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Thruðheim Yule Blót 2009
December 19-20, 2009
Yule blót |
With Winter finally officially arrived, the Folk of Thrudheim Kindred gathered on Solstice Night at the home of Bernhard to celebrate the High Feast of Yule. As it has been since time out of mind, Yule is a special time of year, and all hearts were warmed to be together for it. Arriving guests were greeted with Bernhard and Sheri's ample hospitality and a buffet of delicious and festive treats and warm cider. These were more than enough to shake off the cold and liven all spirits as conversations and catching up ensued until it was time to dim the lights for Sumbel.
The folk building ritual went for four rounds of toasting to the Gods and Folk, and the airing of boasts and hopes before winding to a close.
But the night's festivities were far from over! When the drinking horns were put aside, the lyric sheets were distributed and the Kindred made their voices as one for a Yuletide sing-along. Those with actual singing talent were more than willing and capable of helping the rest of us lug the sloshing buckets in which we attempted to carry tunes, and we all sounded pretty good together if you ask this humble scribe. We sang a mixture of traditional holiday songs, original Heathen-themed Yule songs, as well as some old familar tunes with Heathen lyrics. Perhaps most fun was attempting to sing 'O Tannenbaum' in German, when few of us are actually fluent in the tongue, and singing the Jarl's personal, Thrudheim themed rendition of 'The 12 Days of Yule', (Though an undisclosed individual(s) may have taken offense to the slanderous suggestion of the somnolent succeptibility of certain soporific Saxons, but I digress).
As the caroling subsided, grazing resumed, and an old nemesis of the Kindred days of yore resurfaced thanks to Ted. A little concoction known as Old Krupnik, or colloquially as "Grizzly Baerenjaeger". Legends speak of it laying low many a stout fellow once upon a time, and those of us who were not there know it to be true by the tredidant caution with which the bottle was approached, or how by some it was avoided entirely. Too quicky it seemed, the hour grew late, and the Folk departed for the night.
The next day we returned to Bernhard's homestead, as we mingled we all took a few minutes to speak to our Texas delegation, Talon and Felicia on the telephone. Though they could not be with us, hearing their voices was the next best thing. When the time for the holy work came, Cliff served as Godhi for our Yule Blot. Imagery of Yuletides past was invoked, and hopes for many more in the years to come were instilled. We gave the blessed offering to the earth, and tied our wishes for the coming year, written in runes, to Yule wreath and burned it, sending both to Asgard. After the Blot came the delicous feast and the Runic Santa gift exchange. Everyone took it in turns to reveal who their mystery gifter was and open their gift, and all the cool stuff we got was passed around for everyone to see. And soon enough it was time for everyone to bid eachother and 2009 farewell, for it will be a new year when next the Folk of Thrudheim meet.
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