Urglaawe

Thor-Glaawe!

2012-01-24T18:38:00.000-08:00

This is the season for Distelfink Sippschaft and for Hottenstein Freibesitz (and probably other Urglaawe organizations) to celebrate the Dunnersege, or the Thor Blessing. Amid the readings of Thor and Thrym and of His journey to Jötunheim, we related the importance of Thor, as we call him in Deitsch, Dunner, to our folk.

Items from Deitsch culure that are known to be sacred to Dunner: hammers, houseleeks, goats, fences (defended with some posts turned upside down to create "Dunnerkeil" ("thunderbolts") that resembled Thor's Hammers).

The name of Dunner often was (and still is) used in curses that called for lightning strikes. Because the Deitsch word for "thunder" and Thor's name in Deitsch are both "Dunner," it would make more sense for the curse to call for "Blitz" ("lightning") if it is referring to the natural phenomenon. Since it calls for Dunner, it is far more likely that the reference is to Thor and not to the thunder.

In Braucherei, Dunner's help is requested in times of physical peril, in times when troubles threaten to overwhelm the client, and when the client's general strength of will needs empowerment. Deitsch culture is also aware of Dunner's reputation as a slayer of Giants (think of it as battling chaos and ignorance). We know the names (Dreizehdax, Vatzehvedder, Fuffzehfux) of three specific "Reifries" ("Frost Giants") who challenge the folk every year in May. Dunner beats them back, and after they are gone, it is safe to take outside all outdoor, zone-appropriate plants.

Dunner is the everyman-god. Seen as a patron of the working classes, the farmers, the peasants. He is seen in the flashes of lightning and heard in the boom of the thunder. Heavy rains present us with His power. The bountiful fields represent the golden hair of His wife, Siwwa (Sif). While She is seen in the fruit of the land, He is seen in the cattle, for which He is the defender.

Dunner is not the "god of thunder" or the "god of lightning." He is seen in these forces. In fact, items sacred to him are traditionally placed in certain areas in order to ward off lightning strikes. The most common item would be the houseleek. Planting even a small houseleek plant on the roof of a home is believed to prevent lightning strikes.

Some Scandinavian cultures held Dunner as the overseer of the Thing (our Ding), which was the governing assembly of Germanic cultures. While Urglaawe views Ziu (Tyr) in this role, different tribes had different traditions.

Most of us probably have a view of Thor in our heads already, perhaps influenced by Scandinavian lore, comic books, or the recent movie. This view is pretty consistent with the Deitsch view. Dunner is sometimes not particularly "book smart," and he certainly has no patience for his enemies. However, he also has a "street smart" wisdom, a strong sense of right and wrong, and a stark loyalty to the friends of the gods and goddesses.

Heel zum Dunner!

Zwelfdi Nacht, Berchta, New Year, Frey... In Short, A LOT!

2011-12-31T16:33:00.000-08:00

Tonight (December 31 into January 1) is the Twelfth Night of Yule (remember that Heathen (and therefore Urglaawe) days begin at sunset on the prior day. Thus, "Sunday" actually begins at sundown on Saturday.

This is also the night of the progression of Berchta, a powerful goddess known to the Continental and Pennsylvania Germans. She may actually be Holle known by a different name, or She may be a Vanic relative of Holle. However, historical treatment of Her has portrayed Her as much harsher than Holle and as having one foot significantly larger than the other. The difference may actually be a splay that resulted from Her endless spinning. Interestingly, this splay and the subsequent odd appearance of Her foot may be the origins of Mother Goose. ;)

The owl is the sacred animal to Berchta. I find it interesting that Her progression happened in different areas at different times in December, and much of December of the Deitsch Yaahrsraad (zodiac) falls under the sign of the Eil, or the owl. I have not found reason to draw any firm conclusions as to a relationship between them.

Also, apparently Berchta has a favorite dish. It consists of herring and oats or oatmeal. Folklore holds that She gets upset when people eat items other than those sacred foods on Her day. I confess that I am not sure I am ready to have that be my only meal today, so hopefully She will not be offended!

