Modranicht/Mōdraniht/Modranect (Night of the Mothers)

The Spirits & Monsters of Christmas

Many Americans who watched that Downtown Abbey Christmas episode, where confused as hell. You see they were telling Ghost Stories at Christmas time. Many people in the US and the modern world, don’t know that for many, Winter is the time of the dead. Now I’m not talking about the Celts. The Celts didn’t celebrate Yule.

“*Viking Ghost*” by the Artist Andrew Howat

The Norse did. Yule was added to the Wiccan calendar. Which took elements of various European traditions. And sort of merged them together. And other versions of Wicca are even more eclectic.

But Yule was the time when the Norse believed their dead returned to Midgard (Earth).

A sentiment shared by many cultures. Who also viewed winter or “the dark time of the year” as the time ruled by the dead. Or even dark nature spirits. Or dark spirits in general. Let’s take a deeper look.

The Dead on Christmas

There was once a fascinating tradition in England. Since at least the Victorian era, where people tell Ghost Stories in Christmas time. A tradition I continue because I love a little Halloween in my Christmas. I believe the dead return in Winter time also.

Here’s a great article by Cryptoville on that called The Ghosts of Christmas Past. What’s interesting here, is that in modern times the Celtic Samhain is seen as a feast of the dead. And many people who practice Brythonic traditions have incorporated that belief into theirs. Maybe that’s also from Nordic influence.

Now there is a subset of the dead that we should talk about.

The Dísir

The Dísir, collective of female spirits of the Norse Pantheon. They were honored on December 25th. Which we now call Christmas Eve. But back then the Mothers were honored on that night. It’s dedicated to the Dísir.

It’s basically a word for all female spirits. Female faeries and ghosts. But also your female ancestors and Goddesses. Much even today remains unknown about the Dísir. And points of view of them vary by regions.

German scholars think they are linked to a West German Cult dedicated to female spirits. While others think they’re older. At mother’s night several sacrifices in the feast dedicated to them were performed, called dísablót. An important thing to note here is that Blót or “sacrifice” does not always mean blood sacrifices. A blot could be pouring a libation of mead to a spirit or God.

Or giving cooked food to a spirit or God. There are many types of Blót out there. Although it is believed animal sacrifices were offered during this time. But there is no right or wrong way to do this.

“The Gods and Goddesses, landwights, and honored dead have always received physical offerings of various sorts. These ranged from simple pots of food left in bogs or graves, to golden vessels and great hoards of amber, to the spectacular sacrifices of an entire defeated army along with all its animals and gear, a practice confirmed by archeological discoveries at sites such as Hjortspring, Nydam, and Illerup (see Our Troth vol. 1, chapter 4). In the sagas, a devout worshipper of the gods is called blótmaðr mikill, ‘a great sacrifice-person.‘

Even after the coming of Christianity, people continued to leave offerings at holy springs and trees and fields, and in some areas continued to do so into the modern age. People also continued leaving out offerings to the spirits who guarded their homes and farms,” – Offerings for Norse Paganism | The Troth

In this respect, I see a lot in common with Norse and Celtic views on offerings. My Druid Master even told me that you could offer up swords in ponds or lakes to the Gods. Some were offerings and others were for magic. How badass would it be to offer an entire defeated army to your Gods and spirits? That’s some powerful magic right there. But back to the Dísir,

“Generally, a Dís (singular of Disir) was seen as a powerful supernatural being that took a keen interest in families and estates. Their strength could vary greatly. Sometimes, they were described as mere guardian ancestor spirits, but their power could also inflate to that of minor local gods. The Disir would usually use their power for good—they acted as guardians to families and family farms, and sometimes even lent their protection to individual people. Yet, they did not love unconditionally and were known to take revenge against families or people who had not given proper sacrifice, or had otherwise angered their respective Dís,” – The Mysterious Disir Of Norse Religion

In many ways this sounds a lot like the Agathos Daimon and the cult of the heroes in Greece. Note I am not saying that any of this is the same thing. I’m just pointing out interesting similarities. It seems at least some of the Dísir were probably Demi Goddesses, local spirits, or ancient heroines who offered protection and blessings. The national encyclopedia from Sweden makes that even more obvious.

