What is the Parade of Spirits?

The Parade of Spirits ("Der Geischderschtrutz" in Pennsylvania Dutch) is a grassroots, family-friendly, community-based, participatory parade that takes place in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Originally founded as Krampuslauf Philadelphia in 2011, the event has expanded its focus to include more folkloric features.

Traditionally, the time in mid-December prior to the winter solstice (Yule) was when the Pennsylvania Dutch held spooky parades and when children donned costumes and went "belsnickeling," or trick-or-treating. The Parade of Spirits is a modern expression of that old tradition. 

The Parade serves as a depiction of the Wild Hunt from Germanic mythology, and features liminal and shadow-side entities, such as Belsnickel, Krampus, and the souls of the recently departed.

At the fore of the "Schtrutz" is the Germanic psychopomp, Gedreier Eckhart, who is a hero in German folklore and who serves the goddess Holle in death just as he did in life. Pennsylvania Dutch myth places him ahead of the Wild Hunt, warning the living of the impending fury as Holle travels the realms of the multiverse, seeking out the lost souls of the recently departed and capturing them to bring them back into the human evolutionary process.

Although the basic functions of the Parade are based in German and Pennsylvania Dutch myth and folklore, this is a secular event. All shadowy-side, shady-side, and dark-side traditions from all cultural backgrounds are welcomed and encouraged (please just keep in mind this is a family-friendly event, and please be careful not to engage in cultural appropriation from historically oppressed or marginalized cultures). This is an inclusive event and welcomes participants of all backgrounds; no bigotry tolerated.

While some costumes may be commercially produced (particularly Krampus, Perchten, or other traditional Alpine costumes), most are handmade, from the simple to the complex. Simply putting green or gray makeup on your face and participating as a ghoul on the Wild Hunt is fantastic!

BRING NOISEMAKERS! THIS IS A NOISY, FUN EVENT!

Arrive at Liberty Lands Park (913 N 3rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19123) at around 4:00 to enjoy the costumes and to talk with old friends and to make new ones. 

Just prior to sunset (16:36/4:36 PM EST), the Parade will begin with opening remarks, and then the organizers will step off from the park onto the streets. Follow Gedreier Eckhart's "Boomba" (a Pennsylvania Dutch percussion instrument that is  played primarily through bouncing) and enjoy yourself as we strut the streets of Northern Liberties.

In 2021, we will debut the Buggy in some form. We need to assess the speed at which it can be moved to see if we can have it on the street, but the Parade marchers will stay on the sidewalks.

After the Parade returns to Liberty Lands Park, please tarry around the bonfire for some fellowship (please have a face mask on hand and follow Philadelphia's covid-19 guidelines on outdoor interaction) until the performance begins.

In 2021, we are delighted to present a fire performance by bellydancer, Lorenda, and her partner, Aly Louise!

There is no cost for this event, but it is PARTICIPATORY, so... make yourself look dead and come out to the 'Schtrutz!

#geischderschtrutz
#paradeofspirits
#pennsylvaniadutch
#firebellydancebylorenda

Halliches Allelieweziel!

Tonight the past is ablaze in bright candlelight. 

I ponder humanity’s march through time. Those who have gone before have blazed the trail. Sometimes that trail is clear and easy to follow. Other times that trail is grown over and hard to walk. All too often, the twists and turns on that trail have taken us farther from the destination of the perfected human, and the wrongs and atrocities have slowed our progress to a near standstill. 

We can do better. 

We can learn from the wiser of the forebears and work to fix the follies and injustices of the past. Our society is the product of the combined actions of the forebears. They are us, and we are they. Let’s do our best to make this world, or at the very least, our communities a better way place for those who are with us and for those who follow.

Halliches Allelieweziel!

Es Erntfescht

The "Yankee" Thanksgiving was originally widely rejected by the Deitsch, since we have our own observances of thanksgiving that fall around the autumn equinox. Erntfescht (Urglaawe use), Erntedankfescht, and Harvest Home are expressions of these observances, which are rooted in ancient practices and sustained into the current era.

This weekend, Urglaawe communities will conduct in their annual food drives, seed and crop swaps, and celebrations of the bounty of this wonderful land.