I want to wish you all a successful and prosperous 2012. May you have much luck in the new year!

---------------

Much of this information can be found in Jakob Grimm's Teutonic Mythology, volume I, particularly pp. 272-282. Berchta was/is often depicted with an owl beside Her or in Her arms.

Other items, such as the Deitsch Yaahrsraad, come from oral interviews with 80+ Brauchers by the Three Sisters Center and are the property of the Oley Freindschaft (Guild) of Braucherei. Graphic depictions of the Deitsch zodiac are the property of Susan Hess, who may be contacted at the Farm at Coventry in PA.

Additional aspects of this information come from the living traditions of the Deitsch folk as practiced in Urglaawe.

Black Friday Mayhem

2011-11-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

The news reports from yesterday and from this morning have most certainly triggered in many of you the same reaction that they did in me: revulsion.

Just skirting the headlines, we see a shooting, a pepper spraying incident, another trampling, and a mass looting.

From Braucherei, Urglaawer learn that the intentions behind a gift, which would also include the process of obtaining the gift, are imprinted energetically upon the gift. When a procurement of a gift is the result of theft, violence, or subterfuge, the gift becomes toxic to the recipient. While the Wurt (Wyrd) of the perpetrator will deservedly be impacted by the actual inhumane act, unfortunately, so will the Wurt of the recipient be negatively affected.

Our society has been reduced, somehow, to going below the lowest common denominator; we are in fractions of fractions at this point. The consumer culture hyperbolizes the Black Friday sales, thus whipping up a fervor among those who willingly buy into the frenzy. The mayhem is abetted by a media that are always looking for ways simultaneously to condemn and to glorify social drama.

On the large, social scale, this annual disorder will not change. However, among the various Heathen paths, we can strive to ensure that our holiday observances do not become overtaken by meaningless consumerism.

Surely there are many reasons to purchase and to give gifts to one another. In fact, the gift exchange is a hallmark of Heathenry. However, we must be conscious of the intentions behind our gifts and of the state of mind we are in when packing and presenting them. To do otherwise is to behave irresponsibly with ourselves and our communities.

As we progress towards Yule, let us reject the chaos that has beset our nation. Instead, let us attune ourselves to the best interests of our communities and our collective and individual Wurt.

Der Ewich Yeeger

2011-04-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

My first encounter with Der Ewich Yeeger (The Eternal Hunter) that I can remember was when I was about four or five years old. I was at some event being held by my mother's extended family. It was a pleasant afternoon. Suddenly, a brief burst of noise erupted all around us. It did not last long, but it was a surprising din of barking sounds. One of my older relatives said to me, "Don't worry. It is just Ewicher Yeeger scaring up the ghosts on the mountain." She said that Ewicher Yeeger helped to feed the early settlers and that we owe our survival to him.

Many years later, I began to seek more information on the entity who dwells on the Kitatinny Ridge (more commonly known as the Blue Mountain Ridge). I found this reference to his story in a book called American Folklore and Legend (pp. 28-29; Readers Digest Association, 1978):

One summer when some early settlers were struggling to maintain a colony, there was a terrible drought. The crops failed, streams were waterless, and all the wildlife left the vicinity. The settlers were in dire circumstances, and as venison was their only source of meat, one of the old men decided to use his dogs to hunt and chase back the deer. Before taking off for the wilderness, he promised his people that he would hunt forever, even through the sky if necessary, to save the settlement from starvation. After he had been gone for a few days, the deer began to appear in the valley, but the old man never returned. Ever since then, on certain nights during the hunting season, people still hear the barking of a pack of hounds off in the sky. "The Eternal Hunter," they mutter.

Over the years, I have asked quite a few folks from Pine Forge to Bowmanstown about their knowledge of the tale. Some knew it; others did not. Those who knew the tale seemed to believe that Ewicher Yeeger was never actually a man but was instead a spiritual entity.

