Winternights is a blot within the Germanic and Norse Heathen Calendar, celebrated on the second Full Moon after the Fall Equinox, placing it usually very close to Samhain. This is a blot written by Birch V. Baum. It can be done solo or adapted for a small public ritual.
Light the fire in the center of the circle and turn to face it
Wodin, Hear Me/Us!
You who hung upon Ydrassil Nine Days and Nine Nights
Hear Us!
Mother Erde, Hear Me/Us!
You who are the ground we walk on, the planet we love
Hear Us!
Turn to face the north
North Wind
You who blow cold wind upon your icy breath
Be with us now in this night and on this hour
Tell us of what this winter shall bring
Reveal it with the runes
~Draw Rune for the North ~
Turn to face the East
East Wind
You who blow hurricanes to us across the wide Atlantic Sea
Be with us now in this night and on this hour
Tell us of what this winter shall bring
Reveal it with the runes
~Draw Rune for the East~
Turn to face the South
South Wind
You who blow from tropical climes across white sand beaches
Be with us now in this night and on this hour
Tell us of what this winter shall bring
Reveal it with the runes
~Draw Rune for the South~
Turn to face the West
West Wind
You who blow to us across the sawgrassed Everglades sacred to our Lady
Be with us now in this night and on this hour
Tell us of what this winter shall bring
Reveal it with the runes
~Draw Rune for the West~
Turn to the Center/Fire
To all gathered here in this place
Let me tell you a story
It is a story of darkness and cold winter nights
For this is the season of winter, and long nights await us
In Asgard where the Gods and Goddesses Dwell
The most beautiful God of all is Baldur, the shining one, the beautiful one
When his mother Frigga beheld him as a baby
She loved him most of all
Around the world she went, this Mother Goddess,
And for that love she bore her son she wrung a promise from all living and unliving things
That they should never hurt Baldur in any way
And such was their love for him, that all gave their word
Save for one
The humble mistletoe growing on Oak so sturdy and great
The mistletoe she did not ask a pledge, only from the Oak on which it grew
It was so small, so humble, she did not think it needful to ask
Now Baldur had a brother, his name was Hothr
Hothr was blind, and not so beautiful
He was blind and had none of his brothers gifts
Long did envy grow in Hothr’s heart, for though his eyes could not see, his ears heard all
It was a great game in Asgard to play with Baldur
Flinging great spears and arrows and axes his way
Even Thor, with Mjornir, could not harm him, such was Frigga’s power
But Hothr the blind sat alone, nursing his jealousy
Loki too had a son
A great wolf doomed to bondage, and a terrible hunger that could not be filled
It was said that only at Baldur’s death could Fenrir Wolf be set free
And lately Loki had learned how to rescue his beloved son
Hothr! Cried Loki, sitting beside blind Hothr, who was all alone
Come now, why do you not play with the other gods, who so love your brother
The bright and shining Baldur, he of great beauty and many talents
Why are you sitting here all alone, ignored by one and all?
How can I play? Hothr protested, for I am blind
I could not toss a spear nor loose an arrow, nor fling a hammer
I’d be as like to hit any god as my brother Baldur
And so I sit here all alone, while they feast and make merry
I have an idea, crooned Loki, ever helpful, ever determined
Take this mistletoe spear I have crafted
I shall guide your hand, and see that you strike none save Baldur
Then you too can join in the fun
Hothr longed, so longed, to take part in the games
And Loki’s heart cried out day and night for his wolf son, tied and bound
The mistletoe spear had made no pledge
And so it flew straight and true into Baldur’s heart.
Thus Baldur fell, dead, upon the floor of Asgard
And in that same hour, the great wolf Fenrir broke his bonds
And ran free, for the first time in ages past
He ran free, hungering, and full of rage at the Gods who bound him.
All this came to pass at the Autumnal Equinox
And thus the days will grow shorter and shorter still
Until the hour of Ragnarok approaches on the shortest day of the year
Where, far away in the north, the sun will not rise at all
For Fenrir, hungry and determined, shall eat it at last
But in this dark and dismal tale, take some heart at least
For at Ragnarok, also, the world will be born anew
As the Gods Fall and are Born Again, so too shall be the sun and spring
But in the meantime, harkon well to this warning
The Great Wolf Fenrir is loose and hungering ever and on
And thus the Wild Hunt begins its maddened chase by moonlight
Each full moon of winter you will hear their horns
Tonight is the first.
It shall continue until Summer Returns.
Know this my friends, hear this as a warning and a call to action.
Hothr acted with the coldness of his heart, the pit of anger as deep as the icy hallows of Jotunheim. Such coldness lies in all of our hearts, a coldness such as could freeze all who come near us, and from them it spreads across the world.
The days to come are cold, they are dark, they are full of fell hunters horns. At times such as these we must more than ever reach for what within us is most bright, most warm, most like the blissfulless summer day within our most precious memories. Do not let it be dimmed by darkness as night falls around you! Burn the brighter like this sacred flame lit before you, spread it's warmth in all that you say and do and believe, because the deeper darkness hunts the night sky above us, and gladly would it add any of us to it's ranks. So be a light, shine like true silver beneath a radiant moon.
Sharing of cakes and ale
Turn to the West
West Wind, Spirits, and Creatures of the West
Thank you for joining us on this Winter Night
Blessed be your journey back to your domains
Hail and Farewell!
Turn to the South
South Wind, Spirits, and Creatures of the South
Thank you for joining us on this Winter Night
Blessed be your journey back to your domains
Hail and Farewell
Turn to the East
East Wind, Spirits, and Creatures of the East
Thank you for joining us on this Winter Night
Blessed be your journey back to your domains
Hail and Farewell
Turn to the North
North Wind, Spirits, Creatures of the North
Thank you for joining us on this Winter Night
Blessed be your journey back to your domains
Hail and Farewell
Turn to the Center
Wodin, All-Father, Wise One
We thank you for your counsel and your wisdom on this Winter Night
Be with us now, and through all the months to come
Blessed be
Mother Erde, Our Mother Earth,
Thank you for your comfort and your wisdom on this Winter Night
Be with us now, and through all the months to come
Blessed Be
First performed by Birch V. Baum Winternight 2021
Comments