Norse contributions to Christmas.

Christmas is less than 2 weeks away. Its a good time for some history. Today's lesson is "how much of our contemporary Christmas celebration do we owe to the Norse/Viking culture." I'll show some examples (borrowed from other internet sites) that hopefully will show that it is at least possible that Christianity adopted these activities while the adoption of Christianity was taking place in Scandinavia.

We will start of with the most obvious symbol of Christmas: the tree.
Vikings and Scandinavians in general decorated evergreen trees with carvings of the gods, runes, clothing, and food. These items were thought to ward off evil spirits and encourage brighter ones to visit the home because they honored the gods and begin to bring about the new spring.. This tradition continues in people placing cherished objects and sacred images on an evergreen tree such as figures of angels or putting a Christmas creche beneath the tree. The Vikings worshiped trees, especially the evergreens of the Scandinavian forests, which they believed were the special plant of Balder, the sun god. Since they remained green throughout the winter, the trees came to represent the promise of new life, a reminder that spring was just around the corner.

Santa: The Norse god Odin was said to be 'the father of all gods'. Described as a bearded old man wearing a hat and a cloak, Odin would often ride his eight-legged horse Sleipnir across the midwinter night's sky, delivering gifts to those down below. Sound familiar? Although it can be argued that our modern Father Christmas is a fusion of ancient myths, legends and folklore, the resemblance and connection to the Norse god Odin has many historians believing he was the original Santa.

The Christmas wreath:

Whilst the Romans originally created wreaths to be displayed as a symbol of victory, they became connected to our festive celebrations by way of Yule. Like the evergreen trees, wreaths created using an evergreen plant such as Holly, would be brought into people's dwellings during Yuletide to remind them of the warmer days to come, a reassuring symbol during the long cold winters of the Scandinavian north.

The Vikings themselves would set alight to a 'sunwheel', which strongly resembles our modern wreaths. The burning wheel was then rolled down a hill in the hope of enticing the sun to return.

Mistletoe:

According to Norse legend, Odin's son Balder had been prophesied to die so his mother Frigg visited every entity in the cosmos to secure an oath from them that they wouldn't harm her son. She neglected to consult the mistletoe believing it too small and harmless to threaten the life of her son. The mischievous god Loki got wind of this oversight and carved an arrow out of the mistletoe. Balder would eventually be slain by Loki's creation, mistletoe proving to be his only weakness.

In one version of the story, Frigg's tears of sorrow fell onto the red mistletoe turning them white, which resurrected her son. Mistletoe came to represent renewal, love and peace with Frigg promising to kiss anyone who passed beneath it.

The Christmas Elf:

Once again we have Norse mythology to thank for another of our well-known Christmas stalwarts, the elf. Referred to as the álfar (where our word 'elf' comes from) or 'hidden people', these supernatural humanlike beings were often described as tall, pale and beautiful and equipped with magical powers.

So how did we go from the álfar to the short, pointy hat wearing elves we imagine in Santa's workshop today? Again, we have another myth from Nordic folklore to thank, that of the 'nisse'. The nisse is a mythological creature associated with the winter solstice and Christmas season, best described as looking like your typical garden gnome - short and equipped with a red pointy hat.

The little creatures are said to live in the stables and barns of a homestead, guarding the property and those dwelling within. Treat it well and it'll be helpful to you, treat it badly and be prepared for some mischief around your house, perhaps explaining why today's Christmas elves are often represented as cheeky.

The Christmas Goat :

In Scandinavia, decorating your home with straw goats, so-called “julbock” is a very popular tradition. The goats have been a part of the tradition for such a long time that many might have forgotten exactly what they represent, but it is believed that the goats were an homage to Thor and the goats that pulled his carriage across the skies, Tanngnjóstr, and Tanngrisnir.

The 12 days of Christmas:

Before we were all singing about turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree, the ancient Norse were enjoying their midwinter festival of Yule for exactly twelve days. Beginning on the day of the winter solstice (the longest day and night), the feasting festivities would carry on for 12 days, creating the origins of the 12 days of Christmas we celebrate today.

