Psohlavci (The Dog-Heads),

In the western Bohemian town of Domažlice, in Czechia, there lives a unique Volk with their own culture, dialect, traditions and traditional costume. But there is something else that made them stand out.

In the Late Middle Ages, the Kingdom of Bohemia had a natural and mighty wall of deep forest that stretched out for many miles, from the mountain ranges of the borders into the country’s interior. The crossings that ran through the thick wood of the Czech-Bavarian frontier, like gateways into the country, were guarded by designated sentries.

The Chods, a tough Highlander people, had always defended the most important of them. They were charged with guarding and securing the trade routes and signalling any encroaching dangers into the interior.

There were many Chodish clans, but they were all German; only the Domažlice Chods were Czechs and they were all loyal to the Czech king, John of Bohemia.

A total of 24 superior privileges, were bestowed upon 11 villages selected by the king. They never had to serve the aristocracy; they answered directly to the king. They never had to serve the aristocracy, they answered only to the king. They could wear a weapon, hunt and chop trees in the king’s forests. They had their own seal and their own ensign, and they had their own court, which was in this building.

But above all, They were allowed to breed dogs, the Bohemian Shepherd to be precise. Legend has it that these dogs accompanied the Chods on their duties and it became the symbol on their shields, from which the name “Dog-Heads” comes.

There were a lot of social changes taking place in the Czech lands at that time, the whole region was bought by Lammingen of Albenreuth, a German nobleman from Cheb who came and laid down his own rules. The Chods refused to respect this new situation and they appealed to the courts. But the problem was that their privileges had never been in written form, and the Lammingens of Albernreuth acknowledged only written edicts.

The Chods tried every method of retrieving their traditional rights, from civil disobedience to armed revolt. But with every step forward, they were forced to make two back. Ending in the two-year Chodish Rebellion in 1693. The rebellion ended as expected, their leader was executed and the Chods were completely forgotten about.

It wasn't until the 19th century, that someone remembered the Chods. The first researchers began to try and clarify, where the Chods had come from in the first place. There are four theories: either they came from eastern Slovakia, or Poland, or Lusatia, or they are simply the westernmost outpost of Slavic civilisation.

There’s no reliable evidence for any of these theories, so their true origin will remain a mystery.

Regardless of origin, Chods are very much figures of the present in Domažlice and its environs, where their history and culture are proudly celebrated.

Nuuttipukki,

Nuuttipukki is a Finnish character dressed as a goat, that visits houses for leftover food and drink.

It used to be performed by young men but is now traditionally performed by children, dressing as ‘Nuuttipukki’ in furry jackets, horns, and a leather mask to appear as goat-like as possible.

Though this physical appearance is similar to the described appearance of ‘Krampus’, they are not the same and do not have related origins.

Nuuttipukki travels house to house demanding food and drink, particularly favoring leftover alcoholic beverages.

In the old days, if a household rejected his demands, the Nuuttipukki would begin causing chaos and performing evil deeds. He and his friends may scare your animals, destroy your garden, and even harass your children and servants.

Though not all areas of Finland still celebrate Nuutinpäivä, it can still be found in Satakunta, Southwest Finland, Ostrobothnia, and the Åland Islands on 13 January.

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Caretos de Podence ??,

In Podence, the Caretos festival is a memorable one in Portugal, dating back 800 years to the time when the ancient Celts inhabited the region. To celebrate the end of winter and the arrival of spring, local residents known as caretos dress up in costumes of colourful wool fringes and leather masks, with heavy cowbells on their belts.

This local custom is typical of the whole Trás-os-montes region, and specifically of the village of Podence. For three days, the caretos can be seen running around the village causing raucous mayhem: raiding taverns, shouting and ringing their bells as they go.

Aside from stealing wine, the caretos’ main goal was to bless women by hitting them with their bells, granting them fertility, a ritual much aligned with the coming of spring.

The only women who were safe from the caretos were the matrafonas. These women donned masks made out of layered clothes, resembling old rag dolls, and walked the streets throwing ashes at anyone within their reach, another ritual linked to fertility and renewal.

As part of the ancient ritual, the caretos, each of them carrying a torch, surround a giant careto effigy made out of wood and set it ablaze, sending sparks into the night sky.

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Jatulintarha,

In Finland, there are approximately 200 sites adorned with stone spirals known as Jatulintarha. These intriguing formations bear various names across the country, but the term originates from the Kemi and Tornio regions.

Here, Jatuls, akin to Jotuns, were an ancient race of giants believed to have once inhabited the area. The term "Tarha" translates to "yard," so the meaning is Jatul’s (Giant’s) yards. In England, these sites are referred to as "Troy towns.”

The concept of “Troy” is derived from Proto-Indo-European "terh₁-."‎, from Proto-Germanic "þrēaną"‎, the Old German “drajan”, the Gothic “thraian” & Welsh "trumeau".

In addition, the Anglo-Saxon “thrawan”, Old Dutch "thrāian‎, Dutch “draaien”, the Danish “drehe”, the Swedish “dreja”, and the English “throe”.

All these words mean “to turn” and were applied to the twists, turns and the round shape of the layout.

In Finland, Jatulintarhas were typically built using stones with an average diameter of approximately 20 cm. These yards typically measured between 8 to 11 meters in diameter, although the largest known example spans an impressive 24.5 meters, while the smallest is a more compact 5.5 meters. These intriguing sites manifested in three primary shapes: a central cross, a kidney shape, and a spiral configuration.

