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mass-convergence · 1 year

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The Bonds We Forge, Chapter 3

Summary:

Soma had always considered herself too preoccupied with Grantebridge to even consider a relationship with another. Romantic or otherwise. The arrival of a new blacksmith in her city has her questioning if she was really preoccupied or if it was something else.

Basically: Soma is an aroace lesbian and this is most definitely a fix-it fic.

Chapter 3: A celebration of Yule, a gift, and plans for the new year.

This Work be on AO3 feel free to leave Kudos + comments there

Fandoms: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Characters: Soma, Original Characters

Pairings: Soma x OC

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Yule was a magical and beautiful time in Grantebridge.

Colorful decorations adorned the structures in town and everyone allowed themselves time to drink and be merry and forget their duties for over a week as they feasted. Everyone including Soma.

Soma enjoyed Yule as much as any Dane or Norseman would. She drank and feasted with the citizens of her city; enjoying the fruits of her laborious efforts to make Grantebridge into the prosperous city it was.

And what a prosperous city it was.

Bonfires burned in the middle of town, Gyda dutifully helping Helga and her father with carrying stacks of wood to the blazes to keep them burning. Jólablót, the final night of Yule and the night of the sacrifice, approached as the moon waxed to near fullness.

Soma was standing by one of the bonfires, enjoying a quiet moment to herself before she was pulled away to help in more of the festivities (she supposed she never really got a break during Yule … but it was a welcome change in pace). A light snow had begun to fall over Grantebridge but that didn’t stop the preparations for the final feast of Yule. Drengrs hauled barrels of ale to the longhouse and farmers led livestock to the center of town to be sacrificed for the feast.

“My eyes must be deceiving me, you’re actually not working for once.”

Soma turned to see Ratha walking up to her with a smile on her face and bundled up against the chill of the night in a dark blue wool cloak. Ratha had practically disappeared into her forge for the past week, rarely coming out except to spend a few hours at the longhouse before disappearing into her shop once again. It was honestly beginning to worry Soma.

She had asked Gyda, who was at least marginally more available when she wasn’t dutifully helping Ratha in the forge, what was going on. Gyda had shrugged, “We’re still pretty busy with repairing tools after the harvest season and Lif put in an order for nails and rivets.”

Lif had mentioned putting together a few more ships now that Grantebridge was growing - as well as a need to repair some of the older ones that were damaged. Still, he wouldn’t be working on them during Yule and spring (and the time for the farmers to actually need their tools) was still months away. Ratha could take a bit of a break. Of course there was the matter that Gyda was an abysmal liar. Soma noticed how the younger woman had never looked her in the eye when she provided those “explanations” as to Ratha’s sudden occupation.

Soma was about to march down to the shop herself and ask what was going on before Gyda had apparently been tasked with playing interference once more. She assured Soma: “Ratha will be there for the Yule feast, she’s just putting some finishing touches on - er - something”.

With that, Gyda excused herself to help Helga with carrying stacks of wood.

A strange emotion took hold of Soma when she saw Ratha walking up the path, cheeks rosy with the cold and a lopsided grin brightening her features. It was a feeling of giddiness, of an excitement that one felt when seeing an old friend after a long while. She noticed with some satisfaction and pride that Ratha’s limp was improving.

Soma crossed her arms and grinned back, “Speak for yourself. I thought it would take Ragnarok for you to leave your forge.”

Ratha’s cheeks turned a brighter red for a moment as she rubbed the back of her head, “I apologize for my absence from the festivities. I forgot I am more of an armorer than a jeweler and this took me much longer than I’d care to admit.”

Soma’s smile waned, now replaced with a curiosity as she saw Ratha reach into a pouch on her belt and withdraw a smaller pouch wrapped in cloth. Her hand shook slightly as she handed the item to Soma, “I had to ask for a little help from Gyda and Nok with this.”

Nok was one of the other smiths in Grantebridge, he specialized more in jewelry and trinkets than armor and weapons. Clearing her throat slightly, Ratha handed the pouch to Soma, “Think of this as a thanks … for everything.”

Soma took the proffered gift and unfolded the linen to reveal a pendant and a chain. It was forged of iron and inlaid with an intricate gold braid pattern. Two serpents curled around the perimeter of the circle and at the center of the pendant was a tree of life.

“It’s beautiful,” Soma said with a wide smile as she traced the outline of the pendant with her thumb, “thank you.”

They stood in comfortable silence, listening to the crackling of the fire and the bustle of people around them. Soma glanced at Ratha, noting that she was staring around her at the scenes around the town. She had a far away look in her eyes, a wistful and sad expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“This is the first Yule I’ve spent without…,” Ratha faltered and took a moment, clearing her throat, “It’s my first Yule here.”

“You miss them.”

“It’s strange,” Ratha said, “I don’t really remember much from before, well …”

She lightly tapped her head.

“I know that I loved this time of year. I know that I loved spending time with my kin,” she stared off into the flames of the fire, “So I do miss them. Or rather I miss what I had with them.”

Soma felt her heart breaking at the sorrowful tone in Ratha’s voice, “Do you wish to search for them?”

Ratha offered a shrug of her right shoulder, “I remember my childhood being rather harsh. I remember being taken in by my clan - and I remember we were a hard people. We believed in strength above all else and as much as I’d hate to admit it: they’d never accept me like this.”

“Anyway,” Ratha said as she stared after Gyda who was showing off her strength to an amused Helga by carrying far more wood than she probably should have (the stack she carried teetered precariously in her arms and blocked her view), “I have a good reason to stay.”

Soma smiled briefly at that, following Ratha’s gaze to the young couple. Gyda had stumbled, unable to see a rock in the road, and dropped the wood. She was red with embarrassment as she bent down to pick up the fallen logs and Helga put a hand to her mouth to hide her giggling. Ratha let out a snort and shook her head with a smile, “It’s nice for us to be able to take a break from the shop. We need to have Yule more often.”

“It only comes around once a year I’m afraid,” Soma said with a small smile, “You’ll have to find more reasons to take a break.”

“There aren’t too many I can give to justify me leaving my shop for any period of time,” Ratha sighed, “That is one thing I miss about raiding - you got to see the countryside a lot more.”

Soma’s eyes lit up with an idea.