“In Norse mythology, a dís (Old Norse: [ˈdiːs], ‘lady’, plural dísir [ˈdiːsez̠]) is a female Deity, ghost, or spirit associated with Fate who can be either benevolent or antagonistic toward mortals. Dísir may act as protective spirits of Norse clans. It is possible that their original function was that of fertility Goddesses who were the object of both private and official worship called dísablót,”

– Nationalencyklopedin (National Encyclopedia from Sweden)

But they all agree on the same thing. They were a collective of Goddesses, heroines, and regular female entities. And they were so powerful that apparently like the Nourns, they could manipulate fate. Which makes sense if you realize that this is a massive faction of spirits including Goddesses. Just with the Goddesses alone there is more than enough power to manipulate fate itself.

Now imagine every woman who has ever existed in every race. Both human and non human alike. No wonder even the male Gods and spirits feared them. There is no defending against such power. So Mōdraniht is a very special night.

And Modranicht especially holds a special place in my heart. I have always felt a pull towards it though I don’t know why. It feels like home to me. Later I will explain how this holiday is special to me in other ways. But now I have more or less defined who the Dísir are.

The Demons of Christmas

Krampus Vs. St. Nicholas, notice Nicholas here looks like a Wizard with a magical staff. Similar to depictions of Odin

There’s actually a lot of Christian Christmas traditions where the Devil is a prominent figure. So Christians demonize Halloween and Samhain as being “devil worship”. But their own Christmas traditions feature demons like Krampus and Black Peter. Who are either servants of the Devil, or even Satan himself. And stories of how the Devil losses all his power during New Year’s Eve.

And how a Saint (usually St. Nicholas of Bari/Myra) defeats them. By binding them using some kind of Christian magic. In effect making these demons, familiar spirits controlled by the Saint. Which sounds an awful lot like Solomonic Magic. The demons are frequently seen as being in chains.

Symbolizing their slavery to St. Nicholas. The the coal, contrary to popular belief, comes from Krampus, not Santa. Krampus takes children away to Hell. In a sack. Then he leaves behind coal from hell behind.

To torment the family with the knowledge that a demon has taken their child away to Hell. Never to be seen again. And in case that lovely image wasn’t yet engraved in your mind, we have here some Post Cards so you don’t forget. Remember, St. Nicholas isn’t the one who keeps track of whose bad, that’s the Demon’s job.

Looks like they were both on their way to a series of hot dates. Good thing they got modernized. I can’t imagine traveling the world by foot is comfortable or practical.

Now Zwarte Piet or Black Peter, is a controversial figure. Because even though he’s supposed to be a Demon, he’s shown as a Moor. A North African Muslim. The Moors were an advanced African civilization. In fact, when they ruled Spain, they took the Spaniards out of the dark ages.

Only for Queen Isabella and King Fernando to bring them right back to the assbackwards society they were before. Replacing Science and a Culturally Plural society, into a racist society. One with only one culture. And which forced Catholicism upon the people. Even going as far as creating the Spanish Inquisition.

Which forced Jewish people to convert to Christianity, or die. The Inquisition (called the Host back then) destroyed all the sciences and artistry of the Moors of Spain. And replaced it with ignorance, superstition, and prejudice. Even the medical practices of the Moors were abolished. Which means people went back to dying of diseases that could easily have been treated before.

What does this have to do with Black Peter? A lot. Moors were seen as savages. An “ignorant”, barbarian group. Who had no morals or character. The racist European tropes concerning Moors and black people in general, resulted in the creation of the “Blackamoor“.

A racist image of an African Muslim person. And usually the depiction of the Blackamoor was with a white person in black face. Which made it worse. So Black Peter was no longer black because he was a demon. Now he was literally black.

And a Muslim. The perfect demon for a racist society. So in modern times, his image was changed. Instead of a white person in black face, it was whoever was playing Black Pete. With their natural skin color.

And some dirt or soot on their face to lightly blacken it. And the name was changed to Sooty Peter instead. I have seen Black Peter’s image as a white man in nobleman’s clothing. That was years ago. The idea of his name meaning he’s actually a Black person confused me.

