MaPP - Yule Newsletter 2002
Sat., Dec. 21, 2002, marks the solstice-the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere
by Ann-Marie Imbornoni
In astronomy, the solstice is either of the two times a year when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, the great circle on the celestial sphere that is on the same plane as the earth's equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs either December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn; the summer solstice occurs either June 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Cancer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter and summer solstices are reversed.
Reason for the Seasons
The reason for the different seasons at opposite times of the year in the two hemispheres is that while the earth rotates about the sun, it also spins on its axis, which is tilted some 23.5 degrees towards the plane of its rotation. Because of this tilt, the Northern Hemisphere
receives less direct sunlight (creating winter) while the Southern Hemisphere receives more direct sunlight (creating summer). As the Earth continues its orbit the hemisphere that is angled closest to the sun changes and the seasons are reversed.
Longest Night of the Year
The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, "sun" and -stitium, "a stoppage." Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.
Northern Winter Goddesses
Susan Mort
In early Germanic Cultures, there were some goddess who
were associated with the long midwinter nights. The
goddesses were associated with the home and hearth, spinning,
children and gift giving. Some scholars speculate these
Goddesses were the early ancestors to Santa Claus. The coming
of Christianity transformed these Goddesses into minor
magical story figures such as "Twelve days of Christmas",
"Twelfth Night" and my personal favorite, the fairy tale
Mother Holle (see below for story).
The winter goddesses of Northern Europe, Known as Berchta
(or Perchta) and Holde (or Holda, Holle), shared many
characteristics and are sometimes spoken as variants of the same
Winter Goddess. This sky Goddess sailed the winds dressed
in a mantle of snow. To the people of the Alsace Lorraine
she sometimes appeared wearing a crown of fire, a trait
that would later provide a tenuous connection to St. Lucy.
She also shared the same traits of the Greek Fates, as well
as Hekate.
In attending to the affairs of home and hearth she acted
as the patroness of those who spun thread, rewarding the
industrious and punishing the lazy and sloppy. She also spun,
not thread but the fates of the human race. She was also
the patroness of Motherhood and the fertility of the Earth.
Folklore often pictured her flying through the night with
the spirits of children and other creatures such as dogs,
goats or horses. She appeared most often during the 12 days
of Christmas. Some believed she led the wild hunt, a
riotous procession of ghosts across the night sky at Yule.
As Christianity established itself as the dominant religion
in Europe, the image of the goddess shrank and changed
although elements of her powers and correspondences remained.
Once beautiful and powerful they were transformed into old
hags and in some references fairies. However, people
stilled held their beliefs that the old crone Berchta would
inspect their barns and homes for cleanliness, rewarding those
who were industrious and punishing the lazy.
Berchta was usually associated with spinners and one custom
demanded that women cease their spinning work during the
twelve days of Christmas out of respect for her. (also known
as St. Distaff's Day). Another ancient custom was to
leave parts of a special meal for Berchta as an offering. If
the household did not, she would cut open the stomachs of
the lazy inhabitants and remove the contents. Although she
was lazy associated with punishing the lazy, she was just
as equally known as rewarding to well behaved children. She
would bless them with gifts or good luck and enjoyed
rocking babiesā?T cradles when no one was looking. Mothers would
sometimes threaten their misbehaving children that Berchta
would come for them if they didn't behave!
In her nightly ghostly processions, fear would over come
those who witness her night time sojourn, but in passing over
ones fields and pastures ,blessings and fertility would
come ones way. The spirits and the souls which accompanied her
were called "Perchten" and in some German speaking
areas the night she was most likely to appear was twelfth night
or aptly named: Perchtennacht. Although it is difficult to
trace the relationship, some scholars speculate there is a
distinct relation between Berchta and the Italian Befana
and also Frau Gaude.
Holde was a Goddess usually associated with the peoples of
Northern Germany. Her name which translates as "Kindly
one" was pictured as a beauftful goddess who shook her
feather bed gently in the sky so that there were beautiful
snowfalls on earth. However, due to the rise in Christianity,
Holde was transformed into an ugly witch.
Hertha was closely associated with the Norse and Germanic
speaking people. She shares many characteristics with
Berchta and Holde and may be related to them. Hertha was the
patroness of home and hearth who visited her people around
the winter solstice. People would decorate their home with
greens in order to entice her to visit them and shower them
with blessings. They also made flat stone altars for her
and set fire to branches as an offering. It was believed
that Hertha would accept their offerings and enter their home
through the smoke, conferring upon them the ability to see
the future in the flames. Some scholars believe that Santa
Claus's descent may have had his origins of coming down
the fireplace from this tradition.
Sources:
Motz, Lotte. "The Winter Goddess: Perchta, Holda and
related Figures Folklore",2 (1984): 151-161
Leach, Maria, ed."Funk and Wangalls Standard Dictionary
of Folklore, Mythology and Legend". New York:Harper &
Row, 1984
Internet resources:
Mother Holle
from The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm
http://www.anglo-saxon.demon.co.uk/goddesses/holda/mother.html
White Ladies and Witches of the Myst ~
The honoring of the Mother Goddess
http://home.wanadoo.nl/rudi.klijnstra/Elfenland/WitteWievenEngels.html
Holda: Deity of Witches
http://shanmonster.lilsproutz.com/witch/deities/holda.html
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