Deaf Pagan Crossroads

I regret and hereby humbly apologize for not getting this information posted in a more timely manner, that my readership would have been able to utilize such as part of their own Yule celebrations. Between caring for an ailing mother and dealing with my own aches and pains (I have been fighting off a cold, cough, and stubborn sore throat for the past two weeks) – along with the normal chaos of life during this hectic holiday season – it has been hard to keep up with my blog. Nevertheless, I did want to share with you some additional information regarding the Yule Celebrations, and it seems only proper to start at the beginning… thus we shall backtrack a little and talk about those first four days which are already past. At least now you can get a headstart on planning activities for next year!

~ Ocean

Day 1 – December 26^th

Saint Stephen’s Day

Boxing Day

Day of the Wren

This day brings together a number of Solstice traditions.

Although not a whole lot is known about Saint Stephen, he is believed to be the first Christian martyr, who was tried for blasphemy for speaking out against the Temple and was thus stoned to death in 34 or 35 A.D. However, there are a number of interesting legends (probably more fiction than fact) surrounding Saint Stephen – many of them having to do with animals… in particular the horse and the wren.

Saint Stephen is said to have reached Sweden, and to have established a church there, from which he would ride forth upon one of his several horses to travel the country. In one instance he was killed by a group of outlaws who tied his body to the back of a wild horse, which then galloped all the way back to his home, where he was buried. As a result, Saint Stephen is considered the patron of animals, in particular horses.

This was the day of the hunting of the wren – a somewhat gruesome practice in the villages of Britain and Ireland, where the Wren Boys would go hunting in the hedges to find the tiny bird, which would then be chased until it was caught and killed, its body then hung upon a pole and paraded throughout the streets.

While many of us would probably protest such a barbaric custom (which has since been banned in many areas, or at least replaced with more humane customs which include using an effigy instead of a real bird), it harkens back to ancient days in which the Wren represents the dying king of the year, who was sacrificed at this time for the good of the land, and who is born again in the guise of the returning sun. Modern-day Pagans continue to celebrate this aspect of the Winter Solstice in ritual enactments of the Oak King/Holly King… in which the Oak King – king of the Waxing Year – battles and kills the Holly King – king of the Waning Year – at the Winter Solstice. The wren’s association with Saint Stephen may have to do with another legend which says that the saint, when attempting to make his escape after being captured by soldiers, was thwarted by a noisy wren whose song awakened his guards.

The name Boxing Day for December 26^th stems from an old British practice of exchanging a Christmas Box on this day, particular with servants or poor people. In days past, staff often had to work on Christmas Day to serve the master and family of the house with their Christmas celebrations. Thus, they would be given the day after as a holiday, and leftover food from the Christmas feasts would be “boxed up” and given to them to take home to their own families.

Today December 26^th is known more as a time for retailers, when shoppers head to the stores. It is also celebrated in some areas with various sporting events.

But we can continue to maintain some of the ancient celebrations of this day by honoring the animals, and remembering this as a time of death and resurrection. It can also be a good time for remembering those who might not be as well off as ourselves – consider volunteering some time at a soup kitchen, donating to charity, or perhaps even taking a plate of food or a bag of groceries to visit a senior citizen or a housebound friend.

Day 2 – December 27^th

Saint John’s Day

Mother Night

In the Christian calendar, the second day of Christmas is given over to Saint John. To clarify, we are not referring to John the Baptist, but rather to John the Apostle, sometimes also known as John the Evangelist – the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ. There are some debates as to whether or not these are one and the same person, but nevertheless this day is celebrated as such in the Christian calendar. In some countries it is the day of the blessing of the wine, and the resulting bottles are said to have special healing properties.

As stated in an earlier post, these special days were considered a sacred and spiritual time, harkening back to ancient days and ancient celebrations. They were also regarded as supernatural… a time for honoring death and resurrection (which was originally recognized at this time of the year, not at Easter) and as a time when the dead are close at hand and might even be seen. It is at this time when one comes across the stories of The Wild Hunt. While this folk myth crosses over various cultures – from Germanic to Norse to Celtic – the premise remains the same… a group of phantom or fairy hunters; led by such characters as King Arthur, Arawn, Woden, Odin, Cernunnos, or Herne; who travel over lands or skies to gather up wandering souls and carry them away to the Otherworld. This supernatural hunt is most associated with the Midwinter season, and the time of Yule.

