Yule in Iceland / Viking Holiday Traditions

[Gunnora Hallakarva]

I received the following interesting information From: ambatt at infinet.com
======================================================

With the Yule holiday time approaching, there is an interesting 
web-page concerning Yule Traditions and Yule Lore in ancient and 
modern Icelandic times that includes information as it relates to 
the subject matter of ONN, at the following URL:

  http://www.itn.is/~gunnsi/yule.htm

This Icelandic web-page (in English), by Garðar Jóhann (Gardar 
Jo'hann), includes such topics as Origin of Yule, Saga Yule, 
Medieval Yule, etc. as they relate to ancient and modern Iceland.

For those who are not able to visit that URL, the following is a 
summary of that information relating to ONN, with thanks given to 
Garðar Jóhann:

Origin of Yule
==========
  A celebration of the winter solstice has been held since time
immemorial in the Northern Hemisphere.  Through the ages, the 
festival has had many names.  It is certain that a mid-winter 
festival called Yule was celebrated in the Nordic countries well 
before the year 1000. 
  Though challenged by some scholars, the fact that Yule/Jól 
(Jo'l) was celebrated in Iceland and throughout the Northern 
Hemisphere well before the advent of Christianity is now widely 
accepted.  The exact date, or dates, that Yule was celebrated is 
not certain, but probably it was connected to the full moon 
nearest to the winter solstice.  
  The name itself has been retained in many languages: Yule - 
Jól - Jul . . .  Some scholars think it comes from one of the 
names of Óðinn (Odinn), others have theorized that it came from 
the name of Julius Caesar.  And it has also been suggested that 
Jól (Jo'l) is derived from the Old-Nordic word for wheel: Hjól
(Hjo'l), the theory being that the wheel of the year has come 
full circle.  This ancient festival has (given us the Icelandic 
greeting) Gleðileg Jól (Gledileg Jo'l) - Merry Christams.

Saga Yule 
==========
  There are numerous references in the Icelandic Sagas to 
celebration of Yule, but they are very sparse in their 
description of how Yule was celebrated in those times.  No real 
contemporary accounts exits, but a piece of verse, considered to 
be from the Ninth Century, refers to the "drinking of Yule". 
  There are numerous other references to this "drinking of Yule", 
for example in The Story of Hákon Háreksson (Ha'kon Ha'reksson), 
it is stated: "He held three main feasts every year, Yule, middle 
of winter and Easter".  
  In Egils saga Skallagrímssonar (Skallagrimssonar), the Yule 
feast of Egil's friend Arinbjörn (Arinbjo:rn) hesir is detailed, 
and in The Saga of Grettir, two farmers in Norway drink Yule 
together.
  Almost the only thing that comes through clearly in the 
references to Yule in the Saga era, is that feasts, drinking and 
Yule Ale were common features.  In Eyrbyggja saga, the existence 
of a large amount of ale just before Yule is a fact that seems to 
be too normal to require explanation.  And in the Saga of 
Greenland, Eiríkur rauði, Eric the Red, was worried that he could 
not prepare for Yule as well as he knew he should.  But 
Þorfinnur Karlsefni (Thorfinnur), just back from America, saved 
the day, as he had carried with him malt for ale making. 
  These Yule Feasts were of course different in size and 
splendour, from the chieftains inviting scores of people to Yule, 
to just the residents of one farm "drinking Yule" together.  In 
the larger Yule feasts of the chieftains, guests received gifts 
upon departure, and this departure was after feasting several 
days.  
  The chieftains also wanted to decorate their houses for Yule, 
as can be seen when farmer Ingjaldur, who did not like foreigners 
at all, accepted decorative material from a Norwegian to use at 
his yule feast.  The proud farmer, who detested foreign 
merchants, could not resist having the best decorative materials 
available for his Yule feast, even if the source was a foreign 
merchant.  
  There are no indications that any religious practices were 
connected to Yule in the Saga era . . . as the contemporary 
references are lacking.  

Medieval Yule 
================
  In early Medieval times, the Yule feasts were continued, even 
if the occasion had changed.  In the Thirteenth Century, several 
of the most powerful chieftains in Iceland, such as the historian 
Snorri Sturluson, his nemesis Gissur Þorvaldsson (Thorvaldsson), 
Snorri's kinsmen Þórður (Tho'rdur) Kakali and Þorgils Skarði 
(Thorgils Skardi), all hald large feasts at Yule.  And so did the 
Bishops of the bishopric at Hólar (Ho'lar).  These were large 
feasts, which lasted for several days and included dancing, 
games and sports and other entertainment.

Yule Today 
==================
  Þorláksmessa (Thorla'ksmessa) - St. Thorlakur's Day (December 
    23).  Iceland's major native Saint is St. Thorlakur 
    Thorhallsson, Bishop of Skalholt.  December 23 commemorates 
    his death in 1193.
  Jól (Jo'l) - Yule/Christmas:  Celebrations start in Iceland at 
    6pm on Christmas Eve, Yule Eve.  This may come from the fact 
    that in the old days, a new day began not at midnight, but at 
    6pm.  Thus in Iceland, there are thirteen (not twelve) days 
    in the Yuletide season.
  Aðfangadagur (Adfangadagur) - Christmas Eve/Yule Eve 
  Jóladagur (Jo'ladagur) - Christmas Day/Yule Day 
  Annar Jóladagur (Jo'ladagur) - Boxing Day 
  Gamlárskvöld/Nýársdagur (Gamla'rskvo:ld/Ny'a'rsdagur) - 
    New Year's Eve/New Year's Day 
  Þrettándinn (Thretta'ndinn) - Twelfth Night - January 6th. 

Traditional Yule Food:  
======================
  Hangikjöt (Hangikjo:t) - smoked mutton
  Kjötsúpa (Kjo:tsu'pa) - mutton soup 
  Rjúpa (Rju'pa) - rock ptarmigan 
  Grautur - porridge 
  Laufabrauð (Laufabraud) - leaf bread

======================================================
All comments or corrections should be referred to the original author of
this information.  The original poster is:
B. N. Dixson
ambatt at infinet.com 
http://www.infinet.com/~ambatt/

======================================================
I hope this info proves useful!

Wassail and God Jul,
::GUNNORA::

Gunnora Hallakarva
Herskerinde
===========================================
Ek eigi visa (th)ik hversu o(dh)lask Lofstirrlauf-Kruna
heldr hversu na Hersis-A(dh)al