult journeys. It is also thought that she is a Goddess not only of horticulture but hunting, and like Seaxneat, it may be appropriate to call upon her good auspices at this time of year.