And while we are talking demons, we should discuss a subset of undead creature that is neither full ghost or full devil.

The Draugr

Not everything during Yule is merry. As mentioned before, winter is a time of the dead and of the Fae. According to A Dictionary of Northern Mythology by Rudolf Simek, this was the time when all manner of spirits were said to be loosed upon the world. This unfortunately also means evil spirits are out and about. Jólnir and his forces would hunt them down in what is popularly known as the Wild Hunt.

And drive them back into the other world. But at least these were just spirits being driven away. The worst supernatural creatures, were the ones who had physical bodies. It was said that during this time, several physical revenants returned as well. And the worst of them was the Draugr.

Meaning “again walker.” These entities are members of the dark dead. They can be aggressive if they aren’t resting well. It was said if a person died on certain days like Yule, they would not rest well in the grave. But other reasons a person became a Draugr was if they were murdered or committed suicide.

Or were not given a proper burial. Such as not being buried on holy ground. The worst of them were evil witches and wizards in life. Evil magic users normally come back as something worse in death. And they would arise as these corporeal revenants.

Basically, these are Norse zombies. That’s an over simplification but it’s the easiest way to explain it. They are one of the most powerful revenants though. They are all said to be sorcerers who can control the weather. These are just some of their powers.

They can do a great many things. And they have the power to curse. But despite this, not all Draugr are the same. Not all Draugr are the people who died. Sometimes they’re evil spirits possessing the corpses of the dead.

Other times they really are the person who passed away. But are angry for some reason, leading to their aggression.

Now, the first legends I heard claimed that the Draugr could not be killed by weapons formed by men. That only a hero who was strong enough could wrestle them to the ground and kill them. However, the video above mentions plenty of times when weapons did kill them. When heroes killed them by decapitating them with swords. Then burned the body to ashes.

And separated the ashes into different bodies of water. So either they can be killed by weapons. Or the hero’s can make weapons kill the Draugr. These were the creatures said to be out tonight. And Jólnir was hunting them.

So tonight while you’re out feasting, raise a toast to the All Father and the Norse Gods. And remember to leave offerings for Oski and his Tomte. And ask for many blessings in this new year. And who are the Tomte? Let’s find out.

The Tomte : Santa’s Elves

Oski, the God who grants wishes and gives gifts, an incarnation of Odin, in the form of an Elf or Tomte

The most well known of the Yule Spirits are the Swedish Tomte or “homestead man”. Also called the Nisse in Norway. These are Elves associated with the winter time. Nisse is believed to come from the name of St. Nicholas. But others say it comes from the word niðsi (“dear little relative”).

And these creatures are the reason Santa Klaus looks the way he does. The way he is portrayed in blue, red, or green clothing as well as the cap he wears, is due to Oski’s appearance as an Elf. The Homestead Man or Dear Little Relative is akin to a house elf. Only these faeries only live on farms. Like all household fae, they protect and bless the home owners.

They range from half the size of a man to the size of a child. They have super strength surpassed only by other supernatural creatures. If a farmer treated the Tomte living in their home well, they would be blessed for life. And anyone fool enough to harass or injure a farmer who had a guardian Tomte or Nisse, was in for a surprise. The homestead fae would stop a thief with their superior strength.

Or perhaps hex a nasty neighbor. Or go over to that neigboor’s house and start a haunting.

The Tomte could become a powerful spirit guide. Even talisman to the person who knew how to work with them. You had to give them proper offerings of porridge with butter, milk, cream, or honey. Or any sweet and sugary substance you could find. And then make your request of them.

They would often sleep with the farm animals to protect them.

But also out of love for them. They would assist the farmer in the chores. And make the crops abundant. Some of the Tomte may be the dead reincarnated as nature entities. This seems to be a trend in a lot of cultures.

Jólnir in the form of a Tomte. This Tomte doll even has one eye just like the All Father himself. From Grimfrost

Eventually, the Tomte were paired with the Yule Goat. This may even have been an animal that was sacrificed in ancient times. But overtime, the Yule Goat became a goat idol made of straw that was ritually burned at Yule. The origin is that Thor had a chariot pulled by Goats. And Thor is also one of the origins of Santa Klaus.