A few years ago, after hearing the phenomenon again, I continued looking into other sources for the stories. I found some in ghost story books, including one tale that made Ewicher Yeeger sound like a criminal. This version was so far out of sync with the tales I had heard and the other stories I had found; thus, I do not give that version much weight.

However, I did discover through some aspects of the stories that Ewicher Yeeger moves in His own way in His own time. Although He is credited with saving the colonial settlements, He is also running His own errands, and it is possible for people to get swept up in the fray. A clear depiction of the scarier side of Der Ewich Yeeger comes from a painting done by Kutztown artist J. Allen Pawling. Alas, I am unsure as to where the original painting may be viewed. However, the black and white rendition below may be found on page V of Echoes of Scholla -- Illustrated by Arthur D. Graeff and George M. Meiser, IX (Kutztown, PA: Berksiana Foundation, 1976).

Urglaawer generally view Der Ewich Yeeger quite differently. He is usually seen as a Herne-like figure, and indeed, some Urglaawer call Him by the name of Hern (pronounced roughly like Hann). The picture even bears some resemblance to depictions of Herne the Hunter (lacking really only the horns).

The picture above brings in some features associated more with the god Holler, which is another valid possibility, particularly in relation to the presence of mountaintops sacred to Holle on adjacent ridges.

Either way, the Deitsch settlers on and north of the ridge owed their survival to Der Ewich Yeeger. Thus, it is fitting that we honor Him. Meat offerings are customary, but even flowers or other votives are acceptable. The ridge is long and wide, and the places for offerings are many.

The ridge draws closer and closer to the right of the picture above, but this particular location along the Lechau (Lehigh) served as a spiritual spot at which to share in ritual offering to Der Ewich Yeeger.

Although a typical Urglaawe times for ceremonial offering to Him would be in November, there is never an inappropriate time to honor the gods and goddesses (Ziewe) of our folk.

Hail!

Der Grundsaudaag

2011-02-02T15:30:00.000-08:00

Well folks, it’s that time of year again! Time for Punxsutawney Phil to stick his nose out (and hopefully not to get blasted by kinsman Rocky to become part of a Grundsaudaag Schmaus!). Unfortunately, the events in Punxsy are barely even a shadow of the various traditions on this observance, which is one of the largest Urglaawe holidays. Grundsaudaag is far beyond what most folks know Groundhog Day to be. In Urglaawe, there are (at least!) five major themes all coming together on that day.

1). The groundhog is similar to Ratatask, the squirrel that runs up and down Yggdrasil bringing news of the nine worlds. Thus, the groundhog is the otherworldly messenger. Anyone who is familiar with groundhog burrows knows that they are intricately designed with multiple openings. Our ancestors saw an analogy between the burrow and the Nine Worlds. The groundhog brings news and prognostication. For an agricultural people, the short-term weather is naturally something that the people would like to know, which is probably why that particular feature was passed on to the wider American culture.

2). The day of the celebration of feminine creative energies. Braucherei reports the day as being sacred to the “Hearth Goddess,” who naturally would be Frigg. The choice of this time for this observance is that we’re starting to see the first signs of the return of the fertility of the soil.

3). Akin to the second item is the creation of the Butzemann. The Butzemann is a scarecrow who is spiritually activated via a Braucherei ceremony called the Ceremony of the Corn. In Urglaawe, our ceremonies typically consist of Sege (blot), Schmaus (feast), and Sammel (sumble), but for Grundsaudaag, we add the Ceremony of the Corn in as well. Butzemenner are still widely used (beyond the typical scarecrow concept) in the Deitscherei (Pennsylvania Dutch Country). There are numerous superstitions surrounding the Butzemann, particularly that he must be burned by Allelieweziel (Halloween). It is considered the height of bad luck to leave a Butzemann after Allelieweziel. The results of doing so are the things that are used to frighten small children into staying in bed on Christmas Eve lest they be kidnapped by the Butzemann.

