Fairly often, we see Cicero's On the Nature of the Gods being shared in our circles as a work illustrative of the authentic ancient pagan worldview and theology. On the Nature of the Gods is a dialogue between an Epicurean, a Stoic, and an Academic Sceptic. Cicero was rather eclectic, and his own position is somewhere in between the Stoic and the Academic Sceptic, leaning more towards Balbus' position, as he remarks in Book III. Therefore, we would like to share the fact that Cicero agrees with the recently discussed points in our posts. In De Natura Deorum (On the Nature of the Gods), Book I, XXX:

“And then do we also represent the gods as having the same names as those by which we call them? Why, in the first place, there are as many names of the gods as there are languages among men, for Vulcan has not the same name in Italy, Africa, and Spain […]”

The rune ūruz* (possibly related to Lepontic uros) represents the beginning of the cosmic world from the primeval cow Auðumla, making possible the existence of the Gods Odin, Vili and Vé according to Norse mythology. Similarly the aurochs (Bos primogenius*) was the animal to allow the ancestral European people to survive in the forest steppe zone and continental Europe for millennia.

The Day of Veles
In the Slavic Native faith, 11 February is considered the day of Veles.
Veles is one of the most important deities of the Slavic people, who has power over livestock, water, magic, and music. He is also considered the Slavic “trickster” who in a mythological context is opposed to Perun, the Thunder God.
In early February, Veles knocked down the "Horns of Winter". The mention of a horn in this belief is not accidental. Being the god of cattle, Veles ruled the entire animal world and roamed the glades, mountains and meadows, playing the magic pipe, the sounds of which warms and protects the vulnerable nature, the Earth, and all people from freezing. One of his manifestations is the bear.
Pic: USRV

A Dutch company is attempting to destroy European culture and heritage by carving out a quarry in Bremamger, Norway. The site contains rock art made by our Stone Age ancestors that is over 8000 years old.

BruteNorse put it best in saying that Vingen is one of the most unspoiled petroglyph sites in all of Europe, but it won't be for much longer if this quarry goes through.

Join me, along with others in signing this petition to help stop this desecration of ancient European culture and heritage from taking place. We won twice with Stonehenge, let's do it again here:

https://www.petitions.net/stopp_steinbruddet_i_bremanger_stop_the_building_of_a_quarry_in_bremanger_norway?fbclid=PAAaY4guRcICDWjO3R4aKG9lVaUtzWUtWHj27GE8Mku0rebx-FWcDtJN5L0Ro

Petitions.net

Stopp steinbruddet i Bremanger! // Stop the building of a quarry in Bremanger, Norway!

Foto: Universitetsmuseet i Bergen ENGLISH BELOWMandag 5. februar kom det umusikalske vedtaket om steinbrudd og utskipningshavn i Frøysjøen. Et steinbrudd og den tilhørende industriaktiviteten i dette området vil få dramatiske konsekvenser for kulturminner…

“𝕿he best of days”: Saturnalia

Between 17th of December of the Julian Calendar through to 23th it’s the ancient Roman holiday Saturnalia that is in every regard the Roman Yuletide. It doesn’t just have a lot of similarities but is a forerunner to a lot of things we associate Christmas with due that Christianity sprung out of the Roman Empire. However it doesn’t have anything to do with the birth of Jesus Christ but is like the name suggests a holiday associated and in honour to the god Saturn. Saturn is both the god of time and of agriculture, so that he would have a holiday at the end of the year isn’t particularly strange considering this fact. According the mythology he reigned over the world in the Golden Age, when humans enjoyed the spontaneous bounty of the earth without labour in a state of innocence. The revelries of Saturnalia were supposed to reflect the conditions of the lost mythical age. In the view of the Greco Romans we live in the fifth age, the Age Of Iron, whereas Gold was the best of times.

The Roman Saturnalia was a time of merrymaking, overeating, gambling and alcohol consumption but also charity and to give and receive gifts to one another. All hostilities and punishments was paused during these festivities. Many of these things were carried on from there to the present day, like the things just mentioned. But also funny little things like hiding a little figurine, a coin, almond or someone in a pudding or a cake and the one getting it will make a wish or something of that sort.
To elect the Lord Of Misrule was an other thing that lived on at the British islands as an other example until the Puritans put a ban on it.
An other notable thing was to decorate indoors with evergreen things and put decorations on them, so perhaps that’s the forerunner of the Christmas tree, at the very least it has very striking similarities.

The Roman poet Catullus called Saturnalia “The best of times” and was indeed the merriest of all the numerous Roman holidays.

Sónargöltr: the Yule Boar.

One historical Yule practice was, a boar would be led into the hall, and the people would lay their hands on it and publicly swear solemn oaths for the year ahead, known as heitstrenging, after which it was sacrificed and eaten. It was connected with the worship of Freyr, hence the boar.

This practice is attested in the Hervarar Saga ok Heiðreks; every year, King Heiðrekr would sacrifice the largest boar he could find to Freyr on the eve of Yule. Beforehand, his men would lay their hands on its bristles and take oaths. Heiðrekr vowed to let any man go who could defeat him in a riddle contest; a vow he later breaks in the Saga when Odin defeats him and he strikes at him with his sword, and he dies shortly after.

It is also attested in the Helgakviða Hjörvarðssonar, wherein King Hjörvarðr’s men swear oaths on a sacred boar at the king’s Yule feast, and Héðinn vows to marry Sváfa.

We see a similar practice today in one form of Hindu Puja, where a coconut is used in place of a sacrificial animal.

In the later Middle Ages, an enduring tradition was serving a boar’s head at Christmas feasts; Jacob Grimm believed this may have been a holdover from the ancient sacrifices, wherein the head would often be severed.

While some of you may (understandably) not want to get and sacrifice a live boar, one day this winter, this could be observed with a ceremonial feast (maybe a ham?) and an offering to Freyr, and by making vows for the year ahead. ᛝ

Álfablót was a blót held during Vetrnatr, at the beginning of winter.
While our historical knowledge of Alfablót is limited, we have a few key details; it was a celebration in honour of the Álfar (elves), held at the end of the harvest season, and it was held at home with one's family as opposed to a public place of worship. Álfar were believed to hold power over health and fertility-and could cause illness, and destroy the crops of those who offended them.

The Kormáks Saga describes a sacrifice to the Álfar to heal a battle wound. At a hill believed to be inhabited by the Álfar (a burial mound?), a bull is sacrificed, the hill reddened with its blood, and its flesh made into a feast for the Álfar.

The Völundarkviða describes Völundr as having Álf ancestry, and this along with the Kormáks Saga links the Álfar with ancestral spirits. The reason Álfablót was held at home was likely because families would honour the ancestors of their particular family.

Due to this aspect, less is known about Alfablót than other Germanic pagan holidays. In the Austrfararvísur, two farmers refuse to allow Sigvatr into their homesteads during Alfablót, which is contrary to the Germanic traditions of hospitality. A woman said they feared the wrath of Odin and chased him away as if he were a wolf, and said they were having the Álfablót in their homestead. This could suggest Odin was honoured at Álfablót, as a keeper of the ancestors.

Góðan Álfablót!