Observing Allelieweziel

How can YOU observe Allelieweziel (sunset October 30 (tonight!) to sunset November 11) as a solitary practitioner of Urglaawe or as a new Urglaawer? 

A video containing the pronunciation of the Deitsch words will be linked at the end of the article.

THE TERM

Es Allelieweziel is a major observance on the Urlgaawe calendar. All observances are important, but a few of them have been growing in scope over the last few years, and Allelieweziel is one of them.

The first thing you might want to do is to understand the term. An old article from 2010 actually describes the term: 

https://urglaawe.blogspot.com/2010/11/allelieweziel.html

Last year or the year before, we learned that a cognate of the term does not seem to be found in German, but one can be found in Dutch in relation to All Souls Day. There likely is a connection between the word "soul" and the "Ziel" (literally, "goal") portion of Allelieweziel, which might have been an attempt at approximating the Deitsch word "Seel" (soul). At this point, though, it doesn't matter. Respondents and informants about the term and the observance were fairly consistent. This is the "goal of all love" in our modern understanding. This is Allelieweziel.

ANCESTOR/FOREBEAR SHRINE 

Many Urglaawer have an ancestor or forebear shrine, a generic term for which in Deitsch could be "die Vorgengersweih" or "die Vorfaahrersweih." 

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Linguistic segue:

The semantic difference between "ancestor" and "forebear" is much more slight in Deitsch than in English. Both "Vorgenger" and "Vorfaahrer" can mean either "ancestor" or "forebear." Most Deitsch speakers, if asked to say the word for "ancestors" would use "Vorgenger" (in the plural form: "they who went before"). If asked for the word for "forebears," the response would be either "Vorgenger" or "Vorfaahrer" ("they who fared before"). 

It is important to note that forebears covers a wide range of people who have influenced our lives. They might be unrelated to you by blood, but there is more to life and existence than blood. We do venerate our ancestors (and each other's ancestors), but we have room on our shrines for our personal heroic figures and those who aided our ancestors, etc.

Note: I tend to use the term Vorgengersweih for the shrine to those who have gone before.

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The Vorgengersweih can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. Because Urglaawe's understanding is that there is a general continuity from birth through life, through death, and through rebirth, it is not considered improper to honor the living alongside the dead, so living forebears (and even Noochkummer/Noochgenger - descendants) may be included on the shrine.

REFERENCES

There are numerous blog posts on Urglaawe.net and articles in "Hollerbeer Hof," among other places. One place folks should always keep in mind for resources on observances is the Files section here in this main Urglaawe group. The two anchor rituals of the Allelieweziel observance are called:

-- Allelieweziel, but the main components here are the Butzemannsege, or the burning of the Butzemann, and Holle's departure. The 2019 ritual did not vary widely from the 2018 ritual, which can b found here: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Urglaawe/permalink/10155582070181020/

-- Ewicher Yeeger Sege, the feast day of Holler, also known as the Ewicher Yeeger/Eternal Hunter (Death).

The 2019 program for Ewicher Yeeger Sege may be found here:  

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Urglaawe/permalink/10156414654116020/

Thus, the two main deities associated with Allelieweziel are Holle and Her consort, Holler. 

Deities are not tied to calendars or calendar dates. Our observances are nailed to linear time concepts that might bear little true resemblance to the spirals or helixes of time and matter throughout the cosmos. Yet, while our calendars and our brains might not be able to wrap themselves fully around cosmic time and matter concepts, many of us see the "short cycles" of the seasons and of the life cycle. It is often said that we are "star stuff," born from the same matter that burns inside the stars themselves. 

Indeed. Stars are born; stars die; from the remnants of the stars' death comes the setting for the birth of more stars.

MEDITATIONS

I could wax poetically more and more on the topic of spirals and helixes and how the very fibers of our being are connected to the larger spirals and helixes of the cosmos, but that is the sort of thing we consider during this Allelieweziel season. 

