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Thorrablot

Thorrablot is believed to be an Icelandic tradition of feasting, most likely to honour the God of thunder, Thor although some texts would suggest it honours the Icelandic God of Winter, Thorri. Other texts also suggest that Thorri is the name of the season of Winter.

When Christianity came to the far Northern lands - and with it some of the most ruthless and tyrannical rulers of the day - the Vikings fled to various parts of Europe, including Iceland. Those folk who went to Iceland were able to uphold their Heathen traditions until Christianity came to their island, forbidding Heathen practices. Thorrablot enjoyed a revival in the 19th Century, and has become a recognised celebration since. In Iceland, they celebrate Thorrablot around 1st February, a similar time to what other Pagans would celebrate as Imbolc. For the Southern Hemisphere folk, it is the full moon of 30th July at 10:30AM AEST.

When the Norse Heathen folk come together to celebrate a blot, it implies a gathering of people, the use of ritual tools and food - to make sacred, or of a sacrifice. In olden times, it would be the ritual slaughter of an animal in honour of a particular God, and the folk who gathered would have blood from the animal sprinkled on them in tribute and as a means of protection.

Thorrablot is also about bringing about the end of Winter and the anticipation of the coming Spring.

Thor

Thor is the much-loved God of thunder in Norse mythology. His hammer of Mjollnir is legendary and his enemies - most notably the giants of Jotunheim - feared him because of this. As well as its use to kill, Mjollnir also held the power to bless and was especially auspicious at weddings.

Thor was also renowned for his voracious appetite - he could eat a whole cow (if not 2 or 3) in one sitting! He was also a hot-tempered God who didn't suffer fools gladly, yet he was honest and loyal. Thor's main travelling companion was the trickster God Loki, who caused a great deal of mischief and it was Thor's lot to get Loki out of the mess that he ultimately caused. His greatest enemy is the world serpent Jormungand and they meet their deaths at each other's hands during Ragnarok - or the end of the world.

Sif

Sif is the loving and patient wife of Thor. The one story of note about Sif relates to her long blonde locks, and how the mischievous Loki sneaked Into her bedroom to chop all her locks off! When she awoke she was most upset and wouldn't come out from underneath the covers when Thor came home from a night of feasting. When she finally faced him and Thor saw what happened to her hair, there was an outbreak of laughter from outside their bedroom window. Lold couldn't contain himself any longer and Thor, very angry by this time, dragged Loki in and told him to put things right. Loki sought the services of the dwarves and they spun her hair out of gold, was placed on her hair to grow and R was as blonde and golden as before.

Symbolically the loss of Sif's hair is to mean the corn that Is harvested before the onset of Winter, and Siff Is known as the goddess of the harvest.

The Ritual

The food is laid out onto the table, along with the appropriate ritual tools for each of the elements. A chair for each participant is included, as well as a spare chair for the north seat in welcome of out ancestors.

Once everyone has been smudged and gathered around the table, the circle is cast thus:

By the power of Thor and Mjollnir, may this circle be blessed, cleansed and sanctified.

Do the circle 3 times, chanting as you go.

The circle is cast and the Gods and Goddesses may now be invoked.

East

To Odin - the all-father, steed of Yggdrasil,
God of the runes and the element of Air.
We ask you to attend our Blot
so you may protect and charge this circle.
Hail and welcome!

North

To Tyr - the wise God who sacrificed his hand to Fenrir for the good of all,
God of war and the element of Fire.
We ask you to attend our Blot
so you may protect and charge this circle.
Hail and welcome!

West

To Frigg - the all-mother, wife of Odin,
Goddess of the hearth and the element of Earth.
We ask you to attend our Blot
so you may protect and charge this circle.
Hail and welcome!

South

To Ran - the patron of sailors, maker of Mead,
Goddess of the sea and the element of Water.
We ask you to attend our Blot
so you may protect and charge this circle.
Hail and welcome!

Thor

To Thor - beloved God of thunder, slayer of giants,
companion of Loki and friend to the working class.
We ask you to attend our Blot
so you may lend us your courage and spirit.
Hail and welcome!

Sif

To Sif - loving wife of Thor and Goddess of the harvest.
We ask you to attend our Blot
so you may lend us your warm-heartedness
to guide us out of the cold Winter.
Hail and welcome!

Food is to be charged and blessed. Thorrablot may now begin. People sit around the table and feast. A portion of food is also offered to the Norse deities and ancestors.

This is an opportune time for each person to boast about anything that they have achieved - or wish to achieve. This heralds the traditional of Skoll, in that everyone's deeds are honoured and toasted to.

When alcohol is supplied, a toast is given to each person, and so on around the table.

One's ancestry is also recognized during a blot. If anyone wishes instead, to speak of their ancestor's achievements, then they may do so.

After this segment of the blot, all the participants may select a rune and engage in divination. This is the time of year in that we should all consider what is no longer working in our lives, and release in order to make way for the new.

Closing

Farewell Sif

To Sif - loving wife of Thor and Goddess of the harvest.
We thank you for attending our blot
and lending us your warm-heartedness
to guide us out of the cold winter.
Hail and farewell!

Farewell Thor

To Thor - beloved God of thunder, slayer of giants,
companion of Loki and friend to the working class.
We thank you for attending our blot
and lending us your courage and spirit.
Hail and farewell!

South

To Ran - patron saint of sailors, maker of Mead,
Goddess of the sea and the element of Water.
We thank you for attending our blot,
protecting and charging this circle.
Hail and farewell!

West

To Frigg - the all-mother, wife of Odin,
Goddess of the hearth and the element of Earth.
We thank you for attending our blot,
protecting and charging this circle.
Hail and farewell!

North

To Tyr - the wise God who sacrificed his hand to Fenrir for the good of all,
God of war and the element of Fire.
We thank you for attending our blot,
protecting and charging this circle.
Hail and farewell!

East

To Odin - the all-father, steed of Yggdrasil,
God of the runes and the element of Air.
We thank you for attending our blot,
protecting and charging this circle.
Hail and farewell!

(9) Photos by Janine

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

Maria, Jenny, Sam, Rache & Andy

Jenni, Ray, Bev & Rex

Light anomaly

Ray

* This ritual is a combination of the author's original ideas and information obtained from various books and/or internet sources.