This is also a time of honoring the women, and in particular the mothers. One such figure is Frau Holle, also known in America as Mother Carey, whom we met in The Sun In the Greenwood. Some people prefer to celebrate Mother Night on the 24th (Christmas Eve), but regardless of the exact day, we should nevertheless take some time to recognize the women who play a significant role in the celebrations of this season. They go by so many names – Mother Christmas, Mother Carey, Holle, Hulda, Holde, Holda… even by names such as Cailleach, Strenia, Lucia, Saint Lucy, Elen, Isis, Modron, Ancient Mother, Goddess…

and of course, the Virgin Mary.

But by whatever name she is called, set aside this night to remember her… She who oversees the household of the Earth, giving all the creatures what they need – food and nurturance, but also the mercy of death’s release when the pain and suffering grow too great. Be aware of Her as the receiver of all souls who leave this life at Solstice time, and also as the one who can bless the household and keep everything running smoothly over the holiday season.

Day 3 – December 28^th

Holy Innocent’s Day

Childremass/ Childermas

If Day 2 is set aside for remembering the mothers, then Day 3 is a time for honoring the children. In the Catholic Church, December 28^th is observed in commemoration of the slaughter of male infants in Bethlehem during Herod the Great’s attempt to kill the infant Jesus.

Interestingly, while this day is set aside for honoring children and the innocence of childhood, there was also a custom of beating the children on this day – an idea that if the children were made to suffer on this day they would spared the rest of the year, and it would also drive out any evil spirits that might have taken residence in the child (perhaps the fairies of the Wild Hunt?) However, such beatings rarely involved any real cruelty, and were more symbolic in nature; in fact, in some cases the children were permitted to beat their parents! Freshly gathered evergreens would be gathered in order to give one another token blows.

Such a custom may even harken back to the days of Saturnalia, when masters and servants exchanged roles. Indeed, in some parts of the world servants were given the opportunity to beat their masters, in much the same way as children would beat their parents and wives would beat their husbands. The underlying theme of the day seems to have been a kind of equality, and also that by expressing individuality and exchanging gentle blows, true anger and aggression might thus be waived for the coming year. Perhaps we could take a lesson from such an idea today!

In any case, use this as a day to reflect on the theme of equality, and on the nature of children. Spend the day surrounded by children, praising them and honoring their youthful qualities. Celebrate your own childhood, and the childhood of your offspring. Perhaps engage in a little “beatings” of your own (pillow fights, anyone?) Remember the happy days as well as the sad ones. What we are as adults stems from what we were as children.

Day 4 – December 29^th

Feast of Fools

In an earlier post, we talked about the Roman festival of Saturnalia. As part of the celebrations, it was customary to choose and crown a mock king, who ruled over chaos rather than the order that was such a central aspect of Roman rule. Lots were cast and the chosen person became the Saturnalicus Princeps, – the Lord of Misrule – who assumed the role of Saturn throughout the festival. His task was to behave as foolishly as possible… insulting the guests, chasing the women, and wearing outlandish clothing. A similar Roman festival was Bacchanalia, which paid homage to the greatest reveler of them all – Bacchus.

This ancient custom gave way to the Feast of Fools, a medieval festival regularly celebrated throughout Europe from the fifth century until the sixteenth century. Similar celebrations were known as the Feast of Asses and Misrule’s Day. Although they were strongly condemned by the Church, such celebrations continued in some format up until the late 1600s. Essentially, it was a time for allowing people who were restricted from even the casual of pleasures by the Church to act in an abandoned way, thus letting off a bit of steam before settling down to the new year.

Much like Saturnalia, the central idea of the Feast of Fools seemed to revolve around a social revolution, in which power and dignity was reversed and conferred upon the insubordinates, who took every opportunity to use this time of revelry to mock their superiors in good-natured buffoonery and wild revelry.

While there is no specific day known for the celebration of the Feast of Fools, certainly it was observed during the Yuletide season, around the end of December or beginning of January (some sources indicate it took place during the Feast of Circumcision on January 1^st).

In any case, why not celebrate the Feast of Fools by holding your own party, where things get reversed and guests are encouraged to dress and act as foolishly as possible? Even if you prefer to celebrate in a solitary fashion, use this time in contemplation… consider what prevents you from letting go and acting in wild abandon. What constraints have you placed on yourself, or which are placed on you by others? Does the idea of being perceived as foolish trouble you, and prevent you from doing things you would like to do? Do you fear being seen as simply “silly and stupid” by others?

Meditate on these things, and then go ahead… make a fool out of yourself!