The Pagan Heart
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November-December 2005 Issue
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History's Eye: A Number of Winter Festivals
By Katya.
The Festival of Sokar & The Rebirth Celebration of Nehebkau (Egypt)
Towards November's end was the Egyptian Festival of Sokar. This was a six-day event that focuses on Sokar's role as a primal guardian of the Underworld. He predates Anubis, symbolizing the dark decay of the crypt. Sokar represents nothingness - which was the great fear of the Egyptian that death will end in dust rather than awakening to the afterlife. Later Sokar became linked to Osiris and the Festival of Sokar connected to Osiris' death. This made this a time of sorrow and mourning as the people bewailed the murder of Osiris by his brother Seth. Set dismembered him and scattered the pieces throughout the country. Isis sought out all the parts she could find and recreated her husband - all except for his phallus which seems lost forever. Despite this Osiris was able to impregnate his wife and she bore Horus, who is also Osiris reborn. After the Festival of Sokar ended there came a five-day period during which the Pharaoh was linked to Horus, in a way being seen as "reborn" as the living Horus, the son and reincarnation of Osiris. A festival of rebirth then took place called the Nehebkau . This festival was a mirror to the Wep-renpet (New Year - link to July issue) in July with many of the same traditions and observations.
Yuletide (Teutonic and Scandinavian)
Yuletide is well-known as the Nordic festival of the winter solstice. It begins on the night of the solstice with Modresnacht or Mother's Night (a Saxon tradition often incorporated by Northern Pathers as the commencement to Yule) and continues for twelve days of feasting and celebration. It is from Bede that we have this reference to the Saxons and their Modresnacht Festival on the solstice eve. Sacred to the great feminine divine, Mother's Night involves venerating the female deities that are responsible for passion, pregnancy, childbirth - and the agricultural correspondences as well. For those who follow the Northern Traditions the goddesses honored may include Frigga, Freyja, or Sunna. Yule is probably the most important festival of the calendar. It is about the end and the beginning of all things - a mini Ragnarok in its own way with the battle of Thor against the frost giants presaging the future end of the world. Each Yule blots and symbels are offered to the gods in the hope that the world will turn and the sun rise again and summer draw close. As such there is a strong focus upon the contrasts of cold dark winter, death and destruction with the approaching heat and light of summer, the growth and renewal of the land. The festival of 12 days offers much opportunity to honor the gods, to drink and feast and be merry. It focuses upon both Thor and Frey and their roles in the solstice itself. Frey, as a fertility deity, is honored to encourage his speedy return with warmer days and a fertile year. It is his courtship of Gerd, the frost giant, that brings warmth to her heart and thus the land. At the same time Thor engages in combat with the frost giants defeating them and breaking their hold over the land so that summer may return. Depending upon the path, Frey or Baldur may be honored as the reborn god - although this may be a Christian influence slipping in.
Mihregan (Zoroastrian)
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The Zoroastrian calendar is divided by the equinoxes into summer and winter. No Ruz marks the start of the year in spring and Mihregan marks the second part of the year in fall. Mihregan is named for the month, Mihr, which is sacred to Mithra. His holy festival starts on the 16th of Mihr, which this year fell on the 8th of October, and continues through to the 21st of Mihr. On this day according to legend the sun first appeared, humanity was created and given souls, and evil defeated. Mithra is honored during this festival as the one who ensures the return of the sun, and the one who will keep the darkness and cold at bay. Holy bonfires are lit, people feast on special foods, sing hymns, and offer prayers to Mithra. This festival is in many ways about honoring and strengthening Mithra so that he will defeat winter and enable the return of the sun. At some point Mithra was adopted by the Romans as a god of the warriors and politicians - legends of who he was and what he did grew to meet the Roman needs. Emerging full-grown from a rocky outcrop, Mithras was greeted by shepherds who offered him the first fruits. He bore a sword indicating his warrior-nature and a torch showing his status as a sun god and bringer of light. Mithras insisted his followers behave with "temperance, self-control, and compassion -- even in victory". In 274 CE Emperor Valerian officially declared December 25th to be Mithras' birthday, the dies natalis solis invicti. This is probably linked to the solstice battle of good and evil where Ahura Mazda defeated the forces of evil with the help of his subordinant gods. Mithra was especially prayed to as he was seen as being the protector of light.
Haloa (Greek)
Held in honor of Demeter and Dionysus, the Haloa was named for the threshing floor where the ritual took place. Very earthy in nature, items at the ritual included cakes shaped as pudenda and phalli (and maybe some clay versions). Women danced for Dionysos and made him offerings - he was present as a giant phallus. What the festival was for exactly isn't known, but it revolved around agriculture - maybe the new wine (Dionysos) or the growing grain (Demeter)…or even both. Since most of Greece is a more moderate in temperature, mid winter was not a time of bitter snowy cold and focusing upon the growing season so soon after mid-winter was not unusual.
Lenaea (Greek)
Another festival in honor of Dionysos (who is also a god of vegetation) this one aims to awaken the sleeping plants. A festival of awakening naturally involves an "awake" god - Dionysus Orthos (Dionysos Erect) - and so the pillar of Dionysos, painted red with open eyes, would have been a prominent feature of this ritual. Dramatic performances, hymns, and jokes would all have occurred during this joyous and raucous event. This was a women-only time, and possibly tied to the Maenads and their wine-induced madness.
Victory Feast of Horus (Egypt)
Following the earlier events of the Festival of Sokar and the Rebirth Celebration of Nehebkau, Isis and Horus have a strong desire to avenge the death of Osiris upon Set - so they seek him out. This festival celebrates their victory and Horus' assumption of rulership over Egypt as a result These three festivals bear the same mythic elements so common to winter solstice festivals - a cyclic god of agriculture and sun who is born, rules, dies, and rises once more and his eternal wife-mother earth deity. In this cycle, Set takes on the role of god-killer rather than the old god being killed by his younger self.
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Primary Article - November-December 2005: Saulegriza, the Lithuanian Solstice
Secondary Article - Kupoliu Svente - the Lithuanian Midsummer
Secondary Article - Midsumarsblot - the Asatru Summer Solstice Blot
Secondary Article - Ta Kat' Agrous Dionysia - The Rural Dionysia
Secondary Article - Celtic Path - The Winter Solstice
Secondary Article - Holy Day: Yuletide in the Home of an Irish Saxon
Return to the Index of articles for Seasonal Festivals