Christmas ham

It's a dish that's featured on most Christmas tables at some point during the festive season and once again, we have the Norse to thank for our Christmas ham. Feasting played a central role in the way the Vikings and other ancient Germanic people honored the gods. One such ritual saw the sacrificing of a Wild Boar to the Norse god Freyr in the hope of a fruitful harvest during the next season. 
The boar would be the centerpiece of the feasting, very much like the Christmas ham that adorns our modern-day tables.

Yule log:
In Nordic tradition, the Yule log was a carefully selected log that was ceremonially brought into the house and burnt on a hearth (brick or stone-lined fireplace) during the time of Yule. Part of it would be saved and kept until the following year to not only protect the home but also act as kindling for next year's Yule log.
A burning log

Whilst the tradition continues to this day across the world, it has also transformed into a culinary one with many people choosing to furnish their Christmas tables with a chocolate Yule log.

In Nordic tradition, the Yule log was a carefully selected log that was ceremonially brought into the house and burnt on a hearth (brick or stone-lined fireplace) during the time of Yule. Part of it would be saved and kept until the following year to not only protect the home but also act as kindling for next year's Yule log.
A burning log

Whilst the tradition continues to this day across the world, it has also transformed into a culinary one with many people choosing to furnish their Christmas tables with a chocolate Yule log.

Christmas Caroling:

Christmas caroling is otherwise known as wassailing, which has Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon origins. Traditionally, peasants would visit their feudal lords and sing songs in exchange for gifts and treats. This gives new context to the line from the song We Wish You a Merry Christmas: “We won’t go until we get some, so bring some out here.” The famous 12 Days of Christmas is also a Norse tradition in that it was believed that Odin, the King of the Gods, rode across the heavens for 12 nights during this season of the midwinter feast which lasted 12 days from the winter solstice.

Videos:

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ok elections over...now what?

 Well its the day after the election and as expected..well hoped..All the democrats in Mass won. We have our first female governor ever. Yes she's a open lesbian but that really none of my business. I don't care. I think what's more is she is our first female governor. All the usual people won with a majority unopposed...or barely opposed. Being a strong democratic state its not surprising. In RI Seth Magaziner won a hard fought victory keeping the seat from flipping. The slate of Democrats also did extremely well from the Governor on down.

The title of this was "Now what"...the picture will be a little clearer over the next few days as the last of the votes are counted. There apparently will be a runoff in Georgia for control of the Senate. Will we have coalition building and bi-partisanship? if our history is any clue the answer is NO. we will spend the next two years watching gridlock as nothing is done , legislation is blocked and brinkmanship will be the order of the day. It takes a solid majority to get anything substantial done.This has been true since the days of FDR and his alphabet agencies. 

well its now 10 days after:..the Dems somehow held onto the senate while the Reps nudged over the finish line to gain a small majority. True to form they immediately forgot all the things they ran on and began to attack Joe Biden. I can fully expect NOTHING will get done in the next two years. The house blocks the senate, the senate blocks the house and if that fails Biden veto's knowing there are not enough of a majority to override. the perfect recipe for gridlock. 

The only way our system works goes back to a Ted Kennedy analogy regarding a loaf of bread. The first time you introduce something new you ask for the loaf but settle for a slice. That gets your foot in the door so to speak. The next time you ask for a second slice then a third..If the idea is sound and successful, the trips back become easier. You may not end up with an entire loaf but there is enough to do good for our citizens which is and always should be the goal. We have forgotten that. The minority is a stop legislation at all costs scenario which gets us nowhere. Mcconnell stating on the day after the election in 2008 is a picture of this. "We will work to make Obama a one term president". This is a limited and frankly short sighted and dangerous philosophy since if you remember we were in the midst of a recession triggered by the previous republican president. They often do not have our best interests at heart.

About a week to go.