Of course, this does not negate the celebration of Thanksgiving in November; having two observances of gratefulness is a wonderful thing. It is, however, culturally and physically relevant to our location on the globe to keep our traditions alive. :)

Given the state of the environment these days, we cannot overstate how important the gratitude for the harvest is. Erntfescht features seed swaps, meaning that you bring seeds from your gardens or from your favorite foods that others can take to begin to grow the same plants in their gardens; you may take what interests you. Those of us who have gardens can bring what we grow for others to partake of. The altar features our harvested plants, so bring some with you, if you grow any. We also collect food for local pantries at this time, but only give if you are able and to the point at which you are able; no one is keeping track of donors. This is about community, community helping community, and us reaching outside of our closest circle to help to strengthen the wider community.

Hail to the Harvest! 

To Erda at Hoietfescht

Grandmother Erda,

Show me the way.

Teach me to nourish the soil.

Guide my hand when planting.

Share with me the joys of a bountiful harvest.


Keep me grounded during the frozen winters.


I love the paintings you make on the land in wildflowers,

as well as the songs you write in the forests and the woodlands.


Guide my hands to do your work, so that I may revel in your work.

                                                           -- Rebecca Spille, Hoietfescht 2019

Ziegdaag Reflection: The Troth's Spring 2019 (#119) Article

The Troth's quarterly journal, Idunna, is one of the oldest and most prestigious Heathen publications available. The Spring 2019 (#119) issue contains an article about Urglaawe's observance of Ziegdaag. Some seminal Urglaawe philosophy is contained in the article.

Enjoy!

Grumbieredaag un Frouwasege

Don't want to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

How about the traditional Deitsch holiday of St. Gertrude's Day, known also by the name we use in Urglaawe of Grumbieredaag (Potato Day), which is the day we will honor the Frouwa.

Since the Deitsch population overwhelmingly identifies as Protestant or Anabaptist, the survival of this Catholic observance within the wider culture is interesting in its own right, even if it had been diminishing over time. Even most Christians (including those in the article below) acknowledge the heathen roots of the observance. While there are other connections that come up (particularly to Holle and to Freid/Frigg), Grimm (305) makes a connection between Gertrude and Frowa/Frouwa, and this is generally accepted by the Urglaawe community.

Potatoes have become a staple crop for the Deitsch since arrival, and tradition is that March 17 is the day to put potatoes in the ground. There are rituals to feed the Heinzelmenner or other Kowwold (kobolds) and to bring fertility to the garden. Specific foods include Datsch (a type of almost granola-like potato bread) and spring onions.

One thing I find important in this observance is the completion of the potato cycle. Potato bread from last year's harvest is consumed and offered to the land at the time that this year's crop is being planted.

The traditional Datsch recipe is posted in the Urglaawe Culinary Guild, and the program for the observance is below:

Program for Grumbieredaag un Frouwasege

Urglaawe Observances

Below is a brief list of Urglaawe observances. Some of these are wider Deitsch culture celebrations (the berry festivals, for example), but I incorporate them into my personal practice. Remember that Urglaawe "days" begin at sunset on the preceding night. The dates listed below are the actual calendar dates.

January 1 after sunrise: Twelfth Day of Yule, Luulfescht, end of Yule

January 1 after sunset: Berchtoldsdaag

February 1 after sunset: Grundsaudaag, first night of Entschtanning. Entschtanning includes a whole bunch of observances. Entschtanning runs for twelve nights and twelve days. Last night we call Es Lichtfescht (Light-Fest).

Late February-March: Birch water festivals based on locality

March 19-21 (actual start time shifts based on the date of the Spring Equinox): Oschdre... starts as the sunset that most closely precedes the Equinox.

First new moon after Spring Equinox: Lunar calendar resets to Holzhaane.

March 31 after sunset: Begins the Flitzing (name may differ as this is the first year we are doing this as an official observance): Recognition of change; need for shadier, trickster-types of deities, Giants, etc.

March/April: Cherry Blossom festivals based on locality

April 30 after sunset: Wonnenacht (also known as Walpurgisnacht elsewhere), the first night of the twelve-night/twelve-day observance of Wonnezeit.

May 12-14 overnights: The Reifries (Frost Giants) attempt to undo the arrival of spring.

May 15: Official date that all tender plants may go outdoors.