“Come with me,” she said.

Ratha looked confused, “Come with you where?”

“Oxenforda,” Soma said, “We are to open a trade route with them. What better way to show off the wares Grantebridge has to offer than to show them the woman who made them?”

Ratha worried at her lower lip, “There’s so much to do …”

“And you’re not the only smith in Grantebridge,” Soma reassured her, “They can do with your absence for a few weeks.”

“Says the woman who never seems to take time off,” Ratha countered with a smile.

“Well this will be for the purposes of helping Grantebridge,” Soma said, “Though I’m sure we can take a couple of side trips to see the countryside.”

“You really don’t have to invite me; I wouldn’t want to interfere.”

Soma clapped a friendly hand on Ratha’s shoulder, “Ratha, I want you to come with me.”

The smile that crossed Ratha’s face was the biggest Soma had seen on her since she arrived at Grantebridge. Soma returned the smile and began to lead her up to the longhouse, “You’ve finished your work just in time for Jólablót. Forget about your troubles for the night, let us celebrate until the mead runs dry.”

Ratha looked up to the drengr still carrying barrels into the longhouse and she realized it was going to be a very very long feast. She looked forward to it.

The night had grown old and the full moon was sinking behind the horizon when Soma stepped over the sleeping bodies of her drunken clanmates. Her mind was fogged with mead but she managed to keep her balance as she navigated the obstacles in her path. She was proud to admit that no one celebrated Jólablót quite like her clan - she wasn’t kidding when she told Eivor that they threw the best feasts. Her eyes scanned the longhouse … her longhouse in the city she had worked so hard to raise from a backwater into a prosperous port. Her lips curled into a proud smile to see the fruits of her labor and the labor of the people who called it home.

Her eyes wandered to one of the darker corners of the longhouse where three women slept. Helga had curled up into Gyda’s side and Gyda’s arm was protectively draped over her back. In the corner beside them rested Ratha, her back against the wall so she was sitting up with her arms crossed and her chin tucked in apparent slumber. She stirred slightly and Soma caught the glint of candle light in her half opened eyes. Ratha tilted her head up slightly as if to affirm Gyda was still there before she noticed Soma’s presence.

She gave her jarlskona a tired smile before relaxing back against the wall and letting her eyes slide shut once more.

#Soma Jarlskona #soma x OC #I still have yet to receive guidance on if a queer platonic relationship should be denoted as like soma/oc or soma x oc #Soma's getting some goddamned armor #no stabby stab #mass writes fanfic #mass writes shit

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jp-vampyrian616 · 1 year

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The Longest Night by Rev. JP Vanir (on another site they wont let me post)

The Longest Night is on December 21st and or the winter solstice and or Yule. Since the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun in December, it receives less sunlight during the course of a day. At the solstice, the North Pole’s tilt away from the Sun is greatest, so this event marks the shortest day of the year north of the equator. It is the best time for dark magic and for dark pagans, Vampyrians, and other dark kin. It is also the time we are at our strongest and there is less sun to interrupt with our manifestations. Dark manifestations include those to help oneself for personal needs (as well as two drain others and take from others). The best magic to do during this time is psychic magic as well as blood magic and personal Magic as well as other dark magic. This is my favorite time of year and my most useful time of year as a dark Pagan, a goth, and a Vampyrian.

Winter Solstice, Pagan Traditions & Christmas

The solstice may have been a special moment of the annual cycle for some cultures even during neolithic times. Astronomical events were often used to guide activities such as the mating of animals, the sowing of crops and the monitoring of winter reserves of food.

Many cultural mythologies and traditions are derived from this. This is attested by physical remains in the layouts of late Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological sites, such as Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland.

The winter solstice was immensely important because the people were economically dependent on monitoring the progress of the seasons. Starvation was common during the first months of the winter, January to April (northern hemisphere) or July to October (southern hemisphere), also known as “the famine months”. In temperate climates, the midwinter festival was the last feast celebration, before deep winter began.

Because the event was seen as the reversal of the Sun’s ebbing presence in the sky, concepts of the birth or rebirth of sun gods have been common and, in cultures which used cyclic calendars based on the winter solstice, the “year as reborn” was celebrated with reference to life-death-rebirth deities or “new beginnings”.

The pagan Scandinavian and Germanic people of northern Europe celebrated a twelve-day “midwinter” (winter solstice) holiday called Yule (also called Jul, Julblot, jólablót, midvinterblot, julofferfest). Many modern Christmas traditions, such as the Christmas tree, the Christmas wreath, the Yule log, and others, are direct descendants of Yule customs.

Sol Invictus (“The Unconquered Sun”) was originally a Syrian god who was adopted as the chief god of the Roman Empire, the official sun god and a patron of soldiers under Emperor Aurelian in 274 AD.

His holiday was traditionally celebrated on December 25, as are several gods associated with the winter solstice in many pagan traditions.

The theory dating from the 12th century says that the near-solstice date of 25 December for Christmas was selected because it was the date of the Roman festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Birthday of the Unconquered Sun). Of course, there are scholars who challenge this theory.

On the other hand, customs of the Christian religion are full of examples of pagan rituals adapted by Christianity. The purpose was clear and logical: to make it easier for the ancient folks to accept the new religion.

Beatus Sol Invictus

Vampyrian Beliefs

The longest night. A vampire’s delight. The winter solstice is a time of birth and rebirth, life and death, waning light and rising darkness. We believe this is the best time to invoke Layla or of Lilith and do magic in her Realm or of her/them or whomever is your God or Goddess. Most of our rituals are best done during this time as well as empowering rituals as well as invoking rituals and curses. Also doing rituals during this time can give them a darker nature and holds a special place and Layla/ Lilith heart and this will be the best time to do an invocation to her, the feast of Layla/Lilith as well as any other invocation, Lilith day, and of course the ritual of the longest night!

Ritual of the Longest Night – DEC. 21st:

Spiritual Father: Welcome to the Ritual of the Longest Night

Spiritual Mother: Yes, welcome, thank you for coming!

Father: This is a Ritual to celebrate the longest night of the year, an especially sacred time, when much lingers on the brink of death, existing in the places in between. Many celebrate the returning of the Sun, but we also celebrate its absence, for there is much that is beautiful about the Night. We are gathered in a time to connect with One’s own Darkness, to examine the journey. More than all else, to step outside the bounds of what we already know, and into the realms of the unknown.