4). Also akin to Frigg is the cleaning of the hearth. On this day, we are to clean out our hearths, fireplaces, candleholders, or anything else that fire burns in (most particularly for heat, but since many folks don’t have fireplaces anymore, adjusting with candles keeps with the spirit of the tradition). The fire is to be rekindled with birch (also sacred to Frigg). The rune Berkano is featured in conjunction with the birch.

5). Tradition holds that the first travelers with Holle and Wodan on the Furious Host (Wild Hunt) begin to return to the land at this time, if the groundhog predicts an early end to winter. The belief in Braucherei is that this is the time in which the veil between the physical and spiritual realms is almost as thin as it is on Allelieweziel, so it’s considered an advantageous time to interact with ancestors and to help trapped or lost souls to cross over. Most Urglaawer believe in a life-death-rebirth cycle rather than the Valhalla lore to the north. My sense is that Braucherei, as an Elder tradition, brought forth the rebirth concepts from a time prior to the Valhalla/Folkvang/Ragnarok concepts development to the north (or perhaps the lore did not reach our ancestors in the south or our ancestors did not retain it). Also, as a primarily agricultural people, the life-death-rebirth cycle is so engrained in both the collective conscious and the collective unconscious that it is culturally relevant. While we do believe in the Doom of the Gods, most Urglaawer do not believe that the souls of those who died in battle go to Valhalla to await Ragnarok. Instead, the cosmic day and cosmic night cycles will run and the universe will end with the battle between the deities and their foes. Urglaawe is not centralized, so beliefs do vary from person to person, so your beliefs certainly may vary. Heck, none of us will know till we die anyway... Heh... Though my work using Braucherei’s journeying method (time-cord work) has supported the Urglaawe view, but I guess cultural context does matter and different practitioners using different methods can find results that support their path’s beliefs. There’s room for us all. :)

All this is jam-packed into one day...

Macht’s immer besser!

Rob

Dankfescht and Erntfescht

2010-11-25T06:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Dankfescht!

For Urglaawer (and for many others in the Deitscherei) this is the second observance of giving thanks. The first falls around the autumn equinox in the form of the Harvest Home or Erntfescht. At that time, folks offered up portions of their harvest to the deities (or deity of choice) and helped to ensure that their neighbors are cared for. In more modern terms, we now conduct food drives and donate canned goods to the shelters, etc.

Erntfescht is a traditional observance within Deitsch culture. The American Thanksgiving is significantly later than the end of the major harvests. By this time of the year, our ancestors were trying to store as much as they could and were culling herds to conserve resources. Granted, the origins of Thanksgiving are in one specific story of the Pilgrims and the Patuxet Wampanoag, which has now become codified as a federal holiday. Thus, the holiday falls where it falls.

Since it never hurts to give thanks to the gods, goddesses, land wights, and each other for all the blessings that we have in our lives, we'll grab a turkey drumstick, tip our hats to Tisquantum and his compatriots, and enjoy ourselves today. We wish all of our friends and colleagues the same joy of life!

Heel zu de Ziewe!

Es Allelieweziel

2010-11-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

I have seen a lot of discussion about Halloween on various lists, and I wanted to share the importance of October 31, which we call Allelieweziel, within the old Deitsch (Pennsylvania German) culture and in Urglaawe.

A significant volume of oral lore was passed on via practitioners of Braucherei (the Elder Deitsch healing and magical practice), particularly from those who maintained a Heathen worldview when it came to their healing of the souls of the departed.

Years ago, several of my colleagues conducted oral interviews of over 80 practitioners of Braucherei, and the notes that they took from the interviewees who carried Heathen or syncretic views provided a very interesting picture of the importance of October 31.

The first interesting element is the name of the event: Allelieweziel. Christian practitioners of Braucherei did not use this term. While we can translate the term's meaning, "the goal of all love," we have not found a corresponding term in other German dialects (if anyone knows more about this, please contact me).

The observance of Allelieweziel represents the transition from the light half of the spiritual year to the dark half. Holle's departure on the Furious Host (Wild Hunt) is reflected in the death of the fertility of the soil. Allelieweziel is the death phase of the life-death-rebirth cycle.

