turnabout is fair Yule.

 

Every winter holiday season the memes roll out about Thor & his goats or Odin & Sleipnir as being the ancient origins for Father Christmas & Santa Claus and his reindeer. As easy a parallel as this is to make, many academics & others will tell you it's not true.

As per the principles of NorsePlay, I would instead point out how the conversion process is being reversed in this possible bit of internet fakelore in favour of Heathenry. Given the two millennium long ownership of the winter holiday by monotheism in a long-game squatters' attempt to make Midwinter their own, the fact that these memes have become this annually re-occurring viral posting shows that the conversion has ultimately failed in terms of this re-connective & wanted polytheistic desire behind them (though always remember, there's room for everyone at this deep Winter feasting table, and no one can actually "own" a season -- it's everyone's).

The simple cut & paste of Norse Gods into those memes mimics the building of churches on top of arch-Heathenry's sacred places, and in the same sense placing Odin & Thor on top of the more popular idea Santa Claus now co-opts Christmas into Yule, creatively regaining the much more (supposedly) ancient reasons for the season, whether any of that's ultimately true in part or not (probably not, yet one can't help seeing parallels in offering/sacrifice/faining milk & cookies to a powerful magic being who bestows plenty if you ritually honour him).

And perhaps the holiday is just more of a moment of gratitude at the year's turning toward more clement weather, and in the Norse context for it not being the start of a prophesied three-year Fimbulvetr.

Feeling that needful motivation behind those memes, maybe we can also celebrate Thor's being gifted with children Röskva & Þjálfi, or the birth/return of Baldr the Bright, or Skaði's snows deeply draping the world in glittering beauty, or Gerðr's pale arms swaying to reflect & create the sky's Northern Lights. Any or all of these would be expansive reasons to adornfully NorsePlay the Yule period we already know.

Have a Good Yule, NorsePlayers!

[Santa Odin with Reindeer Sleipnir by Overly Sarcastic Productions.]

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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.