But we’re focusing on just one origin at a time every year. Later the Tomte became Santa’s helpers. In fact, some traditions have them going from house to house with the Yule Goat. Giving gifts to children instead of Santa himself.

There are also stories of Odin riding his eight legged horse Sleipnir to watch over his people.

The many faces of Odin. Of course we also have Krampus up there

Turoń, the Christmas Bull of Poland

Now, nobody knows for sure where he comes from. The popular theory, is that he’s a remnant of the Slavic Polytheist faith. Possibly connected to a Deity of the Sun. If this is true, it could be that he’s connected to Dažbog. The God of the sun.

And yes that’s a swastika behind his head. No, it doesn’t belong to the Nazis. The Nazis stole the swastika from Asian cultures. And Hitler renamed it the Hakenkreuz (hooked cross) in his letters. Now remember that “Asian” isn’t just people you associate with nations such as China or India, some Europeans fall under that category as well.

Russia and Eastern Europe are also a part of Asia.

So the swastika was actually a common symbol used among Asian civilizations. Even to this day. It’s used everywhere from temple of the God Ganesha in India. To the Temples of the Korean Gods in South Korea. All the way to the Norse and Slavic Gods.

Even some of the people of the United Kingdom had swastikas.

This is the National symbol of the Isle of Man, the Three Legs of Man. First used in the 14th century. Sorry but I am tired of hearing people say it’s a racist symbol when it isn’t.

It’s a variation of the Ancient Sun Wheel.

Supposedly, he was connected to Dažbog. And he was venerated as a type of folk spirit on a holiday called Turzyce. Or at least that’s what the Polish ethnographer and folklorist Oskar Kolberg. He claims a German told him this. So it’s dubious as to whether or not any of this is true.

I have found no real evidence or mention of this holiday online. I would have to talk to Slavic worshippers on this. Or consult a few books to see if this has any evidence. It should be noted though that this comes from Polish tradition. Kolberg would have known his own culture well.

But it doesn’t look like he looked too deeply into this. I couldn’t find anything on Dažbog, the God of the Sun, being connected to a bull. So I consulted the list of Slavic Deities. I was amazed at what I found. I don’t think Turoń is connected to Dažbog at all.

I think he’s connected to Volos, also known as Veles. This God is connected to animals and nature. But also is the Lord of the Dead. And that actually makes a lot more sense. I mean look at this guy.

Is anyone really going to tell me he doesn’t look like some creepy underworld entity? Apparently Volos took on the form of several animals. And among them was the bull. Supposedly he was disguised as a bull in Christian times to continue worship of him. When the church discovered that, they began to disguise him as two Saints. First Vlasiy (Blaise).

Then Saint Nicholas. So who would have thought that we have a Slavic Santa Klaus. And in the form of Volos. And then later instead of St. Nicholas, Volos came to body Satan. Being part of the story of St. Nicholas and the Devil.

So unless someone comes to correct me, it is now my personal belief that Turoń is actually Volos or Veles himself. And that he’s got nothing to do with the sun. He doesn’t even look like an entity that would be connected to the sun. Turoń is connected to fertility. Something that Volos, as a nature God is definitely in charge of.

And Volos constantly changes shape between a bull, an ox, and a plethora of other animals. The only connection we have with Turoń being connected to the Sun God is what he is. An auroch, an extinct species of cattle. That back in the day was considered symbolic of the sun. But that’s pretty flimsy evidence to base on him being connected to Dažbog.

And as stated before, Volos was once worshipped as a Bull in Christianity. At least until the church found out. So there’s actually stronger evidence for my hypothesis than what Oskar Kolberg asserts. Which is basically second hand information from a German man. Not a Polish national.

I am not a trained member of Rodnovery, the reconstructed Slavic faith. But I don’t understand why Kolberg did such a flimsy job on explaining the genuine origins of such a beloved Christmas character. Perhaps it’s just the lazy research of non believers. Christians or secular people who aren’t passionate about these things. Because they don’t believe in it.