June 4 after sundown): Observance of the Desecrated Shrines... Honoring the lesser-known deities and those whose lore was lost to us

Early to mid-June: Dingsege... tending to community business. Often combined with Midsummer

June 20-22: Midsummer (begins at the sunset that precedes the Summer Solstice

June: Strawberry festivals based on locality

Mid-July to Mid-August: Hoietfescht is observed something during the haymaking period. Some of us also do a s eparate ritual to Weisskeppichi during this time.

Late July: blueberry and huckleberry festivals based on locality

Early September: Elderberry harvest festivals based on locality.

September 20, +/-: Erntfescht begins with the sunset preceding the Fall Equinox. Often combined with Zisasege.

September 27 beginning at sunset: Zisasege

October 5 beginning at sunset: Deitschdaag, the observance of the first settlers

October 30 beginning at sunset: Allelieweziel - Butzemenner must be burned by October 31. Allelieweziel runs for twelve nights and twelve days.

November 10 sunset-November 11 sunset: Ewicher Yeeger, last night and day of Allelieweziel

November 12 sunset-November 15 sunrise: Reifries attack

November 16 - Date of Mountain Mary's death... typically observed on the closest Sunday.

December 5 until Yule: Belsnickeling time... Parade of Spirits in full force.

December 12 sunset: Lutzefraa (observing Heathen aspects that later were incorporated into St. Lucy's Day)

December 20 after sunset: First night of Yuul. Yuul runs for twelve nights and twelve days.

December 31 after sunset: Berchtaslaaf / Zwelfdi Nacht (Twelfth Night (of Yuul)). Required meal of herring, gruel, Zammede.

January 1 at 0:00, crack the whip, bang the pots and pans, or shoot (only if safe!).

Coins on the Windowsill

A common Deitsch tradition tonight is to put a coin (or coins) outside on your windowsill overnight tonight. 

Some variations specify that the coin/s should be silver. Others specify three denominations (nickel, dime, quarter, etc.) of coin. Some Christian interpretations are that these are for the Magi on their way to Bethlehem (PA? lol), while other interpretations definitely have this related to magic that easily fits in with Berchta making the rounds as a beggar. 

If the coin/s are still there in the morning, bring them back in and "Was hawwich yetz wa ich ganzes Yaahr haawe." ("What I have now I will have all year.") 

If the coins are gone, then the need was greater elsewhere, and you will receive good luck for aiding another.

Halliches Nei-Yaahr!

Good Find!

Came across this in Hollerbeier Haven 6 (Fall 2008)... I had forgotten about it! It's great!

Original quote is from 1949...

Yuletide Sunneraad 2017

The annual Sunwheel tradition during Yule...

Der Belsnickel

Tonight der Belsnickel visits many homes in the Deitscherei, and he keeps wandering through Yule.

Halliches Erntfescht

(or Erntdankfescht!)

The autumn equinox and surrounding days served as the time of the original Deitsch (and German, for that matter) Thanksgiving. We Urglaawer observe the equinox and celebrate the harvest as a community as close to the equinox as possible. The Schwenkfelders observe the thanksgiving on September 24, other localities hold it on different days, also often based on the equinox.

In Heathen times, communities pitched in to help to finish harvests, to trade different crops, and to tend to kin and neighbor so that everyone had a variety of foods to store for the winter. This is the root of the Harvest Home tradition, which continues in many churches today.

The establishment of a national Thanksgiving holiday was actually met with some resistance in Deitsch communities because we already had a thanksgiving observance that was placed at the time of the completion of the harvest. The end of November seemed to be an odd time to many people. The traditional harvests were well over by then, it was typically very cold, and, prior to the rise of modern transportation and grocery, people would be more likely conserving their food stores, outside of game, to ensure a supply to carry them through if Spring came late.

The Harvest Home church traditions nowadays take place all throughout September, but they are a legacy of the thanksgiving festival. Urglaawe groups hold thanksgiving festivals as close to the equinox as possible. All of these observances focus on spreading the wealth of the harvest around, most typically in the form of canned food donations to food shelters.

Over time, the national holiday in November has meshed well with traditional Pennsylvania Dutch foods and has become part of our lives. However, it is good to keep our cultural traditions alive, too.

