Yule

Yule
	Hauling a Yule log at Christmas, 1832
Also called	Yuletide, Yulefest
Observed by	Various Northern Europeans and various English-speaking peoples
Type	Cultural, Germanic Pagan then Christian, secular, and contemporary Paganism
Significance	Winter Festival
Date	Winter solstice
Frequency	annual
Related to	Winter solstice (Midwinter), Christmastide, quarter days, Wheel of the Year, Winter Festivals

WordNet

large log traditionally burned at Christmas

PrepTutorEJDIC

クリスマス(Christmas) / =Yuletide
《ときに y-》《おもに詩》クリスマスの季節

Wikipedia preview

出典(authority):フリー百科事典『ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』「2015/05/09 17:33:42」(JST)

wiki en

[Wiki en表示]

Yule or Yuletide ("Yule time") is a religious festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples, later undergoing Christianised reformulation resulting in the now better known Christmastide. The earliest references to Yule are by way of indigenous Germanic month names Ærra Jéola (Before Yule) or Jiuli and Æftera Jéola (After Yule). Scholars have connected the celebration to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Modranicht.

Terms with an etymological equivalent to Yule are used in the Nordic countries for Christmas with its religious rites, but also for the holidays of this season. Yule is also used to a lesser extent in English-speaking countries to refer to Christmas. Customs such as the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar, Yule singing, and others stem from Yule. A number of Neopagans have introduced their own rites.

Etymology

Yule is the modern English representation of the Old English words ġéol or ġéohol and ġéola or ġéoli, with the former indicating the 12-day festival of "Yule" (later: "Christmastide") and the latter indicating the month of "Yule", whereby ǽrra ġéola referred to the period before the Yule festival (December) and æftera ġéola referred to the period after Yule (January). Both words are thought to be derived from Common Germanic *jeχʷla-, and are cognate with Gothic (fruma) jiuleis and Old Norse (Icelandic and Faroese) jól (Danish, Swedish and Norwegian jul) as well as ýlir,^[1] Estonian jõul(ud) and Finnish joulu. The etymological pedigree of the word, however, remains uncertain, though numerous speculative attempts have been made to find Indo-European cognates outside the Germanic group, too.^[2]

The noun Yuletide is first attested from around 1475.^[3]

The word is attested in an explicitly pre-Christian context primarily in Old Norse. Among many others (see List of names of Odin), the long-bearded god Odin bears the names jólfaðr (Old Norse 'Yule father') and jólnir (Old Norse 'the Yule one'). In plural (Old Norse jólnar; 'the Yule ones') may refer to the Norse gods in general. In Old Norse poetry, the word is often employed as a synonym for 'feast', such as in the kenning hugins jól (Old Norse 'Huginn's Yule' > 'a raven's feast').^[4]

Germanic paganism

Yule was an indigenous midwinter festival celebrated by the Germanic peoples. The earliest references to it are in the form of month names, where the Yule-tide period lasts somewhere around two months in length, falling along the end of the modern calendar year between what is now mid-November and early January.^[5]

Attestations

Yule is attested early in the history of the Germanic peoples; from the 4th century Gothic language it appears in the month name fruma jiuleis, and, in the 8th century, the English historian Bede wrote that the Anglo-Saxon calendar included the months geola or giuli corresponding with either modern December or December and January.^[6]

While the Old Norse month name ýlir is similarly attested, the Old Norse corpus also contains numerous references to an event by the Old Norse form of the name, jól. In chapter 55 of the Prose Edda book Skáldskaparmál, different names for the gods are given. One of the names provided is "Yule-beings." A work by the skald Eyvindr Skáldaspillir that uses the term is then quoted, which reads "again we have produced Yule-being's feast [mead of poetry], our rulers' eulogy, like a bridge of masonry."^[7] In addition, one of the numerous names of Odin is Jólnir, referring to the event.^[8]

The Saga of Hákon the Good credits King Haakon I of Norway with the Christianization of Norway as well as rescheduling the date of Yule to coincide with Christian celebrations held at the time. The saga states that when Haakon arrived in Norway he was confirmed a Christian, but since the land was still altogether heathen and the people retained their pagan practices, Haakon hid his Christianity to receive the help of the "great chieftains." In time, Haakon had a law passed establishing that Yule celebrations were to take place at the same time as the Christians celebrated Christmas, "and at that time everyone was to have ale for the celebration with a measure of grain, or else pay fines, and had to keep the holiday while the ale lasted."^[9]