Spiritual Father and Mother: We shall begin.

Spiritual Father: I call to thee Mother Layla, Hecate, and Father Set; I call to thee to join me in Ritual this, the longest Night. Dark Layla, come, celebrate this Darkness with me, come revel in the deep black. Layla, Mother, Goddess, Vampyr Queen! To you I do sacrifice this Light (blows out candle) Hail Layla Hecate, and Father Set!

Spiritual Mother: I call to thee Kali Ma, Kali Durga, kala, time, Mother, destroyer, bloodthirsty dancer! I call to thee and cry to thee “Ama!” Before me, you change shape, at once Layla, at your feet are owls, and in your eyes are the Spirits of the Wind, and you are Mother still. Unto the Mother of Darkness I do sacrifice this flame (blows out candle)…

Hail Kali, Hail Layla, Hail!

(Each Member “offers” the light to their Deity/Divine by “blowing out their candle”, until all are “standing in Darkness.”)

Spiritual Father: Darkness is often thought of as a ‘time for dreams’, for those of us who dwell in the dark, life can often seem a Dream. It is true, the Night is not reserved for Fantasy, but when the light has left, in the secret dark of our selves, there is Desire born.

Spiritual Mother: I would ask that each of you reveal to yourself, a piece of your Darkness, something born of your Desire. Speak it to yourself, or write it down where you can face it for what it is. Don’t share it here; this is for you and the Dark alone to know. (We will observe two minutes of silence in the chat for the completion of this activity.)

Spiritual Father: I draw this blade, and with no eyes to see it in the Darkness, I could be grasping the hilt or the blade. (Raises athame) I am spared, it is true to me. But had it not been, how easily a lesson learned, than to go grasping for things in the Dark. I do not deny Darkness, and it is true to me, but it can cut me quick, and I do not grasp it lightly. I have great respect for that which is Dark, and here on this, the longest Night of the year, I celebrate its power. I pass this blade to our Spiritual Mother. Hail the Darkness!

(All Members: Hail!)

Spiritual Mother: We are not monsters, we do not hide from the Light, but the Darkness is a part of us, just as integral, and equally as sacred. As we seek to achieve Balance, we must meter out as well a time for the Dark. This is that time! I pass this blade to ______ (Next Member) Hail!

(All Members “pass the blade” until it is “returned” to our Spiritual Father.)

Spiritual Father: Layla, Dark Mother, drink with me of this Chalice if you will, for there are dark blessings on your lips, and I would have them! (Drinks of chalice) Ina Etuti Absu! Dwell in Darkness! I pass this chalice to Our Spiritual Mother…

Spiritual Mother: Darkness, drink with me of this cup, for from it the blood of my Ancestors is born, and I would have their Wisdom tonight. (Drinks of chalice) Ina Etuti Absu! Dwell in Darkness! I pass this chalice to ______…

(Chalice is “passed” to all Members until it is “empty” and returned to Spiritual Father)…

Spiritual Father: Thank all those who have joined us this night for coming; we were honored to have you here…

Spiritual Mother: Yes, thank you for coming, and Dark Blessings!

Spiritual Father: The Ritual is ended…

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ronk · 4 years

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Yule Sacrifice

You though the December holidays were over, but the end of the Norse holiday season is January 12th. That day is Jólablót , or Yule Sacrifice.

The period between the Winter Solstice and Jólablót is referred to as Yuleor Jól which is a festive three weeks that partially began as a way to pass the nights during the darkest and probably rather boring part of the year. One of the games was a “bones”…

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#Álfablót #elves #Jólablót #Norse #Yule

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darkacademicfrom2021 · 2 years

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Jotunnary | Day 1 - Yule

Pairing: Loki x gn!reader

Word count: 1.1K

A/N: I don’t know much about the Yule, and I did my best looking for information (but I’m not sure which sources to actually trust on this), so, if I screw up in something, please politely correct me and I’ll change it accordingly. Thank you!

“So… are the Nordic Gods in charge of Christmas this year? Since when are they christian?”, asked Tony Stark, rolling his eyes.

“If Loki hears you say that, he’ll stab you”, said Pepper, running around with decorations for the Tower.

“Yeah, old news”.

“And it’s not Christmas, Tony. They’re bringing us their traditional Yule, their culture. Loki was actually excited to participate. This is a great thing, Tony”, she explained, while Tony had to chase her around to keep the conversation going. They entered an elevator, and she lowered her tone of voice, nodding to the rest of the passengers. “You know how he’s been lately… this will help him. Help us all, too”.

“Help us deal with him, yes”.

“With his grief, Tony. Let’s not forget that”.

“What could he possibly be still grieving? That was ages ago!”.

“That was last year around this date, and he’s so old, to him it must feel like a month or less. He didn’t only lose his parents, he lost his entire planet, his homeland!”, she retorted, and he nodded reluctantly and kept quiet as soon as he noticed the huge figure of Thor walking into the elevator. “Hey Thor”.

“Hello, Lady Pepper! How are you getting ready for this Jul?”.

“I’m gathering all the decorations and food your brother instructed me to, but… it seems to be a massive amount. Does he know this is for the team and relatives only?”, she asked, a little frightened to mess up anything. She truly didn’t know anything about this date, and wanted it to be as perfect as possible, seeing how much the Asgardians cared for it.

“Why yes, of course”, laughed Thor, gesturing his big hands around his belly. “But you must prepare for the three weeks of the feast somehow!”.

Pepper and Tony choked.

“Did you just say three weeks?”.

“Well, it begins at the winter’s solstice and ends at the Jólablót, it’s tradition!”, he explained, a smile still plastered on his face. He got off the elevator waving his arms around and greeting more people, leaving Pepper and Tony absolutely astonished at what they’ve just gotten into.

“My brother has a very distorted version of this celebration, don’t mind him”, said Loki, rolling his eyes and not gluing his eyes off the book, caressing your hair while you were sound asleep on his lap. Pepper had gone to him for explanations on whether they’d be actually preparing a three-week long feast, and convince him to change it. “The only feast happens the last three days, and it involves an amount of drinking that would kill all of you mortals almost instantly. Don’t worry, I was thinking of adapting just one of the many days. Just a little glance at what it used to be”.

