Heathen Rituals!

Heathen Rituals

By Thorolf Gythling

Asatruar use two basic ritual forms: the Sumbel and the Blot (pronounced "bloat").

The Blot

The word "blot" literally means "blessing". It is a ritual intended to ask for the blessings of a Deity, or Deities, or other spiritual beings such as the land spirits and/or elves. Blots tend to follow a fairly basic outline, though there is room for variation.

Opening

Gather the participants together, perhaps explaining some of the less obvious parts to any newcomers (especially if you're going to be asperging), and get everyone's attention (perhaps by striking a drum or a chime, or ringing a bell - whatever works).

Hallowing/Warding

These two items tend to get lumped together and done at pretty much the same time. Hallowing involves making a particular space sacred. Since dedicated hofs (temples) are pretty scarce, most Heathen rituals wind up being held in parks, back yards, or living rooms. These multi-purpose spaces need to be dedicated to the sacred task at hand. Warding involves magically protecting the space against evil, negative, or disruptive influences. Methods of Hallowing and Warding vary from kindred to kindred - some use a "Hammer Hallowing" that calls on the Hammer of Thor to consecrate and ward the space. Others chant a Rune Ring, or carry a candle flame or cencer of incense around the space. Some use a staff or a spear, pounding 3 times on the floor and announcing that the space is sacred (not good for apartment dwellers).

Purpose

Rituals are done for a reason. At this point in the ritual, that purpose is stated explicitly, perhaps by reading an appropriate myth or other piece of lore, or reciting a poem written for the occasion, or simply talking about why the participants have been assembled. "Setting the scene" in this way gets everyone thinking along similar lines, giving the ritual some direction.

Invoking

We call on the Deities or other spiritual beings that are being honored by the particular ritual (Thor at a Thorsblot, Ostara at Ostara, the Disir for a Disablot, etc.). This is done more in the manner of an invitation than a summoning; after all, the Gods and Goddesses are our friends, and the Disir are our family and should be treated with appropriate respect rather than being ordered about.

Charging

Just as the space is made sacred with the Hallowing, the beverage to be shared is consecrated, too. Mead (honey wine) is traditional, but may be hard to come by in some areas. If you have underage participants, or people who cannot (or choose not to) consume alcohol, cider is a good substitute. Certain Deities may express preferences for particular beverages, too - Thor, for example, is fond of stout.

Sharing

The beverage, once charged, is shared among the participants. In many kindreds, the drinking horn is simply passed from person to person. At larger public rites, people sometimes bring their own horns (or cups, or whatever) and the serving horn is carried around the circle. The number of rounds varies widely. Sometimes only a single round is passed, dedicated to the particular Deity being honored. Other times, the sharing becomes a full three-round sumbel (which is part of the reason the two ritual forms get confused from time to time). Participants say what they have to say (or they may say it silently, or simply pass the horn to the next person), then drink, and then pour out a libation into a Blessing Bowl as an offering to the Deity (or whomever). Rituals held outdoors sometimes forego the Blessing Bowl in favor of simply pouring out on the ground; either is perfectly acceptable, but if you're planning to asperge during the blessing, you'll need something to dip the twigs into.

Blessing

The Havamal says, "Better not to sacrifice than to sacrifice overmuch, for a gift looks aye for a gift." Heathen religion is based on a reciprocal relationship between us and the Deities - we honor them, they bless us. At this point in the Blot, the Gods and Goddesses are asked for their blessings on us. Often, the blessings are physically represented by asperging, or sprinkling. A twig (usually evergreen) is dipped into the Blessing Bowl and each participant is sprinkled with it.

Pouring Out

Once the asperging is done, the Blessing Bowl is poured out onto the Earth, giving the Earth and the landspirits their share. For apartment-dwellers, this usually involves a trip to the parking lot or local planting strip. The plants involved appreciate the attention; one fellow that we know had a peach tree suddenly start producing fruit after a couple of blots were held at his place.

Closing

It's a good idea to have a definite closing to a ritual. Closings usually involve thanking the particpants, thanking the Gods and Goddesses (and any ancestors, landspirits, or other beings who showed up), and then bringing the rite to a close. Some people use a ritual phrase along the lines of "hail and farewell" or its Old Norse equivalent, "Frith ok Farsaell", while others repeat the use of the staff or spear from the hallowing in order to return the space to its regular use.

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Feasting is often a feature of Blots. Some prefer to hold the entire ritual first and then feast afterward, while others prefer to tuck the feast in between Blessing and Pouring Out, thus allowing further toasting or offerings throughout the feast, and then Pouring Out and Closing afterwards. It's a judgement call - if the ritual's short, there's plenty of time for eating. If your godhi or gydhja is a recovering Episcopalian, you may even want to eat ahead of time...

As with the sumbel, there are descriptions of blots in ancient literary works. The "Saga of Hakon the Good" describes a Yule ritual, with blessing bowl and blessing twigs - though back then, the liquid used was the blood from the animals that were being cooked for the feast. Mead's much easier to wash out of one's tunic.