--- Why honor Death? (see: https://www.thetroth.org/news/20161111-214300

--- What does Death mean in the great cosmic scheme?

One of the pitfalls of the meditations of Allelieweziel and of Voryuul is that we can feel very small and insignificant (which, in our world of vainglory, might actually not be a bad thing). Perhaps we can work on posting guided meditations so that folks don't get lost in the abyss of self-doubt and questioning of self-worth within the enormity of cosmic discussions that are increasingly likely to arise during Allelieweziel.

THE GREAT COSMIC OBSERVANCE

You know, after all these years of running Allelieweziel rituals, I think this is the first time I have ever fully framed it in the macro to the degree I am this year. Holle's departure signals the onset of the Wild Hunt, also known as the Furious Host and the Parade of Spirits (native Deitsch term: die Geischderschtrutzt).

All of our other observances, including Yuul, are focused on Mannheem (here, where we live) and on human activity and points of reference. Even Wonnenacht, with Holle's return, is mostly about the return of life to Mannheem, though it does hint at all of the realms joyously celebrating the passing parade). 

No, there is something unique about Allelieweziel and the departure. This is about that moment when the star explodes, or when we die, or about huge transitions putting out energy. Holle's journey is cosmic, not just limited to Mannheem. 

Perhaps this is about the spiral outward from Mannheem when we die? Or with each rebirth and stage in our evolution? What happens in those other realms as the Hunt approaches? Where are we as a race in our evolution? Are we any closer to being where the deities were when this cosmic day started? Is part of Allelieweziel about the point at which all of existence becomes a singularity?

Heck, as this point, I am not even sure "cosmic" is the appropriate term to use. 

SIMPLE STUFF

Besides pondering the wonders of all of creation, we should also note that, historically, Allelieweziel was the time when male ancestors and forebears were honored (much like the Idise are at Entschtanning) for their work and sacrifices that helped to build the community. This goes alongside the beginnings of die Schlachtzeit, or the culling/butchering time. 

The actual culling and maturation of meat (beef takes 10-30 days) traditionally falls almost entirely in the time between Allelieweziel and Yuul. Often it is the bulls and elderly cows that were culled to serve as food for humans and domestic pets, and their culling also conserves food resources for the heifers and younger or healthier cows through the winter.

RESOLUTIONS (with a side trip into the weeds and the sandtrap)

Most Heathens know how significant oaths are. Whether they are called oaths, promises, pledges, or resolutions, they typically last for a finite period, at the end of which they should be completed. So goes it for most New Year's Resolutions. 

Many Resolutions are completed earlier in the year, but for many personal changes or improvements to be successful, many individuals (and Brauchers) will lay out smaller chunks of the overarching goal. These chunks are typically timed so that the entire resolution is completed by Allelieweziel and then the old habit is symbolically killed in the fires of Allelieweziel or of Hollersege/Ewicher Yeeger. 

Some of the people I interviewed felt that anytime prior to Erschdi Nacht/First Night of Yuul is acceptable because that finishes one resolution cycle right when it is time to consider any need for a resolution in the next cycle. 

Now I'll stray off of the fairway and wander into the weeds, while hopefully not getting stuck in the sandtrap that Voryuul can become.

A few of the people I interviewed believed that the deadline for a year-long resolution cycle to be completed is sunset on December 8, and the next is to begin at that time. This is when the time we call Voryuul (fore-Yule) begins, and the mindset is supposed to gradually switch from the darkness and isolation of the Schlachtzeit and to become more and more enlightened as Yuul approaches. 

Those of you who had front-row seats to the trainwreck that last Voryuul turned into for me (the blog posts are still up from last December) will probably agree with me that facing the shadow side during Voryuul can result in one finding many things about oneself that could use change and improvement. 

I think we should always be thinking of how to improve ourselves and to take on better habits, but some efforts to change are more sacred than others, and those often end up as resolutions. I think the lessons learned during Voryuul should become part of the stage of drafting the resolution, and, when one ties the drafting to the calendar, it falls within Yuul rather than Voryuul.