Dating these sites proves challenging, as they bear symbolism rooted in antiquity spanning thousands of years. An intriguing link can be drawn to a coin from Corfu dating back to the 2nd century BCE, which features the same central cross symbol.

Similar shapes also appear in medieval Finnish church murals. Some experts suggest that the majority of Finnish Jatulintarhas were constructed during historical periods.

The purpose of these sites remains a subject of speculation. They have been connected to sun or fertility rituals, used as boundary markers, or considered as ritual sites for fishermen seeking a bountiful catch.

Similar sites with stone spirals are found in various countries and regions, including the Kola Peninsula, the White Sea region, the Solovetsky Islands, Estonia, Scandinavia, Germany, Lapland, England, and Iceland.

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Ings gewei?

Over het voorwerp in de bovenstaande foto is niet veel bekend. Het is een stuk hertengewei zijn dat gevonden werd in 1914 te Wijnaldum, in Friesland. Het komt waarschijnlijk uit de 5de of 6de eeuw. Ondanks dat er niet veel over bekend is, is het een interessant stuk geschiedenis.

Het gewei heeft aan twee kanten inkervingen. Op een kant staan er kruizen, vierkanten en driehoeken geritst. De betekenis van deze vormen en lijnen is onbekend; mogelijks had het een magische betekenis.

Aan de andere kant van het gewei is er een inscriptie in Friese ruinstaven te zien. De ruinen in deze inscriptie zijn opvallend; twee er van zijn met dubbele lijnen geritst en één er van staat ondersteboven. De inscriptie is moeilijk te vertalen. Als men het echter van rechts naar links leest, krijgt men:

"ng z i ng u z ng z"

Dit zou men dan kunnen interpreteren als een drievoudige herhaling van de naam Inguz, de naam van de god van de vruchtbaarheid. Het is echter niet zeker of de inscriptie zo gelezen moet worden.

Surtr, the Flaming Giant,

Of all the legendary Old Norse beings, Surtr is one of the oldest. His name is amongst those that are first to be documented, most famously in the Icelandic sagas, and the famed Prose Edda. Translated, Surtr’s name literally means “the black one” or “the swarthy one” and could be linked to his connection to fire. In some sources, he is also connected with Muspelheim, a great realm of fire in Norse cosmology.

Surtr is foretold to be a critical figure in Ragnarök, the final battle in which the world gets destroyed. Carrying his great flaming sword, Surtr would go into battle against the Æsir, the Norse Gods, and personally fight the god Freyr. Following this, the flames he carries would engulf the whole world.

Ragnarök is the fated end of the world. Preceding it is Fimbulvetr, a series of three consecutive and very harsh winters, followed by innumerable wars. As all life on Earth perishes, the gods are fated to do one last battle against the Jötnar (the Giants) and many other monstrous beings. In the battle, all will perish, and the world will be drowned in a great flood, thus ending. Later on, the whole of the world starts anew, in a powerful cycle of death and rebirth.

In Iceland, many toponyms bear Surtr’s name, and they all originate in the pre-Christian period of this nation. Most of the toponyms are connected to volcanoes and caves.

There is also significant evidence that Surtr was in some way a worshipped being, with the locals crossing great distances to visit a special cave where Surtr is believed to have dwelt. There they gave offerings in the form of fowl, game, sheep, and goats. Likely this was done by Iceland’s first Viking settlers to stave off volcanic activity, which they believed was the doing of Surtr the great flaming giant.

The legend of Surtr and its character can be traced back long before the ancient Norse world. Some theories say that Surtr could have roots in the Paleo-Nordic and Indo-European people and their beliefs.

The clues to this can be drawn from the way Surtr is portrayed. He comes from the south and is connected with fire, heat and flames.

This may be rooted in the Paleo Norse/Indo-Europeans' fear of drought and fires that could occur during extreme heat during the summertime or maybe the ancient southern civilizations that ended due to volcanoes. This may be how this type of natural disaster got its personification as the devastating fire giant from the south who will burn down the earth.

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The Wishing Doll,

Old women in Russia say that every village girl had a wishing doll just a century ago, yet no one else but the owner got to see it.

Whenever the girl had a wish that she dearly desired, she would take the doll out of its hiding place, sew a little bead on the doll’s dress, and then bring a hand-held mirror to the doll’s face with words: “Look how pretty you are! I gave you this present – now you grant my wish for me.”

Old women swear that the wish was granted after that. Out of all the Russian folk dolls, this doll was most known as a witch’s amulet.

There are two times in the year when it can be created, one is in August & the other one is in February. Dolls crafted in August differ in character and appearance from the ones made in February.

Unlike the August wishing doll who is “a typical maiden”, brightly coloured and “easy-going”, the February wishing doll portrays a mature powerful woman.

It is important to note that this doll additionally serves as an “astral double” of its owner, which means that like any other amulet for protection, the February wishing doll performs a protective function by repelling negativity directed at its owner.

The February doll is crafted between January 19 and February 2, best if this time falls on a Waxing Moon.

Icelandic Whalebone Figure,

This whalebone figure was found in a 10th Century burial in Baldursheimur, northern Iceland.

It looks very similar to the Thor figures from Eyrarland and Lund, with Thor gripping his beard.

It was found alongside several gaming pieces and may have served as a king piece, and/or a pocket god.

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