Celebrating the Heathen Calendar

In his De Temporum Ratione that he wrote in the 8th century, the Venerable Bede vaguely described the pre-Christian Heathen calendar that was used by the Anglo-Saxons. Sadly, as Bede was a staunch Christian, the last thing on his mind was for him to give us much detail about the Anglo-Saxons Heathen religion and their calendar, and he only recorded the bare necessities. But he did give us enough information about the dates of festivals and names of months and celebrations to make it is possible for us to use his information to construct to the best of our abilities and with our own interpretations a modern Anglo-Saxon Heathen calendar based on the ancient original. As we have so little information on when certain ceremonies should actually be observed, an ideal time is to celebrate is on the day or night of the arrival of the first full moon of that month, unless of course it is already a well established time of celebration such as the summer and Winter solstices.


Solmonath (February)


This month was called by Bede 'the month of cakes', 'which in that month the English offered to their gods'. In this month the ploughing of fields and the sowing of seed begins. This is a celebration of the earth, and loaves and cakes should be planted in the ground to honour the Earth Mother, Nerthus/Erce to bring fertility to the land. Also honour should be given to the sky in celebration of the Sky Father, who in most ancient days was called Wuldorfadur, or Glory Father. Symbols that represent the sky, such as the Sigel and Tir runes can be used as decoration upon the loaves/cakes to be planted in the earth. This represents a marriage of the Earth Mother and the Sky Father, whom in most ancient days would have been called Eorthen Mordor and Wuldorfadur by the Heathen Anglo-Saxons.


Hrethmonath (March) Vernal Equinox


In this month the ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess Hretha is celebrated. Bede tells us that it was 'named from their goddess Hretha, whom they sacrificed to in that month'. Hretha is said to translate as glory
or fame, which tells about the nature of this Anglo-Saxon goddess. Hretha was likely to have been an Anglo-Saxon waelcyrge and would have been associated with war and battle. She is honoured in the final month of winter, and the fact that Bede tells us that she was sacrificed to, seems to back up her war like nature. This is also backed up by the fact that the ancient Germanic people regularly sacrificed in times of war. Today this 'month of Hretha' can be used to celebrate the strong female spirit.


Eastremonath (April)


This is a major celebration in the Anglo-Saxon calendar as it celebrates the passing of winter and the arrival of spring/summer. This is a time to rejoice and celebrate the rebirth of life and nature with ceremonies in honour of the goddess Eostre. Eostre's name is related to the word east, which connects her to the dawn, due to the rising of the sun in the east at dawn. Therefore the perfect time to honour Eostre is in the morning as the sun rises and Eostre raises her head from her long sleep through winter. Eggs, usually decorated, can be used to decorate the home on this special day, other traditions concerning eggs and Eostre is the rolling of decorated eggs down hills, this symbolizes the rolling and turning of the sun in the sky. Another tradition concerning eggs and Eostre that can be used to celebrate her is the building of an Easter or Eostre tree. Also the making and baking of hot cross buns should be carried out during this celebration. Hot cross buns are Heathen offerings to the goddess Eostre. These buns can be decorated with the traditional cross or sun wheel design. Hot cross buns are also symbols of good luck and fortune, and as well as being eaten, they should be hung from objects in the home, or if the Eostre celebration is taking place outside then from tree branches and such things.


Litha (Summer Solstice)


This is a time that was holy to all Pagan and Heathen peoples of ancient times, whether Germanic or Celtic, and still is today. This festival takes place on the summer solstice and is a celebration of the life and joys of summer and the honouring of the sun. For Litha is the time of the longest day of the year, when the sun is at its highest point in the sky. This day is to be celebrated with bonfires in the open summer air in the suns honour. In ancient times these bonfires would have been lit on high hills, and if possible so should be today. As this time honours the sun, symbols such as the sun wheel and the Sigel and Tir runes, which symbolise the sun and sky, would be appropriate for decoration in home and in any other way that seems fitting. Also large representations of the sun wheel can be made, and then set alight and rolled down the hill from the place of celebration as a symbolic representation of the sun and its turning in the sky.