Most of us who were born after World War II are so accustomed to supermarkets having everything we could want all throughout the year that it is difficult to fathom the reliance on root cellars, springhouses, and cooperative efforts among neighbors. Jump back a few generations, when most food was grown locally, and it becomes easier to see why there would be a formal expression of gratitude for a successful harvest. We can capture a bit of the experience of our forebears by appreciating events like the end of the harvest.

Besides, it never hurts to have another day where we are a little more deliberate in our gratitude for the food that nourishes us. So, sometime this week, you may want to incorporate an extra expression of gratitude in the religious or philosophical context that resonates with you to the plants and the animals that feed us, to the farmers who produce the food, and to the transportation and outlets that make it available to us.

Let's make Erntfescht/Erntdankfescht a thing again in our communities!

Deitsch Eclipse Lore

There are two types of stories related to eclipses. One is sort of "pro" eclipse and the other is rather "con" eclipse. 

An eclipse is called a "Finschderniss" (grammatically feminine, so it takes the article "die"), and an eclipse specifically of the sun is called "Sunnefinschderniss." "Finschderniss" is related to "finschder," means "murky" or "dark." The "pro" story is that Sunna and Muun were lovers (some say married) but that the jealous trickster Schadde had gotten between them (this is where the versions of the stories get confusing, which is why they still have not been published), but he somehow manages to persuade the god associated with sleep, Schlumm, to cast sleep spells on each of them. While they are asleep, Schadde sets them into the sky so that he is between them. 

Sunna and Muun do a dance through the skies, trying to be together, and , when a solar eclipse happens, it means they have achieved that goal, with Muun tossing Schadde behind him. An echo of the noise-making appears in this context with some respondents saying that they tap drinking glasses at this time, which is reminiscent of what people do at weddings when they want the bride and groom to kiss. The reason this is only "sort of" pro is that the way Schadde persuades Schlumm to set them to sleep has something to do with imbalance in Mannheem, and Sunna and Muun being together too long would have catastrophic results. Someday I will get that story's versions harmonized.

The other stories are akin to the Norse and other cultural stories: an animal (usually a fox or a wolf) is chasing the sun and catching it, and banging of pots and pans is performed to scare the animal away.

The first story reminds me a bit of this song...

Lady Sunshine und Mister Moon

können gar nichts dagegen tun,

daß sie am Himmel sich niemals trafen,

denn wenn er aufsteht, dann geht sie schlafen.

Lady Sunshine und Mister Moon

können gar nichts dagegen tun,

wenn sie auch träumen von einem Märchen,

ein Pärchen werden sie nie.

Da sind wir beide besser dran, viel besser dran,

weil mich dein Mund so oft ich will am Tage küssen kann.

Hier unten ist das Leben schön für dich und mich,

dein Mund sagt mir so oft ich will: 'Mein Schatz, ich liebe dich!'

Doch Lady, Lady Sunshine und Mister Moon

können gar nichts dagegen tun,

wenn sie auch träumen von einem Märchen,

ein Pärchen werden sie nie.

Lady Sunshine und Mister Moon

würden gern was dagegen tun,

dass sie so einsam dort oben wandern,

dass sie noch träumen, verliebt vom Andern.

Lady Sunshine und Mister Moon

können gar nichts dagegen tun,

wenn sie auch träumen von einem Märchen,

ein Pärchen werden sie nie. Nie! Nie!

Elderberry Bumper Crop

Perhaps it is the wet weather, but the Elder (pdc: Hollerbeer; tax: Sambucus nigra) bushes are producing an abundance of plump berries this year!

It is now Aernet (also known as Aagscht), the month of the harvest, so it is appropriate to continue to collect the berries and to prepare them for their various uses.

Hail to the Elder Mother! Hail to Holle!

This is one big bunch of elderberries!

And, Here They Come...

Although it does not appear that we'll be dealing with freezing temperatures in the Deitscherei over the next three nights, we still observe the end of the Wonnezeit and keep an eye out for the first attack of the Reifries (Frost Giants).