“Oh, well…”, said Pepper, furrowing her eyebrows. Behind her, Thor sat in silence. Crossing his arms, he finally intervened. “Then it’s just one night?”.

“Why, then? Wouldn’t you want to hunt, too, brother? What kind of Yule would it be without the sacrifi…”, he began saying, but Loki interrupted him, still in a low voice as to not awaken you.

“How would you hunt without Odin, brother?”, he hissed, almost pained at his words.

Thor gulped and nodded, the loss of his father beginning to weigh once again. They both stayed in silence for a while. Pepper began pacing around nervously, and you started opening your eyes slightly. Loki sighed and closed his book, leaving it aside and not even once stopping the caresses on your hair.

“What is this for, then, Loki? It sounds nothing like what we used to do back then”.

Loki looked at him and smiled. Their dynamic seemed to have changed from one second to another, Loki appearing to be the bigger brother to bring some sort of comfort to what remained of their family. He looked at you and placed a kiss on your temple, noticing you were awakening.

“My beloved always wanted to know more about Asgard, and I have a surprise of sorts”, he murmured, winking at Thor as to not alert you of what he was talking about. “I figured that might be a good moment”.

“I see…”, said Thor, nodding once again. He got up abruptly, the smile that faded a while ago coming back to his face in the form of relief, and said, “you might need the help of the inherited jewelry box from Mother, which I have on New Asgard. Come later in the day”. Loki bowed.

“Yes, Your Highness”, he teased, planting a bigger smirk on his brother’s face.

The night was, as they knew it would be, fantastic. Every single one of the Avengers and their families were there, celebrating among some of the closest Asgardian friends of Thor. Loki couldn’t tear his sight off you and your fascinated eyes roaming around every single detail. You asked with curiosity, eager to learn and enjoy what he had grown loving so much. It made his heart swell, and he didn’t stop himself from grabbing your face and bathing it in kisses a few times along the night.

But the true spectacle began when he clicked his glass and called for everyone’s attention, beginning what seemed to be a speech. Thor sat upright on his seat, knowingly excited.

“I would like to begin thanking endlessly Ms. Pepper and Mr. Stark for this. It’s been a marvelous reminiscence of what used to be home, and a great way to baptize this one as the new one”, he said, fidgeting with his hands and trying to compose himself. You saw his nervousness and grabbed his hand. He looked at you and smiled lovingly, and something inside you melted completely. “This tradition was made with my family, and even though now some of those which we —Thor and I— called family, rest in Valhalla… I am hoping for today to call someone else this way. Well— someone I already have the fortune to consider such, but, let’s say, more in a formal way… I…”, he drifted off, and looked down to gather himself.

“Loki…?”, you whispered, confused.

“What I’m trying to say here”, he said, this time calmer. He needed to remind himself who he was talking to, so he turned his body completely towards you. Grabbing both of your hands and kneeling in front of you, he pulled out a ring —everyone on the table gasped, tension and emotion filling the air, a silence nobody dared break —nobody other than him. “Would you marry me?”.

You threw yourself at him, kissing him deeply over a huge smile. Everyone raised their glasses and cheered loudly, the yells of Thor saying "God jól!" making everyone smile, and Loki spinned you around after putting the ring on your finger.

“Yes, of course I’ll marry you”.

Taglist: @lucywrites02 , @louieboo87 @the-departed-potato , @jesuswasnotawhiteman , @idontknow296 , @beksib , @spythoschei , @geekwritersworld , @whatafuckingdumbass , @mysticunicorn7 @shadowolf993 , @joscelyn02 , @t00-pi , @selfship-mishaps , @sallymagnoliaposts , @deadgirl88 , @theonewiththenerds , @vicmc624 , @spiderlaufeyson @theaudacitytowrite @bi-andready-tocry @alorev @justasmisunderstoodasloki @i-beg-your-pardon-laufeyson @theetoastyghosty @lokiprompts @sarahpaq08 @lostgreekgod

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caffiend-queen · 3 years

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“One-Shot” Masterlist

Ha, ha! Please, I’ve never had the self-discipline to write an actual one-shot. However, I do have a collection of challenge and ask quickies. Have a look if you’re looking for a short and satisfying read. PS: Don’t forget to hit @mcudarklibrary for an endless, glorious scroll of Dark and Tasty Marvel tales.

Dark Steve Rogers

It’ll Be Good For You

Chapter One: What the Hell was That?

Chapter Two: A Visit to the Ha-Ha Hotel

Chapter Three: Make Me

Chapter Four: Nothing Darker

Chapter Five: I Revoke My Invitation

Chapter Six: Just A Taste

Promises Made, Promises Kept (Asshole Steve, Wonderful Bucky)

Chapter One: Promises Made

Chapter Two: Promises Kept

Dark James ‘Bucky’ Barnes

Feed, or Fuck?

Chapter One: The Game

Chapter Two: The Writing Under His Skin

Chapter Three: You Know the Game, Doll…

Chapter Four: The Bloodsucker’s Rave

Chapter Five: The Blood Countess

Dark Stucky

Don’t Make A Sound

Chapter One: The Growls. The Screaming. The Laughter.

Chapter Two: Call Me Captain

Chapter Three: Good Girls do as They’re Told

Chapter Four: Incendiary

Epilogue: Welcome to the Jungle

A/B/O Marvel

In Flight - Alpha Bucky

Chapter One: In Flight

Chapter Two: You’re Safe With Me, Omega

Chapter Three: Up on the Roof

Marvel One-shots

Hot, Like Fire - Bucky

Curtis Everett - Snowpiercer

“The front end isn’t running the show anymore. It’s time you learned that.”

Chapter One: “The front end isn’t running the show anymore. It’s time you learned that.”

Chapter Two: Navigating the After

Hell Night

Chapter One: The Last Ticket

Chapter Two: Don’t Look At Them. Look At Me.

Chapter Three: The Meat Locker

Chapter Four: The Frying Pan. The Rescue. The Shower.

