The return of the light

The days are short, and the nights long in Scandinavia right now as Christmas is approaching. We have always found inspiration in the history, artifacts and, not least, the symbolic universe created by the human beings of primarily the Viking Era and the Bronze Age.

October through April were considered winter in the Viking Era, and solstice was celebrated in midwinter. Most of the population in Scandinavia were farmers and each winter they dreaded that the sun would not return. Solstice was thus a celebration of the sun and the fertility that came with it each year. A big midwinter celebration was needed. In Scandinavia, we still to this day celebrate solstice in midwinter and midsummer. Especially our midsummer celebration (Sankt Hans) is considered important and is marked with large bonfires on fields and beaches throughout the country.

The winter solstice celebration was called “jól” which was a word for “party” and closely related to consumption of alcohol (to “drink jól” was a term often used of the festivities). Some scholars argue that there is also a connection between “jól” and “hjul” (wheel) referring to the passing of the seasons.

The brewing of a special Christmas beer was also an essential part of celebrating jól. The libation – drinking together peace with each other – played a central role in the midwinter celebrations, where the desire for peace and fertility in the coming year was strong. In the saga of Håkon the Good, it is told that Håkon was on a Christmas visit to a nobleman, whose peasants demanded that he make a libation – sacrifice – for ‘års ok fridar’, that is, ‘for a year of peace’. The saga also tells of a custom where the chieftain would carry stuffed horns around the fire at the Christmas feast. He would first consecrate the horn and the sacrificial meat by drinking Odin’s horn for victory and power for his king. Then Njord’s horn and Frey’s horn would be drunk for “years of peace”. It is also said that Christmas lasted until the barrel with the extra strong beer was empty. To this day, the consumption of special Christmas beers plays a big role in our celebrations.

During Christmas, the Vikings visited each other, and brought food and drink for the Christmas parties that could last several days. For the Vikings, the pig was a symbol of fertility, and at Christmas parties, pigs were slaughtered and extra fine food was served: freshly slaughtered pork, porridge and Christmas bread made with wheat flour and honey. In Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, we still call Christmas “jul” (also still used in English: yule and yuletide), and in many homes a roast pork is an essential part of the traditional Christmas dinner. Our traditional Christmas dessert is porridge-based to this day.

Jól was a pagan celebration until around 950 where Denmark was christened and the main midwinter celebration gradually merged with the celebration of the birth of Jesus. In our team, we are inspired by the power of the old traditions which reflect needs, thoughts and feelings we can so easily relate to. This year, we have created four Glasskibe inspired by these stories; Blót, Hugins Hird, Lyset and Midvinter.

Merry Christmas – Glædelig Jul – from Nanna, Mette, Andrew and Lasse

December 2024

Sources: Vikingeskibsmuseet and Bryggeriforeningen