There are at least two full variants of this story exist along with several additional tidbits and remnants turning up in other areas. The versions of the story that make a complete tale are those of the  Oley Freindschaft and the Harrity-Palmerton Freindschaft guilds of Braucherei, and their versions complement each other, with the Harrity-Palmerton version containing many details that the Oley version lacked. There are some clashing points between the versions, such as one stating that each Butzemann defends only his own property and the other referring to the Butzemann army taking the battle with the Frost Giants into the north.

This is the first, raw, harmonized version, which includes features of both principal complete versions as well as aspects of the remnants of others. The final version will be published in the near future.

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

Der Reifkeenich (King Frost) heard that the Wild Hunt had returned to Mannheem (the home of humanity) and that his armies were in retreat from Hexefeld as the Wonnedanz revitalized the land. He first ordered Dreizehdax ("Thirteen-Badger") to go to Mannheem to reclaim his lost holdings. The next day, he dispatched Vatzehvedder (or Vatzehfedder, which may be a dialectic reference to "Fourteen-Porcupine"), and on the third day, he sent Fuffzehfux ("Fifteen-Fox"). Each took with him an army of Giants and allies.

Dreizehdax and his soldiers journeyed twelve nights from the Naddbledder ("Northern Leaves" of the World Tree). As they arrived in Mannheem, they brought the temperature down so much tender plants that could not withstand the cold. Dreizehdax and his soldiers feasted upon the spirits of the dying plants. Dreizehdax led his army down from the north, eventually arriving in the farmlands. 

Suddenly, he caught the gaze of a large, powerful, reddish-haired man, and he immediately recognized Him as Dunner. Dunner stood between Dreizehdax and the farmland, which Dreizehdax greedily wished to devour.

The Butzemann (spiritually activated scarecrow) on each farm prepared to fight to protect their children, though they were young and were not sure that they could defeat Dreizehdax and his powerful soldiers. As the Frost Giants stepped forward, Dunner lifted his mighty Hammer and slew one soldier after another, leaving only Dreizehdax, who fled in terror back to the north.

Dunner spoke to the Butzemenner (plural), telling them that He would teach them how to fight the Frost Giants. 

The next night, Vatzehvedder and his armies arrived in Mannheem. His army drenched the mountains in freezing rain, which stung the tenders, and the soldiers devoured the spirits of the dying plants. As the army approached the farmlands, Dunner raised His Hammer and commanded the rain to stop. He told all of the Butzemenner to come out of their shells to fight alongside Him. 

The spirit of each Butzemann stepped forth. Dunner fought the soldiers of Vatzehvedder with His hands, using His breath to warm the air and exerting His Megge (main, megin, life force energy) upon them, which caused them to melt. The Butzemenner followed suit, using the power of their Megge to surround the army so Dunner could destroy it. Vatzehvedder realized that his army was doomed, and he retreated to the north, joining Dreizehdax.

On the third night, Fuffzehfux and his army arrived in Mannheem. He and his soldiers froze the mist in the air, which dropped deadly dew onto the leaves and stems of the tender plants. The dew tortured the tender plants and harmed even many hardier plants. The Frost Giants began to eat the spirits of the damaged plants. 

Suddenly, the Butzemenner emerged from their shells and rose up from the farmlands, coming into the north and destroying the soldiers while they feasted. As the Butzemenner stepped forward the frozen dew turned to a warm mist, and the plants rejoiced.

Fuffzehfux soon found himself standing alone facing the Butzemann army, and he retreated to the north, joining Dreizehdax and Vatzehvedder. The three returned to the Naddbledder to bring the unhappy news of their defeat to King Frost.

As each Butzemann returned home to defend his own land, Dunner appeared before them to congratulate them on their victory. "Your children may now safely take root in the soil of Mannheem."

This is why the tender plants may be brought out after sunrise on May 15.

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

Contributing work:

Tobin, Jesse. Der Braucherei Weg (course). Kempton, PA: Three Sisters Center for the Healing Arts, 2007.

Robert L. Schreiwer and Ammerili Eckhart, original research, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013.

Synchronicity

Today I was driving up to the Urglaawe cemetery on back roads. It was a nice day to drive after several days of heavy rain. I noticed that the Hollenbach (the Deitsch name for Jordan Creek in Lehigh County, PA) was flowing particularly strongly (and it normally is pretty fast to begin with), so I pulled onto a side road, got out of my truck, and walked onto a bridge that looks over the creek.