Dark Loki

Haust Blot - A Halloween Tale

1. Where Are Mom’s Ashes?

2. She’s No Snow White

3. The Long Night

4. The Light of Day

Jólablót: The Night of Sacrifice

Bearing Witness

Loki, God of Mischief - The Holidays in Hel series

The Christmas Party

Chapter One: A Date? A Prince of Asgard does not Ask for a Date

Chapter Two: I’m Mr. Heat Miser

I’ll Break Your Heart Before You Break Mine

What Are You Doing On New Year’s Eve?

Loki

The Dragon Bride

Dark Thomas Sharpe - Dark Adam (OLLA)

One, or the Other

1. It’s Much Too Late To Say No

2. You Belong to Me, Now

3. You’ve Started Without Me

4. Daddy is so Pleased with You

5. The Wolf and the Dragon

6. Sixty Minute Man

7. One, or the Other, My Darling

Dr. Robert Laing - High-Rise

Who’s Your Santa?

Santa, Baby...

You're Too Good For This Place

Tom Hiddleston

I’m Right Here, Honey

#Dark Steve Rogers #dark bucky barnes #Dark Stucky #Dark MCU #Dark Loki #Jotunn Loki #Holidays in Hel series #Dr. Robert Laing #ABO Bucky #Curtis Everett

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themindfulpagan · 3 years

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Blót

A sacrifice or offering to the Norse pagan gods for their boon or to give thanks. Often during times of celebration.

Notable Blót in Icelandic Ásatrú:

Jólablót - Held during the winter solstice for a good coming year. Dedicated to Freyr

Sigurblót - Held on the first day of summer. Dedicated to Freyr, Freyja, Vanir and the gods of life and fertility.

Þingblót - Held during the summer solstice. Dedicated to laws, civilization, the Þing, and society.

Vetrarnáttablót - Held the first day of winter. Dedicated to Óðinn, the year’s harvest and the living beings in the eternal cycle of life.

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d90329 · 5 years

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クリスマス身も心も温まります！最近は、GPS とレーダーに追われてるんでね ( みんな逃げ切れよ〜 #jul #Julebukk #jólablót #サンタ追跡 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bryg3rSjAOW/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=35uax9d1m9h0

#jul #julebukk #jólablót #サンタ追跡

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broomsick · 1 year

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Vetrnætr hasn’t even come yet and I’m already preparing for Jólablót… Very telling. Still, I’ve lit a few candles on my kitchen windowsill yesterday evening, so as to guide the spirits of my ancestors home. Yesterday’s meal was a carefully prepared pumpkin soup. I was left with an empty pumpkin which I carved up and used to guard my front door against mischievous spirits. Overall, my Samhain season was quite productive, though I haven’t taken the time to throw some runes, yet. Maybe today, if I can find the time! For the moment, my main plan is to do my groceries and go shop for new incenses at my local witchcraft store. I really hope to find tree fragrances. They’re my favorites but they’re usually harder to find. Wish me luck!

#personal #heathenry #pagan holidays #wheel of the year #paganism #norse polytheism #witchcraft #spirituality #norse paganism

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thorraborinn · 4 years

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A lot of heathens seem to be under the impression that the “12 days of Christmas” comes from a pre-Christian tradition. I guess this is because they don’t see what it has to do with Christmas but it’s actually very simple. The 12 days of Christmas are from Christmas to Epiphany Eve (January 5).

Yule in heathen times seems to have been conceived of as at once a long seasonal period overlapping with the darkest time of winter, with various observations including the solstice and other observances; and as a three-day festival coinciding with midwinter some time in what we would call mid to late January (January 12 on a primstav, Jan 24 this year in Iceland; I’m inclined to observe the full moon on January 10 as the yule moon, the first full moon following the first new moon after the solstice).

Holding the main Yule celebration on the solstice is Christian influence, at least in Norway. The Christian king Hákon the good moved jólablót from midwinter to coincide with the solstice/Christmas, it’s just that he was using a calendar that inaccurately placed the solstice on December 25 (by this time, the Julian calendar had drifted so much that the actual solstice was happening around December 13, still celebrated as the “darkest night” in parts of Scandinavia). Heathens and Christians alike continued to observe midwinter in January. Celebrating on the astronomical solstice is just correcting the placement of the solstice on the calendar.

A lot of times I tell people that heathen midwinter was in January and they find it really hard to believe for some reason, I guess because the solstice is so ingrained in many of us. But somehow (perhaps due to help from Halloween?) heathens are by and large aware that pre-Christian (and Christian) Scandinavians considered winter to start in mid-October at Winternights (vetrnætr). Winternights comes several weeks after the autumnal equinox. It stands to reason that there would be approximately the same amount of time between the winter solstice and midwinter. The same is true for the beginning of summer, which is still a bank holiday in Iceland in late April.

None of this is a problem. Keep doing what you��re doing. There’s no pure, unadulterated ur-heathenry. Let’s just stop pretending that what we’re doing is that. If anything, you’re carrying on as it was in the time of the most recent pagans in Scandinavia after the date was set by Hákon góði. Plus you can have another holiday in a couple weeks.

Here is the part from Hákons saga that explains the change of date.

A work on the Norse calendar by Andreas Nordberg (in Swedish but with a good English summary at the end.

#yule #jól

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thevikingsheaux · 6 years

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Jól (aka Yule)

Part 2

Read Part 1 here.

Words: 1700

Pairing: Hvitserk x reader

After you had left Hvitserk standing in the kitchens, you ran home and collapsed in the chair near your hearth. Torvi was still there, but lying in your bed, sound asleep. You closed your eyes and wished that the moment with Hvitserk had never occurred. You didn’t want to get your hopes up that he was interested in you because you knew that he would probably forget you as soon as a prettier woman came along. He rarely had any self-control when it came to women.

You had had a long day so you began to doze off while sitting up in your chair. When your head hit the table you woke up, grumpy and annoyed. You groaned when your mind went to all the preparations you would have to help with over the next couple weeks. You already had enough to do with maintaining your parents’ farm and selling your wares in the market. As thoughts of your parents invaded your mind your eyes began to well with tears.