Yule had previously been celebrated for three nights from midwinter night, according to the saga. Haakon planned that when he had solidly established himself and held power over the whole country, he would then "have the gospel preached." According to the saga, the result was that his popularity caused many to allow themselves to be baptised, and some people stopped making sacrifices. Haakon spent most of this time in Trondheim, Norway. When Haakon believed that he wielded enough power, he requested a bishop and other priests from England, and they came to Norway. On their arrival, "Haakon made it known that he would have the gospel preached in the whole country." The saga continues, describing the different reactions of various regional things.^[9]

A description of pagan Yule practices is provided (notes are Hollander's own):

It was ancient custom that when sacrifice was to be made, all farmers were to come to the heathen temple and bring along with them the food they needed while the feast lasted. At this feast all were to take part of the drinking of ale. Also all kinds of livestock were killed in connection with it, horses also; and all the blood from them was called hlaut [ sacrificial blood ], and hlautbolli, the vessel holding the blood; and hlautteinar, the sacrificial twigs [ aspergills ]. These were fashioned like sprinklers, and with them were to be smeared all over with blood the pedestals of the idols and also the walls of the temple within and without; and likewise the men present were to be sprinkled with blood. But the meat of the animals was to be boiled and served as food at the banquet. Fires were to be lighted in the middle of the temple floor, and kettles hung over them. The sacrificial beaker was to be borne around the fire, and he who made the feast and was chieftain, was to bless the beaker as well as all the sacrificial meat.^[10]

The narrative continues that toasts were to be drunk. The first toast was to be drunk to Odin "for victory and power to the king", the second to the gods Njörðr and Freyr "for good harvests and for peace", and thirdly a beaker was to be drunk to the king himself. In addition, toasts were drunk to the memory of departed kinsfolk. These were called "minni [memorial toast]".^[10]

The Svarfdæla saga records a story in which a berserker put off a duel until three days after Yule to honour the sanctity of the holiday. Grettis Saga refers to Yule as a time of "greatest mirth and joy among men."^[11] This saga is set soon after Iceland converted to Christianity and identifies Yule with Christmas: "No Christian man is wont to eat meat this day [Yule Eve], because that on the morrow is the first day of Yule," says she, "wherefore must men first fast today."^[12]

Theories and interpretation

Scholars have connected the month event and Yule time period to the Wild Hunt (a ghostly procession in the winter sky), the god Odin (who is attested in Germanic areas as leading the Wild Hunt and, as mentioned above, bears the name Jólnir), and increased supernatural activity, such as the aforementioned Wild Hunt and the increased activities of draugar—undead beings who walk the earth.^[13]

Modranicht, an event focused on collective female beings attested by Bede as having occurred among the pagan Anglo-Saxons on what is now Christmas Eve, has been seen as further evidence of a fertility event during the Yule period.^[5]

The events of Yule are generally held to have centred on Midwinter (although specific dating is a matter of debate), and feasting, drinking, and sacrifice (blót) were involved. Scholar Rudolf Simek comments that the pagan Yule feast "had a pronounced religious character" and comments that "it is uncertain whether the Germanic Yule feast still had a function in the cult of the dead and in the veneration of the ancestors, a function which the mid-winter sacrifice certainly held for the West European Stone and Bronze Ages." The traditions of the Yule log, Yule goat, Yule boar (Sonargöltr) still reflected in the Christmas ham, Yule singing, and others stem from Yule customs, and customs which Simek takes as "indicat[ing] the significance of the feast in pre-Christian times."^[14]

Contemporary traditions

In modern Germanic language-speaking areas and some other Northern European countries, Yule denotes the Christmas holiday season. Examples include Jul (Sweden), Jul (Denmark), Jul (Norway), Jól (Iceland and the Faroe Islands), Joulu (Finland), Joelfest (Friesian) and Jõulud (Estonia).