While I was standing there, an old man walked up from the side road carrying fishing gear. He greeted me, and we struck up a conversation. Through the course of the chat, I mentioned the Urglaawe Folklore Research Project, which interested him immensely. This part of Lehigh County is Blobarrick (Blue Mountain) country and is thus Ewicher Yeeger's stomping grounds.

I asked him if he knew any folk stories from the region, and he replied that he did. When I mentioned Ewicher Yeeger, his face lit up, and he said that he knew a few stories. One that he told was very similar to the Ewicher Yeeger story of Allemaengel, but then he told me an anecdote that I found interesting.

He said that when he was a boy, his brother, some friends, and he used to fish in the Hollenbach, and there was an old man, whose name he could not recollect, who used to fish in the creek as well. He said the old man was very mysterious and he was not sure of much about him other than that he was from Werleseck (Werleys Corner) and that people considered him to be a hermit. The old man would talk to the boys and would tell them stories about the area (some of which he related to me).

He said that what he recalled vividly was that he thought some of the man's actions were peculiar. He would throw beans, corn, worms, flowers or plants, cheese, or other items into the creek before and/or after he fished, whether he caught something or not. He said that when the old man would catch a fish, he would utter a word of thanks to the Eternal Hunter for giving him a meal that night. He would then throw some food into the creek for the fish.

When I remarked on only having heard of Ewicher Yeeger in the context of the hunt, he replied, "Fishing is a bit like hunting, gell?"

He then remarked that he thinks of the mysterious old man occasionally when he is fishing or when he walks past the area where the old man used to fish. We continued to to talk as we walked along the creek so he could show me where the man used to fish, and he admitted that he on occasion whispers a thanks to Ewicher Yeeger when he catches a fish or has a successful hunt.

The description given to me about the mysterious man indicates that he was a Braucher or a Hex and that the man relating this story to me was witnessing the hermit's rituals. The man with whom I was speaking was born "during the time that the people were depressed" so he is likely at least in his 80s, and he said the hermit was very old when he was about age 11-15 or 16. This would put the hermit as being born sometime, perhaps during the 1850s-1870s.

The man said he would ask his brother if he remembered any other stories that the old man or anyone else told when they were boys and he'd contact me if he learned anything.

Hailstones, Haagel Rune

Yesterday's hailstorm across much of the Deitscherei drew out the topic of Hailstones and the Haagel rune within the Guild of Urglaawe Practitioners of Braucherei and Hexerei.

New Year's Resolutions

If you follow the Urglaawe seasonal foci, then your contemplation activities over Yule will surely have yielded many ideas for ways to improve your life and have a positive impact on the lives of those around you. You may want to make a New Year’s Resolution (der Vorsatz, plural: die Vorsetz) The biggest pitfalls in undertaking self-improvement are selecting too many things to change at once or committing to an unrealistic goal. 

While introspection and change throughout the year are good things New Year’s Resolutions are intended to function with the cycles and rhythms of life and can thus fit in well with spiritual pursuits. Before you make your New Year’s Resolution or take any oaths, though, you must first consider what you can reasonably change. 

Breaking a Vorsatz is akin to breaking an oath, particularly if the resolution involves the deities, ancestors, or others around you. Lofty goals can inspire us, but failing to reach them can be devastating. Even breaking a resolution made to and for oneself can lead to feelings of inadequacy and failure. Additionally, breaking a Vorsatz in any context can lead a person to diminish the gravity of oaths in general.

It can be helpful to write down all your thoughts and then whittle down the list using the following questions: Is this achievable in my current situation? If not, what needs to change? Can I break this item down into smaller steps and revise my Vorsatz to focus on achieving the first step in this process? It is recommended that you seek feedback on your proposed resolutions from trusted friends to help who can also provide support as you work to accomplish them.

For example, if you do not go to the gym now, it may well be reckless for you to make a Vorsatz that you will go to the gym every day in 2017. What might be more achievable would be to make a Vorsatz that you will go to the gym twice a week in the month of January. At the end of January, if the goal is reached, you can consider a new Vorsatz. Every small goal achieved helps to reinforce the next goal.

Vorsetz are not a requirement of Urglaawe, but they are part of our cultural heritage, and it is worthy to frame the creation and execution of these resolutions in an Urglaawe context.

