Yule Yesterday and Today
By Pat Salway
It’s no secret that many of the traditions that define the Christmas season are rooted in paganism. The origins of customs such as decorating evergreen trees, caroling, the Christmas ham, and burning a yule log are all traceable to the ancient Germanic festival of Yule that begins at the winter solstice.
Most of our modern knowledge of Yule comes from a text called the Heimskringla–sagas of Swedish and Norwegian kings written in the High Middle Ages by the Icelandic historian and poet Snorri Sturluson. The text tells us that King Haakon the Good, who was a confirmed Christian by the time he took over Norway, merged pagan Yule festivities with Christmas celebrations in order to maintain the cooperation of the wise heathen elders. King Haakon passed a law stating that both heathens and Christians would celebrate their customs together with ale on Christmas or else pay a fine. The Heimskringla goes on to describe the customs of Yule in detail, customs which—in addition to what later became incorporated into Christmas—involved some darker traditions that are less well-known today.
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Most of our modern knowledge of Yule comes from a text called the Heimskringla–sagas of Swedish and Norwegian kings written in the High Middle Ages by the Icelandic historian and poet Snorri Sturluson. The text tells us that King Haakon the Good, who was a confirmed Christian by the time he took over Norway, merged pagan Yule festivities with Christmas celebrations in order to maintain the cooperation of the wise heathen elders. King Haakon passed a law stating that both heathens and Christians would celebrate their customs together with ale on Christmas or else pay a fine. The Heimskringla goes on to describe the customs of Yule in detail, customs which—in addition to what later became incorporated into Christmas—involved some darker traditions that are less well-known today.
Subscribe to the New PRS Journal to read on...
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