Neopaganism

As forms of Neopaganism can be quite different and have very different origins, these representations can vary considerably despite the shared name. Some celebrate in a way as close as possible to how they believe Ancient Germanic pagans observed the tradition, while others observe the holiday with rituals "assembled from different sources".^[15]

In Germanic Neopagan sects, Yule is celebrated with gatherings that often involve a meal and gift giving. Groups such as the Asatru Folk Assembly in the US recognise the celebration as lasting 12 days, beginning on the date of the winter solstice.^[16]

In most forms of Wicca, this holiday is celebrated at the winter solstice as the rebirth of the Great horned hunter god,^[17] who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun. The method of gathering for this sabbat varies by practitioner. Some have private ceremonies at home,^[18] while others do so with their covens.^[19]

Notes

^ Bosworth & Toller (1898:424); Hoad (1996:550); Orel (2003:205)
^ For a brief overview of the proposed etymologies, see Orel (2003:205).
^ Barnhart (1995:896).
^ Guðbrandur Vigfússon (1874:326).
^ ^a ^b Orchard (1997:187).
^ Simek (2007:379).
^ Faulkes (1995:133).
^ Simek (2007:180–181).
^ ^a ^b Hollander (2007:106).
^ ^a ^b Hollander (2007:107).
^ The Story of Grettir The Strong, Chapter XIX, translated by Eirikr Magnusson and William Morris.
^ The Story of Grettir The Strong, Chapter XXXII, translated by Eirikr Magnusson and William Morris.
^ Simek (2007:180—181 & 379—380) and Orchard (1997:187).
^ Simek (2007:379–380).
^ Hutton, Ronald (December 2008). "Modern Pagan Festivals: A Study in the Nature of Tradition". Folklore (Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of Folklore Enterprises, Ltd.) 119 (3): 251–273. doi:10.1080/00155870802352178. JSTOR 40646468. |accessdate= requires |url= (help)
^ McNallen, Stephen The Twelve Days of Yule – 2005
^ James Buescher (15 December 2007). "Wiccans, pagans ready to celebrate Yule". Lancaster Online. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
^ Andrea Kannapell (21 December 1997). "Celebrations; It's Solstice, Hanukkah, Kwannza: Let There Be Light!". NYtimes.com. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
^ Ruth la Ferla (13 December 2000). "Like Magic, Witchcraft Charms Teenagers". New York Times. Retrieved 21 December 2007. Generally meeting in covens, which anoint their own priests and priestesses, Wiccans chant and cast or draw circles to invoke their deities, mainly during festivals like Samhain and Yule, which coincide with Halloween and Christmas, and when the moon is full. ...

References

Barnhart, Robert K. (1995). The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology. Harper Collins. ISBN 0062700847
Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898). An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Faulkes, Anthony (Trans.) (1995). Edda. Everyman. ISBN 0-460-87616-3.
Guðbrandur Vigfússon (1874). An Icelandic-English Dictionary: Based on the Ms. Collections of the Late Richard Cleasby. Clarendon Press.
Hoad, T. F. (1996). The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-283098-8.
Hollander, M. Lee (Trans.) (2007). Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway. University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-0-292-73061-8
Orchard, Andy (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell. ISBN 0-304-34520-2.
Orel, Vladimir (2003). A Handbook of Germanic Etymology. Leiden: Brill Publishers. pg. 205. ISBN 90-04-12875-1.
Simek, Rudolf (2007) translated by Angela Hall. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. D.S. Brewer ISBN 0-85991-513-1

External links

English Journal

Exact formulas for the variance of several balance indices under the Yule model.

Cardona G, Mir A, Rosselló F.SourceDepartment of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122 , Palma, Spain, gabriel.cardona@uib.es.
Journal of mathematical biology.J Math Biol.2013 Dec;67(6-7):1833-46. doi: 10.1007/s00285-012-0615-9. Epub 2012 Nov 2.
One of the main applications of balance indices is in tests of null models of evolutionary processes. The knowledge of an exact formula for a statistic of a balance index, holding for any number [Formula: see text] of leaves, is necessary in order to use this statistic in tests of this kind involvin
PMID 23117499

Surname distribution in population genetics and in statistical physics.