Resolutions may be made orally to the self or to others, of course. Typically, though, one writes the Vorsatz down on a Zauberzettel (“charm ticket”). If the ticket remains unfolded, it may (and indeed should) be viewed by other members and is considered a resolution that others can agree to witness and to hold the author to. If  we fold the ticket, then the Vorsatz is considered to be private between the deities and the author.

The Zauberzettel is then attached to the Yuul wreath and burned on Twelfth Day. 

Hail to the end of Yule and to the start of a new year! Good luck on any resolutions that you choose to make!

Regarding Berchtold

Recently a discussion about a probable deity named Berchtold arose in the main Urglaawe group on Facebook. There are a few citations regarding Him in Grimm's Teutonic Mythology (pp. 279 and 932) and a related holiday in Alemannic areas, primarily Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The Urglaawe community undertook some preliminary research. There is a lot more work to be done on this topic, but this is a start. 

The scant lore on Berchtold leads me to the following: 

1). Given that Berchtold is seen as sometimes being at the head of the Wild Hunt, there is "something" there that requires more research; 

2). Competing proposed origins of the event from different contexts and perspectives may not be any more or less valid than our emerging Heathen perspective, but, as Heathens, we would be remiss in our spiritual endeavors if we did not explore our angles as thoroughly as possible; 

3). The placement of the Berchtoldstag observance is quite possibly a result of calendar shifting related to Epiphany, the Protestant Reformation, and other influences. Since no one knows the true origins of the observance, no one knows how it got to the current date, either;

4). The lore that states that men would go about town pressing others whom they encounter to drink to Berchtold is interesting. One of the possible roots of Berchtold is dialectic "berchten," which means "to walk around asking for food." This brings up a little-known Deitsch entity, Bechtel or Bechdel, who is associated with begging and definitely who needs more research in this context. This could be a crucial connection. Additionally, another name for Berchtoldstag is Bärzelistag, which, on the surface, appears to be related to the Deitsch verb "barzle," which literally means "to tumble" but also has a semantic meaning of "to roll" (as in a mugging) or "to accost"; 

5). Keeping in mind that Berchta commands a bare-bones meal on Twelfth Night, we could be seeing something related to the hunger from that meal. The pressing of others could also be a test of faith (which has come up in discussions before), and the wandering sounds akin to wassailing or New Year's greetings, which are intended also to elicit hospitality from those visited;

6). Conjecture: Nuts, which are related to this observance in Alemannic areas, are potential life, and that is the point on the cycle where we currently are. If Berchtaslaaf is the end of Yule, the "death" of the calendar year, etc., then perhaps Berchtold can be viewed through a lens of the things that bridge death to new life. It may be useful as part of the research process to examine commonalities between Berchta (and, perhaps Berchtold) and "Father Time" types of lore. Additionally, we already honor Lollus/Luul at this time... Lollus' sole depiction is that of a child holding His tongue. Could there be a link between Lollus/Luul and "Baby New Year" types of lore?;

7). Keeping in mind that there is still a lot of speculation here, my inclination is, until we know more or our understanding evolves, to honor Berchtold alongside Berchta on Twelfth Night. As some of you may know from Berchta's meal discussion on the Kochkunscht guild, the meal requirement appears to run on the calendar day of December 31 (Eleventh Day (Dec. 31 reckoned by nightfall) and especially Twelfth Night (January 1 reckoned by nightfall). 

In a similar manner, Berchtold could be honored at the beginning of Twelfth Night (sundown December 31, which actually begins January 1 since a "day" starts at sunset the prior evening) through the end of Yule (sunset on January 1, which, by nightfall reckoning would begin January 2). 

This would create a "bridge" time of the specific honoring Bercha and Berchtold from sunset on Twelfth Night until sunrise on Twelfth Day, and it would create another bridge time of the specific honoring Berchtold and Luul from sunrise January 1 through sunset January 1 (again, sunset starts January 2).

There is at least one other way to consider the reckoning, but this is how I am planning to observe the end of Yule this year. Over the course of the next year, I'm hoping that we can get insights and lore from folks in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Yuul 2016

The Flaming, Spinning Yuletide Sunwheel... in slow motion!