invite the Gods in for a Good Yule.

Shetland storyteller Marjolein Robertson has alot to say about Yule, or more correctly, the Yules. Somewhere in this turn of the year during its long nights, there would be travelers in disguise, or "guisers/guizers", which one had to feed or invite in, since there was always the possibility they could be a Norse God in disguise.

This regional word could also be a lingual descendant of "Grøliks" and be related to "ganga Grýla", the nearby Faroese Islands tradition of people dressing as Grýla, the bad child eating ogress.

A variant of this practice is the "skelker", and given the specific straw covering costume (which feels very Midsommer/The Wicker Man), we might NorsePlay that it has something agricultural to do with Freyr (or perhaps Byggvir, Freyr's servant, the root of whose name means barley), inviting him in, and/or giving him food/drink/treats so that next year's harvest grows plentifully, but should any Norse God or Goddess show up it would be best to put into practice the Heathen value of hospitality.

NorsePlay wishes you a good Yule, dearest readers, and may the Gods & Ancestors be at your feasting table.

[photo of a recreated skekler in Shetland by Gemma Ovens (2012 CE).]

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Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires' Norse Gods and Giants at age seven. Since then he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the Map of Midgard project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay. If you have employment/opportunities in investigative mythology, field research, or product development to offer, do contact him.



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