 There's about a week to go before the election. Ive voted for the last 40 years in all different types of elections. Ive even run for local office myself and won. If there's one thing Ive learned its that its never as dire as the losing side predicts afterwords. Until now. Given a worst case scenario when the republican seize control of the house and the senate, the less than favorable presidential numbers, there is the real chance we could be screwed like permanently. 

We saw during the trump presidency, while everyone was making orange jokes and commenting on everything from his lack of class and sophistication to what can only be described as fondling his daughter, the making fun of the disabled ....there are far too many to name, he was naming conservative judges. The same people he named came before the senate panel and lied, lied and lied again about very important things such as a woman's right to choose. Most disappointingly they were confirmed and the same people they lied to sat back and clutched their pearls yelling "they lied" and were completely powerless to do anything about it. 

The candidate's lie and whats disheartening is the nonchalance in how they do it. As if no one will fact check them, they tell whoppers worthy of the burger King himself Donald Trump. The facts are checked but by them the 30 second attention span of the average American has moved on and the lie becomes truth. Facts are twisted or simply made up and are accepted by a people addicted to instant gratification. Go out to eat...look around the room and see how many people are using their phones for everything but phone calls. Faster phones..more memory ..faster connections..got to have the information as it happens..and the media plays along. The news cycle has gone from days or weeks to minutes. Trump knew this and I'll give him credit for it..when some article came out about him being caught doing something, he would do something or say something crazy just to distract the media and us. He would do this knowing it would disappear very quickly. Its the same with these candidates. Hershel Walker has got a whole bunch of stuff in his past. Lying about his achievements, the abortions he's supposedly payed for then campaigned as pro life. Its a fairly long list..but the voters dont seem to care. Oz, the same sort of story..against John Fetterman who recently had a stroke and suffered through a difficult debate with Oz. I dont think for a moment Oz knows a thing about Pennsylvania or politics and it would be a grave mistake to elect him. The question they should be asking is Oz, a better man than Fetterman was before?..He will after all improve and there's a hell of a lot more to being a senator than standing at a poduim debating. Anyone who watches C-Span should know that.  

We'll see what happens and on Wednesday morning we will know the course of our country for the next 2 -6 years. Lets hope for the best and VOTE!

Ramblings...

Its been alittle while since I got to sit down and write something. I was watching the Jan6th committee meetings today and the thought still ran through my mind as it did on Jan6th in that if this were any other country in the world and they attacked the capital, the military would have opened up on them and very quickly ended the uprising. Since we live in America where we seem to have an amazing tolerance for everything but people who are different, short prison sentences in most likely country club jail seem to be the lesson learned and presidential pardons. The republican politicians who seemed to so quickly run for their lives , just as quickly decided it was no big deal. Seeing the video's from that day and days after then months after, what a difference. 

Today's politician seems to be willing to trade everything that makes them a moral and responsible human being for power and money. Most if not all are already millionaires so what is driving them?..its power. The power to force people to live their lives how others see fit. The legislation passed in the last few months taking away a woman's right to choose what happens to and in her own body with little or no exceptions. Rumors of the supreme court "re-considering" hard won civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community and as usual the voting rights of (usually) minorities and the poor of all races. The voting rights are endangered (as usual) to help keep those in power in power. Its the same reason we dont have term limits. The people in power are going to pass legislation limiting themselves to a few terms? hardly. 

          We are at fault for the most part because we continue to elect these fools and they know who they are. Politicians who show up during the election cycle and promise the moon then disappear until the next cycle. Every state has them. None of the 50 are immune to this. With all the social media out there the best we can do is complain about Biden or Trump or whatever idiot is in the stupidity spotlight that week. Dont get me wrong , Several senators spend months seemingly basking the light of Idiocrasy. A massive Ice storm strands thousands in the dark and cold, their senator splits to Cancun. A governor spends desperately needed funds for a political stunt to ship 50+ immigrants to Martha's vineyard and sit back in horror as they are welcomed by the residents. Who would have thought. They didnt even have to decency to call ahead but somehow FoxNews was there at the airport. 

Back to the Jan6th thing. If this were indeed another country, I'd like to think the powers that be wouldnt be afraid to do what should be done. What is the fear that strikes these people ?...I wish some would tell me..

