All Blog Posts Tagged 'Urglaawe' (14)

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Every now and again, I come across short references that help to fill in some gaps in the understanding of our traditional practices.



One such gap is the time between Walpurgisnacht and the arrival of the Reifries (Frost Giants) thirteen days later. I think we finally have an answer.

On our current calendar, Walpurgisnacht falls on the night of April 30. However, since Urglaawe days begin at sundown, that night is actually 1. Wonnet (May 1) on the Urglaawe calendar.…

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September 28 is the celebration of the Festival of Zisa, patroness of Zizarim (now Augsburg). Also, in the 1st century BCE, the Romans, under Titus Annius inauspiciously picked this date for an attempt to seize Zizarim. They discovered during the siege that there were far more people, including warriors, in the city (due to the festival) than they had anticipated, and the Romans suffered a major defeat.



Her presence is still…

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This weekend witnessed a flurry of Walpurgisnacht activity across the region. On Sunday, Distelfink joined with the Norsewind tribe for a beautiful ceremony at the Sacred Oak in Oley, PA. Along with a tip of the hat to the site's Lenape predecessors, we honored our deities and ancestors. This was truly a blessed event. We celebrate the bonds of friendship and frith that are expanding throughout the Heathen community.…

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Tonight (December 31 into January 1) is the Twelfth Night of Yule (remember that Heathen (and therefore Urglaawe) days begin at sunset on the prior day. Thus, "Sunday" actually begins at sundown on Saturday.

This is also the night of the progression of Berchta, a powerful goddess known to the Continental and Pennsylvania Germans. She may actually be Holle known by a different name, or She may be a Vanic relative of Holle. However, historical treatment of Her has portrayed Her…

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On October 30, several of us were able to participate in (or to attend) a Samhain Banquet at Lebanon Valley College. We (Deb, Pete, Dennis, and I) were representing the Heathens within the context of Urglaawe. This event included adherents to a variety of traditions in addition to Heathen: Wiccan, ADF Druid, Druid, Earth Spiritualist, Pagan, etc. We had been working on devising a "mock" ritual that allowed Heathen, ADF Druid, Druid, and Wiccan beliefs and practices to be…

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This weekend Distelfink members welcomed the arrival of spring with a ceremony dedicated to the goddess Oschdra.



Although little is known about Oschdra, Jakob Grimm states in Teutonic Mythology that Her name lives on in places in the German lands (IV, 1371) and that She is considered to be a White Lady (III, 908) along with Holle, Berchta, and others. She heralds the arrival of spring, and the hare, which is sacred to Her, has become one of the longstanding traditional symbols of…

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Well folks, it’s that time of year again! Time for Punxsutawney Phil to stick his nose out (and hopefully not to get blasted by kinsman Rocky to become part of a Grundsaudaag Schmaus!). Unfortunately, the events in Punxsy are barely even a shadow of the various traditions on this observance, which is one of the largest Urglaawe holidays. Grundsaudaag is far beyond what most folks know… Continue

Mir henn uns am letze Samschdaag zum Alleliewezeil bereitet. 'S waar en guder Nammiddaag, awwer mir hen keh Butzemann bei uns zu brenne gehat. Vielleicht im 2011!

This year, Distelfink Sippschaft celebrated Hoietfescht as part of the Asatru and Urglaawe Meetup of Eastern Pennsylvania and NJ's Freyfaxi/Hoietfescht Meetup at Ralph Stover State Park in Point Pleasant, PA. The event was sponsored by Distelfink Sippschaft and the ceremony, which included features of both Urglaawe and Asatru, was led by Brian Weis. Continue

Virtually every language has words that are difficult, if not impossible, to translate into a different language, which is why words are often adopted from one language into another. Some wordsreflect concrete items, such as insects that are native to a particular area or a legal process that is unique to a given country. Other words reflect conceptsthat are new or are unique…

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The Gmeeschaftsege ("community blót") took place in Schlegelschteddel on January 15. Our purpose was to celebrate our community. We were fortunate enough to have Cody Dickerson visiting us from Idaho for his final Braucherei Weg class, and many of our folks who usually have to work were able to make it that night. We kept in mind our folks who are from outside of the local area as they are part of the Urglaawe community, too.



Hailed that night were Wodan for the community, but we… Continue

As the strength of the summer sun begins to wane and the garden crops yield their bounty and go to seed, we are reminded of our fortune to be living in a region of plenty.

Erntfescht, also called Erntdankfescht, is an age-old Germanic celebration of the harvest. Families and/or communities would come together to ensure that their loved ones and neighbors had ample food to carry them through the winter. The community took care of its own, which… Continue