Rossi P.SourceDipartimento di Fisica dell'Università di Pisa and I.N.F.N., Sezione di Pisa, Largo Bruno Pontecorvo 3, I-56127 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: Paolo.Rossi@df.unipi.it.
Physics of life reviews.Phys Life Rev.2013 Dec;10(4):395-415. doi: 10.1016/j.plrev.2013.06.005. Epub 2013 Jun 20.
Surnames tend to behave like neutral genes, and their distribution has attracted a growing attention from genetists and physicists. We review the century-long history of surname studies and discuss the most recent developments. Isonymy has been regarded as a tool for the measurement of consanguinity
PMID 23830614

A general species delimitation method with applications to phylogenetic placements.

Zhang J, Kapli P, Pavlidis P, Stamatakis A.SourceThe Exelixis Lab, Scientific Computing Group, Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, D-68159 Heidelberg, Germany, Graduate School for Computing in Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Lübeck, Institut für Neuro- und Bioinformatik, University of Lübeck, 23538 Lübeck, Germany, Natural History Museum of Crete, University of Crete, GR-71409 Irakleio, Crete, Greece and Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas-FORTH, GR-70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Bioinformatics (Oxford, England).Bioinformatics.2013 Nov 15;29(22):2869-76. doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btt499. Epub 2013 Aug 29.
MOTIVATION: Sequence-based methods to delimit species are central to DNA taxonomy, microbial community surveys and DNA metabarcoding studies. Current approaches either rely on simple sequence similarity thresholds (OTU-picking) or on complex and compute-intensive evolutionary models. The OTU-picking
PMID 23990417

Japanese Journal

Size Frequency Distribution of Japanese Given Names

HAYAKAWA Ryo,FUKUOKA Yuta,MIZUGUCHI Tsuyoshi
Journal of the Physical Society of Japan 81(9), 094001-1-5, 2012-09
NAID 40019415383

茶道・・生 : 紫砂《》的意

富
Bulletin of Asian Design Culture Society : International Symposium of Asian Design Culture Society 6, 167-170, 2012-03
NAID 40019439714

Related Pictures

yule or yuletide means christmas time yule around the corner. That word is Yule > Pagan and Fantasy. > Yule Blessings Yule — O Nascimento da Criança da yule.jpg#yule%20709x1004 21 de Junio [YULE] THE OAK KING Yule Goddess by BigBS4

[1] Bosworth & Toller (1898:424); Hoad (1996:550); Orel (2003:205)

[2] For a brief overview of the proposed etymologies, see Orel (2003:205).

[BARNHART-896-3] Barnhart (1995:896).

[GUDBRAND-VIGFUSSON-326-4] Guðbrandur Vigfússon (1874:326).

[ORCHARD187-5] Orchard (1997:187).

[SIMEK379-6] Simek (2007:379).

[FAULKES133-7] Faulkes (1995:133).

[SIMEK180-181-8] Simek (2007:180–181).

[HOLLANDER106-9] Hollander (2007:106).

[HOLLANDER107-10] Hollander (2007:107).

[11] The Story of Grettir The Strong, Chapter XIX, translated by Eirikr Magnusson and William Morris.

[12] The Story of Grettir The Strong, Chapter XXXII, translated by Eirikr Magnusson and William Morris.

[SIMEK-AND-ORCHARD-13] Simek (2007:180—181 & 379—380) and Orchard (1997:187).

[SIMEK-379-380-14] Simek (2007:379–380).

[15] Hutton, Ronald (December 2008). "Modern Pagan Festivals: A Study in the Nature of Tradition". Folklore (Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of Folklore Enterprises, Ltd.) 119 (3): 251–273. doi:10.1080/00155870802352178. JSTOR 40646468. |accessdate= requires |url= (help)

[AFA-16] McNallen, Stephen The Twelve Days of Yule – 2005

[17] James Buescher (15 December 2007). "Wiccans, pagans ready to celebrate Yule". Lancaster Online. Retrieved 21 December 2007.

[18] Andrea Kannapell (21 December 1997). "Celebrations; It's Solstice, Hanukkah, Kwannza: Let There Be Light!". NYtimes.com. Retrieved 21 December 2007.

[19] Ruth la Ferla (13 December 2000). "Like Magic, Witchcraft Charms Teenagers". New York Times. Retrieved 21 December 2007. Generally meeting in covens, which anoint their own priests and priestesses, Wiccans chant and cast or draw circles to invoke their deities, mainly during festivals like Samhain and Yule, which coincide with Halloween and Christmas, and when the moon is full. ...

匿名

検索

案内

案内