Haligmonath (September) Autumn Equinox


Bede tells us that this month is so called 'because our ancestors, when they were heathen, paid their devil tribute in that month'. This was the time of the harvest festival for the Heathen Anglo-Saxons, and as the name of the month Haligmonath translates to modern English as Holy month, means that this month is a very sacred and holy time. In ancient days the reaping of crops would have taken place, and as Bede also described this month as the month of offerings, the offering of gifts to the gods/goddesses would have taken place, similar to that of Solmonath when the gifts of cakes were placed in the earth. Praise should be given to Nerthus/Erce the Earth Mother for providing food of the earth and sustaining life. Appropriate decoration for the home or place of celebration would be that of crops, fruit and much foliage, and also the use of the Gera rune symbol, which represents the harvest. Baked and eaten at this time of year are harvest cakes, which can also be decorated with the Gera rune symbol. The corn dolly is another item, which can be used as a form of decoration, as this can also be used as a symbolic representation of the Earth Mother herself.


Winterfylleth (October)


This is the time when the end of summer and start of winter is to be celebrated. The name Winterfylleth means winter full moon, so it is appropriate to celebrate this time on the rising or sighting of the first full moon of that month. Honour and praise should be given to the gods and goddesses for comfort and protection through the coming winter months, especially that of Thunor, for his strength during such times.Blotmonath (November)


This is the month where in ancient times cattle was sacrificed in honour of the gods, and the meat stored for winter usage. Today this should be a time to honour and praise the entire pantheon of gods and goddesses. The celebration should include appropriate blots to the gods, and a feast should be prepared to be eaten and shared by all those present in honour of the gods and goddesses.


First Day of Yule (Winter Solstice)

This is a very sacred time of celebration in the Anglo-Saxon Heathen calendar. This starts on the Winter Solstice, which signals the start of the twelve days of Yule. On this first day the home should be decorated with finery such as mistletoe, ivy and other such foliage, and also with the erecting of a Yule tree, all of which should remain for the whole twelve days of Yule. Also on this first day the Yule log should be lit. Traditionally the Yule log should be lit with a remnant of the previous years log, which has been kept in the home throughout the year. The Yule log is the winter counterpart of the bonfires lit during Litha at the Summer Solstice. The Yule log ideally should be made out of oak, a wood that is sacred to the thunder god Thunor. So when the Yule log is lit, appropriate blessings can be said in his name and honour. Alternatively a candle known as a Yule candle can be used if no log is available.


Heathen New Year (Night of the 24th Dec)


In ancient days this was the start of the New Year for the Heathen Anglo-Saxons. And today this can be respected with appropriate ceremonies such as a New Year feast with friends and family. Also the practice of gift giving should be observed, the giving of gifts is a well and trusted tradition amongst the Germanic peoples, and gifts should be given to strengthen bonds of love and friendship amongst friends and family.


Mother's Night (Night of the 25th Dec)


This is a time of celebration that Bede said was celebrated throughout the night with certain ceremonies that he failed to describe. But as the name is Mother's Night, we can use this time to honour all the goddesses of the pantheon, as in ancient Germania worship of goddesses took place in honour of goddesses known as Matrons.


Last Day of Yule (1st/2nd January)


This is the celebration of the final day of the twelve days of Yule. As there is a tradition of festivities taking place on Twelfth Night, then is would be appropriate that this time is celebrated on the night of the last day of the twelve days of Yule. Before night fall all Yule trimmings and decoration that were put up on the first day of Yule can be taken down and put into storage for next years Yule. The Twelfth Night celebrations should include the gathering of friends and family for the eating of Twelfth Cake. The most popular tradition on this night is the custom of wassailing, which is a word that comes from the Old English was hael, meaning to your health. All those attending the Twelfth Night celebration should drink from a large bowl know as a wassail bowl, and after each person drinks they should honour all those present with a wassail to their health. The wassail bowl itself can be decorated; one custom is to decorate it with greenery. Another tradition is the lighting of fires on this occasion, so ideally the drinking from the wassail bowl should be performed with all those attending circling the fire drinking to each other's health and fortune.

http://www.homestead.com/englishheathenism/bedescalendar.html