I think that’s enough for this year.

– M

The Winter Solstice 2022 (Tonight at Midnight)

The Matres (Mothers) and the Matronae (Matrons) of Yule

Note* Some people celebrate this night on December 24th. But others do it since the 21st of December (Winter Solstice). I actually celebrate it three times : The 21st, 24, and 25th (midnight) of December. Since it’s still dark even though technically it becomes the 25th at midnight, I continue the celebration. So technically it’s only twice.

Tonight we await Winter Solstice. The time of darkness. The time of silence. Of the cold wind blowing against the windows at night. Or in Florida’s case, the cold waters that fall from the sky.

Tonight we settle into the darkness. And allow ourselves to truly be consumed by it. To travel beneath the trees. And to hide in their shade. To see our breath as we exhale it.

And prepare for our rites.

I’m sure a lot of people think this is pretentious. No one is actually going around doing this stuff right? Yeah tell that to my neighbors. They all see me do it and then freak out and run away. It used to bother me.

And I used to go out of my way to hide what I was doing. Finally I said, if someone were dumb enough to watch a magical rite let them. And let them pick up something they weren’t meant to pick up. So as tired as I already am this morning from all the work and preparations, I have to stay up at midnight to perform my sacred rituals. Specifically Spirit communication since tonight is Mother’s Night.

That also means a night of divination and preparation. A night of feasting and drinking. A night of being with your family. Huddled up towards a Hearthe fire. While the Yule Log is burning.

There are so many traditions here that it’s hard to name them all. So I think every year I will write about a different one. That way I don’t drive myself crazy trying to write an Encyclopedia Britannica everytime. Also I apologize ahead of time for typos.

I am working hard to sift between clients. Plus all the rituals I do and follow. But for now let’s talk about a tradition I love very much. And it’s weird because so far I am not a Nordic practitioner. At least not officially.

Yet this became a cornerstone of my practices in Yule.

Modranicht/Mōdraniht/Modranect (Night of the Mothers)

The Dísir, collective of female spirits of the Norse Pantheon

Essentially, this feast is the beginning of Yule for many Nordic practitioners. It’s dedicated to the Dísir. It’s basically a word for all female spirits. Female faeries and ghosts. But also your female ancestors and Goddesses.

They’re honored on this night.

Much even today remains unknown about the Dísir. And points of view of them vary by regions. German scholars think they are linked to a West German Cult dedicated to female spirits. While others think they are older. At mother’s night several sacrifices in the feast dedicated to them were performed, called dísablót.

An important thing to note here is that Blót or “sacrifice” does not always mean blood sacrifices. A blot could be pouring a libation of mead to a spirit or God. Or giving cooked food to a spirit or God. There are many types of Blót out there. Although it is believed animal sacrifices were offered during this time.

But there is no right or wrong way to do this.

– Nationalencyklopedin (National Encyclopedia from Sweden)

Now it’s time to define the other Mothers.

Matres/Matronae

What’s interesting here is that they are found not just in Nordic religion but all over Celtic religion as well. Their images and motifs seem to surround shrines of various countries. Going back to even before the Roman Empire. So who are they? The truth is we don’t know. We think they might be Triads of Goddesses who are aligned to each other.

But they could also be the same Goddess in Trinitarian form.

Whoever they are, they seem to be the main, all powerful spirit beings amongst the Dísir. Who they were and why they were so revered remains a mystery. What we do know from all the offerings granted to them, is that they granted a lot of prayers. The only thing we do seem to know about them is their origin is Germanic. This is based on their clothing in all of their depictions.

They’re appearance shows that they come from the Ubii tribe from east of the Rhine River. We know that their power is great. And this is shown by how they take leadership over the assembly of the Dísir. Even amongst Goddesses, they are the highest of the high. Could they somehow be the living embodiment of the primordial feminine?

Dísablót for the Dísir

In the case of the Matronae, we know what kinds of offerings they had because of the inscriptions on their votive stones. We know they received incense, pigs, bowls of fruit, and also decorations of fruits, trees, and plants. We also know that their worshippers would leave idols of them at holy temples or other buildings. So any of those things are good offerings to leave them. Well except for the poor piggies.