Your father had been slain in one of the raids he went on with Ubbe and his brothers so you were sure he was now feasting in Valhalla, but you still missed him. Shortly after finding out about his death, your mother fell ill. She was devastated by his death and didn’t want to try to live anymore. When Jarl Arild had attacked Kattegat your mother, a shieldmaiden, had fought bravely against a berserker, but her illness overcame her and she gave in to the desire to see her husband again in Valhalla.

You were still angry at your mother for giving up that fight and allowing the berserker to slaughter her. She had left you all alone to take care of the farm and the leather business. Your brother Björn was off exploring the world so you weren’t sure if he would ever return. He might even be dead for all you knew.

You got up and pushed Torvi over so you could lay down as well. You fell asleep the instant your head hit the pillow. When the light of dawn woke you, you rubbed your eyes and slowly got up. It was freezing because the fire had gone out so you quickly started another one before getting dressed for the day.

When you opened the front door, you gasped. Snow had continued to fall all night so there were at least 6 inches covering the ground. Before going out to feed the animals you had to pull on leather gloves and one of your cloaks topped with furs over your dress embroidered with a wolf’s head.

As you trekked over to the small barn, you heard the goats start to bleat. They knew you were coming so that meant food. As you were feeding the goats and sheep, you heard the barn door open behind you. You spun around and saw Dagmar standing in the doorway. “Come,” she said, “it’s time to start gathering greenery for the solstice decorations.”

You followed Dagmar through the forest, slowly picking out the best limbs from birch and spruce trees and placing them on the makeshift sled that Dagmar pulled behind her. She also had a pouch slung across her body that held some bright red berries and pine cones that would adorn the limbs.

As you moved through the forest, you and Dagmar chatted about anything and everything. Somehow the conversation got around to Hvitserk. Dagmar was complaining about the way he had spoken to her the day before. “He’s usually never like that,” she said, “he must have wanted to talk to you alone.” Her eyes darted to your face, gauging your reaction. You said nothing and quickly turned away because you couldn’t manage to hide your blush. You finally responded by changing the subject, “So have we gathered enough yet?”

Dagmar confirmed that you had, and said that she knew of a shortcut to get back to the Great Hall. You agreed to take the shortcut but hesitated when you two came to a frozen river. “It’s fine Y/N,” she reassured you, “by this time of year the river is covered with at least six inches of ice.”

Little did she know that you were terrified of crossing frozen water. When you were younger, one of your childhood friends had fallen under and drowned. Ever since that day you were scared to walk out onto ice.

Dagmar had you go out first to test the ice. She didn’t want to take the sled first because if it fell through you would have to start all over. The supplies for the decorations would be ruined if they got wet. You made it about ¾ of the way across the river when the ice began to crack. Panicked, you began to run for the shore but didn’t make it before the ice gave way and you fell through into the ice water. The last thing you heard before going under was Dagmar’s shriek and the sound of the sled being dragged rapidly across the ice.

The water was so cold that it felt as if your heart would stop beating and your lungs would stop functioning. It felt like you were underwater for an eternity before you felt a pair of arms wrap around you and begin pulling you to the surface. When your head broke the surface of the water, you gasped for air and realized Dagmar had jumped in after you. After you two crawled onto the ice, you both laid back and closed your eyes, chests heaving from the effort. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off and you noticed how cold you were.

After a few moments had passed, Dagmar spoke. “C’mon, we need to get to the Great Hall so we can warm up and change into dry clothes.” She pulled you to your feet and shoved you to the shore before picking up the sled and swiftly pulling it behind her. After five minutes of trekking through the snow, you finally made it to the Hall. Dagmar burst into her living quarters that were attached to the back corner of the Great Hall. Her room was humble with only a bed, a wooden chair, and side table topped with a single candle. There was a small place for a fire in the corner which Dagmar immediately lit.

She made you sit on the bed and draped her blanket over your shoulders before quickly changing clothes. You closed your eyes and tried to focus on something other than your chattering teeth and soaked dress. “I don’t have any more warm dresses or furs so I’m going to go ask Aslaug if you can borrow something of hers,” Dagmar informed you. You could only manage a small nod before Dagmar rushed out the door that connected her room to the Great Hall.

About five minutes later she returned, holding a gorgeous green dress, cloak, and fur. You could still appreciate the beauty of Aslaug’s clothes despite your frozen state.

Dagmar tossed the clothes over the chair and stood you up. First, she pulled off your gloves and revealed your almost blue fingers. She gasped and pulled you over to the now blazing fire so you could place your hands in front of it. Dagmar began to pull the fur pelt and sopping dress from your body. She spun you around so she could help you into Aslaug’s dress and at that moment Hvitserk burst into the room.

“Dagm-” he started to shout but stopped when he saw you standing there, stark naked. His lips parted and eyes widened when he saw your shapely figure and plump breasts. However, he quickly turned around and mumbled an apology. Not only did he want to refrain from invading your privacy, but he didn’t want either of you to see the bulge that was beginning to grow in his trousers. Embarrassed, he jogged away from the room, muttering to himself and covering his crotch, “Keep it together man, you only saw her for a second.”

At first, you were too paralyzed by the cold to register what was happening but snapped out of it when Dagmar yelled and slammed the door. “W-wh-at happened?” you croaked out. “Nothing love, it was just Hvitserk accidentally walking in on you changing,” she replied. Your eyes almost popped out of your head when she said that.

Once you were dressed, you and Dagmar ventured out to the larger fire roaring in the Great Hall and pulled a couple chairs up to it. You were still shivering but the fire was beginning to warm you up. You closed your eyes and reclined in your chair, recovering from the day’s events. A while later, Hvitserk’s voice woke you from your nap. He was accosting Dagmar, acid in his tone, “what did you do to her?! Were you trying to kill her?” Dagmar spit back, “I was just trying to get back here as quickly as possible so we could begin making the solstice decorations.” You cracked open an eye and saw Hvitserk towering over Dagmar, a scowl marring his features.

Annoyed that they were bickering, you opened both eyes and grumbled. “Stop arguing! You two are like siblings arguing over petty things.” Hvitserk turned to you and his expression softened. “Sorry Y/N, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he apologized. “S’okay,” you mumbled before letting out a yawn.

“Let’s go Dagmar, we need to get started on the decorations,” you said as you rose from your chair. You two returned to her room, leaving Hvitserk standing in the Hall, and dragged the sled inside through the door in her room that led outside.