Whew... That's a lot to chew on for an event that starts tonight. 

Pronunciation of the Deitsch words

Hail to the Ancestors!

Hail to the Forebears!

Ewicher Yeeger: Why Honor Death?

Tonight starts the final day of the Urglaawe observance of Allelieweziel. Now we honor Holler, who is also known as Ewicher Yeeger. His association with death is reflected in the translation of His byname into English: the Eternal Hunter. Indeed, He is seen by many as Death personified, and imagery and versions of folk tales over the centuries have presented Him as a bringer of disruption, disease, destruction, and, well, death. So, this begs the question: Why honor Him?

There are many possible answers to this question. Ironically, the most significant tale about Holler shows a merciful side to Him that is not typically associated with death. While death appeared imminent to the settlers of Lynn Township, the fact that they recognized the error of their ways and gave up offerings caused Holler to save the colony. Driving game over the Blobarrick ridge provided the settlers with food to survive through the winter months. 

While this story is one version of the best known tale of Ewicher Yeeger, there are bits of knowledge and remnants of other tales that reflect a complex character to this god. One of the more curious remnants reflects the push and pull among the various forces in existence as viewed within our physical world. After Holle’s departure and the burning of the Butzemenner, King Frost’s armies are on the move into our realm. The Frost Giants seize the spirits of the plants and animals (and humans, for that matter?) that they kill, thereby removing them from the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. In this tale remnant, Holler brings death and/or dormancy to the weaker plants and animals. Those who die are released to the Wild Hunt, which ensures their continuity in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The Frost Giants pass by the dormant spirits, who sleep safely until Spring under the care of an entity named Schlumm. 

In this case, we see Holler playing a role in tandem with Holle. He aids in the ongoing cycle of life even while bringing death. This reinforces the idea that death is a part of life and also of rebirth.

Another tidbit is a little more confusing because it conflates Ewicher Yeeger with aspects of Krampus. In this instance, Ewicher Yeeger is a punisher and a wild, primal beast. This tidbit is an outlier from most understandings of Ewicher Yeeger, but it is not the only one. Other versions reflect lore related to the Wild Hunt found in other Germanic lands. Some say Ewicher Yeeger is actually a cursed nobleman (much like Count Hackelberg in Germany) who is doomed to hunt as payback for his misdeeds in life. 

These stories are worth mentioning, though, because they reflect the convolution of tales over many centuries and across many lands, including the Deitsch lands in Pennsylvania. However, the most intact story from the Deitsch cultural context places Ewicher Yeeger as an entity (or in the Urglaawe context, a god) strongly associated with death yet not to be pigeonholed.

The understanding conveyed to me about Ewicher Yeeger throughout my lifetime has been one of an entity who is much larger than our understanding. He has His own agenda and purposes for actions that we cannot always fathom. In Braucherei, He is appealed to for brute strength, terminations, and transformations. 

The transformation aspect plays a major role in our understanding of death. Death is scary. Death is unwanted. Yet Death comes to all of us at some point. One theme of Allelieweziel is that we live in a society that, on the one hand, likes to pretend that death does not exist. Yet, on the other hand, we are obsessed with it. We depict it so cavalierly in movies and on television, yet we don’t want to plan for the end of the lives of our loved ones or of ourselves. 

Most Urglaawer believe in some form of rebirth. The most common belief is that at least one part of the soul is reborn into a new, unique construct, thus giving us opportunities to grow and to expand our consciousness from lifetime to lifetime. We hope that, at the end of this cosmic cycle, we will be where the deities were at the beginning of it. Our corporeal forms have limits to our lifetimes, but each experience in this physical realm affords us the opportunity to increase the human life wave. 

Thus, death is not to be feared per se; instead, it is part of the continuity of life and the evolution of existence. While we are to embrace our lives and to make the most of them, the eventuality of death is something with which we all must reconcile ourselves. 