Election Day

 Well its primary day here in Massachusetts. the day every two years where we see who will be shaping our future going forward. You say "Wait that's in November" . Well technically your right but in such a democratic leaning state as Massachusetts , if you win in September usually you have the job in November except for the Governor. We tend to have republican governors. I finally understood why as I saw other states pass absolutely insane laws on a range of topics. Its a system of checks and balances. a democratic house and senate pass a law and the governor says "whoa!!! that's crazy" and veto's it. if the house and senate have enough votes its a override. it does happen but not all that often. you know that already from your civics class..never took one?..you should..its tough to participate and I mean participate in a system like this if you don't understand it. TV doesn't help..FoxNews, CNN and the others are so slanted I'm amazed the hosts don't need seatbelts to keep from sliding off the screen. I'm sure there are level headed reporting out there..I'll just have to keep looking. I voted. I supported candidates Ive supported for years..Maura Healey..the worst thing her opponent said was "she was litigious" as Attorney General I certainly hope so. Shannon Liss Riordan..Lawyer running for Attorney General..always defended the little guy..skycaps, taxi drivers, exotic dancers...etc..very pro union as I am..since we are all little guys she seems the perfect choice. Again the only negative I found was a claim she was "spending her own money" oh boy that's a killer. the weather is crappy and that might lower turnout a little but we'll get our usual 30%..maybe a little more and we'll see what happens

 Election day..

      Tomorrow (tuesday) is election day here in Massachusetts. Im supporting :

      Maura Healey for Governor

      Tami Gouveia  for Lt Governor

      Shannon Liss Riordan for attorney general

      William Galvin Secratary of state 

       Deb Goldberg for treasurer

      undecided for auditor

     Bill Keating for representative in congress.

     Chris Markey   State Representative

     Mark Montigny Senator in general court

    

Student loans

 Ive had a somewhat long and varied college career. I have 2 bachelor's degrees 30+ years apart. I have 4 associates degrees in various things and I 'm currently working on my Master's. Ive seen a lot of classrooms , known a lot of students and listened to a lot of people. I also have 4 children who are finished with or are presently in college. Ive seen student loans, Ive had student loans and some of my children have student loans. 

President Biden is finally working towards one of his campaign promises. I sure do wish every year was election year because they sure do seem to really get cracking and produce good results. I guess that tremendous expulsion of energy explains why they don't seem to do much in non election years. Back to student loans. I think its a good program. First off , I don't believe the federal government should be in the money making business on the backs of its citizens. I have absolutely no problem with Zero Interest federal government loans for school. You payback exactly what you borrow. I borrow 100 dollars--I pay back 100 dollars after I graduate or leave school. The current system can quite easily bury the borrower in debt they cant recover from. With zero interest that problem is eliminated. Borrow but not going to pay it back?..simple garnish wages or tax refunds or a similar method. There has to be responsibility taken for borrowing the money. People are saying in media clips they want all student debt forgiven. NO. Again the responsibility of borrowing the money cannot simply be overlooked. The best step I see going forward is elimination of the interest and a review of all the loans outstanding. If you borrowed say 40k and have payed back 45k in principal and interest and have a balance of 20k..not only in the 20k eliminated but you should receive a refund of the 5k you've paid above and beyond. This program will NOT be popular with politicians on a certain side of the aisle because it helps the lower income population finally begin to stand on level ground with everyone. Another thing has come to my attention over the last day or two is the PPP loans. They were created to assist businesses during the pandemic pay their payroll and other legitimate expenses. How a unusually large portion of elected officials were able to 1. get these loans and then 2. get them forgiven is something that really needs to be examined in greater detail. These same elected officials who defaulted , excuse me "got their loans forgiven" (at our expense) are the same officials who are now complaining about 10,000 worth of student loan forgiveness when their loans ran into the hundreds of thousands and millions in some cases. It makes you think the elected officials are in it for themselves NOT us and they count on you the constituent to sit back and be ignorant. The fact that some of us are is on us.