To be continued...

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Fun fact: “Yule, or Jól (pronunciation: “yoh-l”) was the name of the time between the Winter Solstice and the Jólablót – “Yule Sacrifice” – which originally may have happened on the 12th of January. It means that Yule begins with the Winter Solstice and lasts until the 12th of next year, if you are a heathen!” - Credit to Maria Kvilhaug who wrote an article about Yule on this website.

Tags: @laketaj24 @tephi101

#vikings #hvitserk #hvitserk x reader #vikings fandom #vikings imagine #marco ilsø

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dewdropdaydream · 5 years

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SANTA CLAUS THE MAGIC MUSHROOM & THE PSYCHEDELIC ORIGINS OF CHRISTMAS

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Melanie Xulu

Whilst many of us celebrate this strange tradition, it turns out, it’s probably a little stranger than we thought…Have you ever wondered why Father Christmas wears a red and white suit? Why we wrap our presents in red and white wrapping paper, or why we hang red and white bauballs on our tree? You get the gist, there’s a definite red & white colour scheme going on…Yes, urban legend has it that Santa himself and his red and white outfit, was designed by Coca Cola in the late Victorian period as a massive ad campaign, and while this may be partially true, there is some evidence that points to the fact that the somewhat blurred origins of Mr. Claus may have emerged, pre-Coca Cola, from Siberian shamanism and the use of the Amanita Muscaria, a red and white spotty hallucinogenic mushroom, in their shamanic practices.

Amanita Muscaria

The image of Santa Claus, and our Christmas traditions have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years, and can be traced right back to pre-Christian times, with its roots deep in Paganism, and Nordic mythology. The period around the 25th December has always been one of celebration, a time, more often than not, that included large banquets, music, dancing, and in general – a coming together of sorts. The lives of ancient people were controlled by seasons and the harvest cycle, winter was tough – it was dark, cold, and immensely difficult, many people died during the season. So celebration was needed to keep spirits high and to stay positive during the grueling winter months. The harvest would have been brought in during the autumn, the cattle would have been slaughtered so they wouldn’t have to be fed during the winter, and the majority of wine and beer made during the year would have finally fermented and been ready for drinking – this meant there was an abundance of food and drink, which may explain the frequent banqueting during the winter.

The Vikings had the ancient Midwinter festival, Yule, which occurred in Nordic countries between the Winter Solstice (21st December) and the Jólablót (Yule Sacrifice), which originally may have happened on the 12th of January. This period was a time of feasting, banquets, games, drinking, song, and sacrifice to the gods. The Romans had the festival of Saturnalia, an ancient festival in honour of the god Saturn, held on the 17th of December through to the 23rd if December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Roman Temple of Saturn, then a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving and general Roman raucous. Other celebrations occurred throughout Europe, with similar themes of banqueting/feasting, gift-giving, human sacrifice – all things that have carried on, and still occur today in the holiday season – well, apart from the sacrifice – hopefully.

Druid priestess with Golden Sickle and Mistletoe

The significance of mistletoe and holly around Christmas time, also goes back thousands of years; Peter Haining in his book, ‘Superstitions’, wrote, “The mistletoe, was revered by the ancient Greeks as sacred, yet superstition has it that the reason why it is so lucky to be kissed under it is that the plant once offended the old Gods, who thereafter condemned it to have to look on while pretty girls were being kissed.” In many pre-Christian cultures, holly was associated with the god of winter, it was also the sacred plant of Saturn and was used at the Roman festival of Saturnalia to honor him. Romans gave one another holly wreaths and carried them about, decorating them with images of Saturn.

The ancient druids used to wear sprigs of holly in their hair when they went into the forest to cut sprigs of mistletoe from the branches of oak trees, they’d do this with a golden sickle on the sixth night of the new moon after the winter solstice. A cloth was held below the tree by other members of the order to catch the sprigs of mistletoe as they fell, as it was believed that it would have profaned the mistletoe to fall upon the ground. The chief druid would then divide the branches into many sprigs and distribute them to the people, who hung them over doorways as protection against thunder, lightning and other evils. They also believed it had strong sexual powers, and, boiled with the blood of a pair of sacrificial white bulls, it would make the best aphrodisiac. According to the Anglo-Saxons, kissing under the mistletoe was connected to the legend of Freya, the goddess of love and fertility. Legend has it, a man had to kiss any young girl who, without realizing it, found herself accidentally under a sprig of mistletoe hanging from the ceiling.

Even the origins of Christmas caroling are hundreds of years old, stemming from the medieval tradition of wassailing (from the Anglo-Saxon Waes Hael), something that still happens in the crooks and crannies of the English and Scottish countryside today. House-visiting wassailers (not to be confused with the orchard wassail) would go from door to door, singing and drinking to the health of their neighbors. The concept harks back to pre-Christian fertility rites where villagers traveled through fields and orchards in the middle of winter, singing and shouting to drive away any spirits that might effect the growth of future crops.

Saint Nicholas, depicted in the 13th century

Around the year 280AD, the figure of Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century Greek bishop and gift-giver of a Christian community in the ancient town of Myra, begins to emerge. As the story goes, he was brought up in a wealthy family, lost both of his parents as a young man, and used his inheritance to help the poor and sick. He famously is said to have helped the poor father of three marriageable daughters who could not afford their dowries. To save them from a life of prostitution, which was a common fate for unmarried women in the third century, he dropped three sacks of gold down their father’s chimney late one night, making him the patron saint of prostitutes – probably don’t tell that one to your kids on Christmas Eve.

As for magic mushrooms? Well they’ve been around for donkey’s years too, and have been used for spiritual and recreational purposes for thousands of years, with their use documented as far back as 9000 B.C. in North African indigenous cultures, based on representations in rock paintings. An archaeological image found on a cave in Tassili, Algeria, dating back to 3500 B.C. details mushrooms with animated auras surrounding dancing shamans, and there is also a well-known depiction of mushrooms in a cave in Spain which dates back 6-8 thousand years, among other ancient depictions around Europe. In fact, a recent molecular study proposed that the Amanita Muscaria had ancestral origins in the Siberian–Beringian region during the Tertiary period (65 million to 2.58 million years ago), before spreading out across Asia, Europe and North America.

