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Midsummer Blót: Exploring the Origins and Modern Practices

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Introduction When most people hear the word "Midsummer," their minds immediately jump to the Summer Solstice, a celebration marked by bonfires, feasts, and joyous gatherings. That association is not wrong in a modern sense, but it can become too clean if we assume that every historical Midsummer observance was fixed to the exact astronomical solstice. However, while Midsummer has become strongly associated with the solstice in modern times, the historical record reveals a more intricate and uncertain tradition. As we delve into the practices of pre-Christian pagans, their likely use of lunisolar calendars, the Icelandic Althing, and the eventual Christian replacement or reshaping of some customs, we can begin to unravel the complex origins of Midsummer and explore its meaning through history and into modern Norse paganism. Pre-Julian and Gregorian Calendars: The Challenge of Determining Solstices Before the adoption of the Julian and Gregorian calendars, determining the exact...
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The Use of Hammers in Historical & Modern Heathen Ritual

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Hammers in Modern Practice & Ritual Today, if you were to go to the house of a practitioner of Nordic & Germanic beliefs, you would likely see upon their altar a hammer.  If you are to attend a modern blot, you are also very likely to see a hammer being used in ritual.  Typically these hammers are of the size and shape of a small handheld sledge with a short handle that typically weigh between 2 to maybe 5lbs in weight.   In the modern context, the purpose of this hammer is to represent Thor’s mighty hammer Mjolnir and is typically used within ritual to bless food for a feast, consecrate offering, make hallow the space that will be used for blot/ritual, bless ritual items and even to bless a person, property or to consecrate a marriage. This practice is rooted in ancient traditions of invoking Thor's blessings for protection and sanctification. An example of this can be seen in Viking Age runestones that bear the inscription "Thor Bless" or "Thor hallow...
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