Sorry but I am of the opinion that sweet innocent creatures need to be left out of sacrifice. I have no problem sacrificing a wife beater or a child molester. Or someone who abuses the elderly. Just so long as I don’t get caught and arrested. Just kidding (or I am?).

But there’s something I learned in my temple when doing certain sacrifices. You can make an effigy of an animal or person to sacrifice. And you can bring it to life via rituals. Heck you can even just write what you want to sacrifice : a bad habit, an obstacle, or even a problem in your life and light the paper on fire. Simple.

The Dísarsalr

This was a huge building dedicated to the Dísir. And the altar where their sacrifices were given was the hörgr. From what little I have been able to gather (I am sure there are more learned sources than myself) there was a high priest and priestess. The priestess sacrificed an animal and “reddened” the altar with blood (Hervarar Saga). Now it doesn’t actually say it was a priest or priestess.

The one who reddened the altar was Alfhildr, the daughter of King Alfr. But she was performing this ritual herself. In many occasions, Royals assumed a priestly role in ancient religions. But later we see the Kings of Sweden perform the ritual themselves as high priests of the temple at Uppsala (Ynglinga Saga).

We know this because a King named Adils died while doing the ritual at the altar site. The ritual had something to do with him riding around the stone altar with his horse. Which is another magical tradition you can find in different cultures. Thus we know that men could and were also involved in a priestly capacity. So we know that the rituals could be gender neutral and done by anyone.

In the eyes of the Dísir, we’re all just mortals. And therefore not one of us is better than the other. Though I think it’s obvious women have a higher status. Given the fact that this celebration is focused on the sacred feminine.

My personal practice

This is my own version of the Modranicht feast. Part of it is eclectic and part of it is a reconstruction. I mostly follow my reconstruction based on personal research. Which I hope to find more answers and evolve this a little more. So I start with a family feast.

I have been blessed with a good mother and sister. They’re both pains in the ass but I love them. I buy a large dinner for the three of us and eat on the eve of the solstice. I give an offering to Goddess of the Home and Hearthe. All of them, before and after the food is eaten.

I do a special prayer to them. And I also honor all of my spirit guides in the name of my female spirit guides. I also honor both of my dead grandmothers and my dead cousin. I told you earlier I was going to tell you why this tradition is special for me. Ever since my grandmothers and my cousin died, it’s given me a way to touch base with them.

To honor them. To communicate and know the ways of the wise spirits. I honor my female Fae, and other spirits including heroines of the past. I give an offering of incense and flame, as well as fruits or vegetables to the Matronae. I also sacrifice something to them.

Usually bread. They seem to like the Cuban cheese bread that I offer to Hekate. So I give them that. Or Cuban bread. If you live near Cubans, you know you could live off that stuff.

Sometimes when I really have money I try to find German markets to get them food. But they also exist in Ireland and other places in Europe so sometimes I alternate. To the other Dísir, I give them a rare or medium rare steak. And I leave it on my chothonic altars outside. Let them eat through the animals.

If not that, then I give them whatever I could find that they would like. These offerings I give before midnight. As preparation. Then I take a cleansing bath to be pure. And I await till midnight.

I give my final offering at the stroke of midnight. A candle I burn for them. My personal Dísir. Those Goddesses and spirits to whom I give offerings. And many more whom I don’t know.

The Dísir who visit me aren’t just European. All the female Orishas join in. Female indigenous spirits like the Hopi Spiderwoman and the Hawk Maidan. I also converse with Sunna and Amaterasu. And I await the arrival of my grandmothers and cousin.

Who signal the arrival of my foremothers. I see them all coming down from on high.

Like they are descending from a beam of golden light, itself encompassed by a white light. And we begin to talk for about an hour or so. Because I have to get up early I can’t really talk the whole night like I used to. So I make arrangements for them to speak to me in my dreams.

And with that, here ends my writings.

🌚🎄🎅Some other links on Yule and Winter Solstice and the coming New 🌒🌑🌘