Next: The Sumbel







	Heathen Rituals By Thorolf Gythling Asatruar use two basic ritual forms: the Sumbel and the Blot (pronounced "bloat"). The Blot The word "blot" literally means "blessing". It is a ritual intended to ask for the blessings of a Deity, or Deities, or other spiritual beings such as the land spirits and/or elves. Blots tend to follow a fairly basic outline, though there is room for variation. Opening Gather the participants together, perhaps explaining some of the less obvious parts to any newcomers (especially if you're going to be asperging), and get everyone's attention (perhaps by striking a drum or a chime, or ringing a bell - whatever works). Hallowing/Warding These two items tend to get lumped together and done at pretty much the same time. Hallowing involves making a particular space sacred. Since dedicated hofs (temples) are pretty scarce, most Heathen rituals wind up being held in parks, back yards, or living rooms. These multi-purpose spaces need to be dedicated to the sacred task at hand. Warding involves magically protecting the space against evil, negative, or disruptive influences. Methods of Hallowing and Warding vary from kindred to kindred - some use a "Hammer Hallowing" that calls on the Hammer of Thor to consecrate and ward the space. Others chant a Rune Ring, or carry a candle flame or cencer of incense around the space. Some use a staff or a spear, pounding 3 times on the floor and announcing that the space is sacred (not good for apartment dwellers). Purpose Rituals are done for a reason. At this point in the ritual, that purpose is stated explicitly, perhaps by reading an appropriate myth or other piece of lore, or reciting a poem written for the occasion, or simply talking about why the participants have been assembled. "Setting the scene" in this way gets everyone thinking along similar lines, giving the ritual some direction. Invoking We call on the Deities or other spiritual beings that are being honored by the particular ritual (Thor at a Thorsblot, Ostara at Ostara, the Disir for a Disablot, etc.). This is done more in the manner of an invitation than a summoning; after all, the Gods and Goddesses are our friends, and the Disir are our family and should be treated with appropriate respect rather than being ordered about. Charging Just as the space is made sacred with the Hallowing, the beverage to be shared is consecrated, too. Mead (honey wine) is traditional, but may be hard to come by in some areas. If you have underage participants, or people who cannot (or choose not to) consume alcohol, cider is a good substitute. Certain Deities may express preferences for particular beverages, too - Thor, for example, is fond of stout. Sharing The beverage, once charged, is shared among the participants. In many kindreds, the drinking horn is simply passed from person to person. At larger public rites, people sometimes bring their own horns (or cups, or whatever) and the serving horn is carried around the circle. The number of rounds varies widely. Sometimes only a single round is passed, dedicated to the particular Deity being honored. Other times, the sharing becomes a full three-round sumbel (which is part of the reason the two ritual forms get confused from time to time). Participants say what they have to say (or they may say it silently, or simply pass the horn to the next person), then drink, and then pour out a libation into a Blessing Bowl as an offering to the Deity (or whomever). Rituals held outdoors sometimes forego the Blessing Bowl in favor of simply pouring out on the ground; either is perfectly acceptable, but if you're planning to asperge during the blessing, you'll need something to dip the twigs into. Blessing The Havamal says, "Better not to sacrifice than to sacrifice overmuch, for a gift looks aye for a gift." Heathen religion is based on a reciprocal relationship between us and the Deities - we honor them, they bless us. At this point in the Blot, the Gods and Goddesses are asked for their blessings on us. Often, the blessings are physically represented by asperging, or sprinkling. A twig (usually evergreen) is dipped into the Blessing Bowl and each participant is sprinkled with it. Pouring Out Once the asperging is done, the Blessing Bowl is poured out onto the Earth, giving the Earth and the landspirits their share. For apartment-dwellers, this usually involves a trip to the parking lot or local planting strip. The plants involved appreciate the attention; one fellow that we know had a peach tree suddenly start producing fruit after a couple of blots were held at his place. Closing It's a good idea to have a definite closing to a ritual. Closings usually involve thanking the particpants, thanking the Gods and Goddesses (and any ancestors, landspirits, or other beings who showed up), and then bringing the rite to a close. Some people use a ritual phrase along the lines of "hail and farewell" or its Old Norse equivalent, "Frith ok Farsaell", while others repeat the use of the staff or spear from the hallowing in order to return the space to its regular use. --------- Feasting is often a feature of Blots. Some prefer to hold the entire ritual first and then feast afterward, while others prefer to tuck the feast in between Blessing and Pouring Out, thus allowing further toasting or offerings throughout the feast, and then Pouring Out and Closing afterwards. It's a judgement call - if the ritual's short, there's plenty of time for eating. If your godhi or gydhja is a recovering Episcopalian, you may even want to eat ahead of time... As with the sumbel, there are descriptions of blots in ancient literary works. The "Saga of Hakon the Good" describes a Yule ritual, with blessing bowl and blessing twigs - though back then, the liquid used was the blood from the animals that were being cooked for the feast. Mead's much easier to wash out of one's tunic. Next: The Sumbel