Therefore, we take a moment at this time of Ewicher Yeeger to understand our mortality, to consider how to make the most of the current life we have, and to ponder the prospects for a better future for humanity. We honor the god who helps us to prepare for and to confront the reality of death even while celebrating the life we have. 

Thus, at this time of the observance of Ewicher Yeeger, let us hail Holler.

Hail!

Press Release: Allelieweziel Observance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - ALLELIEWEZIEL OBSERVANCE

October 21, 2015

Bristol, PA: This year, Distelfink Sippschaft will hold its Allelieweziel (“goal of all love”) observance on Sunday, October 25, 2015, at the organization’s Hof grounds in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, at 1:00 PM. The observance will take place one week prior to the beginning of the actual Allelieweziel holiday dates, which begin at sundown on October 30 and run through sundown on November 11. The early observance is intended to allow members to be present at their homes on Halloween.

Allelieweziel represents the transition from the light half (Brechthelft) of the spiritual year to the dark half (Dunkelheft). The holy days begin with the goddess Holle's departure from the soil onto the Wild Hunt (or Furious Host). Allelieweziel is the death phase of the life-death-rebirth cycle, which is affirmed by the honoring of the god Holler, who is closely associated with death, on November 11 on the holiday of Ewicher Yeeger.

As Holle sets off upon the Wild Hunt, 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. 

Another aspect to the holiday is the recognition of the contributions and 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 the first day of Allelieweziel. The Butzemann is the “father” of this year’s crops and is now released from his duties. Prior to the burning, though, he is to be shown seeds or cuttings of plants to help ensue that we will nurture his descendants.  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.

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.

Anyone who wishes to attend the Allelieweziel observance is encouraged to contact Robert L. Schreiwer at schreiwer@urglaawe.org. For more information on Distelfink Sippschaft and Urglaawe, please visit www.distelfink.org and www.urglaawe.net.

Ewicher Yeeger Sege - Hollersege - Railing Against King Frost

Distelfink's observance of Ewicher Yeeger Sege will take place on Saturday, November 15 at the Distelfink's Hof grounds by the Lüsch-Müsselman Graabhof. This is a public event.

1620 Mahoning Drive West
Lehighton, PA 18235
1:00 PM

Ewicher Yeeger

For some more information on Ewicher Yeeger, please see the tale of Allemaengel on the Deitsch Mythology Blog.

Holler

The oral lore we have for Holler is  scant. What we know from Hexerei lore is that He is a master hunter and a god of death and of transformation. A remnant of a tale indicates that He destroys tender plants after Allelieweziel to keep the Frost Giants from taking their energies. It is also likely that He is Holle's consort.

Ewicher Yeeger  = Holler?

Although it remains unproven, it has become increasingly accepted within the Urglaawe and Hexerei communities that Ewicher Yeeger and Holler are one and the same. Honoring Holler by name in the Hollersege will be a feature of Saturday's event.

The Frost Giant Armies

The Frost Giants are aware of Holle's departure on the Wild Hunt, and they begin their advancement toward the Hatzholz (Midgard/Mannheim: where we live) from the Northern Leaves. In some versions of the King Frost tale, the Giants' army includes some familiar names: Dreizehdax, Vatzehvedder, and Fuffzehfux. These are the Giants who come in May in an attempt to destroy the expanding fertility of the land. Their visit at this time of year prepares the way for the arrival of King Frost, who brings the killing frost to the land.

Railing Against King Frost

Regarding King Frost, we will also engage in an old mountain Hexerei tradition of railing against him and his armies. While the Giants ultimately take the land in Holle's absence, the railing weakens their ranks and allows more time for Holler to direct their souls to the Wild Hunt.

This is the first year we are holding this observance at the Graabhof. Its location on a slope of arm of the Blohbarrick (Blue Mountain) is most appropriate as it allows us to honor Ewicher Yeeger on the mountain associated with Him. 

Offerings to Ewicher Yeeger may include deer meat, rabbit meat, and scrapple.