Selva Pascuala caves in Spain, depiction of mushrooms in bottom right. Photograph by Alan Piper

So how do mushrooms relate to Santa Claus? Siberian shamans? What’s this all about? Well, Siberian shamans used to dress to resemble that of the Amanita Muscaria, and, according to some sources, female shamans originally wore red and white costumes trimmed with white fur, black boots, and felt red hats. To this day, Siberian mushroom gatherers go out in a ceremonial red and white outfit to honour the colour of the mushrooms they pick. Red hat, red suit trimmed with white fur, black boots…Remind you of anyone?

Siberian Shaman working with the Amanita Muscaria

Prof. John Rush, author of ‘Mushrooms in Christian Art‘, and professor of anthropology at Sierra College in Rocklin, California, has researched the subject heavily, “Santa is a modern counterpart of a shaman, who consumed mind-altering plants and fungi to commune with the spirit world”, he says, “as the story goes, up until a few hundred years ago these practicing shamans or priests connected to the older traditions would collect Amanita muscaria (the Holy Mushroom), dry them, and then give them as gifts on the winter solstice.”

The shaman would collect the mushrooms, which grow almost exclusively under pine trees, in a large sack, and would often use an opening in the roof to deliver his gifts, as the vast amount of snow would block the door. During Siberian winters, the snow piles up past the doors of the villagers’ yurts, so the red and white clad shaman must climb down the chimney to deliver the presents in his sack. Once the shaman has done the rounds of delivering the Amanita Muscaria, the villagers string the mushrooms up or put them in bags hung in front of the fire to dry. As well as this, when mushroom gatherers would go out and pick the mushrooms they would often place them on the leaves of the trees in the forest to dry them out in the sun.

We could easily draw comparisons from this to our modern day tradition of decorating the Christmas tree with shiny red and white ornaments, to hanging stockings full of gifts in front of the fire, and the imagery of Santa with his sack going down the chimney.

It’s a modern-day tradition in many parts of Northern Europe to decorate the Christmas tree with ornaments of mushrooms

According to Carl Ruck, a professor at Boston University, reindeer are the spirit animals of the shaman. Many indigenous people of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and parts of Russia have a close relationship with the animal. Most notably, the Sami, who inhabit Lapland – the northernmost region of Finland, often said to be the geographical location of Santa Claus and his elves. Reindeer husbandry is an important aspect of Sami culture, in Norway and Sweden reindeer husbandry is legally protected as an exclusive Sami livelihood, and only people of Sami descent with reindeer herding family ancestry can own reindeer.

So why are the reindeer on our Christmas cards often shown flying? Well, because Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Blitzen, and Rudolph are off their faces on magic mushrooms….obviously. Research has shown that reindeer do in fact have a fondness for the Amanita Muscaria. Deputy editor of the Pharmaceutical Journal, Andrew Haynes, wrote in 2010 that animals deliberately seek out the red and white spotted mushroom in their habitats, as they “have a desire to experience altered states of consciousness”Haynes also wrote, “for humans, a common side-effect of mushrooms is the feeling of flying, so it’s interesting the legend about Santa’s reindeer is they can fly.” According to The Sun, Haynes even claimed that reindeer seek out the mushrooms to “escape the monotony of dreary long winters.”

Haynes also said that Shamans and herdsmen drink the reindeer urine to experience the high themselves, which is apparently where the term ‘to get pissed’ comes from. After much debate about this, it turns out to be quite true. According to an account by Andy Letcher, who spent some time living with the Sami, his hosts started feeding reindeer hallucinogenic mushrooms, which the deer consumed happily. They then collected the urine, boiled it up in a pot, and shared it around. Letcher said in an interview, “I don’t drink and I’ve never taken any drugs…But I took some when they passed it round. Well, you have to, don’t you? They expect it. Anyway, I was high as a kite…”

As well as this, Philip Johann von Strahlenberg, a Swedish prisoner of war in the early eighteenth century, reported seeing Koryak tribes-people waiting outside huts where ‘mushroom sessions’ were taking place, waiting for people to come out and urinate. When they did, it was collected in wooden bowls and drunk.. The hallucinogenic effect of the Amanita Muscaria could apparently be recycled up to five times in this manner. He published his account in 1730, in ‘An Historical and Geographical Description of the North and Eastern Parts of Europe and Asia, Particularly of Russia, Siberia, and Tartary’

According to some, includingJack Herer, hemp activist and author of ‘The Emperor Wears No Clothes‘, Santa Claus was a magic mushroom, an Amanita Muscaria, Fly Agaric, trippy toadstool, call it what you will – nothing more nothing less. Maybe Herer was smoking too much hash when he came out with that one, but it might make some sense that the image of Santa is inspired by the red and white spotted fungi. Believe it or not, Santa wasn’t the only mushroom; Dead Sea Scrolls scholar, and author of the infamous ‘The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross’, John Allegro, famously claimed Jesus was a mushroom, and that Christianity was the product of an ancient “sex-and-mushroom” cult, with the word “Christ” apparently being some sort of ancient Sumerian word that meant “A mushroom covered in God’s semen.”…but that’s an article for another day.

Reindeer, chimneys, pine trees, a sack full of gifts, presents under the tree, the red and white colour scheme, there are so many similarities one could make between our modern day Santa Claus, our Christmas traditions, and the ancient Siberian shamanistic mushroom rituals. The origins of Christmas, and Santa Claus, branch off into different beliefs and areas – Siberian shamanism and the Amanita Muscaria being a branch on the Christmas tree, if you will, among different branches including the Christian St. Nicholas, Paganism, Nordic mythology, Anglo-Saxon tradition, Roman festivities, and so on and so forth, all these branches connect to the roots of Christmas, it’s very beginnings – which stem from pre-Christian beliefs and early Winter Solstice rituals and practices.

So, no, Santa Claus might not have literally been a magic mushroom, but you could argue the Amanita Muscaria had an influence on the creating of the character of Santa Claus, as well as some of our modern-day Christmas rituals. Next time you put your red and white wrapped Christmas presents under your Christmas pine tree, hang the red and white stockings out in front of the fire, or find yourself singing “Rudolph The Red-Nose Reindeer”, try not to think of hallucinogenic reindeer wee.

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