As Holle sets off upon the Furious Host, She is followed by an entourage of the lands spirits and the souls of the recently departed. Throughout the dark half of the year, Holle hunts for stray souls. As She finds them, they join the Furious Host until She brings them to her figurative mill to "grind" them into their next life. Practitioners of Braucherei also use traditional journeying practice to help seek out stuck souls to help them cross over to the mill.

As a principally agricultural people for centuries before migrating to North America, the ancestors of the Deitsch transmitted no information about going to the hall of any deity upon death; instead, human souls follow cycles similar to that of the crops that dictated their livelihood. As such, most Urglaawer belief in a rebirth of the soul within the family stream (a concept that is also seen in the lore of the rune Othala) as opposed to Valhalla, etc.

Another aspect to the holiday is the recognition of sacrifices that males make for the good of the community. Traditionally, as winter set in, culling of herds, particularly males, helped to provide food for humans and conserve resources for the remaining herd. This recognition is underscored by the burning of the Butzemann, or activated scarecrow, by the end of Allelieweziel.

The Butzemann is created from the remnants of the prior year's crops and is ceremonially granted life on Grundsaudaag (Groundhog Day). He is charged with overseeing his "child" crops for the season. Similar traditions are featured in other cultures. Throughout the light half of the year, the Butzemann is treated like other wights. Offerings and gifts are given to him. Anytime between Erntfescht (the autumn equinox/harvest home) and Allelieweziel, the Butzemann is released from his duties and he is to be burned in order to free his soul to join the Furious Host. The "soul" of the Butzemann is not human; it is one of the crops from which he is constructed, but all living things in Braucherei tradition have souls that are part of the cycle.

It is considered very bad luck to keep an activated Butzemann after Allelieweziel. If the soul of the Butzemann were to depart on the Furious Host, his remaining shell is likely to be taken up by a baneful land spirit, who, now having physical form, would terrorize the countryside. I remember my parents telling me that if I did not get back into bed on Christmas Eve that the Butzemann would "get me." Similar stories turn up all over Deitscherei.

It is also considered bad luck to wear clothing that was on a Butzemann. People often give warnings about this a look askance; however, in the Colonial era, it appears that vagrants often walked the great distances from town to town seeking work. As their clothes began to wear down, apparently they would occasionally exchange their clothes for those on a Butzemann. For some reason that we have not yet been able to fully identify, this theft is considered to be of a higher Wurt payback than theft of food from farms, etc.

Prior to the Butzemann's burning, we are to show him some of the remaining crops from which the next Butzemann will be created. This is to thank him for his success and to ensure him that the lineage will go on. Then, as he is burned, he is to be taking with him all of the things that we wanted to banish from our spiritual lives, particularly things that were on our list of resolutions at the New Year. The pyre is to bring about the extinction of those negative aspects of our lives along with any gifts to the deities. As we watch him burn, we honor his work and reflect upon the year gone by.

The time between Allelieweziel and Yule is considered to be the darkest time: the time between death and rebirth. It is not a time to fear, but instead a time to recognize the need for change within the universe. The end of one thing is a beginning of something new.

Appropriate runes at this time are Jera, representing the cycle of life as well as the cycle of the year, and Hagalaz, for the extinction of things that impact our lives negatively. As the Hagalaz rune on the Younger Futhark is most likely the root of the six-point rosette on the traditional Deitsch hex signs, we often use that form of the rune.

The duty of each individual being, whether human, animal, or plant, is to strive to leave the world a better place for our descendants (and us in our next life!) than it was when we came into it. This is the goal of all love. This is Allelieweziel.

Stereotyping of the Settlers

2010-10-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

One of the chief comments that we hear from critics of Urglaawe is that "all Pennsylvania Germans were hardcore Christians." This statement is absurd, and it has been disproved using several sources in the past. While the first wave of Deitsch settlers were indeed of Anabaptist sects, subsequent waves were primarily seeking economic opportunity.

Recently we came across another resource that contained some classic references, most notably this one:

"Not all Pennsylvania-German pioneers were good Christian people. With such as were not, sin did abound, and men were given to idolatry, giving to the creature what is to be given to God only; they abused God's name by profanity, by superstitious practices..."

Schantz, FJF.

Domestic Life and Characteristics of the Pennsylvania German Pioneer, 1900

Perhaps this will help place the stereotype of the Deitsch folks be put to rest!

Upcoming Newsletter

2010-10-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

Beginning either late in 2010 or early in 2011, Distelfink Sippschaft will be taking over the publication of Hollerbeier Haven, which is currently being published by The Three Sisters Center for the Healing Arts.

The publication will continue to cover various aspects of the Deitsch culture, particularly Urglaawe and Braucherei.

Distelfink Sippschaft

2010-10-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

Distelfink Sippschaft now has a new presence on the web:

http://www.distelfink.org

Deitsches Wikipedia

2009-10-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

Es gibt yetz en Blatt uff 'em Deitsch Wikipedia:

http://pdc.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urglaawe

Un, nadierlich, uff Englisch:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urglaawe

Annere Bledder:

http://urglaawe.ning.com - Die Distelfink Sippschaft

http://community.beliefnet.com/urglaawe

New Urglaawe Sites Under Construction!

2007-12-24T23:26:00.000-08:00

http://www.urglaawe.org

http://www.urglaawe.mobi (for the mobile devices)

The sites will be in both Deitsch and English.

Hallicher Yuul!

2007-12-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

A happy, healthy, hardy Yuul to all die Urglaawer everywhere!

Hail the Vanir!
Hail the Aesir!
Hail the Folk!
Hail the People of the World!

Der Urglaawe

2007-12-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

Urglaawe . The word is difficult for non-speakers of Pennsylvania German.

The "Ur" component sounds like and "oor" or like the "our" in the word "tour." The primary stress falls on this syllable.

The "aa" sound does not exist in English, but is pronounced almost like the word "awe" (or like the "aw" in "paw").

The "we" is sounds like "veh." and there is a secondary stress on this syllable.

So what we have is: OOR-gl(awe)-veh.

So what does this convoluted word mean?

The prefix "ur" carries the connotation of "primal." In fact, it is related to the "or" in "original," and Asatruar will immediately see the relation to the prefix "ør" in ørlög ("Urleeg" in Pennsylvania German).

"Glaawe" is the Pennsylvania German word for "faith" or "religion."

Therefore, the two components together form "Urglaawe," the "original faith."

The religion of the Teutons (or the Norse/Germanic people) is known by a variety of names, each with some differences based usually on the particular region or tribal focus of that group.

While the Pennsylvania Germans did not exist as a distinct people prior to the Christian conversion in Europe, we descend from those who did practice the original faith. As with our kin in other regions, some traditions continued on after the conversion, and many traditions were brought by our elders to the Americas during the diaspora.

Once in the Americas and out from under the more oppressive arms of certain church bodies, many of the Heathen undertones of our culture were allowed to flourish, to the point that many people do not even think twice about the pre-Christian origins of some of the practices.

Our task is to identify the practices that have been handed down to us by our forebears, to recognize them, to understand their meaning, and to share them with the wider Heathen community.

In addition, the goal of the Pennsylvania German Heathen Alliance for the Urglaawe is to use what we learn from our own culture and glean what we learn from Heathens with different cultural roots to produce lore and bodies of knowledge in our own language and cultural contexts.

One certainly need not speak Pennsylvania German in order to be a part of achieving these goals. English is an equally-used medium, but the survival (advancement!) of our unique language heritage is extremely important to us.

Please make no mistake about it. We do not consider ourselves to be a faith separate from Asatru; we consider ourselves to be weaving our own particular threads into the larger Asatru tapestry, much as those who are focused more on Anglo-Saxon or Continental Germanic religious practices are doing.

We are geared towards esoteric aspects (Braucherei, Hexerei, runes, meditation, etc.), but anyone who has a knowledge or an interest in exploring Heathenry in the Pennsylvania German context is invited to work with us.